by Brad Roberts
I had an awesome time at the Make Music Pasadena festival on Saturday. Everything worked together to add up to an almost perfect day festival experience. Despite some complaints about the sprawling geography of the performance spaces, I prefer to think of it as a sign of how committed the city of Pasadena is to actively participating in the all-encompassing event that covers roughly 30 square blocks in the city. That's NO performing one of the best sets I saw all day, at the Levitt Pavilion in the late afternoon sun in a shot I took myself. Oh my god, I've been turned loose with a camera!
Basking in the glow of last week's Tony Awards win for the musical Once as Best Musical of the Year, which is based on the movie of the same name which was, in turn, loosely based on his life, Glen Hansard makes three appearances in Los Angeles this week. Beginning with a free set at Amoeba Music and an appearance on The Jay Leno Show on Monday, it all culminates in a show at The Wiltern on Wednesday night. If you've never seen him, you should not miss the chance.
Radio Free Silver Lake is especially happy to have offered some free tickets to The Troubadour show on Wednesday night starring three of our current favorite local bands, Judson, Torches and Tenlons Fort, all making their Troubadour debut. Buzzbands is a host. Then on Saturday RFSL present more of our long-time favorites, Radars To The Sky, The Hectors and Fort King (who has blossomed into a full band recently) along with the rocketing band, Torches and a new-to-me singer, Ceeca at The Central in Santa Monica. And there's more...
This column will appear a little awkwardly because I lost my Internet connection on Sunday night (dial up, damn it!) So I'm finishing the text on my new phone. I can't link or bold bands and venues at present so I'll do the rest of that and add more photos as soon as I can reestablish a connection. I hope to be fully Twenty-First Century any day now.
Monday, June 18
- Glen Hansard @ Amoeba Music
- Seymour Stein, Delta Rae @ The Grammy Museum
- SuperSoul Monday w/ Jason Joseph & The Spectacular w/ special guests, Danni Rouge, The Rocket Boys, Nelo @ Hotel Cafe
- Evan Way, Aaron Kyle, Andy Creighton @ Stories Books and Cafe
- Rhett Miller & The Serial Lady Killers, The Spring Standards @ The Troubadour
- E.S.P., Boom Bip, The White Album @ The Echo
- "School Night!" w/ Van Hunt, American Royalty, Das Tapes, Jess Williamson @ Bardot
- Darin Bennett and the Requiem, Jonneine Zapata, Gypsy River Haunts, American Bloomers @ Los Globos
- JJAMZ, A, B, & the Sea, Neighbors @ The Satellite
- Mansions on the Moon, Flying Cars, StarGraph @ The Central
- The Colourist, Blondfire, Moostache, Paulie Pesh @ Bootleg Bar
- Sean Carnage presents Moon Pearl, Let's Paint TV!, Dash Jacket, Pillars & Tongues @ Pehrspace
DECISION:
Evan Way is in town and gracing us with a solo set tonight on a cozy bill that includes a couple of his friends, Andy Creighton and Aaron Kyle at Stories Book and Cafe. And don't forget the residencies at The Echo, The Satellite and Bootleg Bar.
Glen Hansard (at right) begins his time in Los Angeles with a set at Amoeba at 6:30 as well as appearing on The Jay Leno Show tonight. He always gives a wonderful show and one could catch his set before heading over to Echo Park to see Evan Way, then go home and watch him on TV machine.
