by Brad Roberts
This is the week of Filter Magazine's Culture Collide Festival and it dominates this column causing it to swell into the biggest Low Down I've ever done. I've tried to provide specific addresses for many of the shows that take place in unusual locations, so you don't have to look all over their web site trying to coordinate the information. Truly this is one of the most interesting and smart ideas for a festival, bringing together acts from around the world to our own mecca on the East Side to make creative and adventurous bills. The Festival pulls lots of local bands into the mix and all shows are at clubs within easy walking distance of each other which really makes the community part of the story.
To begin the festival a few day before the actual festival, Culture Collide presents a series of free shows early in the week at a bunch of Whole Foods Markets scattered throughout the region. These are no slouches masquerading as promotions for the festival, but top notch bands like the locals, The Lonely Wild and Risers, and Hypernova from Iran and Liam Finn from New Zealand. The Whole Foods Markets are located everywhere from Glendale to Venice. And after that, on Thursday, the Festival begins in earnest and it's all listed below.
My week is also centered around the appearance on Tuesday of Beirut at The Greek. From the very first hearing, their new album, The Rip Tide became one of my favorite records of the year and the band continues to be an awe-inspiring and unique musical force. Zach Condon is certainly one of the most sophisticated music and lyric writers out there. And I'm still reeling from the Elbow/DeVotchKa show I saw there last night, a balmy Saturday night in a perfectly beautiful venue with two stunning performances from two great bands. I can't wait to go back for more.
This week promises more of the same.
Monday, October 3
- "Culture Collide Festival" presents King Ramm (Iran) @ Whole Food Market - Tarzana, 18700 Ventura Blvd.
- "Culture Collide Festival" presents of Verona (USA) @ Whole Foods Market - Venice, 225 Lincoln Blvd.
- Screening of "Fix" - The Ministry Movie @ Echoplex
- "School Night!" w/ Hanni El Khatib, The Kopecky Family Band, Elizaveta @ Bardot
- Jane's Addiction @ John Anson Ford Amphitheatre
- Dum Dum Girls, Crocodiles, Colleen Green @ The Troubadour
- Emmylou Harris @ Largo at the Coronet
- Francisco the Man, Instant People, The Spell @ Hotel Cafe
- Stephanie Rearick, Eric Potter Ambient Guitar Project, Daniel Ahearn @ Lot 1
- Toro y Moi, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Bass Drum of Death @ El Rey
- Peter Bjorn and John, Emperor X, The Lovely Bad Things @ The Smell
- Mind The Gap, Jim Hanft, Little Red Lung, IronTom @ Bootleg Bar
- Swahili Blonde, Crooked Cowboy & The Freshwater Indians, Raw Geronimo, Dreamtapes @ The Echo
- Youngblood Hawke, Polaris at Noon, Nightmare and the Cat, New Child @ The Satellite
- Indians, Queen Kwong, Black Carl, The Mulholland @ Silver Lake Lounge
DECISION:
Welcoming in the first shows associated with Culture Collide, (I'm going to sound like a broken record this week) with two free Whole Foods Market performances. In Tarzana, some lovely, spacey balladeering from, King Ram (Iran) (at right), and in Venice, of Verona (USA) play, both at 5:50. Otherwise there's "School Night!" with Hanni El Khatib at Bardot and a bunch of new residencies starting up for the month of October, two of which are Swahili Blonde at The Echo and Indians at Silver Lake Lounge.
Peter Bjorn and John seem determined to play every L.A. venue as they continue their whirlwind tour through town, tonight at The Smell. Also Francisco the Man at Hotel Cafe and Dum Dum Girls at The Troubadour.
Tuesday, October 4
- Emperor X @ Origami Vinyl
- Beirut, Laetitia Sadier (of Stereolab) @ The Greek
- Jane's Addiction @ John Anson Ford Amphitheatre
- "Culture Collide Festival" presents of Verona (USA) @ Whole Food Market - West Los Angeles, 11666 National Blvd.
- "Culture Collide Festival" presents Risers (USA), The Lonely Wild (USA) @ Whole Foods Market - Arroyo, 465 S. Arroyo Parkway, Pasadena
- Joe Purdy, Gypsy Soul, + TBA @ Hotel Cafe
- Zola Jesus @ Amoeba Music
- Julie Holland, Mr. French @ Bootleg Bar
- Escalator Hill, Oak and Gorski, Wires In The Walls, Paula Kelley Orchestra @ The Central
- Peter Bjorn and John, Big Search @ The Echo
- Sketch Monster, HAnk, Odd Modern @ Lot 1
- The Jayhawks, Piers Faccini @ The Troubadour
- Dan Sartain, TWO TEARS, Des Roar @ The Satellite
- Olentangy John, Leslie Stevens, Drew Nix @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Locksley, Italian Japanese @ Bootleg Bar
DECISION:
There's a really wonderful show at Whole Foods Market in Pasadena for Culture Collide Festival at 5:30 with two smashing local bands, The Lonely Wild and Risers, and it's free. Zola Jesus is at Amoeba, Peter Bjorn and John stop by The Echo and Leslie Stevens charms the birds out of the trees at Silver Lake Lounge, but I'm going to be at The Greek to catch the latest tour of Beirut (shown above) as they promote their smashing new album, The Rip Tide, which I can't wait to hear live. Having seen then four times before this, I know what I'm in for. Perfection.
