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NEW WIZ PINZ

The Garden at The Observatory in Santa Ana, CA.

Wyatt und Fletcher Shears, dunkelblond und hellblond, Bassist und Drummer, Hedi Slimane’s Musen, Punk-Rock-Koryphäen aus Kalifornien wollen sich nicht kategorisieren lassen. The Garden sind die unbescholtenen Könige ihres eigenen geheimnisvollen Königreichs. Fremde Wesen existieren dort, man würfelt mit dem Tod um sein Leben, rudert über einsame Gewässer, wird von mysteriösen Maskenmenschen verfolgt – Vada Vada nennen sie das und es ist viel mehr als nur eine Musikrichtung, es ist ein Kosmos voller Geheimnisse, welche nur von ihren Königen gelüftet werden können.

Während der Tag des 15. Dezembers 2014 seinem Ende entgegen blickt, beginnt eine spannungsreiche, energetische Nacht in der Prinzenbar in Hamburg. Als Support treten The Morphinettes aus Hamburg auf und bringen erstaunlich britische Musik auf die Bühne. Desert Wave nennen sie das und genauso hört sich das an. Nach ihrem Auftritt tanzen weiße Lichtpunkte über die stuckverzierten Wände, steinerne Engel blicken mit allwissenden Augen auf die Zwillinge, die soeben die Bühne betreten haben. In der Prinzenbar geht ein Raunen durch die Menge, die Bühnenpräsenz der Shears-Brüder ist greifbar, die Atmosphäre spannungsgeladen und intensiv.

Hypnotisierend ist das, was The Garden auf die Bühne bringen, sie ergänzen sich gegenseitig in ihren Bewegungen, springen umher, klettern auf Boxentürme – die Herren ihrer eigenen Utopie. Wobei dieser Begriff im Vadaverse keinen Nutzen hat. „I am a woman“, ruft Wyatt und die sonst so hermetische Abgrenzung der Geschlechter ist plötzlich bedeutungslos. Fletcher springt über sein Schlagzeug, kurz herrscht eine andächtige Stille im Raum. Die Luft füllt sich mit elektronischen Hip Hop Beats aus Wyatt’s Mobiltelefon und dem eindrücklichen Sprechgesang der Zwillinge.

Mit seinem schwarzen Ledermantel und den weißblonden Haarspitzen ähnelt Fletcher dem Vampir Spike aus der Serie Buffy, während Wyatt so aussieht, als könne er den einzigen Jungen im Hexenzirkel aus dem Film The Craft darstellen. Avantgarde strahlen die Zwillinge aus, immer mit einem wissenden Funkeln in den Augen; ein verheißungsvoller Schimmer, dass noch viel mehr Unerklärliches in der Welt vor sich geht, als wir ahnen. The Garden stellen ihre neue 7‘‘-Single Surprise vor. Keiner ihrer Songs ist länger als zwei Minuten, manchmal bemerkt man das Ende des einen erst, wenn Wyatt zum nächsten Refrain ansetzt.

Der vielleicht surrealste ihrer Songs ist Vada Vada, zwanzig Sekunden lang und den Zuhörer in vollkommener Fassungslosigkeit zurücklassend; zweifelnd, ob die letzten zwanzig Sekunden wirklich passiert sind. The Garden sind Entertainer, Träumer, Futuristen mit progressiven Ideen, Ansichten und Texten. Es ist schwer, Menschen nicht zu kategorisieren. Aber wenn es glückt, werden The Garden die uns bewusste Wahrnehmung umkrempeln. Man muss lediglich offen für alles sein.

Wyatt and Fletcher Shears, dark and light blonde twins, bass player and drummer, Hedi Slimane’s muses, punk rock luminaries from California do not want to be categorized. The Garden are the eminently respectable kings of their own mysterious kingdom. Alien beings exist there, one dices for one’s life with the Death, rowing over lonely waters, followed by mysterious people in disguises – they call it Vada Vada and it is much more than just a genre, it is a cosmos full of secrets that can only be revealed by their kings.

