The L.A. Show Low Down (Or: " I Have A Fear Of Darkness, So Sing Your Hymn Of Faith Cause I Have None, Your Song Is My Fortress...")

by Brad Roberts

This may be the longest list ever as there are so many shows this week that honing it down to a manageable set of recommendations is daunting and something will inevitably get left out. Such is life in the Los Angeles music scene right now. We could smother from excess. Beginning on Monday and continuing right through the whole week there's more shows than I can remember in any recent period. Maybe it's just the post-SXSW floodgates opening. I'll just try to point out some of the obvious choices.

A couple of shows that are supposed to take place in April are happening this week, in March. April's edition of "First Fridays" at The Natural History Museum of L.A. happens on Friday, March 30th and  features Matthew Dear. Yours truly's Feed Your Head night at Lot 1 is taking place on Saturday March 31st, instead of April 7th. (Joe Fielder is coming to town and putting on another wonderful "Undercovered" show on Apr. 7...details here too, so I've moved my show) This time I'm super excited to be presenting Auditorium (seen above). Any fan of highly polished vocal music should attend, as this band has it in spades. Radio Free Silver Lake hosted the recent show on March 6th at Bootleg Bar where they appeared with Dylan Trees and Fort King and it was a knock out performance. I feel lucky to have gotten them for my show.

Last week's highlight for me was the incredible show by Lost in the Trees, who produced a big turnout where Fleet Foxes offshoot band, Poor Moon had a crowd appropriate to their advance reputation at The Echo last Thursday night. Powerful singing and soaring harmonies were the order of the day and both bands sounded quite special.

A big thank you to those who post their events on my Facebook page. It really makes listing the more obscure shows far easier and I'm grateful for the help. Here's the link.

Monday, March 26

- La Santa Cecilia @ Amoeba Music

- The Henry Clay People, TS and the Past Haunts, The Mowglis @ The Viper Room

- Gregory Alan Isakov, Patrick Park @ Bootleg Theatre

- Philanthro LA presents Dysphoria, Thinking About Tomorrow, Them Lost Boys @ The Central

- Andrew Jackson Jihad, Laura Stevenson & The Cans, ROAR 2 @ The Troubadour

- Joel Eckels, Brother Sal, Sarah Roberts, Sally Jaye, Brian Marquis @ Room 5

- Starskate, Blood Beach, Manhattan Murder Mystery, GAGAKIRISE, Spaceships @ BIP

- Monte Mar, Francisco The Man, The New Limb, Louis and Genevive @ Silver Lake Lounge

- NO, Raw Geronimo, Black Flamingo, Young Hunting @ The Echo

- "School Night!" w/ Crystal Fighters, Duologue, Husky, Gold Fields @ Bardot

- Ari Shine, Adam Bones, Jack Littman @ Redwood Bar

- Nicholas Jaar, Nicola Cruz @ Echoplex

- The Withers, Paul Prado's Animal Raps, Hearts and Minutes, Andy Creighton @ Los Globos

- The Janks, Olin and The Moon, The Lonely Wild @ Bootleg Bar

- Voxhaul Broadcast, Infantree, Vanaprasta, Valida (DJ set) @ The Satellite

- Yuri Landman & Orchestra, Gagakirise, VVDBLK @ The Smell

DECISION:

The perfect example of the week's conundrum presents itself tonight with at least eight highly worthwhile shows. I don't know what I am going to do. Different venues are sought out by two local star bands, The Henry Clay People venture over to the Strip to play a gig at The Viper Room backed by a good local line up, while Manhattan Murder Mystery stake out a spot on the bill at a place called BIP on North Hoover.

Residencies continue to highlight hot newer bands like The Lonely Wild on tap at The Janks show with Olin and the Moon at Bootleg Bar, Young Hunting playing for NO at The Echo, Infantree at The Satellite with Vanaprasta for Voxhaul Broadcast and The New Limb and Francisco the Man for the Montë Mar show at Silver Lake Lounge. Maybe you can run back and forth between the four clubs and see 10 minute snippets of about 20 bands.

Individually you could pick up La Santa Cecilia in a free in-store at Amoeba, Andy Creighton of The World Record at Los Globos or Jack Littman at Redwood Bar. Like I said, the glut of live shows nightly just seems to be exploding!