Tuesday, June 19
- Kate Miller Heidke, Clark Graham, Round Mountain @ Hotel Cafe
- Delta Rae, A Silent Film, Chantal Claret @ The Troubadour
- Lisa Hannigan, Joe Henry @ El Rey
- Sean O’Connor, Julian McCullough, Marc Maron, Garfunkel & Oates @ The Mint
- A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac in honor of Mick Fleetwood's Birthday w/ Beachwood All-Stars, Stone Darling, Geronimo Getty, Stephen Sowan, Brian Whelan, The Breakups, Nightgown @ The Satellite
- THEE Satisfaction, Open Mike Eagle @ The Echo
- Lemonade, Grimes (DJ Set), Blood Diamonds, Airbird @ Echoplex
- Summer Twins, Kera and the Lesbians, Blac Jesus @ Bootleg Bar
- Warships, Monte Mar, Blonde Summer @ The Central
DECISION:
How much fun does a night of local musicians saying 'Happy Birthday' to Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood (shown at right) sound like. I asked Jake Gideon of The Breakups about the show last week at Lot 1 and he said they're all looking forward to performing a couple of Mac songs each at The Satellite tonight. One of theirs will be "Monday Morning" and I think it sounds like a great tribute. Included in the line up of great bands are Geronimo Getty, Brian Whelan and Stone Darling. Considering it was 40 years ago, right around now, that I first saw him perform at a free concert Fleetwood Mac gave on Boston Common in 1972, I join everyone in saying 'Happy Birthday'. They opened with "Morning Rain" from Future Games and it was pouring rain. I've never forgotten it.
Wednesday, June 20
- Federico Aubele, Matthew Mayfield, Rodriguez, Indian Trading Gurs @ Hotel Cafe
- "Desert Nights" w/ The Sister Ruby Band, Alaska Reid, The Lower @ The Standard
- Cardoza, Downtown/Union, Malcolm Sosa @ Lot 1
- The Broken Numbers Band, Chris Shiflett & The Dead, Peasants, The Far West @ The Satellite
- Glen Hansard, Kelly Hogan @ The Wiltern
- Jenny Lewis, Nik Freitas @ Largo at the Coronet
- Judson, Torches, Tenlons Fort @ The Troubadour
- Escalator Hill, The Lonely Wild @ Basement Tavern
- Mary Anne Hobbs, Eprom, Ages @ The Airliner
DECISION:
So many good shows tonight, but I'm committed to the Judson show over at The Troubadour. Watching him wow the crowd at Make Music Pasadena over the weekend and bring out the interpretive dancing man was such a treat and was so gratifying as I've predicted this for him from the beginning. The bill is filled out with two more of the very best bands around, Tenlons Fort and Torches, who also delivered extraordinary sets to the roaring approval of ecstatic audiences.
Cardoza has one of his best residency line ups with Downtown/Union and Malcolm Sosa, Jenny Lewis begins a two-night engagement at Largo at the Coronet before she joins the Glen Campbell farewell performance at Hollywood Bowl on Sunday night, and Escalator Hill play at the Basement Tavern with The Lonely Wild, who also performed a sterling set at the Armory Center For the Arts at last weekends Make Music Pasadena. Glen Hansard has his show at The Wiltern tonight. Also a great bill over at The Satellite.
Thursday, June 21
- Jenny Lewis, Nik Freitas @ Largo at the Coronet
- Mariah McManus & Kate Voegele, Helena, Jasmine Ashe, Raina Rose & Anthony da Costa @ Hotel Cafe
- Céu, Curumin @ El Rey
- Crash Kings, Vanaprasta, Dreamers Dose @ The Troubadour
- Tu Fawning, Blacks&, Dream Panther @ Bootleg Bar
- The Dustbowl Revival @ Levitt Pavilion
- Amanda Jo Williams record release, Dead Dawn, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Brass Tax @ The Echo
DECISION:
There'll be a wild time at the Amanda Jo Williams record release show at The Echo tonight with the rolling, raucous, raging, ragged rock of Manhattan Murder Mystery adding their particular presence to the proceedings. Bring your rain gear. The Dustbowl Revival are at the beautiful Levitt Pavilion in Pasadena for part of their Summer Festival Series.
