The L.A. Show Low Down (Or: "Where Have You Been? What Have You Seen? All The Peace When You Come Following, I'll Tell You It's Worth It All...")

 by Brad Roberts

Get ready for the beginning of summer. This coming weekend combines Silver Lake Jubilee 2012 with Memorial Day, which is perfect in that we get a full day to recover before the work week begins. Kathryn Pinto and I will be your on-the-ground correspondents, while photographers Miriam Brummel and Zoe-Ruth Erwin will be documenting  the event. There's so much to recommend here that I'll just say what I will try to see each day under the daily listings. Overall, Kinky and Autolux are the hot bands headlining on Saturday, while Aloe Blacc and The Soft Pack bring high-profile name support to the Sunday line up. With so many great bands playing on six stages all the time, the best plan is probably to go with no plan, and just end up seeing whoever you run into as you wander the circuit. That's my advice. At this point it looks like the weather will cooperate with temperatures around 70 degrees and partly cloudy skies clearing as the days go on. It would be great not to fry on the pavement.  

Beck is playing a sold out show at El Rey Tuesday night, while shows I'm looking forward to include another band with Harley Prechtel-Cortez called Half/Blood who have a show with  Johnzo West at Harvard & Stone on Wednesday night and Auditorium at Bootleg Bar on Thursday.

Monday, May 21

- Caught a Ghost, Fur Traders, The Peach Kings, Paper Pilots @ The Satellite

- Harriet, The Soft White Sixties, Sue Scrofa, Gothic Tropic @ Bootleg Bar

- Baron Von Luxxury, Harlan, Jewels of the Nile, Cassorla @ The Echo

- "School Night!" w/ Chappo, Lianne La Havas, London Souls, Telephoned @ Bardot

- Jason Joseph & The Spectacular w/ special guests, Daniel Bedingfield, Count, Saint Joan & The Revelations @ Hotel Cafe

- Philanthro LA w/ Kissing Tigers, Midnight Surfer, Nuthin Under A Million @ The Central

- Stuffed & Unstrung @ Largo at the Coronet

- Sean Carnage presents Precious, Mantle Core Sound, Footwurk Homicide, Skull Kiss @ Pehrspace

DECISION:

A bit of a low key Monday at the start of a very busy week. Residencies take most of the attention with Harriet (at right)  presenting Sue Scrofa and Gothic Tropic at Bootleg Bar being a highlight. Caught a Ghost has The Peach Kings at The Satellite and Baron Von Luxxury with Harlan at The Echo. It's also "School Night!" at Bardot in Hollywood.

Tuesday, May 22

- Beck @ El Rey

- Sissy Spacek record release @ Vacation Vinyl

- The Child @ Amoeba Music

- Wheeler Brothers w/ Some, Rocco Deluca, Tim Rogers of You Am I, Among Savages @ Hotel Cafe

- Mark Lanegan Band, Sean Wheeler and Zander Schloss @ The Autry

- Austin Brown residency @ The Central

- Bright Young Things, Kevin Tyler Zepeda-Compton, Miss Chief , Jack Littman, Sarah Pigion @ Lot 1

- Sparta, Ki:Theory @ The Troubadour

- Spiritualized, Nikki Lane @ The Wiltern

- Trampled By Turtles, Brown Bird @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre

- Funeral Club, Sneakpeak, The Donnies The Amys @ The Echo

- Riverboat Gamblers record release party, Biters, Roll The Tank @ The Satellite

- Lianne La Havas, Ferraby Lionheart @ Bootleg Bar

- The Record Company, Yonatan @ Harvard & Stone

DECISION:

How I managed to let the Beck show at El Rey get by me, I don't know, but it's sold out now (pictured at right). However we can content ourselves with Ferraby Lionheart at Bootleg Bar with Lianne La Havas or Mark Lanagan with Sean Wheeler and Zander Schloss in Griffith Park at The Autry.

