by Brad Roberts
Interesting week with few big shows as most larger venues are shuttered this week, but a vibrant local scene takes over with a bunch of stellar lineups at some terrific shows. The Western States Motel (at right) is our band of the month over at LaBrie's every Tuesday beginning this week. After a quiet period in which they've been finishing up a new album, it will be great to welcome them back to the local stage, and to hear the new material. See Joe's fact-filled interview with Carl Jordan here.
It was wonderful to return to concert-going after my long flu hiatus with the super show put on with The Monolators, who burned up the LaBrie's stage with a fiery performance at our last RFSL Free Tuesday of January. Walking Sleep performed one of the rockingest sets I've ever seen them give (with Hunter's laryngitis lending a raw raspiness to the songs, many of which were new), and Sara really shined as her smooth vocals took the edge off of the contrasting sounds coming from Hunter. In fact the whole band really rocked out. The World Record opened the night with their new band members, including Ross Flournoy of The Broken West, and with each song they won over the audience more and more. Also great to hear new material from them which made for a rich night of local talent.
I'd had a ticket for months to see Iron and Wine at The Wiltern on Wednesday, so out I trooped again despite my sapped energy and landed in the pit where a wonderful low-key audience was sitting on the floor waiting for the show to begin. The quality of The Low Anthem and Iron and Wine made my exhaustion evaporate and I was swimming in a sea of like-minded fans transfixed by the music. I'll be reviewing the show in full here on Thursday. Then on Saturday was the hugely entertaining "best show ever" billed Lord Growing "704" show at Pehrspace where the amazing line up of Vanaprasta, George Glass, Cody the Band and Manhattan Murder Mystery made for a night that was as unforgettable as it was very well attended.
Actually, I was wrong about the major venues, as Grace Potter and the Nocturnals have a sold out show at El Rey with our local soon-to-be-superstars, The Belle Brigade on Friday, and Cat Power is at The Fonda on Saturday. Sorry, again, to keep updating this column is such a haphazard way...but I just found out about a show at Lot 1 Cafe on Friday night hosted by AD and JAXART, starring Pageants (made up of former members of Avi Buffalo, Rebecca Coleman and Arin Fazio) Honey Loving Cells and Dirty Gold. I'm going to have to try to hit two shows that evening.
This week, in addition to The Western States Motel, WALK and Burial At Sea on Tuesday at LaBrie's, I'm not looking forward to the choice I'm going to have to make on Thursday between Shadow Shadow Shade with Great Northern at The Satellite or We Barbarians, LESANDS and The Union Line at The Echo. More below...
Monday, January 31
- Sierra Swan, Heather Porcaro, Linda Perry, Kimberly Caldwell @ Hotel Cafe
- The Fling, The Belle Brigade, Writer, Obi Best @ The Satellite
- Kinch, Glowmarrow, Psychic Friends, Gentle Hands @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Cannoneers of the New Command, The Hundred Days, The Bixby Knolls @ The Echo
- Family of the Year, Hands, Gardens and Villa @ Bootleg Theatre
DECISION:
Family of the Year (above) are a lot of fun live, so their show at The Bootleg with Hands is a good bet. The Belle Brigade and The Fling have a powerhouse of a line up for the finale of their January residency at The Satellite with Writer and Obi Best. Cannoneers of the New Command and Kinch are also completing residencies at The Echo and Silver Lake Lounge. Busy Monday night!
Tuesday, February 1
- Baths @ Amoeba Music
- The Western States Motel, WALK, Burial At Sea @ LaBrie's
- School of Seven Bells, The Delta Mirror @ The Conga Room
- Haroula Rose record release, Sara Lov, Patrick Park, Mariana Bell, Sean Rowe @ Hotel Cafe
- Endless Hallway, Queen Caveat, Eyes Lips Eyes, Young Rapscallions @ The Viper Room
- Gun Runner, Wyoming, Tall Tales, Smoke and Feathers @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Oh Land, Ceci Bastida @ The Troubadour
- The Pass, Marvelous Toy, Airlines @ The Satellite
- Yelawolf, Craze, Das Racist, 87 Stick Up Kids, Freak City, Franki Chan @ Echoplex
DECISION:
The Western States Motel is beginning our RFSL Free Tuesdays at LaBrie's, holding court for the month of February. I'm looking forward to this one as I been a WSM fan for a long time and their new album, Freeway Freeway Riverbed, (pictured at right) is already garnering praise. Carl Jordans' easy, straightforward songwriting style has kept his last two albums never far out of my reach over the years. WALK and Burial At Sea (formerly: The Temporary Thing) round out the bill beautifully. School of Seven Bells are getting bigger and bigger, but drop in on The Conga Room tonight, while Marvelous Toy join The Pass at The Satellite and Sara Lov plays a set at Hotel Cafe at nine. Much good music all over town tonight, too.
