The L.A. Show Low Down (Or: "No You Can't Stop The Day And You Can't StopThe Night, It's A Far Off Dream, It's A Long Way Home...")

 by Brad Roberts

Lavender Diamond have been hard to find lately, so I'm especially happy they have a show on Tuesday night on a bill that includes Becky Stark's The Living Sisters' cohort, Eleni Mandell presenting a record release show at Hotel Cafe along with a performance by Henry Wolfe.     Naive Thieves plays at The Library at The Redbury, giving me the excuse to check out this newish venue. (Whoops, this was cancelled)

Sea Wolf are back from recording a new album and ready to play it live at an event called Into the Night: Playtime at the Skirball. This once a year event opens the campus to all sorts of activities that last till 1 AM, involving balloons, puppets, a scavenger hunt and a screening of Jacques Tati's classic Play Time.

I'm still reeling from the shows I attended on Saturday, July 7. First, the farewell party and BBQ for Olentangy John was both celebratory and sad, with some wonderful musical performances by Fort King and Ruthann Friedman and  Kris Hutson of The Driftwood Singers, and even a  lovely poem read by Echo Country Outpost's Chris Hajek. My own show was later that night at Lot 1 and featured hair-raising performances from Tenlons Fort, Downtown/Union and Rodman. But it was the opportunity of hosting the local debut of Nate and Liska Cole's new band Doom & Gloom (photo at left) that gave the evening that extra glow. I was completely dazzled by the songwriting and performance of their wonderfully complex compositions. It was a thrilling night highlighted by some astonishing vocals.

Monday, July 9

- Darin Bennett and the Requiem + Jonny Two Bags @ Los Globos downstairs

- Animal Raps, Bodhi, Cardoza, Johanna Phraze @ Los Globos upstairs

- SuperSoul Monday w/ Jason Joseph & The Spectacular w/ special guests, Dimples N Curls featuring Kasi Jones & Crystal Starr, Myra Washington, Rudy Love @ Hotel Cafe

- Pam Shaffer, Evan apRoberts, Alicia Murphy @ Lot 1

- The Milky Way, Free Moral Agents, Alter @ The Central

- Tony Lucca @ Room 5 (8 PM)

- Scott Mellis, Joel Eckels, Lee Ellen Starks & Mark Bates @ Room 5 (9 PM)

- "School Night!" w/ MS MR, Alekesam, Shana Hallagan, Of Verona @ Bardot

- American Royalty, Teenage Sweater, Beat Club @ The Echo

- JMSN, Family of the Year, daviddang (DJ), ERAS @ Bootleg Bar

- Terraplane Sun, Lost Lander @ The Satellite

- The Picture and the Frame @ O'Brien Pub

DECISION:

The glut of Monday shows never lets up as Pam Shaffer continues her residency at Lot 1 with Evan apRoberts and Terraplane Sun do the same at The Satellite. JMSN joins Family of the Year at Bootleg Bar where they take over Mondays for the rest of the month. Animal Raps is also involved in a residency at Los Globos. Must be seen to be believed!

Tuesday, July 10

- Eleni Mandell Record Release Show w/ Henry Wolfe, Monsters Calling Home, Lavender Diamond @ Hotel Cafe

- Wyatt, Daniel Zaitchik, Lauren Hulbert, Matt Caplan @ Room 5

- Black Crystal Wolf Kids, Ninja Betty and the Nunchix, Bikos @ The Mint

- Blondfire, Bodhi, In the Valley Below @ The Central

- Buzzbands LA presents Oak & Gorski, Charlie Clark, Marius @ Lot 1

- Marina and the Diamonds, MS MR @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre

- Rainbow Jackson, Future Ghosts, TS and the Past Haunts @ Los Globos

- Sara Watkins, Tom Brosseau, Simone White @ Largo at the Coronet

- The Tin Drums, Rachel Goodrich, Honeybear @ Bootleg Bar

- My Jerusalem, The Cold and Lovely, The Dead Ships @ The Satellite

- Dunes, Yellow Fever, Spray Paint, Infinite Body @ The Smell

- Hi Ho Silver Oh Record Release, Leslie Stevens and the Badgers, The Driftwood Singers @ The Echo

DECISION:

A couple of very important record release shows take place tonight and both boast terrific line ups. Hi Ho Silver Oh members Kevin Manwarren and Jillinda Palmer both played my show at Lot 1 on Saturday night, so tonight I can recommend their record release for Big Rocks at The Echo. After the wonderful set I saw Kris Hutson play at the Olentangy John farewell party at Echo Country Outpost on Saturday, I can also say you must see The Driftwood Singers, who are opening, along with the ever-lovely Leslie Stevens. 