Wednesday, October 5
- Peter Bjorn and John, Hanni El Khatib, Harlan @ El Rey
- "Culture Collide Festival" presents Hypernova (Iran) @ Whole Foods Market - Glendale, 331 N. Glendale Ave.
- "Culture Collide Festival" presents Liam Finn (New Zealand), Marques Toliver (UK) @ Whole Foods Market - West Hollywood, 7871 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Bob Schneider w/ Charlie Winston, Vanish Valley Resord Release Show, Song Preservation Society, + TBA @ Hotel Cafe
- (SURPRISE SHOW) DeVotchKa, Mini Mansions @ Bootleg Bar
- Further w/ Phil Lesh and Bob Weir @ The Greek
- Blondie, Nico Vega @ Club Nokia
- The Low Anthem, Sleepy Sun @ The Troubadour
- The New Division, The New Room @ The Central
- The Smashing Pumpkins @ The Wiltern
- Tim Minchin @ Largo at the Coronet
- Downtown/Union, Blackstrap Molasses, SUNKEN SHIPS, Dylan Trees @ The Satellite
- Lanie Lane, Terra Naomi, Ari Shine, Blue Hippopotamus @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Skyline Drive, The Sister Ruby Band @ 3 of Clubs
DECISION:
The kick-off Party for the Culture Collide Festival is tonight at the ReForm Academy after a screening of the film, Nirvana Live At The Paramount at the Vista Theatre for its L.A. premiere and an earlier performance by Liam Finn at the West Hollywood Whole Foods Market. The Sister Ruby Band (above) is playing Hollywood at 3 of Clubs, while Peter Bjorn and John have a big show tonight at El Rey with Hanni El Khatib on the bill. Vanish Valley have a record release show at Hotel Cafe and Downtown/Union take a break from mastering their new album to play at The Satellite. Whoa! DeVotchKa just announced a surprise show at Bootleg (I got a ticket).
Thursday, October 6
- "Culture Collide Festival" w/ Roll The Tanks (USA), Electra (Israel) @ Origami Vinyl
- "Culture Collide Festival" w/ Ximena Sariñana (Mexico), The Tender Box (USA), V is for Volumn (Colombia), Los Hollywood (USA), The Black Box Revelation (Belgium) @ Swinghouse at Co-Op, 1712 W. Sunset Blvd.
- Glen Campbell @ Club Nokia
- Rob Giles with All New People w/ Garrison Starr, Sanguindrake Record Release Show, Right The Stars, Andrew Keoghan @ Hotel Cafe
- Further with Phil Lesh and Bob Weir @ The Greek
- "Culture Collide Festival" w/ Buck 65 (Canada), The Morning After Girls (Australia), Disco Doom (Switzerland), The Awkwards (Switzerland), Kassette (Switzerland) @ The Twonky Chateau at Taix Lounge
- "Culture Collide Festival" w/ Cosmic Kids (USA), Lindstrom (Norway), Midnight Surfer (USA), Bixel Boys DJ, Tropicool (USA), Surf Ambassador Hendo (USA) @ ReForm Academy, 1815 W. Sunset Blvd.
- The Happy Hollows, One Trick Pony, Incan Abraham, The Soft Hands @ The Satellite
- 6 Foot Peter, The Mo Odds, Blac Jesus & the Experimentalists, Empty Echoes @ Lot 1
- Flora & Fauna, The John Steel Singers, Two Guns, Common Crook @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Kevin Devine & The Goddamn Band, An Horse, The Dead Ships @ The Trouadour
- Sam Sparro @ Largo at the Coronet
- The Rapture, Poolside @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue @ El Rey
- "Culture Collide Festival" w/ Liam Finn (New Zealand), Rainbow Arabia (USA), Guineafowl (Austraia), Handshakes (USA) @ The Echo
- Liam Gerner, The Americans, Patrick Park, Maxim Ludwig @ Bootleg Bar
- No Babies, Whitman, Captain Ahab, Sexting @ The Smell
DECISION:
O.K., today's Culture Collide edition, includes the actual beginning of the official music shows, from The Echo to Origami Vinyl to Taix Lounge to Swinghouse at Co-Op the shows start coming at you fast and furious. Good luck everyone. For me, I want to head over The Satellite for the wild party that's likely to ensue whenever The Happy Hollows and One Trick Pony appear together. Throw in Incan Abraham and The Soft Hands and here's one of the shows of the week. Another very special show is being provided by none other than Glen Campbell at Club Nokia, who, after being diagnosed with Alzheimers Disease, decided to take it on the road and perform one last time for his many fans across the country and kudos to him for his fearless, adventurous daring.
