JUST WHO I WAND-ED TO SEE

02/01/2026

Another week, another show. This time though, I didn't have to drive to LA alone. Nor was the traffic that bad. Gavinksi and I headed north on one of the oldest freeways in LA to Highland Park, home of the Lodge Room. A year and a month prior we'd been there to see the same band--Wand.

We arrived right around 8, parking illegally in the NON PAID lot across the street from the venue. There was no line to get in an hour after doors. Bizarre. I was on the guestlist so we waltzed in and up the stairs for free. A benefit of being the GM of 22 West Radio. Both Gavinski and I were shocked that the room was empty when we walked in. Some small groups convened around the room and by the bar, but a maximum of 25 people. We stood around for a few minutes until the first opener went on. Just before they took stage, I looked towards the bar in the back of the room, my eyes landing on a man dressed in tie dye shirt and shorts. I couldn't f**king believe it. Jack Black was at the Lodge Room. 

His son happened to be the drummer in the opener, Elysian, a young doom metal trio. It was their very first show. You could sense the nerves, as one inevitably would seeing a band play their first gig, but they ripped it up regardless. The guitarist was this lanky kid sagging his bootcut jeans playing a devil-horned SG through a 5150. Killer tone. Thick and prone to endless feedback. Kid had riffs on riffs on riffs. As to be expected from someone playing metal at his age. The bass player, draped in a flannel hoodie like the Grim Reaper's cloak, thumped his strings like they owed him money. You could hear the strings slapping the fretboard because of how low his bass was tuned. His mic was angled like an overhead or more notably, like Lemmy's, so he had to crane his neck to reach the goddamn thing. I'm not a huge fan of throaty, screaming vocals, but I understand how much talent you need to have to pull that off. I think they would've been better off with Electric Wizard type vocals, but it's not my f**king band. The drummer, Jack Black's son and most likely the youngest, played similar to any of the Electric Wizard touring drummers. Laidback, but fitting the songs perfectly. He didn't hit particularly hard or do anything spectacular, however, I think he's finding his sound and the way he wants to play. The most important part about being a musician. I sensed some Weedeater, Sleep, High on Fire, and other doom influences on stage last night. These kids have talent. If you see them on a bill, go to the show.

After their set, during the teardown and set up for the next opener, we hung out waiting to meet Jack. There still wasn't many people in the room, making for an intimate environment. Kyle Gass, Jack's bandmate in Tenacious D, was there too. I saw him walk up to the front during Elysian's set. Jack stopped with a few people and I got to shake his hand. The coolest man in the room.

The next opener was...well...not my favorite. Honestly he was an effective way to get people antsy for Wand. I was incredibly anxious the whole time. A guy behind us tapped me on the shoulder and asked us if we knew what was going on. Of course, neither Gavinksi or I had any idea what was happening. I guess I just don't understand what interests people about a guy sitting on stage playing the same wonky noises over and over again. To each their own. 

By the time Wand took the stage, it had been an eternity. Gavinski and I made our way up to the stage in front of Cory's pedalboard. Arguably the best seat in the house. Ears prepped to get blasted by monstrous shredding and scorching delay oscillation. Wand walked out to "Night Moves" by Bob Seager. Literal chills. 

I forgot that I haven't written about Wand much, if at all, on here. Wand released their debut, Ganglion Reef, on Drag City/God? in 2014, cementing themselves alongside the likes of Ty Segall, Meatbodies, and most other heavy LA psych rockers. Since then they've released 5 studio albums, 2 EPs, and a live record (a mashup of several dates around California). Being a relatively new Wand fan, I can't tell you everything there is to know about the band. I think of them as a very heavy, jammy, fuzzed out Radiohead. To be honest, though, the only parallel to Radiohead I find is Cory's vocals. He has a great falsetto. Cory Hanson, by the way, is the lead singer/guitarist, who I've dubbed "Big Sexy". He is a handsome man. Two of the angriest and mysterious looking men I've ever seen reside on stage right; Evan Backer (bass) and Robert Cody (guitar). Evan Burrows-- librarian by day, drummer by night--is a killer on the kit. Watch that guy play and wish you knew how to hold drum sticks the right way. Together they make up the creative vessel that is Wand.