Tuesday, March 27

- Abby @ Bootleg Bar

- Ed Vallance, John Lefler, Yale in Hollywood Singer/Songwriter Showcase w/ Bravesoul, Thunderado, Jacqueline Becker, M'Balia and more @ Hotel Cafe

- Jenny Slate @ Largo at the Coronet

- Kathleen Edwards, Hannah Georgas @ El Rey

- The Used "Vulnerable" Album Release Show @ The Troubadour

- Keith Jarrett @ Walt Disney Concert Hall

- White Arrows, Kraddy, The Stone Foxes, Honeydrip @ The Roxy

- Y LUV, Tic Tic Boom!, The Colourist, The Miracles @ The Central

- American Tomahawk, The Tulips, Jamestown Revival @ The Satellite

- Harriet, HIgh Rise, Husky @ Bootleg Bar

- Imaginary Thieves, Vise Versa, Motordrone, War Widow @ Silver Lake Lounge

- Kind Hearts & Coronets, TBA @ Harvard & Stone

- Telepathe, Duologue, TEARIST @ The Echo

- Alexandra, LA Witch, Cult @ 3 of Clubs

DECISION:

It would be fun to see Kind Hearts & Coronets in my neck of the woods, at Harvard & Stone and Y LUV are continuing their Tuesday residency with Tic Tic Boom! and The Colourist at The Central. Imaginary Thieves headline a good show over at Silver Lake Lounge. On the big stage, at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Keith Jarrett (above) performs an evening of solo piano improvisations. That would be something.

Wednesday, March 28

- Ernie Halter, Ariana Hall, Danni Rosner Record Rele Show, Ok Sweetheart, Greenlee @ Hotel Cafe

- Stupid Man Suit, Falsetto Teeth, Van Exel, Interstellar Glacticator @ Silver Lake Lounge

- Tears of the Moonchaser, Timur and the Dime Museum, Noah and the MegaFauna @ El Cid

- The Revivalists, Family Cave, Erik Kufs @ The Central

- The Wonder Years, Polar Bear club, Transit, The Story So Far, Into It Over It @ The Troubadour

- White Rabbits, Gull @ El Rey

- Gangi, Cuckoo Chaos, Gothic Tropic, Dream Phantom @ The Echo

- Gold Fields, Touche, The Neighborhood @ Bootleg Bar

- Them Howling Bones, GHOSTATION, TBD @ Los Globos

- ††† (crosses) @ The Satellite

DECISION:

O.K. tonight I can narrow it down. Great opportunity to go see Gangi, who I have been missing a lot lately and really want to see to hear what they're up to lately, as they've always been an enormously creative band. The image above is from their Facebook page and looks like what they sound like. Matt Gangi composes sweeping and intricately  patterned music and I am a fan. Tonight they play at The Echo along with another band which seems to be gathering quite a following, Gothic Tropic. Nice show over at El Cid as well with Noah and the MegaFauna.

Thursday, March 29

- Jay Brannan, Natalie Angiuli record release, Animal OK, Stevie Ann @ Hotel Cafe

- Twin Steps, Brainstorm @ Origami Vinyl

- The Driftwood Singers, The Lucky Strikes @ Pappy and Harriet's

- Donovan @ The Grammy Museum

- Hot Snakes, Mrs Magician, Spider Fever @ The Troubadour

- The Painted Rocks, Stage 11, Freedom Ledges, The Good Mad @ Mr. T's Bowl

- Dinosaur Feathers, U.S. Royalty, Strange Markings, The Art @ The Echo

- A Silent Film, Mr. Gnome, Gabrielle Wortman @ Bootleg Bar

- Brainstorm, Body Parts, Emperor X, Twin Steps @ The Satellite

- Cult With No Name, Precious Medals, Kim Free @ The Smell

- James Mulvey, Brandon Mayer & The HIdden Powers, Ralph Torrefranca @ Silver Lake Lounge

- Tensnake, Goddollars, Paradise @ Los Globos

- The Child, Baron Von Luxxury @ El Cid

- The Singles, Wild Betsy, Leggy Peggy @ Redwood Bar

DECISION:

What can I say about Donovan, except that he was such a powerful presence when I was in my teens and first becoming aware of the gorgeous psychedelic folk music that was emerging at the time...and he even got played on the commercial radio stations back then, which seems kind of remarkable to me now. "Catch the Wind", "Sunshine Superman" and "Hurdy Gurdy Man" were important staples of my record collection. I never got to see him live at the time, but fate was kind when I attended the 40th Anniversary screening of Monterey Pop back in 2007 at American Cinemateque Egyptian Theatre. Not only was Grace Slick in attendance, and part of a panel, but Donovan himself played a few songs, after telling the story of how he was scheduled to perform at the legendary concert in 1967, but was held up in London on a pot charge and missed the event. This was his way of making it up and it was sublime to have been there. I can report that he sounds as good as he always did and tonight he is at The Grammy Museum. 

