by Brad Roberts
Ode to The Fonda. Have you been to The Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre recently? It is rapidly becoming the busiest showplace in Los Angeles. Over the years I've noticed various larger venues have tides that ebb and flow, with The Orpheum, Avalon, The Wiltern, El Rey and The Fonda all vying for the most shows, and sometimes, many of them going months without a worthwhile concert. But now that The Fonda has a show almost every night this week and a new interior design overhaul that features giant blow up details of the third panel of Hieronymus Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights (at right) all over the walls, this venue seems to be aiming for just that. I've always found the sound and the sightlines here to be among the best in the city and I'm happy to see it taken full advantage of.
Shows this week include two nights of Miike Snow and another two nights of Mumford and Sons. Among the artists on the immediate horizon for The Fonda are mewithoutYou, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The New Pornographers, and off in October, Eels, all of which I am intent on seeing.
Locally, we've got the record release show for The Californian on Tuesday at Spaceland, and there's already considerale buzz about it. Canadian band, Hot Hot Heat are re-inventing themselves and are in town to do a residency at Bootleg every Wednesday night, and Fitz and The Tantrums launch their own residency on Thursday at Spaceland.
Monday, May 31
- "CTRL+ALT+REPEAT" presents Svarte Greiner, Crystal Hell Pool, MEM1, Robin and Cassia Streb @ Synchronicity
- Miike Snow, Canon Blue @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- David Scott Stone, Tom Carter, Cooling System @ Echo Curio
- Foot Village, Bitches, Nicole Kidman, Forts @ Pehrspace
- Sonos, Miike Snow (DJ set), Madi Diaz @ Bardot
- The Like, The Young Veins, The Living Sickness @ The Echo
- The Physics of Meaning, Flesh the Racist Crayon, Hi Ho Silver Oh, Paul Larson @ Spaceland
- War Tapes, Younger Youth, Sing Orpheus, Wires in the Walls @ Silver Lake Lounge
DECISION:
Final residency nights for The Like at The Echo and War Tapes at Silver Lake Lounge. Miike Snow opens a sold out two night stand at The Fonda tonight, with the second date on Wednesday, after selling out last weeks stand at El Rey.
Tuesday, June 1
- The Bullets (CD release), The Bohunks, Ollin @ The Troubadour
- Rocket, The Damn Sons, Tommy & The High Pilots, Gossip Tree @ The Viper Room
- The Californian EP release, HoneyHoney, Big Whup, Chloroform Days @ Spaceland
- "When You Awake" presents First Aid Kit, Samantha Crain, Whispertown @ Bootleg Theatre
- Ruby Friedman, Bob Forrest & Zander Schloss, Jeremy Toback, Sonnet, Wheelhouse @ Hotel Cafe
- Jeremy Dawson (DJ set), White Apple Tree, Buddy Akai @ The Echo
- Pacific Hurt, My Pet Saddle, Black Apples, Sequins and Skeletons @ Silver Lake Lounge
DECISION:
I've been looking forward to tonight's EP release show at Spaceland for The Californian ever since I first saw them at El Cid last month at our "Let's Independent! - The Lost Episode" (photo by Laurie Scavo) and they blew me away with their set. Their blend of strong vocals and intelligent songwriting are a winning combination and I'm anxious to get this record. Also on the strong bill are HoneyHoney and Big Whup.
Wednesday, June 2
- The Living Sisters, John Gold, Penelope Fortier, Drunk on Crutches @ Hotel Cafe
- Ashes Divide, Crying 4 Kafka, We’re Not Afraid, White Flag @ The Viper Room
- Cute Is What We Aim For, Friday Night Boys, Bigger Lights, Down With Webster @ The Troubadour
- Miike Snow, Canon Blue @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- Hot Hot Heat, Stone Darling, Chasing Kings @ Bootleg Theatre
- El Ten Eleven, Open Hand, Roman Numerals @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Friendo, Gamble House @ Spaceland
- School of Seven Bells, VOICEsVOICEs, Sister Crayon @ The Echo
- Socorro, Sisu, Monster @ Echo Curio
DECISION:
Hot Hot Heat (at right) are starting a residency at Bootleg and it's actually a real interesting story about how the band is restarting it's career away from the demands and expectations of the Warner Bros. label, resigning with indie label, Dangerbird Records and going after a more musically adventurous audience, and good for them. I was always pretty impressed with the proficiency of their pop music and will be interested in what they're up to.
El Ten Eleven are appearing at Silver Lake Lounge with Open Hand, who are also a band re-emerging from a previous gestation and I always enjoyed Justin Isham fuzz/psychedelia. I'm glad to see they're back after a long silence.
Gamble House at Spaceland, School of Seven Bells and VOICEsVOICEs at The Echo, The Living Sisters at Hotel Cafe and Cute Is What We Aim For at The Troubadour round out a mega-busy night of terrific choices.
