Shiny Toy Guns rock Club Nokia

The Shiny Toy Guns perform at Club Nokia Saturday night.

Becky Kinder
Staff Writer

Published: Tuesday, May 12, 2009


Shiny Toy Guns - Becky Kinder

Shiny Toy Guns played at Club Nokia Saturday to an already amped crowd. After decent-sized sets by three other bands including The Ringers and Nico Vega — as well as one song by an unnamed and very costumed solo artist — the audience could have been all danced-and cheered-out before Shiny Toy Guns even got on stage, but that was not the case.
Opening the night at 9 p.m., The Ringers set the night’s atmosphere with high-energy and eclectic clothes — or maybe we should call certain looks costumes — fitting of the Indy/Pop/Alternative/Rock genres each of the groups that followed would also fit well into (lead singer Joe Hursley was wearing a too-small, matador-style outfit with tassels on the outer seam of each pant leg –— with no shirt in sight). Hursley was so active on stage that he was sweating enough for the whole band.
Nico Vega was the last to play before the headliners, but seemed to have had plenty of fans that were there just to see the group play — a few fans squeezed their way as close to the stage as the could and left their prime spots after Vega’s last song, never to return.
Each opening band was as equally entertaining and musically skilled as the next. I would recommend seeing any of them in concert again and will be buying at least a few of each group’s songs (if not the whole of their albums) on iTunes to promptly sweeten my iPod library.
Shiny Toy Guns opened their set with “Starts with One” amid screaming fans after 11:30 p.m., but the wait was well worth it. The energy never waned, even through their slower-tempo songs, and current lead female vocalist Sisely Treasure was fabulous to watch as she danced and rocked around the stage.
The Goth/Punk style you may attribute Shiny Toy Guns’ look with was only a portion of the style they sported at the concert — throw a preppy So-Cal-esque button-up short sleeved shirt on lead male vocalist Chad Petree along with some eye shadow and guyliner and call it a day. Treasure rocked a set of blue leggings, and a torn tee with platinum and blue razor-cut hair to top it off. Jeremy Dawson and Mikey Martin also had styled ‘dos befitting the over-all style of the band.
With recording-quality sound even through matching the energy of their audience and rocking-out instrument playing and dance moves, Shiny Toy Guns is a band not to be missed when they’re in your town. They said Saturday that they don’t come to Los Angeles often enough – I agree.

"Lycans" gives new meaning to ancient conflict

Becky Kinder
Staff Writer


Published: Tuesday, February 3, 2009

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Underworld: Rise of The Lycans was number seven in the box office last weekend

3 out of 4 Stars

Our View: A bigger budget wouldn't make this film - its script, acting, and direction carry it enough.

Summary: Love between two of a different race, and love for self, begins a war between vampires and lycans.

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Cary Elwes said in 1987's "The Princess Bride," "Rodents of unusual size? I don't think they exist." They existed in that film and they are now out of the Fire Swamp and in a theater near you in "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans," a prequel to the other two "Underworld" films. Never fear, though, these Lycans are werewolves that can still take human form. They're hideous and wonderfully icky in their flesh-tearing, human-meets-beast glory.

If you're not familiar with this particular series of films, here's a little back story: Vampires and werewolves came from the same father whose sons were bitten by a vampire and a wolf, respectively. Their knack for immortality started with their father's DNA enabling him to adapt to a plague which killed everybody else. Once bitten by the first werewolf and any thereafter, a werewolf was not able to return to their human form, just as vampires were no longer human. In the first film, we are introduced to the war between vampires and Lycans that has been fought for centuries, with only bits and pieces as to how this war began and why it has continued for so long.

In "Lycans," we learn that the vampires, in their aristocratic snobbery, tried to destroy all the werewolves from the beginning, claiming that they were mindless beasts unable to have a quality society and therefore, unworthy of existence. At one point, however, the head vampire, Viktor, imprisoned a werewolf and gave birth to Lucian, who was born in human form (don't ask me how -- this is an unfortunate hole in the story line). The mother was promptly killed and with Lucian's life spared, he was raised as a slave and favorite pet by Viktor and was the first of the Lycans, able to turn into a werewolf, but also able to return to human form. Lucian was used to create more Lycans, breading a race that could be used to work as slaves and also protect the vampires' coven during the day.

Unlike some other prequels, "Lycans" doesn't simply try to capitalize on what has previously been earned at the box office by its series' predecessors -- it actually holds its own as a film while it adds deeper, darker layers to the series. For those who have never seen any or all of the "Underworld" series, "Lycans" can be watched before or after you've seen the other two. If you're like me, you'll want to watch the first two again after seeing "Lycans" to put all the pieces together for an even clearer picture.

Though there are some down-sides to the film -- a couple of hokey visual effects and a "Clash of the Titans" quality they ran into at times or the inconsistencies between the scenes in "Lycans" that were also flash-backs in the first "Underworld" -- the script keeps a dialogue that would hold its own even without the fantasy. The actors lead you into a trance of belief that these characters really exist and they do it without the patronizing clichés that other films with vampires and werewolves usually offer.

"Lycans" is visually stunning at times, and though they could do without so much blood squirting from necks, the fight choreography and stunt work are exciting enough that even a simple fall on the ground with a blow to the back of the head made the audience vocal. The love story within the film tugs at the heart instead of being a burden, which is often difficult for action movies.

"Underworld: Rise of the Lycans" raises the question: what makes a being more humane or worthy of a high quality of life than another? The implications of the control and understanding Lucian had -- over himself and others -- cause the audience to think while being entertained, which was an unexpected surprise.

I was bitten by the "Underworld" series from the first film's release and after "Lycans," there's no turning back.