By Brad Roberts
It looked like history being made. There was something different about this march and demonstration that was one of many that popped up all over the globe on Saturday in solidarity with the Wall Street Occupation. The photo at right shows just a portion of the crowd I was in, but conveys the spirit of the event. It felt like the beginning of a movement. My pet peave is the disastrous "Citizens United" decision by our slanted Supreme Court, declaring a corporation to be a person and to see what can be done to overturn this assault on democracy. So I was driven to participate in the Occupy L.A. march through the financial district at noontime on Saturday. I am glad I did, because it was so encouraging.
It was unlike the anti war protests when Cheney/Bush began their Iraq War, when no matter how many protested, it was understood that there was no hope of stopping the war juggernaut being pushed by our entire military/industrial/intelligence apparatus. This movement, because of it's variety of purposes, has a passion and a universal appeal that could just keep on growing. And the crowd was as diverse as it was committed. I was proud to be part of it.
I know, I know...this is a music column. This week I'm going to shows ranging from St. Vincent to Judson McKinney and Torches. Read about it all inside...
Monday, October 17
- "School Night!" w/ Mieko, El May, DJ set by Gotye @ Bardot
- Lalookala @ Origami Vinyl
- Our Lady J, Haley Sales, Melindeh Kurdian, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald @ Hotel Cafe
- Battles, Nisennenmondai @ Mayan Theatre
- The Naked and The Famous, The Chain Gang of 1974, White Arrows @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- The Drums, IO Echo @ Echoplex
- Indians, Bowery Beasts, Lookout Kids, IronTom @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Kate York, Kyler England, Joel Eckels @ Room 5
- Lucky Dragons, Mi Ami, Kit, The Urxed, Traps Ps @ Pehrspace
- Mind The Gap, Sister Ruby Band, Helena, Obi Nimbus @ Bootleg Bar
- Swahili Blonde, Jail Weddings, Corridor, Chains of Love @ The Echo
- Youngblood Hawke, Imagine Dragons, Rainbow Jackson, Rubber Kiss Goodbye @ The Satellite
DECISION:
Once again, the residencies dominate the night with Swahili Blonde bringing Jail Weddings to The Echo, Indians have IronTom on their Silver Lake Lounge bill and the potent line up at Bootleg Bar of Mind The Gap and Sister Ruby Band. Then there's "School Night!"at Bardot with Mieko and Youngblood Hawke ask Imagine Dragons to join them at The Satellite. Lot's of choices and all for free.
Tuesday, October 18
- Fishbone @ Amoeba Music
- Communion featuring Matthew & The Atlas, The David Maufield Parade, Lauren Shera @ Hotel Cafe
- Ben Lee @ Largo at the Coronet
- DragonForce: A Special "Up Close & Personal" Show, Holy Grail, Consume The FIre @ The Troubadour
- Escalator Hill, The Lonely Wild, The Golderhearts, Coyote @ The Central
- John Doe, Dead Rock West, Snake Rattle Rattle Snake @ The Mint
- Portishead, Thought Forms @ The Shrine
- Shabazz Palaces, Thee Satisfaction @ The Echo
- St. Vincent, Cate Le Bon @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- The Working Hour, Sunshine Factory, Mousai, Stonefeather @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Gotye, Caught a Ghost, Lemon Sun @ The Satellite
- The Drums, IO Echo, Franki Chan @ Echoplex
- Craig Wedren record release, Holly Miranda, Firehorse @ Bootleg Bar
- Upsilon Crux, Van Exel, Ben Aigbobo, Bradon Miller @ 3 of Clubs
DECISION:
Among so many shows tonight, my night was decided long ago when I got a ticket for St. Vincent (at right) as soon as they went on sale. Having seen her twice before, I bought a ticket even before I'd heard her new album, Strange Mercy. Her semi-solo acoustic show at Hollywood Forever in April 2009 was my first exposure to her strange and wonderful musical imagination and that venue provided the perfect atmosphere to take in her ethereal, other-worldly compositions. Next was her sold out show at El Rey in February of '11 where she was backed by a small orchestra and the effect was pretty overwhelming.