Friday, June 22
- Sylvie Lewis record release, Amy Lavere, Taylor Greenwood, Alexandra & The Starlight Band @ Hotel Cafe
- Rock Bottom Remainders @ El Rey
- Garfunkel & Oates @ Largo at the Coronet
- Liars, SFV Acid @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- Little Red Lung video premiere, Pisces album release Show @ Eagle Rock Center for the Arts
- Matt Skiba & The Sekrets, Mrs. Magician @ The Troubadour
- Fishtank Ensemble @ Levitt Pavilion
- Summer Solstice Extravaganza w/ Dirt Bird, Buffalo Electric, The Soft Bombs, Fancy Space People, Oliwa's Yes Way!, Dead Western @ HM 157
- Soft Swells, Hell & Lula, Omniflux @ The Satellite
- Japanther, The Coup, The Pharmacy, Apathetic Ronald McDonald @ The Smell
- Jarrod Gorbel, Torches, Miracle Days, Midi Matilda @ Bootleg Bar
- Otis Heat, Dan Wilcox, The Good Rebels, The Muddy Reds @ The Central
- Sonnymoon, Jonti, Devonwho, Knxwledge, MNDSGn, B Lewis @ The Echo
DECISION:
Hot show over at the Eagle Rock Center for the Arts with Little Red Lung sharing their video release premiere party with an album release show for Pisces. We wish all the best for Zoe and Sarah's launches.
Saturday, June 23
- Radio Free Silver Lake presents Radars To The Sky, The Hectors, Torches, Fort King, Ceeca @ The Central
- Heroes & Heroines record release show, Babies on Acid, The Orwells, Thee Merry Wells @ The Echo
- Wicklow Atwater and the Fallen Flame + 4 Bands @ Mr. T's Bowl
- Yuna @ Levitt Pavilion
- Tomorrows Tulips, Holy Shit, The Abigails, The Sweet Sweet Things @ The Satellite
- Delta Rae @ One Colorado
- Mind The Gap, The Lower 48, The Winter Sounds, Val & Her Lovers record release, Asleep On The Moon, Hayley Sales @ Hotel Cafe
- JackShit @ McCabe's
- Dylan Doren, Michael Nhat, Beoff Geis, K and I???, C. Will, Paper Slang, Orbless @ Human Resources
- Jenny Slate @ Largo at the Coronet
- Milo Greene, Little Hurricane, Harriet @ The Troubdour
- The Cult, Against Me!, Icarus Line @ Hollywood Palladium
- Lemon Sun, The Soft White Sixties, Troup @ Bootleg Bar
- Quintron & Miss Pussycat, XBXRX, Dent May @ The Smell
DECISION:
Lots of good shows tonight too, but I am compelled to recommend the best one. That would, naturally, be the show Radio Free Silver Lake is presenting at The Central with the wonderful Radars To The Sky (at right), our good friends, The Hectors, Fort King, now featuring Rob Danson, the hottest band in town, Torches, and an act I've not seen yet, Ceeca. Full schedule of great music. I'm really proud of this show.
Sunday, June 24
- Shoegaze Festival @ Echoplex (4 PM)
- Grand Ole Echo w/ Ted Russell Kamp, Granville Automatic, Mark Lennon + Talking Treason @ The Echo
- Clogs, Eagle Rock Gospel Singers @ Bootleg Theatre
- Glen Campbell, Jackson Browne, Dawes, Kris Kristofferson, Jenny Lewis, Lucinda Williams, Courtney Taylor-Taylor @ Hollywood Bowl
- Marley's Ghost @ McCabe's
- Reed Turner, Jen Kuhn, Phoebe Hunt, Tongue & Groove @ Hotel Cafe
- The D.A., Bulletproof Tiger, Wild Pack of Canaries, Strange Birds @ Lot 1
- All Spots to Black, Leslie Stevens @ Bootleg Bar
DECISION:
With Glen Campbell on his final tour, he has gathered a cast of music heavyweights to accompany him on this moving and touching journey he is on. His perspicacity is to be admired and when joined by the likes of Kris Kristofferson, Lucinda Williams, Jackson Browne and Jenny Lewis on the stage at Hollywood Bowl, the extent of his respect is gratifying for this extraordinary musician and worthy of his lifetime achievement.
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