Friday, October 7
- Hooray For Earth @ Origami Vinyl (3 PM)
- "Culture Collide Festival" w/ American Royalty (USA), Writer (USA), Stephen Brower & The Silent Majority (USA), Dogcatcher (USA), For a Minor Reflection (Iceland) @ Swinghouse at Co-Op, 1712 W. Sunset Blvd.
- "Culture Collide Festival" w/ Hooray for Earth (USA), Guineafowl (Australia) @ Origami Vinyl (6 PM)
- Neon Hymns, Ack As If, Kathryn Gallegher, Brent Puls, Jack Diaz, + TBS @ Hotel Cafe
- "Culture Collide Festival" w/ Ximena Sariñana (Mexico), Laura Jensen (The Netherlands), My bubba & Mi (Denmark), GINGA (Austria) @ Echo Park United Methodist Church, 1226 N. Alvarado St.
- Merle Haggard & Kris Kristofferson @ The Greek
- "Culture Collide Festival" w/ Inu (USA), You Say France & I Whistle (Sweden), Tennis System (USA), Hypernova (Iran), The Black Box Revelation (Belgium) @ The Twonky Chateau at Taix Lounge
- "Culture Collide Festival" w/ Jason Faulkner (USA), Suave as Hell (Mexico), Spain (USA), Electra (Israel) @ 826LA, 1714 W. Sunset Blvd.
- "Culture Collide Festival" w/ The Asteroids Galaxy Tour (Denmark), YACHT (USA), The Morning After Girls (Australia), The Gift (Portugal), Hands (USA) @ Echoplex
- Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Washington @ Nokia Theatre
- Plain White T's, The Summer Set, The Downtown Fiction, Allison Park @ El Rey
- Star Slinger, Mux Mool, Shigeto (Live) @ The Troubadour
- Judson McKinney, Pageants, Coyote @ Casey's Bar
- Stars at Night, Blood Buddies, Black Leg @ Lot 1
- The Parson Red Heads, Last American Buffalo, Death To Anders @ The Satellite
- "Culture Collide Festival" present "School Night!" w/ Avi Buffalo (USA), He's My Brother She's My Sister ((USA), The Postelles (USA), WIM (Australia) @ ReForm Academy, 1815 W. Sunset Blvd.
- Cymbals Eat Guitars, Hooray For Earth, La Sera @ The Echo
- Daniel Francis Doyle, TrapPs, Kevin Greenspon, Professor Calculus @ The Smell
- Mucca Pzza, Timur and the Dime Museum, AK and Her Kalashnikovs @ Bootleg Bar
- White Lighter, Forty Point, Elk Head, Dead Reverend, Foxhole Radio @ Mr. T's Bowl
DECISION:
You need to be a hundred places at once tonight as there's so much good music in and outside of the Culture Collide Festival so I'll try to focus on just a few. Hypernova (Iran) (at right) are part of the international line up at The Twonky Chateau at Taix Lounge, while Ximena Sariñana (Mexico) plays on a highly varied billing at Echo Park United Methodist Church. Culture Collide and Chris Douridas' "School Night!" team up for a show at ReForm Academy with Avi Buffalo and He's My Brother, She's My Sister, and another band I'm terribly fond of, Hands, are part of the Festival line up at Echoplex. Outside the Festival, The Parson Red Heads are back in town for a great show at The Satellite with Last American Buffalo and Death To Anders. Casey's Bar is hosting Judson McKinney and Pageants, another strong show. Just go out and grab what you can! It's a feast!
Saturday, October 8
- "Culture Collide Festival" w/ The Henry Clay People (USA), TS & the Past Haunts (USA), Little Hurricane (USA), Incan Abraham (USA), My bubba & Mi (Denmark), Please the Trees (Czech Republic) @ Swinghouse at Co-Op, 1712 W. Sunset Blvd.
