Images: Face to Face, Blacklist Royals, Joshua Black Wilkins, Implants July 5, 2013 at the House of Blues

Victorville, CA punks Face to Face dropped by the House of Blues July 5 for the final date of their most recent tour. This was actually my first full Face to Face show (last year I caught singer Trever Keith’s solo tour), and the band far exceeded my expectations. Their hour and a half set blasted through a huge portion of their back catalog with fan favorites “A-OK” and “Disconnected” sounding especially great at the increased tempo. Of course, some time was devoted to the new album Three Chords and a Half Truth, including “Smokestacks Skyscrapers” with it’s super catchy “pick up the pieces!” chorus. I can’t wait to see them again.

Opening the show were two artists from Nashville – singer/songwriter Joshua Black Wilkins, followed by rock and roll-influenced punks Blacklist Royals. Wilkins’ brand of folk was much in the vein of Tom Waits and early Ryan Adams, while the Royals added a tinge of country to their blend of punk and rock, which the crowd really enjoyed.

Also opening was Los Angeles supergroup Implants. These guys have been around for a little over a year now and are made of alumni of many great Southern California bands like Strung Out, Pulley and Ten Foot Pole. With a pedigree like that, it’s no surprise they got the HOB going early. I’ve listened to their debut From Chaos to Order several times and really enjoyed hearing their fast 90s-era sound live.

-Aaron Mattern | https://www.flickr.com/photos/akmofoto/