by Brad Roberts
Things pick up as we welcome the last month of 2012. With no holiday this week, we're back to a full schedule of good shows every night. No Doubt (at right) are having a performance marathon at Gibson Amphitheatre with five dates scattered through this week and next and featuring some powerhouse rotating supporting acts that include Grouplove, Fitz and The Tantrums, Best Coast and Kitten. But it's the local bands who hog the spotlight for me this week.
The composer of the classic "Windy" by The Association, Ruthann Friedman has surfaced as a singer/songwriter with an uncanny ability to hold an audience with her quirky, unusually confessional songs that weave fascinating tales based on her own life. She's appearing at Whisky A Go Go on Wednesday and on Friday at McCabe's. There are shows with Tommy Santee Klaws, Pageants, LoveyDove, Daniel Ahearn & The Jones, Tall Tales & The Silver Linings, and a Feed Your Head show at Lot 1 on Saturday.
Our friends in the band Torches have just a little over a week left to raise funds for the recording of a new EP. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated. Go here to contribute: http://www.indiegogo.com/torchesnewep?show_todos=true&a=276376 . Since releasing Heads Full Of Rust earlier this year they have been busy writing new material that they are anxious to get into our hot little hands.
If I come off a somewhat distracted, there are currently about six marching bands surrounding my apartment and they are all rehearsing different Christmas carols at the same time preparing for the Hollywood Christmas Parade tonight (Sunday). It is the most amazing cacophony of noises with snatches of familiar tunes, badly played as only a woodwind and brass-heavy high school band can play. I may go mad before this column is finished. They sound like The Little Rascals.
But before the holiday, let's go see some music...
Monday, November 26
- SuperSoul Monday w/ Jason Joseph & The Spectacular w/ special guests, Drew, Jordan Booth @ Hotel Cafe
- No Doubt, Grouplove @ Gibson Amphitheatre
- Charming Liars, Knee High Fox, guests @ The Central
- Drive He Said, Deux Sons, The Gimme 5's, The Cover Band @ Silver Lake Lounge
- In The Valley Below, Cotillon, Omniflux, Sabrosa Purr @ Bootleg Bar
- "School Night!" w/ Magic Wands, Rah Rah, Psychic Friend @ Bardot
- Princess Pangolin @ Lot 1
- The Abigails, Cosmonauts, The Garden, Feeding People @ Echoplex
- The Record Company, Das Tapes, The Peach Kings, Strange Vine @ The Satellite
- Wild Belle, Deep Sea Diver, Pageants @ The Echo
DECISION:
Well here's a night packed with some terrific choices. The Echo offers Wild Belle with two really fine bands, Deep Sea Diver (at right) and Pageants in support. No Doubt begin a series of five concerts over a nine day spread, all at Gibson Amphitheatre. Tonight and Wednesday, Grouplove are the opening band. Sabrosa Purr are on the bill for the final night of the In The Valley Below residency at Bootleg Bar, and Strange Vine and The Peach Kings help The Record Company close out their November residency at The Satellite.
Tuesday, November 27
- The Sweet Hurt, Sharaya Mikael, Joseph Bates @ Lot 1
- Soundgarden @ The Fonda Theatre
- Johnny O'Donnell and Sacramento, Daniel Ahearn & The Jones, Hurricane Music, Dead Dawn, Dandelo @ The Echo
- Black Belt Karate, Jake Salley, wingard manor @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Matthew Mayfield, Harper Blynn, My Name Is You, Erin McLaughlin, Justin Soileau @ Hotel Cafe
- Coby Brown, Tall Tales & The Silver Lining, The Cerny Brothers, All Spots To Black @ Bootleg Bar
- Henry Rollins @ Largo at the Coronet
DECISION:
Good show out at Bootleg Bar tonight with Coby Brown headlining Tall Tales & The Silver Linings (at right), The Cerny Brothers and All Spots to Black creating a formidable bill. Other worthy set around town include Daniel Ahearn & The Jones at The Echo and The Sweet Hurt at Lot 1.
Henry Rollins begins a five night run of spoken word performances at Largo at the Coronet called "The Long March".
Wednesday, November 28
- Wages, Lobo Marino, Sallie Keena, Goldilocks Planet @ Silver Lake Lounge
- "Desert Nights" w/ Leslie Lowe, Song Preservation Society, Two For the Road @ The Standard
- Chris Stills, The Wellspring, Armada, Kita Klane @ Hotel Cafe
- Henry Rollins @ Largo at the Coronet
- David Ryan Harris, Justin Young, Aijia Lise, Tyler Lyle @ The Troubadour
- Cassandra (featuring Luke Paquin of Hot Hot Heat), Swim Lessons, Joel (of Dios) @ The Satellite
- Plague Vendor, J, Thoven, Daniel Ahearn & the Jones, Special Guests @ The Central
- Rah Rah, Josh Boyd, Jamestown Revival @ Bootleg Bar
- Ruthann Friedmann @ Whisky A Go Go
- Youngblood Hawke, Terraplane Sun, Fire in the Hamptons @ The Roxy
- Kool Keith, White Shit @ Los Globos
- Spirit Vine @ The Echo
- Pac Div, King Henry, Anya Kvitka@ The Airliner
DECISION:
Ruthann Friedman (at right) is on the rise, appearing at two high profile events this week, tonight at Whisky A Go Go and on Friday at McCabe's opening for Jerry Riopelle. Having hosted her at Lot 1, I am proud to applaud the renewed attention this remarkable songwriter is enjoying. Come out and enjoy her personal yet universal tales of wandering, flavored with humor and irony. If you didn't get enough of Daniel Ahearn & the Jones at The Echo last night, they're at The Central tonight. Youngblood Hawk and Terraplane Sun are out at The Roxy, if you want to venture up to The Strip.