While the 15th of December 2014 is drawing to an end, an exciting, energetic night in the Prinzenbar in Hamburg begins. The support band The Morphinettes from Hamburg stage striking British music. Desert Wave they call it, and it exactly sounds like that. After their performance, white dots of lights glide over the stucco walls, stone angels with knowing eyes glance down at the twins, who have just entered the stage. In the Prinzenbar a murmur goes through the crowd, the stage presence of the Shears Brothers is palpable, the atmosphere is intense and full of suspense.

The Garden are hypnotic performers, they complement each other in their movements, jumping around, climbing on towers made of speakers - the masters of their own utopia. Although this term has no relevance in the Vadaverse. “I am a woman,” calls Wyatt and the otherwise hermetic distinction between the sexes is suddenly meaningless. Fletcher jumps over his drum kit; there is a short reverent silence in the room. The air is filled with electronic Hip Hop beats from Wyatt’s phone and the impressive chanting of the twins.

With his black leather coat and the light blonde hair-ends Fletcher is similar to the vampire Spike from the Buffy series while Wyatt looks more like someone who could totally fit in into the coven from the film The Craft as the only guy. The twins radiate Avantgarde, always with an aware glint in their eyes; a promising clue that much more inexplicable in the world is going on than we realize. The Garden brought their freshly squeezed 7’’ single Surprise consisting of the songs Surprise and This Could Build Us A Home. None of their songs is longer than two minutes, sometimes you notice the end of one song only when Wyatt attaches to the next chorus.

Perhaps the most surreal of their songs is Vada Vada which is lasting twenty seconds, leaving the listener in complete bewilderment; doubtful whether the last twenty seconds were really happening or not. The Garden are entertainers, dreamers, futurists with advanced ideas, views and lyrics. It is hard not to categorize people. But if you succeed, The Garden are going to turn your conscious perception upside down. Just be sure to have an open mind.

I couldn’t think of a better way to end the month of July than with a concert, and Enjoy out of all artists was one who could fulfill that role and definitely did not disappoint. 

Also known as Wyatt Shears, lead singer/bassist of the punk band The Garden, Enjoy is his solo project where he continues to incorporates much of his bass-playing along with some sick synths and clever lyricism to top it all off. With his newly released album, “Small Car Big Wheels,” I knew we were in for a treat as the man himself took the stage, his hair tightly gelled into long spiky strands as a show of his eccentricity and desire to just be himself. Much to my surprise, he was joined by another bassist as well as his twin brother Fletcher Shears, who hopped on drums, and his girlfriend more well-known as Cowgirl Clue, and she took to the keys. The Vada Vada crew were all gathered and were ready to get the show started.

Enjoy opened up his set with “Small Journies” and it was almost instantly that he started playing when everyone in the crowd went nuts and began moshing. The whole time people were jumping around shouting the chorus and some even took themselves to the stage and dove into the crowd, which was all very characteristic of the laid-back “do whatever you think would be fun” atmosphere of the night. Other notable songs Enjoy played at his show were “Go Figure,” “New Balance New Moon,” and one of my personal favorites from one of his older albums, “I’ve Got The World In My Pocket.“ 

After just over a month of traveling across the United States, Orange County’s beloved rock acts The Garden and Tijuana Panthers returned home for a wild, sold-out Friday night at the Observatory in Santa Ana.

Seasoned punks Shattered Faith got the moshing started early with their classic anti-establishment anthems, providing a throwback for older punk rockers and showing the younger crowd the old glory of the 70s and 80s SoCal scene.

Cyber genie Cowgirl Clue (fka Wu-Wu) transcended to another plane of cherry-fueled existence with 16-bit influenced “Cherry Jubilee.” A vision in shiny red pleather and a high ponytail, Clue (real name Ashley Calhoun) twirled and gesticulated like a Sailor scout while chanting “Metamorphisis” (sic) and other gems off of her Burger Records-released Limelite EP. Full of dancing, infectious synth-laden beats, internet-age pop, and stuffed animal-balancing talents, Cowgirl Clue’s place in the Vada Vada realm is distinctly unique. 