Strange Mercy is a daring work, where Annie Clark explores the real and the surreal aspects of life and their bizarre intersections in complex and challenging songs that defy genre classification. She is a brave and committed artist, deserving of attention. Tonight's show is at the Henry Fonda Music Box and St. Vincent will fill the place with her gigantic sound.
There's a bunch of other great shows around too, like The Lonely Wild on the Escalator Hill residency over at The Central. Radio Free Silver Lake are hosting this residency next week. Portishead begin the first night of a two-night engagement at The Shrine.
Wednesday, October 19
- Harber Blynn and special guests, Melissa Ferrick, Alexa Wilding @ Hotel Cafe
- Wreck Of The Zephyr @ Origami Vinyl
- Whispertown, Daniel Ahearn and The Jones, Aaron Embry, Tod Wisenbaker, Ton Schraeder and His Ego @ The Mint
- Kelly Clarkson @ The Troubadour
- Opeth, Katatonia @ The Mayan
- Paul Simon @ Gibson Amphitheatre
- Portishead, Thought Forms @ The Shrine
- Roger Daltrey @ Nokia Theatre
- Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks, Ty Segall @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- David Vandervelde, Francisco the Man, The Fling @ The Echo
- Derde Verde, Zodiac Death Valley, Pitch Like Masses @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Extra Classic, Moonface @ The Satellite
- Carolina Chickadee Presents @ Taix Lounge
- She Keeps Bees @ Bootleg Bar
DECISION:
I still can't believe I was lucky enough to score a ticket to see Paul Simon at The Fonda last April. It was a concert I will never forget, so I envy those who are going to see him tonight at Gibson Amphitheatre. His newest album is a delight and, at 70, he performs the songs with a verve and an energy you'd expect from someone just starting out. Also, his voice hasn't changed at all.
Lots of big-name concerts competing with Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks at Henry Fonda, and Roger Daltrey at Nokia Theatre as well as the final night for Portishead at The Shrine. Locally we have Whispertown with Aaron Embry and Daniel Ahearn at The Mint and Wreck of the Zephyr at Origami.
Thursday, October 20
- Hello Electric, Steaming Satellites @ Origami Vinyl
- People Under The Stairs @ Amoeba Music
- NewVillager @ The Skybar
- Rob Giles with All New People, Brian Vander Ark w/ special guests, Nyco record release, PJ Winter @ Hotel Cafe
- Spank Rock, Wavves, Big Freedia, The Death Set, Pictureplane, Franki Chan @ The Mayan
- "Girls Night" w/ Laco$te, Wet and Reckless, Peachy Keene @ Lot 1
- Big Head Todd and The Monsters, Hubert Sumlin, Cedric Burnside, Hazel Miller @ El Rey
- Grieves & Budo, Prof, The Mc Type, Intuition @ The Troubadour
- Julieta Venegas @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- Maria Taylor, Big Harp, Dead Fingers @ The Echo
- The Return of Murder Ballads w/ The Americans, Leslie Stevens, T.O.M., Gabriel Hart, Tommy Santee Klaws, A/J Jackson, Garrett Pierce, Kevin Litrow and more @ Echoplex
- Holloys, Gothic Tropic, Steve Heath, Body Parts @ The Satellite
- Railroad To Alaska, Ogre Mage, The Mulhollands, Bullet & Snowfox @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Fishbone @ Bootleg Bar
- Pine Mountain Casket @ Taix Lounge
DECISION:
Let's hear it for the wonderful show at Echoplex tonight called Return of the Murder Ballads which celebrates both the glory and the gory in crimes-of-passion songs by such stalwart practitioners of the art like Tommy Santee Klaws, Leslie Stevens, Fort King and Tom Brosseau among many others. What a great way to begin your Halloween celebration.
Lot 1 has an interesting line up for "Girl's Night" with Laco$te and Wet & Reckless, highlighting female talent in the local indie scene.