Eleni Mandell is releasing her new record tonight at Hotel Cafe and I'm going on the invite of Henry Wolfe, who kicks off the evening at 7. As a super-bonus, Lavender Diamond will be appearing afterward at 9:30 and it's been so long since I've seen them I can't wait to hear their highly anticipated new material. 

Also on tap, Buzzbands LA will host Oak & Gorski for their Second Tuesday event at Lot 1 and Los Globos has a good show wih Future Ghost and Rainbow Jackson as well. Lots of good music.

Wednesday, July11

- "Desert Nights" w/ The Blank Tapes, Leslie Lowe, Marianne Keith @ The Standard

- Naive Thieves @ The Library at The Redbury

- Marius, Charlie Clark, Autumn Electric, Fort King @ 3 of Clubs

- The Dig, NIghtmare Air, The Mid Cities, Orange Umbrella @ Silver Lake Lounge

- Speedy Ortiz, Tennis System, LA Font, The Withers @ The Smell

- Shawn Pander, Marty Shannon, Jeff Crosby @ Room 5

- Sonia Rao, Connie Lim, Jenn Bostic, Galanis, Jess Furman @ Hotel Cafe

- Andy Clockwise live presentation of "War Stories" @ King King

- Fallen Riviera, The Ghost Trade, The Hugeness @ Bootleg Bar

- Robert DeLong, Tapioca and The Flea, Incan Abraham  @ The Troubadour

- Glass Goblins, Peg, Spaceships @ Los Globos upstairs

- Roman Candle Wars, Cinderella Motel, Dark Furs, Albert Garrett @ Los Globos downstairs

- Wide Streets, TraPsPs, Black Elephant, Hot TV @ Lot 1

- Young Pharoahs, MAST, Vyxor, 6BIT Collective @ The Central

- High Places, San Gabriel, Fay, John Wiese @ The Echo

DECISION:

This was cancelled. This may be a great night to introduce myself to the Vine St. venue called The Library at The Redbury, just above Hollywood Boulevard. That wonderful band, Naive Thieves is playing a set over there and, as I could walk to this, I should have no excuse for not attending.

But, I just heard Fort King are at 3 of Clubs tonight and after their set last weekend, I'm looking forward to this instead of the cancelled show. Elsewhere, The Mid Cities are playing at Silver Lake Lounge, and Andy Clockwise is playing his new album live at King King in Hollywood.

Thursday, July 12

- Naia Kete, Danni Rouge, Felicia Barton, Jefferson Grizzard & Chris Carpenter, The O's @ Hotel Cafe

- Jordie Lane, Brad Wray, Liane Tominaga, Abbie Huxley & Mariana Bell @ Room 5

- The Mighty Diamonds, The Lions @ Santa Monica Pier

- Acidic, That Noise, thatwasthen, Albert Garrett and the Bad Romantics, Plastic Revolution @ The Troubadour

- LA Underground 15th Anniversary Show w/ TBA @ Lot 1

- The Babies, Crazy Band, Low Flying Owls, Warships @ The Echo

- Sanglorians, Sandbox, The Hunting Accident, Derde Verde @ Bootleg Bar

DECISION:

The Bootleg Bar is hosting Sanglorians, along with Derde Verde on a strong billing and Warships are playing with The Babies at The Echo.