Thursday, June 3
- Fitz and the Tantrums, Psychic Friend @ Spaceland
- Mumford and Sons, The Middle East @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- Death By Stereo, Left Alone, Living Dead Lights, Sederra, White Flag Down @ The Troubadour
- The Delta Mirror, Franco Near Death @ Origami Vinyl
- "Free Kutmah" Benefit Concert w/ Dam-Funk, Daedelus, Gaslamp Killer, Samiyam, Teebs, ABCNT + special guests @ Echoplex
- Rachael Sage record release, TD Lind, Elizaveta, Curtis Peoples, Julia Ilowiecki @ Hotel Cafe
- A Frames, Wounded Lion, Dunes @ The Smell
- Born Ruffians, Young Rival, Random Patterns @ The Echo
- Hand, Henry Wolfe, Black Jesus, Matthew O'Neill @ Echo Curio
- Spotlight, Floodlight, Lex Land @ Bootleg Theatre
- Terraplane Sun, Bear Face, The Howls @ Silver Lake Lounge
- The Will, Blowout Candles + 3 Bands @ Mr. T's Bowl
DECISION:
Fitz and The Tantrums begin a Thursday residency tonight at Spaceland and I hear their combination of '60's soul and '80's new wave in a killer live show.
Friday, June 4
- EDF Benefit to help w/ Gulf Coast Crisis w/ Red Cortez, VLA, Bixby Knolls and more @ The Mezz Bar
- Modern Time Machines, Honeybreath, Silent Star, Silverlake Chorus @ El Cid
- Andrew Bird @ Largo at the Coronet
- Minor White, Castaño, Dead White Underbelly @ The Strange
- Local Natives, Suckers, The Union Line @ The Troubadour
- "Rawkshots" - a David Greenberg photography exhibit w/ sets by Death Kit + La Font @ Origami Vinyl
- LCD Soundsystem @ Hollywood Palladium
- Jay Buchanan, Max Lugavere EP release, Brother Sal, Alana Sweetwater, Don McCloskey, Honeymoon @ Hotel Cafe
- Mia Doi Todd, Simone White @ McCabe's
- Mumford and Sons, The Middle East @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- Moses Campbell, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Big Whup, Spirit Vine @ Echo Curio
- "First Fridays" w/ Peanut Butter Wolf, Neon Indian @ Natural History Museum
- The Golden Filter, Robotanists, The Hundred in the Hands, Dazzle Ships @ Spaceland
- 5 O'clock Angel, Jam Stain, The Sugar, Kings Road, Bastard Winos, Gramilla @ Mr. T's Bowl
- Class Actress, Neon Indian (DJ set) @ Echoplex
- Hello My Name Is Red, tomorrows tulips, Meho Plaza, Cobalt Cranes @ Pehrspace
- Infinity, Oh Darling @ Bootleg Theatre
- Suffering Luna, Demoralize, Necrobitchuery @ The Smell
DECISION:
Tonight is the EDF Benefit downtown at The Mezz Bar at 501 S. Spring St. where Red Cortez, The VLA and Bixby Knolls will raise funds to aid the relief efforts on the Gulf Coast (at right). The final First Fridays of the season at The Natural History Museum has Peanut Butter Wolf and Neon Indian. Local Natives play the first of two sold out shows at two different clubs. Tonight it's at The Troubadour. Andrew Bird sneaks back into town for a third show at Largo at the Coronet to compliment the two he did last month... doubtless sold out before it was even conceived. I'd like to catch Modern Time Machines playing with Silverlake Chorus at El Cid, myself.
Saturday, June 5
- Local Natives, Voxhaul Broadcast, Marvelous Toy @ Bootleg Theatre
- Killing Joke @ The Wiltern
- Isis - Final L.A. Show, Tombs, Jakob @ The Troubadour
- Painted Hills @ Origami Vinyl
- Elevaters, 1863, Ryan Hanifl, Keaton Simons, Jenni Alpert, Jocelyn Kay Lee @ Hotel Cafe
- The xx @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- Screaming Females, Suckers, Audacity @ Spaceland
- Jack Wilson Jr., Jo and Jillinda, Sister Grizzly, Honey Loving Cells @ Pehrspace
- Mike Watt + The Missing Men, Trainwreck Riders, Grass Widow, Rare Grooves @ The Smell
- The Body Parts, The Preservation, Oh, The Future @ Echo Curio
- The Ex-Gentlemen, Icky's Ego, Pu$$y Cow's Chissum Worthington, The Swagger Sticks @ Mr. T's Bowl
DECISION:
Local Natives at Bootleg (photo above by Gareth Jackson) for their second sold out show, tonight featuring Marvelous Toy and Voxhaul Broadcast. Nice bills at Pehrspace and The Smell with Jack Wilson, Jr. and Mike Watt + The Missing Men, respectively.
Sunday, June 6
- Quadron @ Amoeba Music
- Subhumans, Cross Stitched Eyes, A-Heads, Rayos X@ The Echo
- Sanguindrake, Orchid & Hound, The Wild Complete, Heather Lauren Donavon, Tongue and Groove @ Hotel Cafe
- Vetiver, Farmer Dave Scher @ Spaceland
- The xx, Phantogram @ The Wiltern
- Sage Francis, Free Moral Agents @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- Hatchet Wound, Dunes, Bipolar Bear, Neonates @ The Smell
- Indian Jewelry @ Show Cave
DECISION:
Tonight I'm going to see Vetiver again (photo above by Alissa Anderson), for the first time since his show at The Eagle Rock Center For The Arts, last year. Tight Knit was a runner-up favorite album for 2009 and he'll put on a real good show tonight at Spaceland.
Tell me what I've missed at: RFSLshowlistings@gmail.com
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