by Brad Roberts
Local heroes Local Natives (at right) are the band of the week as they roar through their hometown with three shows to celebrate the release of Hummingbird, their new record. Two sold out gigs at The Fonda and El Rey on Monday and Tuesday are split by a free in-store at Amoeba on Tuesday evening at 6 PM. Get there early or forget it! A lot has happened to the band since I used to see them at Spaceland in 2009 and it's great to see them get all this recognition, but it's getting harder and harder to see them.
End of the line for this month's Monday residencies. And the wonderful return of the fabulous George Glass, after a too-long hiatus, is my honor to present at this weekend's Feed Your Head night at Lot 1 on Saturday.
Among the legends appearing this week we have The Who at Staples Center on their Quadrophenia forty-year reunion tour, and in a big thrill for me, I'm going to see the masterful guitarist Jorma Kaukonen (left-then, right-now) at McCabe's at one of his four shows on Friday and Saturday. I last saw him playing with Hot Tuna in Boston in the mid-70s, but our history goes all the way back to 1969 when I saw him with Jefferson Airplane. His shows sell out so quickly that I was damned lucky to get a ticket.
Monday, January 28
- Lisa Loeb, James Douglas Show, Pop Levi, Elektrik People @ The Central
- SuperSoul Monday w/ Jason Joseph & The Spectacular w/ special guests, Aly Tadros & Irvin
Dally, Sandi Thom @ Hotel Cafe
- Niki and the Dove, Vacationer, Ken Wakan @ El Rey
- PAPA, Chief, Sean Bones @ Bootleg Theatre
- "School Night!" w/ Urban Cone, Tom Odell, Wildcat! Wildcat!, Camera2 @ Bardot
- Feeding People, Froth, Corners, Drinking Flowers, Heroes & Heroines @ The Echo
- Local Natives, Superhumanoids @ The Fonda Theatre
- TḤΞM ḤΘШLIИG BΘИΞS , PLG/VNDR, Big Dick, The Bloodhounds @ The Grand Star Jazz Club
- Yellow Alex, Portugal. The Man (DJ set), Jhameel @ The Satellite
- Dally, Tabor Mountain, Hydrogen Bomb Island, Fox & Bear @ Pehrspace
DECISION:
Local Natives begin their home run with a sold out show at The Fonda Theatre tonight on the eve of the release of their highly anticipated new album Hummingbird tomorrow. (cover at right) The new album, two years in the making, deals with the highs and lows, both personally and professionally, of life in a successful band. Superhumanoids are on tour with them.
Otherwise, Pop Levi is on the Lisa Loeb bill at The Central. Wildcat! Wildcat! join "School Night!" at Bardot. Final night for the January residencies of PAPA, Feeding People, Yellow Alex and TḤΞM ḤΘШLIИG BΘИΞS.
Tuesday, January 29
- Local Natives @ Amoeba Music
- Kodaline w/ Nina Nesbitt, Soft Swells, KG Bird @ Hotel Cafe
- Radar Brothers Record Release Party @ Origami Vinyl
- Adam Green & Binky Shapiro, La Sera @ Bootleg Theatre
- Local Natives, Superhumanoids @ El Rey
- The Blushes, Cherry Glazerr, North American @ Lot 1
- The Burning of Rome, Young Empress, Hobart W Fink @ The Central
- The Janks, The Absolute, thatwasthen, Steven Wright-Mark @ Silver Lake Lounge
- NEAR MESS CRAFT BEER FEST w/ Sadie & the Blue Eyed Devils, The Dustbowl Revival, Son Ark @ The Satellite
- Stephen Steinbrink & French Quarter, Bouquet, Upside Down, TONY @ The Smell
- TeamSupreme Night w/ Jonwayne, DJ Nobody, special guests @ The Echo
- The Fling, Francisco The Man @ Los Globos
- Urban Cone, Hot As Sun @ Bootleg Bar
- Cotillon, The Abigails, Burnt Ones, Methadone Kitty @ Harvard & Stone
DECISION:
Radar Brothers (at right) show off a new record album called Eight and a new line up at a release party at Origami Vinyl. The expanded band includes new members Dan Iead from The Broken West on guitar, Ethan Walter from Walking Sleep on piano and synthesizers and Brian Cleary on keyboards. This sounds very ambitious. Another in-store is at Amoeba with Local Natives, who later close out their Los Angeles stay at El Rey.
Two shows that peak my interest are The Burning of Rome and power pop purveyors Young Empress at The Central and creative flexibility is exemplified by The Janks with The Absolute at Silver Lake Lounge. Not to mention Francisco. The Man with The Fling at Los Globos and The Abigails at Harvard & Stone. And the three-day NEAR MESS CRAFT BEER FEST kicks off at The Satellite.
Wednesday, January 30
- Savage Republic @ Amoeba Music
- The Who @ Staples Center
- Hélène Renaut, Ambient Light, Gwendolyn @ Bootleg Bar
- Lushlife, Groundislava, Zak Waters @ The Echo
- Willy Mason w/ Escondido, The Cerny Brothers, yOya @ Hotel Cafe
- "Desert Nights" w/ The Blank Tapes, TV Mike and the Scarecrows, D Lee Waggoner @ The Standard
- Antibalas, Buyepongo @ The Troubadour
- NEAR MESS CRAFT BEER FEST w/ LA Font, Hindu Pirates, Thorcraft Cobra @ The Satellite
DECISION:
Rock and Roll legends The Who present a concert centered around their classic 1973 album Quadrophenia at Staples Center tonight. (at right) Currently on a world tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of the classic album, If the surviving founding members still have the drive and stamina to undertake such an task, there's inspiration for us all.
