by Brad Roberts
Halloween may not be until next week but since it falls on a Wednesday this year, this coming weekend looks like all the best Halloween parties, along with Hollywood Forever Cemetery's annual Dia de Los Muertos celebration. Perhaps reflecting the tremendous success Hollywood Forever has been having lately with major music events, the character of this year's Dia de Los Muertos has changed to become more of a music festival as they actively court a more indie rock crowd with Ozomatli, Very Be Careful and La Santa Cecilia, among others, taking the stage. This event has been getting more and more crowded each year and with this new influx of music fans this could be a real crowd-control challenge. Get there early and take some time to admire the truly spectacular shrines to honor the dead. The ingenious creativity on display is sometimes humorous, sometimes moving, and always impressive.
A couple of shows that I have been waiting a long time for are this week. Calexico are back in town to promote their new album, Algiers, at The Fonda on Wednesday. Since it's already one of my favorite albums of the year, I need to hear it live. And I've never seen Calexico give anything but a perfect show.
KCRW's Church Sessions at the 1st Unitarian Church of Los Angeles have been going on for a while now but I attend my first this week when Lost it the Trees (at left) return to Los Angeles for the second time this year. They released one of the most adventurous, unusual and deeply personal albums I've heard all year called (appropriately) A Church that Fits Our Needs. When they performed songs from it last April at The Echo, I was stunned and awed by their talent and I expect the same will happen on Friday night. This show is also sponsored by Spaceland Productions, Levitt Pavilion LA and Origami Vinyl.
Other shows worth checking out include The Hectors at 3 of Clubs on a Tuesday night I'm calling 'Huge Tuesday', previewing new material from their forthcoming album. That big old legend, Bob Dylan, is doing the Hollywood Bowl, with a more recent legend, but a legend nonetheless, Mark Knopfler. Sounds like an event of pretty historic proportions. And another performer of the same era who was often compared to Dylan back in the beginning was Donovan and he's in town too, performing at El Rey on Sunday. I saw him a few years back at the 40th Anniversary screening of Monterey Pop, where he sang a couple of songs and he's still got it. Truth be told, I really was a huge Donovan fan.
And then there's a whole host of Halloween shows this coming weekend. Look inside...
Monday, October 22
- Superhumanoids, VUM, Cayunas @ The Echo
- Last in Class, Mia Doi Todd, The Temporary Thing, Henry Wolfe @ The Satellite
- Mika, The Dolls @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- "School Night!" w/ Erin McCarley, Chad Valley, Zak Waters, Monte Mar @ Bardot
- Kera and the Lesbians, Summer Twins, Jeans Wilder @ Bootleg Bar
- Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers, Brother Comatose @ The Troubadour
- "Torn Between Two Bitches" screening, live music by What's That Noise, Mather Louth, Spaceship
Martini, Terence Leclere Sings Girl Songs @ Los Globos
- SuperSoul Monday w/ Jason Joseph & The Spectacular, Nova Albion, Jesse Macht Record Release
Show, Katie Boeck, Faith Johnson @ Hotel Cafe
- Honeypot Radio, Flume, Eighty4 Fly @ The Central
- Kaki King, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper @ El Rey
DECISION:
Again the Monday residencies take center stage tonight as, for free, you can take in Superhumanoids with VUM at The Echo, Kera and the Lesbians (at right) and Summer Twins at Bootleg and Last in Class with Mia Doi Todd and Henry Wolfe at The Satellite.
Tuesday, October 23
- Erin McCarley, Harper Blynn, Campfire OK, The Co, Lunic @ Hotel Cafe
- Go West Young Man, Midnight Beast, Freshair, Hot TV, Sanglorians @ The Central
- Beth Orton, Sam Amidon @ El Rey
- Jason Lytle (of Grandaddy), Sea of Bees @ Bootleg Bar
- Midnight Sixes, Programmed for Pleasure, Dignitary Loss, The Shadow Fire @ Lot 1
- Rasputina, Faun Fables @ Key Club
- Rob Delaney @ Largo at the Coronet
- Sierra Swan, Charlie Wadhams, Diana @ The Satellite
- Taking Back Sunday performing "Tell All Your Friends" (acoustic), Man Overboard @ The Troubadour
- Crime and the City Solution, Hecuba @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- The Hectors, The Mid Cities, Wilding @ 3 of Clubs
- Etienne De Crecy, Flume @ Dim Mak Studios
- Polar Goldie Cats, Mermort Sound System, Upsilon Acrux @ The Smell
- San Cisco, Tom Lark, Miner @ The Echo
- Shiny Toy Guns, MNDR, Of Verona @ Echoplex
- Mr. Barrington, Louis Cole and Genevieve Artadi @ Bootleg Theatre
DECISION:
Unbelievable number of good shows tonight but I'll probably stay local and go over to 3 of Clubs in Hollywood to see The Hectors, (at right) The Mid Cities and Wilding for an evening of fine music in a comfortable club, and with good friends. I do this at the expense of missing Jason Lytle (done with the Grandaddy tour) at Bootleg, Go West Young Man at The Central or Shiny Toy Guns at Echoplex.