Wednesday, May 23

- Robert Francis, Leslie Stevens (solo), Edwards & Edwards @ The Troubadour

- David Ryan Harris, Naia Kete, Tracee Perrin, Rachel Rabin @ Hotel Cafe

- "Desert Nights" w/ Yellow Red Sparks, Frankie Palmer, Dahni Piro @ The Standard

- Light FM, Soft Swells, Omniflux, The Singularity @ Los Globos

- Nite Jewel, ESP @ John Anson Ford Amphitheatre

- Dandelo, IronTom, Nacoste @ The Satellite

- Half/Blood (Harley Prechtel-Cortez), Jonzo West @ Harvard & Stone

- Vanish Valley, Roll the Tanks, The World Record, The Break Ups @ The Down and Out Bar

- Traps PS, Whitman, Ezra Buchla, Nora Keyes @ The Smell

- Tic Tic Boom!, Odd Modern, We Are/She Is @ Lot 1

- Margot and the Nuclear So and So's, Dinosaur Feathers, Whispertown @ Bootleg Bar

- Apparitions, Revolution"s Pride, The Boozehounds @ Redwood Bar

- I Break Horses, Geographer, Old Toy Trains @ The Echo

DECISION:

Vanish Valley have a great show downtown at The Down and Out Bar tonight with The World Record (at right) and The Break Ups, but there's stiff competition from a wide range of artists from Leslie Stevens playing a solo set at the Robert Francis show at The Troubadour to Light FM at Los Globos and "Desert Nights" has Yellow Red Sparks at The Standard. I'll be heading to Harvard & Stone to see Half/Blood.

Thursday, May 24

- Little Barrie, Auditorium, Willoughby, Last in Class @ Bootleg Bar

- Broken Anchor, Ry Cuming, Kristen Proffit Record Release Show, The Mighty Sequoyah, Bec Sandridge @ Hotel Cafe

- John McLaughlin, Bob Stamper @ The Troubadour

- Stab City, Spider Problem, Tiktaalik, Falsetto Teeth, Starskate @ The Down and Out Bar

- Hugh Laurie w/ The Copper Bottom Band @ El Rey

- Kimbra @ Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery

- Novi Split, Brown and Blue, Dirty Orca, Justin Conway @ Lot 1

- Poor Sons, Meat Market, Honey Badgers, The Gospels @ The Smell

- Hey Rosetta!, Rich Aucoin, A House For Lions @ The Echo

- Hot Water Music record release, Tim Barry, Seahaven @ The Satellite

DECISION:

Little Barrie (at right) is a band I had all but forgotten about, but they were jolted back into my head when I saw this was a show featuring Auditorium AND Willoughby at Bootleg Bar. Little Barrie was one of the first music videos I saw when that was my only introduction to music back in 2005, and I was amazed then at the natural soul music that just poured out of this guy. It was the song "Free Salute" from the first album of this London band and it was shown on the sadly-missed public access show "Refused TV" which was how I got back into music in the first place. If anyone knows where this show came from and what happened to it, I'd love to know. I was crushed when it disappeared.It will be fun to see them after all these years, and Auditorium are a new favorite of mine and Willoughby have been a steadfast band for me for a number of years now, so I can't miss his show.

Friday, May 25

- I Hate You Just Kidding, Sue Scrofa, The Mighty Sequoyah, Hi Ho Silver Oh @ Pehrspace

- Barbara Lynn, Gizzelle, The Hurricanes, The Neumans @ Echoplex

- Thurlow, Joey Siara, Mack Marquard, The Slim Pickin's @ Lot 1

- The Internet @ The Echo

- Mutations, The Spyrals, Cab 20, Mr. Elevator and the Brain Hotel @ The Smell

- Chemicals, King Louis & The Missing Monuments, Cochinas @ Redwood Bar

- We Are Serenades, Alex Kemp, Milow @ Bootleg Bar

- The Blind Shake @ Origami Vinyl

- Jon Brion @ Largo at the Coronet

- The Young Romans, Erick Macek & Lucy Walsh, American Bloomers, Jason Whitton, Totsy @ Hotel Cafe

- Bob Lind, Danny O'Keefe @ McCabe's

- K'noup & Kelly, Savannah Van Band, Uncle Daddy, Wicker, Marc Robillard, Satellite @ The Troubadour

- Residual Echoes, Exploding Flowers, New Life, Shark Toys @ The Mime

- Sassafras, Blood Buddies, AKA, One Point Game @ Home Room

- Jail Weddings, Don Juan Y Los Blancos, Chris Price @ The Satellite

DECISION:

T'was the night before the Jubilee and all through the town, little shows are popping up to entice you into a musical weekend. Hi Ho Silver Oh at Pehrspace, Joey Siara at Lot 1 with Thurlow, Jail Weddings at The Satellite or Residual Echoes and Exploding Flowers at The Mime. Stay home if you must, but there's plenty of reason to go out too.