- "Culture Collide Festival" w/ The Go Around (USA), The Lanksies (France), GINGA (Australia) @ Origami Vinyl
- Keaton Simons w/ Michael Tolcher & Rachel Platten, Marc Platt Record Release Show, Aaron Hendra, John Brazell @ Hotel Cafe
- "Culture Collide Festival" w/ The Elected (USA), Matthew and the Arrogant (USA), Carina Round (UK), For a Minor Reflection (Iceland) @ Echo Park United Methodist Church
- Feed Your Head presents George Glass, Radars To The Sky, Doña Nicha, The pickUp Sticks @ Lot 1
- "Culture Collide Festival" w/ Cameras (Australia), Sparkadia (Australia), Death Letters (The Netherlands), Please the Trees (Czech Republic), The Lanksies (France) @ The Twonky Chateau at Taix Lounge
- "Culture Collide Festival" w/ Harvey (UK), Classixx (USA), Them Jeans (USA) @ ReForm Academy, 1815 W. Sunset Blvd.
- Abigail Washburn @ McCabe's
- "Culture Collide Festival" w/ Isobel Campbell (USA), You Say France & I Whistle (Sweden), The Analog Girl (Singapore), Paula i Karol (Poland) @ 826LA, 1714 W. Sunset Blvd.
- The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Twin Sister @ El Rey
- "Culture Collide Festival" w/ Young Liars (Canada), CSS (Brazil), The Yellow Dogs (Iran), Descartes a Kant (Mexico), De Staat (The Netherlands) @ Echoplex
- Blink-182, My Chemical Romance, Matt and Kim @ Hollywod Bowl
- CANT, Mirror Mirror, Blood Orange @ The Troubadour
- Nick Lowe: The Old Magic @ Largo at the Coronet
- Megafaun @ The Satellite
- Chamberlin, Olin and the Moon, A B & The Sea @ Bootleg Bar
- Men, The Young Lovers, Tearist, Cigarette Bums @ The Smell
DECISION:
Tonight I'm hosting my second monthly Feed Your Head night at Lot 1 with some very good friends, George Glass and Radars To The Sky. Doña Nicha, who play a kind of dreamy, shoe-gaze indie pop, and The pickUp Sticks, a garage/punk outfit, are two bands new to me that I'm real pleased to present. Unapologetic self promotion at right.
Culture Collide reaches a fever pitch tonight with shows featuring USA's The Henry Clay People and Incan Abraham and Please the Trees from the Czech Republic at Swinghouse, The Elected and For a Minor Reflection from Iceland at Echo Park United Methodist Church to Sweden's You Say France & I Whistle, The Analog Girl from Singapore and Paula i Karol of Poland at 826LA. Cultures collide like crazy tonight at Echoplex where Canada, Brazil, Iran, Mexico and The Netherlands are represented by bands like CSS, The Yellow Dogs and De Staat.
Sunday, October 9
- "Culture Collide Festival Block Party" w/ CSS (Brazil), Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (USA), Avi Buffalo (USA), MEN (USA), The Tender Box (USA) @ Echo Park - Stage 1
- "Culture Collide Festival Block Party" w/ Gang Gang Dance (USA), Datarock (Norway), The Asteroids Galaxy Tour (Denmark), Rainbow Arabia (USA), Chad VanGaalen (Canada) @ Echo Park - Stage 2
- "Culture Collide Festival Block Party" w/ Cameras (Australia), Sparkadia (Australia), Chico Mann (USA), Dapuntobeat (Mexico), Hypernova (Iran), Indigo Tree (Poland), Gary War (USA), Holger (Brazil), The Analog Girl (Singapore), V is for Volume (Colombia) at The Twonky Chateau at Taix Lounge
- Tyrone Wells w/ Caroline Brooks, Nikkki Leonti, Kathryn Ostenberg @ Hotel Cafe
- Eagle Rock Gospel Singers, Sarah Winters, Doran Danoff record release show @ Bootleg Bar
- Big Troubles, Young Prisms, Kids on a Crime Spree @ The Echo
DECISION:
Culture Collide Festival concludes with an afternoon Block Party in Echo Park which lasts well into the evening. I'm going to be sure to get there early to see Chad VanGaalen (shown at right) at 4 on Stage 2, then hop over to Stage 1 for Avi Buffalo's set at 5:30. Ever since Diaper Island came out last May, I have been waiting for Chad VanGaalen to come to town to play the new album. A show had been announced and then cancelled for October 9th at The Echo and it was only this week I learned that the show had been incorporated into the Culture Collide Block Party in Echo Park, which is even better. If you haven't seen Chad before, you owe it to yourself to get out there early as he goes on at 4 PM. And that's just the beginning of a full day of wonderful bands from the world over. Let's celebrate diversity, as a certain segment of our population wants to make that a dirty word. What a week!
Is there more? RFSLshowlistings@gmail.com
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