Wednesday, October 24
- The Young Romans & Jesse Thomas Pre-Halloween Show, Clues & Codes, Nighttime Adventure
Society, Wardell @ Hotel Cafe
- "Desert Nights" w/ Touché, White Dove, Ben Lear @ The Standard
- Here We Go Magic, The Dig, The We Shared Milk @ Bootleg Theatre
- Jason Lytle, Sea of Bees @ Largo at the Coronet
- Mike Stud @ The Troubadour
- Tangent Transmission, Naked Walrus, Dollface, Kiven @ The Central
- Calexico, The Dodos @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- Sierra Swan, Charlie Wadhams, Diana @ The Satellite
- Unicorn Kid, Jerome LOL, Teams @ The Echo
DECISION:
Anytime I have the opportunity to hear Joey Burns, of Calexico (at right), sing live I'm not going to pass it up. On record, it's another finely recorded male vocal, almost unobtrusive, but live the soft mellow tones really come across and you realize there's tremendous power in the subtlety and purity of his voice. Truly one of my favorite singers out there. And the band's blending of straight out indie rock mixed with very heavy southwestern American and Mexican influences, showcased on their wonderful new album, Algiers, creates a genre all their own revealing each band member to be an instrumental virtuoso as well. Tonight Calexico plays with The Dodos at The Fonda.
Touché is back for another "Desert Nights" at The Standard, Here We Go Magic at Bootleg Theatre and another chance to see Jason Lytle, tonight at Largo at the Coronet.
Thursday, October 25
- White Arrows, Kitten, Blondfire, Labyrinth Ear @ The Echo
- Low Lakes, Emerson Star, Wilder Maker, Immovable Objects, Mothlight @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Paper Route, Trails and Ways, Faded Paper Figures @ Bootleg Bar
- Night Moves, Chief, Winter People @ The Satellite
- Goldroom, Ghost Beach, Carousel @ Echoplex
- Two Door Cinema Club, Friends, St. Lucia @ Hollywood Palladium
- Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group, Crypts @ The Troubaour
- Matt & Kim, Oberhofer @ The Wiltern
- Elizaveta, Wes Poland, Nicki Bove @ Witzend
- Storm Large w/ special guests, The Thirstbusters, Ultimate Bearhug, Natalie Smith @ Hotel Cafe
DECISION:
There's a terrific show over at The Echo with White Arrows, Kitten and Blondfire, all for the price of one and The Satellite has Night Moves. Also a bunch of new bands are playing a very crowded line up over at Silver Lake Lounge including Emerson Star. (Is that image from The Shining?)
Friday, October 26
- Church Sessions w/ Lost In The Trees, Midtown Dickens, Dana Bouy @ First Church of Los Angeles
- Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders @ Origami Vinyl
- Storm Large w/ special guests, Nataly Dawen, Taylor Greenwood, Sonnet EP Release Show @ Hotel Cafe
- Bob Dylan, Mark Knopfler @ Hollywood Bowl
- Earth, Fontanelle, Stebmo @ Eagle Rock Center for the Arts
- Jo Cool, Bloody Death Skull, Emily Lacy, Ghiant, Sloppy Jo @ Echo Country Outpost
- Jon Brion @ Largo at the Coronet
- K'noup & Kelly, Cromwell, Downtown Attraction, Ceasefire, Red 9, Lido Beach @ The Troubadour
- Lumerians, Dahga Bloom, Guy Blakeslee (Entrance Band), Golden Animals, Juju, Supertall Paul, Diva Dompe, Blackfeet Braves, Mr. Elevator & the Brain Hotel, Runson Willis, Emma Ruth Rundle (Marriages & Red Sparrowes) @ Echoplex
- Matthew Dear, Light Asylum @ El Rey
- Neil Halstead, Winterpills @ McCabe's
- Tiger Army, Exene, Suedehead @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- The Nightmare Before FMLY Fest w/ James Supercave, M31, Jack Littman, Snow White @ Pehrspace
- FIDLAR record release, The Shrine, Pangea, Meat Market @ The Echo
- Gary War, Purple Pilgrims, PROTECTME @ The Smell
- Midday Veil, White Mama, Warm Climate @ Human Resoueces,
- St. Lucia, Night Terrors of 1927, Beat Club @ The Satellite
- The Mo-Odds, Blac Jesus and The Experimentalists, The Bixby Knolls @ Casey's Bar
- War Tapes, Jutty Ranx, Last American Buffalo, Strange Tongues @ Bootleg Bar
DECISION:
Another huge night! I've had a ticket to see Lost in the Trees at the Church Sessions event at the First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles for months now so tonight is the night I've been waiting for. I was so swept up in their grand, orchestral sound and beautiful songs with their thought-provoking and honest lyrics that deal with pain, loss and hope, with wisdom to spare, that their album has become a touchstone for me already. I had just gotten their newest album a couple of days before I saw them at The Echo last March, so I was barely familiar with the music, but they still blew me away with this new material. Now that I have the album memorized, this show will be sublime. Lost in the Trees are definitely in contention for my favorite band of the year.
