Local Legends of the 805: Rich Kids on LSD Plays Ventura Music Hall
Credit: Michelle Evans
words by Lily Raesler & photos by Michelle Evans (@_saltygoat)
On Saturday night, I embark to Ventura, 20 minutes in one direction from the very homeland of Nardcore and another 20 from the birthplace of RKL, for a night of thrashy guitar-forward metal-inspired(?) punk rock with a side of skate ethos and raw DIY freneticism. Suffice to say, I’m really excited.
The lineup is Cigar, Seized Up, Pulley, then RKL. We miss Cigar (punks from Eugene, Oregon), but get there just in time to see Seized Up – hardcore punks from Santa Cruz. While the band itself is relatively modern, formed in 2019 and incubated during the pandemic, its members are no newbies. The lineup boasts Andy Granelli (ex-Nerve Agents/ The Distillers), Danny Buzzard (Fast Asleep/All You Can Eat), Chuck Platt (Good Riddance) and Clifford Dinsmore (BL’AST!) – all legends of the California hardcore scene. Both Cigar and Seized Up joined RKL on their five-show Cali run: San Fran, Santa Cruz, Ventura, LA, and San Diego. Seized Up puts on a formidable show – frontman Clifford Dinsmore is wearing a shirt featuring the band Lecherous Gaze (a psych-punk band from Oakland) and his gaze is certainly intense; eyes scanning the crowd as if he wants to pick a fight. The drums are mixed loud and heavy, and Granelli is absolutely wailing on the kick, reverberating the whole room. Dinsmore spits lyrics like “Social media/ festering forum of decay/ and every breath you fake/ drowns you deeper in the techno age” against the corrosive nature of social media on mental health, then disparages increasing gentrification in California before launching into “Turn Christian and Move Inland.” Their set is tight and politically charged, and sounds classic despite the songs being new – their
latest release, Modify The Sacred, came out last year.
Up next, Pulley strikes me as a surprisingly optimistic group; more melodic hardcore – almost verging on screamo or emo. Nostalgia, as in “Soberbeah” and angst, as in “The Ocean Song,” seem to be prevalent themes in a lot of the songs they perform. They’re from Simi Valley, formed in 1994, and while not technically from Oxnard, they’re associated with the Nardcore scene of the 1980s – a hardcore punk movement out of Oxnard, CA that blended elements of skate culture, thrash, and California hardcore. Frontman Scott Radinsky, previously of Scared Straight/ Ten Foot Pole (also of near-Nardcore fame), seems to have a smile on his face the whole time and genuinely just looks enthused to be performing the show. He’s even happier when the crowd starts singing along to one of their 2004 hits, “Huber Breeze.” Despite the melancholy subject matter (the lyrics being “Stop trying/ stop trying/ stop trying / never try again”) Radinsky, and everyone else for that matter, is having a great time.
Then, finally, came RKL. Short for Rich Kids On L.S.D., they are a hardcore punk band hailing from sunny Montecito – only about 15 minutes from KCSB! Gee! They’ve been beloved in the hearts of punkers, skaters, and thrashers since their inception in 1982, and while not often enough considered a household name, have influenced a countless score of bands who are. Tonight, everyone is there to see RKL- including the other bands. Radinsky remarks as Pulley finishes their set, “Of course we’re happy to play here, but we’re really just here to see RKL.”
As RKL starts playing, a few people two-stepping in the middle turns into a bona-fide pit. People are stage-diving and crowdsurfing now: including Abe Brennan, the new singer for RKL, previously of the Dead Pioneers. He’s got a massive gash on his eyebrow, which (from my pre-show research) I know is from their concert the previous night in San Francisco where he suffered a stage-diving-related medical complication. There’s stitches, but they must not have been very good, because he starts bleeding profusely as soon as he starts hopping around on stage. It’s all very punk rock and I’m happy. He even stage-dives a few more times over the course of their set, which I think is admirable.