Friday, October 21
- Neon Hymns, Peter Bradley Adams, Skyler Stonestreet, King Washington, Liz Longley @ Hotel Cafe
- The Brooke Lee Catastrophe @ Origami Vinyl
- Vum @ Vacation
- Catie Curtis, Melissa Ferrick @ McCabe's
- Little Red Lung, Audrey & The Deer, Carla Werner @ Lot 1
- Mason Jennings, The Pines @ El Rey
- Pomplemoose, Louis & Genevieve @ The Troubadour
- Judson McKinney, Torches, Wild Pack of Canaries @ Casey's Bar
- Shellac, Helen Money @ Eagle Rock Center for the Arts
- Taylor Locke and the Roughs, Sabrosa Purr, Miracle Parade @ Bootleg Bar
- "Rock the Revolution Tour": KRS ONE, Per capita, Rise, Concise & Krookid, Ronny North, Frequently Faded, Killjoy @ The Central
- Johnny Moezzi, George Stanford, Ol' Bessy, Foster Timms @ 3 of Clubs
- Noah and the Megafauna @ The Satellite
- Tamaryn, Devon Williams, Melted Toys @ The Echo
- The Happy Hollows, Plasma Centre, Blackstrap Molasses, Peter Pants @ The Smell
- We the People, Wickow Atwater & the Fallen Flame, Death on Mars, XUE, Skinny P @ Mr. T's Bowl
- Damon Lee Waggoner, Caey Fosse Quartet @ Taix Lounge
DECISION:
There's just too many show tonight too. All I can do is send people scrambling in all directions. Head to The Smell to see The Happy Hollows or Little Red Lung at Lot 1, but I'm heading over to Casey's Bar to see a couple of other favorites, Judson McKinney (at right) and Torches. I've long been a fan of singer/songwriter Mason Jennings, but I'm letting this opportunity to see him go by at El Rey which will be a great venue for him.
Saturday, October 22
- Magic Christian, Cyril Jordan, The Cellar Doors @ The Echo
- Aloe Blacc & the Grand Scheme, Joel Van Dijk & Special Force, Mr. J-Logic @ El Rey
- Golden Ghost, Hello Electric, Steaming Satellites, Plant Tribe @ Lot 1
- Primus @ The Wiltern
- Robyn, Röyksopp @ Hollywood Bowl
- Tom Russell @ McCabe's (8 PM + 10 PM)
- Tyler Ramsey, Henry Wolfe, John Gold @ Bootleg Bar
- Viza, The Dirty Diamond, The Cause, Audia fauna, Stemlife @ The Troubadour
- The Fake Furs, The Sun & The Sea, Twin Suns, Mousai Nine, Indian School @ Mr. T's Bowl
- The War On Drugs, Purling Hiss, Carter Tanton @ The Satellite
- TRMRS, Phantastica, Animal Eye, So Wrong @ The Smell
- Dime Box Band, The Running Kind, The Horse Soldiers @ Taix Lounge
DECISION:
I'm really not up on a lot of the music out there tonight. You may have to fend for yourself. There must be more and more new bands pouring into town and there's barely time to catch up. Try TMRS at The Smell or Golden Ghost at Lot 1. Also check out Occupy L.A. to see if there's going to be another march downtown and come on down and join us if you support it. It's a great time and the more the better.
Sunday, October 23
- LA 101 w/ The Airborne Toxic Event, Tokyo Police Club, Built To Spill, Delta Spirit @ Gibson Amphitheatre at 7:15 PM; The Drowning Men, Jenny O, Electric Guest, Vlado Artists @ Festival Stage at 3 PM
- Patty Larkin @ McCabe's
- Thank You, Goodbye, Mike Burns, Himalayan Bear, Tongue & Groove @ Hotel Cafe
- Voxhaul Broadcast, Ocean Grove, Robert Schwartzman @ The Troubadour
- Asian Women On The Telephone, Human Hands, Pure Shit @ The Smell
- Theft record release, Satellite, Act As If @ Bootleg Bar
- John Peel Night w/ The Fall, The Wedding Present @ The Echo
DECISION:
Congratulations to The Airborne Toxic Event (at right) for playing the LA 101 show at Gibson Amphitheatre. That should be a pretty spectacular night. Voxhaul Broadcast have a show at The Troubadour rounding out a fairly quiet Sunday night.
What's more... RFSLshowlistings@gmail.com
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