There's lots of other good shows out there, but I suspect the big attraction is Bob Dylan and Mark Knopfler at Hollywood Bowl.
Saturday, October 27
- 13th Annual Dia de Los Muertos at Hollywood Forever w/ Ozomatli, La Santa Cecilia, Very Be Careful, Las Cafeteras, Tribu @ Hollywood Forever Cemetery
- The Ukulady's Halloween Party Show @ Lot 1
- Sophie Barker w/ Juliet Piper, Kate Earl, A Hotel Cafe Halloween Party w/ Harper Blynn and any
spec ial guests (11 PM) @ Hotel Cafe
- Further Seems Forever, Seahaven, Beta Wolf @ The Troubadour
- Goldroom, Yuksek, Steffi Graf @ The Central
- Screamin' Jay Hawkins Halloween Tribute Show performed by Tommy Santee Klaws, Dorian Wood, VUM, RT n' the 44s, Spirit Vine, Amanda Jo Williams, Fort King, Speedbuggy USA, Clowns & Fetuses and more @ HM 157
- The Stripminers record release celebration, The Paul Chesne Band, Murdergram, The Dirty Hand
Family Band, Scrote @ Echo Country Outpost
- Neil Halstead @ Largo at the Coronet
- Captions, Twin Owl, Big Fly @ Lot 1
- KCRW's 4th Annual Masquerade Halloween Costume Ball and Dance Party @ Park Plaza Hotel
- Killola, Cinderella Motel, Black Leg, Occult Wisdom @ The Satellite
- Peelander-Z, Electric Eel Shock @ Bootleg Bar
- Retox, Bastard Noise, To The Point, Happy Pill Trauma @ The Smell
DECISION:
It's sure going to look, smell and taste like Halloween tonight, even though it's not until Wednesday. I guess Halloween is more of a six day event this year. There's so much to choose from today, but the Hollywood Forever Cemetery's Dia de Los Muertos celebration, beginning at noon, will be featuring top notch musical acts like Ozomatli for the first time, so look for ghosts, skeletons and indie rockers all together in one of the most atmospheric locations in all of Los Angeles. It's all still only $10. as well, which is a great deal.
Other Halloween themed shows are at Echo Country Outpost with The Stripminers Record Release, KCRW's Masquerade Costume Ball downtown at the Park Plaza Hotel and HM 157 has a tribute to Screamin' Jay Hawkins with Tommy Santee Klaws, Fort King, Amanda Jo Williams, RT N the 44s among many others.
Sunday, October 28
- Anya Marina & Friends w/ Brendon Walsh & Ron Funches, Kita Klane @ Hotel Cafe
- Converge, Torche, Nails, Kvelertak, Dangers @ Echoplex
- Donovan @ El Rey
- No Paws @ Origami Vinyl
- The Hobart Brothers featuring Lil' Sis Hobart w/ Jon Dee Graham, Freedy Johnston & Susan Cowsill @ McCabe's
- Mark Mallman, Transfer, State to State, Hustle and Drone, Palace Ballroom @ Bootleg Bar
- Red Fang, Black Tusk, Lord Dying @ The Troubadour
- Safari So Goody, Kitchen Hips, Blackwater Jukebox and others @ Echo Country Outpost
- Dignan Porch, Catwalk, Grmln @ The Echo
DECISION:
When I was a kid, folk music was typified by Peter, Paul And Mary, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Judy Collins, and one that was played a lot on mainstream radio, Donovan (then, left, now, right), with hits like "Catch The Wind" and "Sunshine Superman" that made him a cross-over success. He still sounds the same and is performing a nice intimate concert at El Rey which would be a joy to attend. "Hurdy Gurdy Man" is still one of my favorite songs.
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