Friday, July 13

- Thao with the Get Down Stay Down @ California Plaza (12 noon)

- Golden State, The King English, Emily Elbert, The Brendan Hines, Courtney Marie Andrews, Harrison Kipner @ Hotel Cafe

- Aesop Rock w/ Rob Sonic & DJ Big Wiz, Edison, Dark Time Sunshine @ El Rey

- Ian Whitcomb & Fred Sokolow @ McCabe's

- Kingvolt, The Young Romans, Jesse Thomas, Javier Dunn, Sarah Pigion @ Room 5

- Codeine, Mark Eitzel, Exploding Flowers @ Echoplex

- Extra Life @ The Smell

- Falsetto Teeth, Techni Color, Van Excel @ Pehrspace

- Into the Night:Playtime at the Skirball, featuring Sea Wolf and Geographer @ Skirball Center

- John C Reilly and Friends @ Largo at the Coronet

- oOoOO, BlackS&, Sahy Uhns, Datsyuk @ The Central

- Raw Geronimo, Kinderbrute, Maston, The Vespertines @ Home Room

- Sonny & the Sunsets, Wet Illustrated, The Blank Tapes @ The Echo

- TV Girl, United Ghosts, Colleen Green @ Bootleg Bar

- Insect Surfers, The Mello Cads @ Taix Lounge

DECISION:

Sonny and the Sunsets is a side project of Kelley Stoltz, who I interviewed a couple of years ago when he was in town introducing this band, and I'm happy he's still pursuing this path because they're a good band. Tonight they are at The Echo and tomorrow, as part of a bill with Allah-Las,  they'll be in Pasadena at the lovely Levitt Pavilion.

Sea Wolf are part of an evening when the Skirball Center throws open their doors for a free-for-all concert/museum experience called Into the Night: Playtime at the Skirball. Billed as a chance to wander around the grounds of this beautiful center under the stars, you'll also get to hear Sea Wolf perform songs off their upcoming release, Old World Romance, which everyone is looking forward to. Geographer and DJ Anthony Valadez round out the entertainment.

John C. Reilly plays a date at Largo at the Coronet and Raw Geronimo will be at Home Room.

Saturday, July 14

- Thao and The Get Down Stay Down @ Levitt Pavilion

-  Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang @ The Getty Center

- Daren Flam, Laura Evans, Raelux, Joee Corso @ Room 5

- Yonatan, Dawn McCoy, Birdseye, Tournament Of Hearts, Jeremy Little, Whitley Heights @ Hotel Cafe

- James Hunter, Jesse Dee @ The Troubadour

- Ray Wylie Hubbard @ McCabe's (8 and 10 PM)

- TraPsPs, Peter Pants, MHV, No Paws (No Lions) @ The Smell

- Patton Oswalt @ Largo at the Coronet

- Saint Motel, Princeton, Chasing Kings @ El Rey

- My Best Fiend @ The Satellite

- Carina Round, Miracle Days @Bootleg Bar

- Downtown/Union, Bright Beast, The Health Club, Matthew Teardrop @ The Old Towne Pub

- Escalator Hill, The Lonely Wild @ Casey's Bar

- MomenTem, James Mulvey, Ink, the dramedy @ Lot 1

- oOoOO, NGUZUNGUZU, ∆AIMON @ Complex, Glendale

DECISION:

Two of the night's three best shows are out in Pasadena. Both worthwhile, I may go out to Pasadena on the train early enough to catch the Thao and the Get Down Stay Down on the lawn at Levitt Pavilion at 7. Then I'll move down the street to The Old Towne Pub to see the white-hot Bright Beast on one of the week's best bills, Downtown/Union (if you saw them at my show last Saturday, you know what I mean! That's where the shot at right is from.), The Health Club and Matthew Teardrop. Party in Pasadena. 

The Casey's Bar residency of Escalator Hill continues to be a weekly highlight with the exceptional band, The Lonely Wild joining them. El Rey hosts the local touring stop for Saint Motel, which has local favorites, Princeton and Chasing Kings on this leg of the tour.

Sunday, July 15

- Woody Guthrie Centennial Celebration w/ Triple Chicken Foot, Rod Melancon, Son Ark @ Echoplex

- Janet Robin & Friends, The Dirty Diamond, Lucy Langlas @ Hotel Cafe

- Simon Joyner, Refrigerator, Renderers @ Bootleg Bar

- Susie Glaze & The Hilonesome Band @ McCabe's

- Shearwater, Husky, Gold Leaves @ The Echo

DECISION:

The Echoplex has a tribute show to Woody Guthrie which should be good with Triple Chicken Foot and Son Ark lending their talent.

Comments

[RFSL Pinto]

From Naive Thieves ‏@NaiveThieves

We are sorry to announce we won't be playing this Wed. @theRedbury Library Bar. Please pass the word along. More details to come.