The room had gotten significantly smaller after we moved to the front. People filled in every nook and cranny. I wouldn't be surprised if they were spilling over the bar. Thankfully, Wand shows don't have giant pits like Osees. Everyone is there to stand and trip out. You don't get shoved into the guy in front of you. There's no apologizing to the person you kicked in the face while crowdsurfing. As much as I love doing it, I do feel bad for those who've caught a stray red Vans Authentic to the noggin. It's just groove city. Groove city if it was submerged in a reverb tank and sent through a vintage Big Muff π. 

The beginning screeches of "Send/Receive (Mind)" opened the gateway into a world of long form exploration, Muff laden breakdowns, and more trails of delay than trails in a national park. From the get-go people were nodding their heads or shaking them in absolute disbelief at what was happening on stage. The setlist mixed old and new perfectly. So many Wand tracks have the sonic capability for open ended jamming, yet no two songs feel the same. It's impossible to tell if they'll ever run out of steam. Out of licks to play. Out of effects to layer. Out of noise to make. I'm wasn't super familiar with the entirety of the setlist, but you know a band is monumentally breathtaking if you fall into the songs you've never heard before. If you were to go to a Wand gig close-minded, they'd force it open within the first 2 songs. 

Cory can really play guitar. And he can sing. Overall brilliant musician. And sexy to boot. He's a sight for sore eyes to say the very least. His pedalboard is an enigma. So many drive pedals and more than 1 delay. I couldn't get a good look at his vocal chain, but he uses a volume pedal to blend in the perfect amount of echo. You can't help but be amazed at his guitar playing. The combination of beautifully crafted leads/solos and odd notes and screeches defines Wand's guitar sound. Cory's lead playing, echo-smeared voice, and jarringly wild stage presence meld together to create an abominably talented band leader. Did I mention he's sexy? Robbie Cody, looking angry as always, is a flawless compliment to Cory's playing. Whether he's playing rhythm or soloing alongside Cory, all gaps are filled. Since we were on Cory's side of the stage, we didn't fully hear Robbie's guitar, but when Cory would solo, Robbie covered all bases. Sometimes the twin guitarists would play in synchrony or flash harmony parts across the stage at one another. I am only slightly envious of this trait that many two guitarist bands have. Evan Backer's froggy basslines are so killer. They're definitely experienced best with their live material in person, but their most recent record, Vertigo, has some rad bass work on it. I don't know how he held the "Generator Larping" bassline for so long. He almost looks bored when he plays. Or maybe that's his ultra focused face. Both Robbie and Evan remained relatively motionless the entirety of the set. I wish they'd get into it a bit more. I know how good of musicians they are, but I think Cory's gyrations draw peoples eyes to the opposite side of the stage when equal musicianship is occurring right in front of them. It's like how Elvis drew people in by sashaying his hips and I'm like the parents who said "real musicians don't dance on stage!" Evan Burrows is the unsung hero behind the kit. That guy rips. His style is beyond me. He makes it look easy. Evan has this quirky bounce thing that I assume he uses to keep himself in time. He plays so effortlessly it's scary. You can hear how good he is on their records, but again, live is like hearing a different beast entirely. You can see the way he strings together fills. You can see the ghost notes he plays by resting his hand down on his snare. I think he needs to bring back the mullet and ginger beard combo though. Wand is certainly a stellar group of musicians. 

The night was one of infinite jams and immeasurable head bopping. I feel that we got spoiled when we saw Wand last year. We got two hour long sets; one of new tracks and one of old hits. This show, however, was a great mix of both. Gavinksi and I were bummed that we didn't hear any of the tracks we hoped would be on the setlist, but we still saw a great show nonetheless. I knew a fair bit more about the band this time around. I knew most of the songs they played, whereas before, I knew very few. I'm pretty damn happy I went again. If you have a chance to catch them, you need to do it. Tickets aren't that expensive most of the time. They're good enough to see for $40 bucks. I absolutely stand by that. 

The only bummer was the merch. They had nothing in sizes bigger than small for most of their shirts. I spied a sick red shirt with blue text, but the guy at the merch tables said they only had smalls. God forbid I need another band tee...I guess it was for the best.

Keep an eye out for their next show in CA. Give 'em a listen if you've never had the pleasure of doing so. 

I've been posting late for the last few weeks, sorry everybody! I'll get one out on time this week. I hope.

XOXO. | See you next week...

Cheers,

Jack