Wednesday, February 2
- The Romany Rye, Whipering Pines @ The Satellite
- MEN @ Amoeba Music
- Anna Nalick, The Bonfires, Stereofox, Jeremy Silver, Paige Nichols @ Hotel Cafe
- The Church @ El Rey
- Dollyrots With the Neighborhood Bullys, Cold Forty Three, and Blockage @ The Troubadour
- X-Ray Press, Shirley Rolls, Ts and The Past Haunts @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Gram Rabbit, Spindrift, Sky Parade @ The Bordello
- Big Search (7' record release), John Webster Johns, White Fence @ The Echo
DECISION:
I really didn't know anything about The Church (at right) before this week, so I'm not going, but a little research has already made me a retroactive fan. This is a band that has obviously influenced a generation of psychedelic/ambient musicians that I enjoy today. I feel remiss at neglecting them, but hopefully they'll come back to town before too long. Now a veteran band, they play the beautiful El Rey tonight. Locally, Shirley Rolls plays with Seattle/Brooklyn band X-Ray Press at Silver Lake Lounge.
Thursday, February 3
- Lelia Broussard, Garrison Starr, Natalia Zukerman, Rachel Goodrich, The Canyons, Curtis Peoples @ Hotel Cafe
- Shadow Shadow Shade, Great Northern, Useless Keys, Wet & Reckless @ The Satellite
- Bobby Long, He's My Brother She's My Sister @ The Troubadour
- Liz Pappademas, The Level @ The Mint
- ParallaxScroll, Snorlax, PROTECTME, Cat 500 @ The Smell
- The Sweet, Fancy Space People record release, Dante VS. Zombies @ Echoplex
- War Tapes, Public Jones, The Remainers @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Sugar and Gold, Yip Deceiver, Little Birds (of Los Angeles) @ Bootleg Theatre
- We Barbarians, LESANDS, The Union Line @ The Echo
DECISION:
That's a great show at The Satellite tonight with Shadow Shadow Shade and Great Northern (at right) sharing the bill. It feels like completion of a circle for me as it was at the Irving (pieces of Shadow Shadow Shade) CD Release event at King King for Death In The Garden, Blood On The Flowers on Mar. 29, 2006 that I saw Great Nothern for the first time. As a longtime fan, I'm anxious to hear what Rachel and Solon are up to now. Useless Keys and Wet & Reckless only make the show more of a must-see. Among the other hot shows tonight, another stand out is We Barbarians, LESANDS, and The Union Line at The Echo, sponsored by Kevin Bronson of Buzzbands LA.
Friday, February 4
- Tennis, Lord Huron, Air Waves @ The Echo
- Dirty Gold, Pageants, Honey Loving Cells @ Lot 1 Cafe
- Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, The Belle Brigade @ El Rey
- Ólafur Arnalds, George Sarah & Strings @ Echoplex
- Har Mar Superstar, Marijuana Deadsquads @ The Satellite
- C-Horse, Dirty Mac @ Casey's
- Chasing Kings @ Origami Vinyl
- The Wood Brothers, Carsie Blanton, Tom Freund, Future Dancing, Chamberlin @ Hotel Cafe
- Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Orchestra @ Natural History Museum
- Old Lumps, Black Elephant, Sea Lions, Crayons @ The Smell
- T Mills, Audio Push, Dez & Rich Black, Furious and the Static Shock, Supaficialz @ The Troubadour
- 400 Blows, Skinwalker, Longmont Potion Castle @ Bootleg Theatre
DECISION:
There's so much buzz around Lord Huron (above) right now that I can't imagine being anywhere else tonight, with Tennis and Air Waves at The Echo. Chasing Kings are at Origami for a free show this evening. Warner Bros. new stars, The Belle Brigade, open for Grace Potter and the Nocturnals at El Rey. And Pageants play at Lot 1 Cafe.
Saturday, February 5
- Tony Lucca w/ Jerad Finck, Joe Gil, Love in the Circus, Beth Thornley, Adam Faucett @ Hotel Cafe
- Tribute to The Nerves w/ Tijuana Panthers, Audacity, Neverever @ Origami Vinyl
- 3D Live featuring Kid Infinity (3D live set), 87 Stick Up Kids, Captain Ahab, Ben Oprstu @ The Alexandria Hotel Downtown
- David Garnett @ Wilshire Ebell Theatre
- Cat Power @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- Religious Girls, more TBA @ The Smell
- Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses, The Silent Comedy @ El Rey
- The Autumn Defense, Jonathan Wilson @ The Troubadour
- Forgetters, Street Eaters, Dangers @ The Echo
- The Muffs, John Wicks and the Record @ The Satellite
- Restavrant, Mo-Odds @ Casey's
DECISION:
Apart from Cat Power at The Fonda, I have to claim ignorance about much of the music tonight, I wonder if I'll ever be able to catch up with all the worthwhile acts out there. So I guess I'll go with the Tribute to The Nerves over at Origami with Tijuana Panthers, Audacity and Neverever.
Sunday, February 6
- John Barba, Hermit Convention, Rachel Fannan, Parkford @ The Smell
- The Soft Moon (Captured Tracks), Violet Tremors @ The Echo
- Times of Grace, War of Ages, Straight Line Stitch, All Hail The Yeti @ The Troubadour
DECISION:
Quiet Sunday, but the show at The Echo looks good.
Let me know what I've missed at: RFSLshowlistings@gmail.com
Also, C-horse February residency begins this Friday, 2/4, at Casey's Irish Pub downtown. Joel Morales side project Dirty Mac opening.
Posted by: Starsinmybrain | January 31, 2011 at 01:41 PM
Dude, you should really make the effort to go see The Church if you can. They are a seminal band. Don't really understand the hesitancy there.
Also, the show on Sunday at the Echo deserves far more attention than it's been getting.
Posted by: Tacofeelings | January 31, 2011 at 03:22 PM