Friday, March 30

- "First Fridays" w/ Matthew Dear, Songodsuns @ Natural History Museum

- Electric Flower Group @ Origami Vinyl

- Mind The Gap, John Lloyd Taylor w/ Special Guests, Johnny Flynn, Danielle Ate The Sandwich, David Berkeley @ Hotel Cafe

- Jenatari, Planet Rock, Idgy Dean @ The Central

- Lady Sinatra record release, Indians, Gunpowder Secrets, MK4 and The Lonely Drunks Club Band @ The Viper Room

- The All American Rejects @ The Troubadour

- Todd Snyder, Bill Carter @ El Rey

- WALK, Rademacher, Peg @ The Mezz Bar

- Races record release, Living Things, Incan Abraham @ The Echo

- Manhattan Murder Mystery, RAD, Gibbons And The Sluts, Seasons @ The Smell

- Gothic Tropic, Twin Steps, Basement Babies, Brainstorm @ Pehrspace

- C-Horse @ Casey's Bar

- Tom Paxton @ McCabe's

- Radio Moscow, The Black Apples, Mr. Elevator & the Brain Hotel @ The Saellite

- Big Sir, Different Fountains, Greenhorse @ Bootleg Bar

- Cognito, Cirkumvent, Quadrophones, Zack Steel @ Mr. T's Bowl

- Mike Watt, RF 7, Carnage Asada, The X Chemical, Barrio Tiger @ Redwood Bar

- Seth Pettersen & The Undertow, Evan apRoberts Band @ Taix Lounge

DECISION:

This is another night that is just packed with good shows. You're on your own, but I can recommend the usual suspects, Manhattan Murder Mystery at The Smell, and bringing Seasons with them, in what I believe is their first Smell show. WALK and Rademacher make a formidable duo at The Mezz Bar. But the Races Record Release Show at The Echo is probably the show of the night (sample here). Dammit, but what about Gothic Tropic at Pehrspace, or the C-Horse residency at Casey's. Then, late at night, you can catch EvanapRoberts Band and Seth Pettersen & The Undertow at Taix Lounge sometime after ten.

Saturday, March 31

- Feed Your Head presents Auditorium, Warm Weather, Lauralaura, Ryan Matthew @ Lot 1

- "Escape To Ojai" (The New L.A. Folk Fest) w/ Spindrift, He's My Brother She's My Sister, Restavrant, Stone Darling, Tommy Santee Klaws, RT N; The 44's, Silver Chords @ Ojai Deer Lodge

- Abigail Washburn @ The Getty Center

- Rachael Sage record release, Joe Gil, Maddie & The Bad Hats, Laura Warshauer @ Hotel Cafe

- The Lovely Bad Things @ Origami Vinyl

- My Satellite, A House for Lions, City City @ The Central

- The Wedding Present, Pinky Piglets @ The Troubadour

- Tom Paxton @ McCabe's

- Metallagher w/ White Shit (feat. members of Karp, Melvins, Big Business, Murder City Devils, Wrangler Brutes), Mikki and the Mauses, Death Hymn Number 9 @ Echoplex

- Dunes, Abe Vigoda, Stephanie, Infinite Body @ Bootleg Bar

- The Loom, Elin Lindfors @ The Satellite

DECISION:

I'm proud to be presenting what I think is going to be a night of superb music at Lot 1. Feed Your Head is having the eighth monthly Saturday (I explained above why it's not in April above) tonight and not only are Lauralaura opening the night, but a band I'm very curious about, Warm Weather, are second.   Auditorium, whose unforgettable songwriting is bolstered by masterful harmony vocals are headlining and they must be seen to be believed. Ryan Ellis is the drummer for last month's headliner band, Escalator Hill, and I'm happy to showcase his own songs to close out the night. Thanks, in advance, to all. And thanks to Jacob Dylan Summers for the poster art.

If you want to get out of town, there's a little New L.A. Folk Festival in Ojai at Ojai Deer Lodge with such sterling acts as Tommy Santee Klaws and Restavrant among numerous others. It's called Escape To Ojai.

Sunday, April 1

- I See Hawks In L.A., The Coals @ Redwood Bar

- The Step Sisters, Matt Eckel, Thomas Hien, Jillinda & Mustang @ 1642

- Saw Doctors, The Donkeys @ The Troubadour

- Charlotte Martin, Mariah McManus @ Bootleg Theatre

- The Kyle Britton Band + Guests @ The Central

DECISION:

Jillinda Palmer has invited me to an event that sounds like a special night of music at 1642. She'll be appearing in two of the acts starting with a duo of Jillinda and Mustang to open the show, followed by Thomas Hein, then Matt Eckles, who has been performing earlier in the week, ending with The Step Sisters featuring Ms. Palmer. Happy April Fool's Day and how can you resist a show with such a beautiful poster?

So you see what I mean? How is anyone supposed to keep up? Why is such a problem so pleasurable? Glad I'm here.

Comments

[john]

This Monday at Los Globos is Peg Leg Love, Seasons, John Carpenter, and Brass Tax.