Saturday, May 26

- Silver Lake Jubilee 2012 @ 4219 Santa Monica Blvd. (10 AM)

- Glenn Frey @ The Wiltern

- Hands "Massive Context" Release Party @ Origami Vinyl

- Skyler Stonestreet, Steven Roth, Symphony, Alicia Lemke, Tully Wilkinson @ Hotel Cafe

- Famous, Phoenix Down, The 27's, The Suits, The Gooneez, Savannah Philips @ The TRoubadour

- Images, The Spyrals, Bronson Caves @ Lot 1

- Loudon Wainwright III @ McCabe's

- Michael Yonkers & The Blind Shake, Emily Lacy @ HM157

- The Lonesome Heroes, The Western States Motel (solo), Olentangy John @ Echo Country Outpost

- Loquat record release, United Ghosts, Spero, Professor Possessor @ The Satellite

- Bad Veins @ The Echo

- Mike Watt & The Missing Men, Turbo Negra, The Cleveland Browns, The Amadans, Dethtrip Forever @ Redwood Bar

- Cava, Ollin w/ special guests Little Willie G, and Mark Guerrero, Thee Commons @ Bootleg Bar

DECISION:

Silver Lake Jubilee 2012 takes off at noon today and I'm hoping to catch some of both headliners, Autolux, (pictured at right at Make Music Pasadena a couple of years ago) who play the Hoover Stage beginning at 9:30 and Kinky, who play the Sunset Stage at 10. Maybe I'll do half of one and half of the other. Leslie Stevens & the Badgers, Moses Campbell, Letting Up Despite Great Faults, La Santa Cecilia, Ruthann Friedman,  The Mo-Odds and Soft Metals are among the huge diversity of bands available throughout the day. There'll be much food and drink to be had and I'm looking forward to chatting with some of the bands with our all-access press pass.

There's also an Art and Music Show at Echo Country Outpost with The Lonesome Heroes providing both their western influenced indie and lead singer Landry McMean's cardboard reliefs. Supporting acts include a solo set by Carl Jordan of The Western States Motel and Olentangy John. Radio Free Silver Lake will be doing a ticket giveaway. Check back to the site for details. Event starts at 6 PM.

Sunday, May 27

- Silver Lake Jubilee 2012 @ 4219 Santa Monica Blvd.

- Loudon Wainwright III @ McCabe's

- Carnage Asada, Fatso Jetson, Dead Issue @ Redwood Bar (3 PM)

- Ape Machine, Black Beverly Heels, Kill Pills @ Redwood Bar (9 PM)

- Cave Country, Deadstring Brothers, Tommy Santee Klaws, Glen Martin @ Bootleg Bar

- Bodhi w/ Special Guests @ The Central

- Golden!Age, Cigarette Bums, Black Lullabies, Desert Daze @ Lot 1

- Kind Hearts & Coronets, Mad Planet, Tenlons Fort @ The Echo

DECISION:

The Silver Lake Jubilee 2012 line up for today is really exciting and frustrating (because there's no way to avoid missing somone you really want to see). But that's part of what makes it such a feast. I want to see the Silver Lake Contemporary Ballet with The Lonely Wild, (look to the right) who perform at 1:25 at the Hoover Stage, but that's when AV Club, NO and Batwings Catwings are on the Sunset Stage, which in turn collides with Manhattan Murder Mystery back at the Hoover. Silver Lake Contemporary Ballet with The Lonely Wild do a second show at 4:50 at the Free Block Party Stage, but that's when Eastern Conference Champions play followed by Family of the Year on the Sunset Stage. You see the dilemma.

And if the festival gets to be too much for you, then head on over to Bootleg Bar for some peaceful alt/country from Cave Country and the profoundly alternative folk music of Tommy Santee Klaws, beginning at 7:30. That would be a great way to end the weekend...before another day off tomorrow.

Comments

[John]

Tenlons Fort playing the echo at 9pm on Sunday the 27th W/Kind Hearts and Coronets!