Tijuana Panthers, contemporary surf rock icons from Long Beach, turned the Observatory into a raucous clambake. Their set explored each of their releases, from Max Baker to the more recent Ghost Food EP.  A completely euphoric crowd sang along to every word of their classics “Creature,” “Torpedo,” and “Red-Headed Girl,” completely immersed in the energy the band put forth. There’s something powerful about witnessing such a tight, confident group of musicians play together; Tijuana Panthers’ coolness brings out the primal spirit in all who they cast their spell on.

As a dense, purple fog overtook the stage, The Garden—twin cowboy specters Wyatt and Fletcher Shears, ghostly and leather-clad—emerged with ground-rumbling force, shouting the lyrics to “U Want the Scoop?” with ravenous teens yelling it back at them. Their bass-laden and drum-heavy brand of punk is a balance of abrasive and experimental. The Shears brothers are known for their use of twangy basslines, pummeling drums, tongue-in-cheek lyrics with synths to match, and even rap influences—like a mix between Joy Division and Death Grips. With every new phase The Garden shifts into, fans eat it up happily in some of the Burger Records scene’s roughest, sweatiest pits, totally entranced by the weird force that emanates from them. 

                              Collage credit to andrea.lux

The Garden, Hot Flash Heat Wave, & Pancho and the Wizards at Strummer’s in Fresno, CA on Nov. 18

It was a chilly Saturday night in Fresno’s Towers Art District. Strummer’s venue sat on the block in all of its punk rock glory. A line of people clad in mom or dad core clothing stood impatiently on the sidewalk, standing on their tip toes to see why at 8:00 p.m. the doors still hadn’t opened.

The line began crawling slowly just 5 minutes after, and now the doors were nearly visible. Upon approaching the doors, one can read the Sharpie marker signatures on the faded brick wall. The Garden, one brick read, 11.18.17. A tree that stood near the doors had a photograph stapled onto its branch but the only thing identifiable about the photo was the silhouette of the person in it. For a second, it looked like it was Bob Ross (because of the infamous poofy hair). But it was actually a photo of someone’s grandma in the 70s. It was funny and added a nice touch to the venue’s atmosphere.

Once inside, the crowd had gathered at the front of the stage, and a curly haired guy stood behind the mic, fiddling with some chords on his guitar. The room hummed with chatter.

As I stood in the back looking for a spot to stand, I could not mistake a tall figure walking in a cowboy hat toward me – or, more specifically, the hallway at the left of the stage – it was Wyatt Shears. He loomed over the crowd and disappeared before hardly anyone had recognized him.

Soon, the crowd became more condensed as people squeezed in behind me. Three other band members joined the curly-haired guy on stage.

At 8:30 p.m., the first band performing introduced themselves as Pancho and the Wizards from San Luis Obispo. The tunes they played were all surf rock and had everyone bobbing their heads and wiggling their hips. They had joined The Garden on stage that night before at Guild Hall in SLO and performed for their first time ever in Fresno.

Pancho and the Wizards set a carefree mood for the audience with their tambourine tunes and vaguely Dick Dale influences. The lead singer, Tristan, announced that their albums on bandcamp are free to download here.

During the brief transition after Pancho and the Wizards, a KUCI favorite, Hot Flash Heat Wave, stepped on to the stage. The crowd bristled as the band’s name was more familiar to them. HFHW opened with Raindrop from their summer release album Soaked.

The band brought out the crowd’s mellow grooves as they swayed to the sounds of being hung up on a girl. Curiously enough, all the band members in the front sang different songs and each voice held their own sweet or smooth melody.

After their set, I felt strangely relaxed although I - along with everyone else – anticipated over who was about to perform next.

                           Bottom right photo credit to Alexie L

When the lanky twins entered the stage, the crowd crashed forward in a wave, desperately trying their best to see Wyatt and Fletcher.

They opened up with a couple of songs from their March EP U Want The Scoop? as they lights were dimmed and the air became warmer than before.

The energy in the room peaked when Fletcher darted out from behind his drum set and jumped off the stage and wrapped his arms around the rafters (apparently, he does this every time they tour in Fresno).

And like at every show of The Garden, the mosh pit was enthusiastic. At one point a kid that looked probably fourteen hopped onto the stage pretending playing air guitar and was about to be kicked out by security. But Wyatt offered his guitar to him and the kid dashed his fingers across the chords like a cat with a ball of yarn.

