Punk Rock on the High Seas: A Mika Miko/Bad Parents Review

After we poured half a fifth of whiskey into our tanks, we were ready to board the Rocket Boat. The Rocket Boat is basically a speed boat large enough to fit about 40 seats (a number that has since become 35--the mosh pit took up half the boat, and several chairs were casualties.) Anyway, the Rainbow Rocket for the Butt Rockin’ Boat Ride is a punk show on a boat. On Friday the lineup featured LA's Mika Miko and LB's Bad Parents (ex Geisha Girls). So with a zephyr behind us carrying the smell of human waste (that Long Beach natives know and love so well) we embarked upon an inebriated, tune-filled journey around the Long Beach Harbor.
As far as the show goes: According to the flier, Mika Miko played with 3 other bands: NASA Space Universe, Le Face, and Contaminators (no "the"). Unfortunately, the boat's PA system is so bad that catching the names of these bands was about as easy as moving around. All I know is that one band dropped out and was replaced by Bad Parents. And I guess I probably shouldn’t tell you this, cause you were probably one of the people who were sent away after the boat hit capacity, but: I've seen Muse with less than 3,000 other people and Immortal Technique with less than 300 other people, and Friday night on the Rocket Boat was honestly the most fun I've had at a show in a long time.

--Contributed by Jeff Phifer
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Oh so you wanna mosh on a boat now too, do ya? Then get your ass down to dock #7 on Friday Feb. 8th to check out Bad Parents, F. Neighbors, Red Hearts, and Vomit Bomb. Cover is 7 bucks. Here's a map if you're confused by the lack of a physical address:

Entrance and Moonrats @ the Knitting Factory--6 bucks for two shows.

Entrance is totally awesome. He put out this album called Prayer of Death in like 2006 that totally owns every other album put out in 2006. I've never seen the Entrance Band but I'm told they're even better and that I'm about to be blown away or some shit like that.

Download Entrance's Grim Reaper Blues here.

Now, Moonrats is ex-members of Your Enemies Friends and Pretty Girls Make Graves, and it makes me super stoked to write about them cause the bass player/keyboard player is my best friend from high school. And they're good.

Listen to FLM by Moonrats:



The bass player/singer from Crystal Antlers used to live across the street from me when I lived at the Booby Trap. I was really surprised to meet someone in that house who wasn't a piece of shit so I tried to get him to move into my house but as soon as he realized that no one in their right mind would live even 3 blocks from EITHER of these places, he was gone.

Listen to Crystal Antlers here.

A little note about the flyer: it was created by another OCHSA alum, Mr. Luke McGarry, who is 1/3 of Orange County electro-pop outfit Pop Noir. The kid also does a ton of artwork for shit like L.A. Record and the District Weekly, and you've probably seen his work in other places. It's good though huh?

The point of all this: if you feel like being blown away, get your ass to the Knitting Factory on Thursday, pay 6 bucks, and prepare to be stoked. I'd be there if I didn't live so fucking far away.

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