"Desert Nights" over at The Standard in West Hollywood is presenting The Blank Tapes, who pop up everywhere these days. LA Font are part of tonight's NEAR MESS CRAFT BEER FEST at The Satellite.
Thursday, January 31
- Meiko, Sweet Talk Radio, Haley Pharo, Matt Jennings, My Name Is You @ Hotel Cafe
- Bisonte, Astral Jubilee, The Lost Experience @ Lot 1
- The Burning of Rome, T,V, Mike and the Scarecrowes, Paper Plane, D. Lee Wagoner @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Tristan Prettyman, Paul Cannon @ The Troubadour
- Two Gallants, Future Twin @ Bootleg Bar
- Ultraísta @ The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
- Nostalghia, Low Leaf, The Moth & The Flame, Pam Shaffer @ 3 of Clubs
- Crown Plaza, Fawn Spots, Spaceships, Cumstain @ The Smell
- NEAR MESS CRAFT BEER FEST w/ Rainbow Jackson @ The Satellite
- Zaireeka listening party, HOTT MT, Butcher Boy @ The Echo
DECISION:
Such an intriguing bill at 3 of Clubs where Chrysalis presents Nostalghia and Pam Shaffer bracketing performances by The Moth and the Flame and Low Leaf makes this a highlight of the night. Another chance to catch The Burning of Rome who are playing again this week on a bill at Silver Lake Lounge.
Friday, February 1
- Everyday Animals Record Release Show, The Lower 48, Amie Miriello, Taylor Greenwood, Audioplacebo, Zoe Z @ Hotel Cafe
- First Fridays w/ The Gaslamp Killer, Adventure Time, Inka One w/ violinist Paul Dateh @ The Natural History Museum
- ALO, The California Honeydrops @ The Troubadour
- The Happy Hollows, So Many Wizards, Nightmare Air, American Males @ The Satellite
- Hellride, Steel Toed Slippers, Year of the Dragon, Solutionagenix @ The Central
- Jorma Kaukonen @ McCabe's (8 & 10 PM)
- Kings Road, Runson & Friends, Dithy Ramb @ Lot 1
- Tegan and Sara, Night Terrors of 1927 @ Club Nokia
- The Wood Brothers, Seth Walker @ Largo at the Coronet
- Vieux Farka Touré, Fool's Gold @ Royce Hall
- Galaxy of Tar, Kent State, Detective, Pop Soda @ Pehrspace
- Geographer, On An On @ The Echo
- LoveyDove, Dick and Jane Family Orchestra, The Germanottas, action poems by Brendan Constantine, The Drone Theory @ Viva Cantina
- Moses Campbell, Palm Reader EP release, Surf Curse, Rachel Birke @ The Smell
- Smithfield Bargain record release, Sunshine Factory, Evangenitals, Molly Bergen @ Bootleg Bar
DECISION:
The Happy Hollows are back on stage at The Satellite tonight. Some personnel changes have resulted in Chris Hernandez stepping back in as drummer for the time being, so it would be a treat to see this show, but this is a crazy busy night. I'm excited to be seeing Jorma Kaukonen for the first time in about 37 years in a solo set at McCabe's. The Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna guitarist has been a lifelong favorite of mine, up to and including his wonderful 1974 solo album Quah. Every time he's played here I have only heard about after it was already sold out, so I feel fortunate to have scored this ticket.
LoveyDove are a new act worthy of your attention and they play at Viva Cantina in Burbank tonight. Also featuring the action poems of Brendan Constantine, both of whom recently dazzled the crowd at one of my Feed Your Head nights. And there's always Moses Campbell at The Smell.
Saturday, February 2
- Radar Bros. record release, Babies on Acid, Young Unknowns @ The Echo
- Feed Your Head presents George Glass, The Mid Cities, Jonny Polonsky @ Lot 1
- Jorma Kaukonen @ McCabe's (8 & 10 PM)
- Gram Rabbit, Spindrift, "Dust Up" screening @ The L.A. Fort
- Song Preservation Society @ Origami Vinyl
- Sweetwater & The Satisfaction, Dana Williams, Tyler Lyle, Lara Johnson,Juliana Joya, Ben Burgess, R.O.T.N., Brittney Bouchard, Rebecca Schiffman @ Hotel Cafe
- Augustana (Acoustic), Lauren Shera @ The Troubadour
- Ian Hunter and the Rant Band @ El Rey
- Benjamin Francis, Leftwich @ Bootleg Bar
- Handshakes, Max and The Moon, Fire in The Hamptons, Bedcake, Wages @ The Satellite
- NASA Space Universe, Mynx, Pure Shit, Surgeons @ The Smell
- Ray Wylie Hubbard, Dustin Welch @ Bootleg Theatre
- The Bronx record release @ Los Globos
DECISION:
My February Feed Your Head show is tonight at Lot 1 and I'm happy to be presenting the Return of George Glass, along with The Mid Cities and Jonny Polonsky, who I am presenting for the third time just because he's so good. This will be a terrific show, but I know the Radar Brothers record release show at The Echo is going to get a big crowd, and rightly so. I hear the new album is fantastic! Jorma Kaukonen plays his final night at McCabe's.
Sunday, February 3
- Matt Alber, Lou Jane, Steffaloo @ Hotel Cafe
- Froth, Cab 20, The Short Eyes, Santoros @ The Smell
- The Reflections, Tashaki Miyaki, Joel Jerome @ The Satellite
- The Bush Tetra, Terry Malts, Swahili Blonde @ The Echo
DECISION:
Take your pick tonight, but The Reflections at The Satellite get my vote. Otherwise it's pretty quiet out there.
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