Their set seemed like it was only an hour as I felt that empty feeling at the pit of my stomach whenever a show was about to end.

“This is our last show ever,” Wyatt said breathlessly into the mic. There was a beat of silence. “….I’m just kidding.”

The twins then finished off with All Smiles Over Here :). Strummer’s radiated vigorously as some guy next to me struggled to hold his camera up with 35mm format. The air reeked of perspiration and my friend’s the back and sleeves of my friend’s faux leather jacket had peeled off.

With a flourish, the twins finished their set and disappeared as soon as they had come. I felt a stab of disappointment as the crowd dispersed but was happy that I have some bruises to remember the show by.

*Fresno was their last stop on their small four-day West Coast tour.

Three hours before The Garden show at The Observatory on July 26th, the parking lot was empty. However, as we approached the venue we saw a few dozen concert- goers already lined up – three hours before doors opened. Many of the fans were not old enough to drive, but they are aware and up to date with the music scene in Orange County. Before the show started we got a chance to sit down with Wyatt and Fletcher Shears and they told us that five years earlier, the scene before a concert looked much different in Orange County. Fletcher Shears of The Garden commented, “For a long time Orange County didn’t have anything going on except old punk shows, or old punk bands from the 80s would play, and it was mostly adults and people who were much older than us. And that was cool, but there weren’t a lot of kids doing stuff.”  As the punk music scene has seen a revival among the youth of Orange County, The Garden attributes much of the rise of the music scene to the introduction of Burger Records.

Fast forward to the build up right before the show. First to take the stage was Wu-Wu who enchanted us with her opening song full of lyrics: “Butterflies flying around my head.” Lyrics that seemed to mirror the feel of the song itself and her dance moves complimented each track in a way that got people dancing along too. Following her performance was Sad Girl. As the band began to set up the people around us started to speak louder and louder – many of them were talking about which songs they wanted to hear from them and a few even spoke about how many times they had seen them. Hearing that kind of conversation prior to a performance is usually something one would want to hear. Their guitar riffs gave off a surf rock feel, with the rest of the instrumentation it blended into punk-rock, and their whole performance gave off an authentic DIY feel that made the crowd go crazy! Surf Curse took the coveted spot in the lineup right before the anticipated headlining act. This drum and lead guitar duo out of Reno mirrored the two-person format of The Garden, but differed in direction with their lo-fi beach punk sound. The drummer was also lead vocalist, and the effort he exerted while simultaneously banging on the drum kit and singing was truly a sight to see.

The Constellation Room became packed to the brim as The Garden was about to hit the stage. Fans nearby began talking about their favorite songs off their last album haha and we joined in the conversation but we were suddenly overpowered by the sounds of Fletcher Shears as he began drumming away to start off the show. Alas it was show time and those who were lucky enough to get into the sold out show looked up as The Garden twins took the whole room on a trip into the world of Vada Vada, their platform of free-flowing creativity which has come to represent their boundless progression. Song after song after song the crowd was able to sing along word for word. They performed everything from “The Apple” to “Vexation” – a track full of quick drumming and a bass line powerful in its own rite. As “Cloak” began Fletcher left his seat behind the drum kit and got next to Wyatt to sing as well too, and the energy the two had on that stage could beat out anyone’s in the room. Leading a crowd full of attendees stage diving, jumping, and singing along means you need to have the vitality to keep the level up to par, and oh did The Garden deliver just that. Wyatt and Fletcher  turned the stage into a spectacle as the two moved all over the place. Yet, they managed to continue the song in perfect order, not missing one note. At one point they even joined in on the stage diving and became one with the whirling crowd.

As the eerie intro of “All Smiles Over Here” started, everyone immediately began to yell along with Wyatt’s vocals. This night showed just how dedicated the fans of The Garden are. A Garden concert is more than a visual performance, it is an experience that gives fans free reign to indulge in the live music how they wish– be it stage diving, moshing, or simply singing along to every word. That night at the Constellation Room, The Garden truly brought “all smiles over here.” 

The Garden 

By Pierce Junker 

“TWIN TALK”

FLETCHER & WYATT, THE GARDEN

THE ECHO, LOS ANGELES