Thursday, November 29
- Ni-Hao, Crazy Band, Mikki And The Mauses, Cap Lori @ The Smell
- Ninja Betty & The Nunchix, Thunderdikk, Fartbarf @ El Cid
- Henry Rollins @ Largo at the Coronet
- Kate Earl, Whitehorse, The Colurs, Nicole Eva Emery, Plum @ Hotel Cafe
- Charles Bradley, Menahan Street Band @ Royce Hall
- Karmin @The Troubadour
- Hobart W. Fink, A Girl I Know, The Vim Dicta, Runson Wilis @ Lot 1
- Motordrone, Yard of Blondes @ Bootleg Bar
- Noah and the Megafauna, Killsonic, Tommy Santee Klaws @ Echoplex
- Owls, Captions, Dandelo @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Touché, Glow Marrow, Body Parts, Cayucas @ The Echo
- Jenny O., Papercranes @ The Spare Room
- Sandbox, Burning Jet Black, Alright Alright @ The Satellite
DECISION:
Here's another good night of shows with some tough decision to make. Of course, Tommy Santee Klaws (at right) are always worth seeing and they're playing with Noah and the Megafauna on the spacious stage at Echoplex. Upstairs at The Echo you can catch Touché and Body Parts. What a feast of music these adjacent venues are offering. Enjoy the effervescent funk/folk rock of Jenny O. who appears with Papercranes at The Spare Room in Hollywood tonight.
Friday, November 30
- Jerry Riopelle, Ruthann Friedman @ McCabe's
- No Doubt, Fitz and The Tantrums @ Gibson Amphitheatre
- TeamMate, The Mots Nouveaux, Famous in Iowa, Jameson, Brown Shoe, Matty Charles, Zedekiah Child @ Hotel Cafe
- Walk Off The Earth w/ special guests, Selah Sue, The Mowgli's @ The Troubadour
- Henry Rollins @ Largo at the Coronet
- Incan Abraham, HOTT MT, James Supercave @ The Echo
- Math The Band, Moses Campbell, I.E., Clipping @ The Smell
- Shirley Rolls, Quote Unquote, By Sunlight, Kat Kong @ Pehrspace
- Vinyl Williams Record Release, Gazoota, Moon Pearl @ Bootleg Bar
- Chief, The Fur Traders, U.S. Destroyer @ The Satellite
- The Health Club, Owl Fly South @ Casey's Bar
DECISION:
Here's a night to catch some of Los Angeles' edgier bands with Shirley Rolls (to the right) at Pehrspace, Moses Campbell playing with Math The Band at The Smell, and The Health Club blasting out the final night of their Casey's Bar November residency. No Doubt bring Fitz and the Tantrums to Gibson Amphitheatre tonight and again on Sunday. Ruthann Friedman opens for Jerry Riopelle at McCabe's in her second apppearance this week.
Saturday, December 1
- Henry Rollins @ Largo at the Coronet
- Gallo, Sylvie Lewis, Lwam, Yonatan, David & Devine @ Hotel Cafe
- Jill Sobule @ McCabe's
- Feed Your Head presents Summerwinterspringfall, The Hectors, Downtown/Union, Alpha Beta,
Alright Alright @ Lot 1
- Corners, Adult Books, Wax Children, Froth @ The Smell
- Sam Sparro, DJ Kim Anh @ Bootleg Theatre
- Trixie Whitley, Dumpster Hunter @ The Satellite
- P L a N E T S, princessFrank, The Janks @ Casey's Bar
DECISION:
Well, I think I'll pick that Feed Your Head show over at Lot 1 with The Hectors (at right), Downtown/Union, a surprise headliner and a couple of mystery bands which promises to usher in December in holiday style. With five bands, we'll be cramming lots of music into four hours.
Sunday, December 2
- Mimosa Brunch at the Federal Bar w/ LoveyDove, Kate Earl @ Federal Bar (11 AM)
- Jim Lauderdale @ McCabe's
- Ad Rock & Friends, Bridget Everett @ Largo at the Coronet
- No Doubt, Fitz and The Tantrums @ Gibson Amphitheatre
- Sara Watkins, Aoife O'Donovan @ Pappy and Harriet's
- Eleven Pond, Silent Servant, Octavius @ The Echo
- Kim Free, Michael Vidal, Other Face, Dona Nicha @ Pehrspace
DECISION:
What fun to head over to North Hollywood to the Federal Bar for a morning Mimosa and to listen to the hot new band, LoveyDove, who've been written up in LA Weekly even.
Comments