Credit: Michelle Evans
On the mic, Brennan makes it clear that he is tremendously grateful to be a part of the band now; he says at one point how surreal it is for him to be playing in a band he grew up idolizing, and you can really tell how much love and respect he has for the songs. He’s singing them with the passion they deserve, and paying homage to the Late Great former vocalist Jason Sears, who passed in 2006. Speaking of their technical prowess, Joe Raposo (bass) is exceptionally talented. As a drummer I’ve heard a
lot of jokes at bassists’ expense – denouncing the dreaded Bass Solo and such – but Raposo plays bass solos I can get behind. It’s as if he has extra fingers, perhaps even an extra hand; he’s playing notes I didn‘t even know a bass guitar could reach, in rapid time and with blazing ferocity (and ease!). He doesn’t even break a sweat. On mic, Brennan dubs him a “genius”- a bass “god”. I can’t help but agree.
For the last couple of songs, Raposo dons a “Beanie Boy” mask: RKL’s mascot-of-sorts who was drawn up by artist Dan Sites. Apparently, when Bomer and Jason were being tattooed in the RKL early days, Bomer was trying to draw a dragon design. Seeing his attempt, Jason said something along the lines of “Yeah dude, it’s Cecil! Where’s Beanie?” (referencing the TV series Beany and Cecil). Artist Dan Sites, who was sitting nearby, sketched up a beanie-wearing boy jumping from a building and he’s been a part of RKL’s logo ever since! Sites has made many designs for Fat Wreck Chords, including their iconic logo, as well as designs for Lagwagon, NOFX, Gwar, and others.
And of course, Chris Rest, the original guitarist for RKL who’s been in the band for over 40 YEARS, also plays an incredible show. To quote a semi-silly-Satanic Candlemass song “[his] fingers, they dance upon the strings like fire”… He plays fast, precise, and mean; a perfect front-line for the rest of the band. Rest also makes a point to tell us a bit about why they’re touring again – they want to continue the legacy of Jason Sears and Richard “Bomer” Manzullo, RKL’s original vocalist and drummer, who passed in 2006 and 2005, and keep the songs they shared alive for as long as they can. It’s important and honorable work; and I’m very glad they’re doing it.
Credit: Michelle Evans
The set list spans most of their discography, which stretches all the way back to 1984, when they released their first EP, It’s A Beautiful Feeling! They open with “Why?,” off that very same EP, and then play more of their early hits like “Scab On My Brain,” “Ded Teds,” and “Beautiful Feeling.” Then they move into their 90s material, followed by a version of “Lies” that they recently re-recorded in 2023. They end the main set with “Think Positive,” off their classic 1985 album Keep Laughing. They come out again with a three-song encore, which drives the crowd even more into a frenzy. At this point, Brennan fully jumps into the pit at the front of the stage; jumping and shoving around as they perform their last song, “Pothead” (also off Keep Laughing), which he lets some of the audience members sing with him. Luckily, I’m standing pretty close to the front and get to mosh with Brennan, which is pretty awesome. Aptly, during this song, some guy next to me whips out a huge blunt that gets swept up into the surging crowd – and somehow ends up in Brennan’s hand. He doesn’t question it too much. It’s a memorable way to end the night!
RKL is a unique and impressive case; they have the frenetic energy and thrashiness of hardcore punk, but also wield incredible technical skill. Tonight, Rest is wearing a Slayer shirt, and drummer Dave Raun is wearing a Motörhead shirt, and it’s clear to see their influences (and peers, I suppose, in the case of Slayer) manifest in the way they play. They bring the precision and speed of Motörhead and the intense licks and ferocity of thrash metal; while blending elements, from their hometown, of punk rock political sensibility and DIY ethos. It’s super-charged rock ‘n’ roll. They’re local legends for a reason. And tonight, RKL absolutely kills; everyone’s moshing, singing along, and having fun. I’m very grateful to have been able to see them play; a (pretty nearly) hometown show even. I think I will be listening to a lot more of them in the future!