by Brad Roberts
Among the big bands performing this week in Los Angeles, The National (above) bring their reflective, ruminative, lushly orchestrated music to a date at The Wiltern for their first show here in a while. They're on a whirlwind tour with a few dates across the U.S. and a smattering of European shows in August, which is not a bad way to spend the summer. This band is so great live that I can't wait for the show on Saturday and can't recommend it highly enough, in spite of the tough competition from great shows all over town that night.
On Thursday, The Hollywood Palladium has Franz Ferdinand, and The Mars Volta on Sunday, both hugely popular, both shows likely sellouts. Sweden's Dungen, purveyors of gorgeously dense sludge rock, are back in town for two shows, first headlining at The Troubadour on Wednesday, then opening for Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band on Thursday at Echoplex. Peter Yorn plays two nights at the Henry Fonda on Thursday and Friday, and long-time music legends, Steely Dan (pictured), continue their four day engagement at Gibson Amphitheatre, performing a different album each night. Monday they perform The Royal Scam from 1976, and Tuesday, it's Internet request night. To give this band their due, they were key in breathing fresh life and new sounds into rock in the mid '70's and I was an eager audience for their work.
Residencies continue to be strong with two bands that have lately been giving sterling shows, The Parson Red Heads and The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra, who are supporting Local Natives at Spaceland on Monday, while the Wednesday installment of Dawes at The Echo offers the intriguing Michael Davis with Lions and Andrew Lynch.
Monday, August 24
- Local Natives, The Parson Red Heads, The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra, Red Arrow Messenger @ Spaceland
- James Snyder, Joe Firstman, Elizaveta, Homesick Elephant Justin Gordon & Paleface @ Hotel Cafe
- Friendly Fires, Phenomenal Handclap Band @ El Rey
- Steely Dan perform "The Royal Scam"@ Gibson Amphitheatre
- Six Organs of Admittance, Horse Thieves @ The Echo
- Lower Heaven, Magic Mirror, Chief Nowhere, Crooked Cowboy @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Mariee Sioux, Graham Forrest, Paige Stark, Dearest @ Echo Curio
DECISION:
Residencies are strong tonight with Local Natives headlining The Parson Red Heads and The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra at Spaceland, and at Silver Lake Lounge, Lower Heaven showcase a terrific lineup that includes Crooked Cowboy. And Paleface, who so impressed at Elaine Layabout's Hella Hipster Hoedown last Friday night, appears at the Hotel Cafe.
Tuesday, August 25
- The Shys, Army Navy, Eastern Conference Champions, Radio Frequency @ The Troubadour
- Steely Dan perform Internet requests @ Gibson Amphitheatre
- Lady Danville, The Jane Does, Matt Alber, Melissa Polinar, Joey DeGraw @ Hotel Cafe
- Mellowdrone, White Arrows, Square On Square @ Spaceland
- Lovemakers, Kid Kosovo, Lexicon Don @ Silver Lake Lounge
DECISION:
The show at The Troubadour seems to be the draw for a light night with The Shys, Army Navy and Eastern Conference Champions, (above) who have garnered a lot of attention lately.
Wednesday, August 26
- Dungen, Woods, Kurt Vile @ The Troubadour
- Anya Marina, Maxim Ludwig, Right the Stars, The Belleville Outfit @ Hotel Cafe
- Cake @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- The Dead Weather, Tyvek @ The Mayan Theatre
- Club NME presents Fruit Bats, Death Vessel, A B & The Sea @ Spaceland
- Dawes, Michael Davis with Lions, Andrew Lynch @ The Echo
- Music Go Music, Rainbow Arabia, Tommy Santee Klaws @ Bordello
- On Blast, Two Years Before The Mast, Molino, Tif Sigfrids And Estrogen @ Silver Lake Lounge
- BB Blackdog, Rick Lawndale Band, Ayahuasca @ Mr. T's Bowl
- Soggy Duchamp Octet, Name Of The Moon, Mimes Of Wine @ Echo Curio
DECISION:
I saw Dungen last year at The Echo and they give a powerful live experience. Tonight they're headlining at The Troubadour. My own choice for the evening is Fruit Bats (above photo by Anne Beedy), who will be playing cuts off the new CD, The Ruminant Band, which takes the band in a more folk rock direction, as they embark on a lengthy U.S. tour. And, of course, I have to recommend catching Tommy Santeee Klaws at Bordello on a nice bill with Music Go Music and Rainbow Arabia, because I think everyone should know this band.
Thursday, August 27
- Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band, Dungen, Kurt Vile @ Echoplex
- "Tonight:" Franz Ferdinand @ Hollywood Palladium
- Kate Earl, Jane Lui, Huntingfield, Model K, Joy Williams @ Hotel Cafe
- Matt & Kim, Amanda Blank @ El Rey
- Pete Yorn, Zee Avi, J.D. King @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- Premiere Screening and DVD Release Party of: "Live at The Smell" @ Downtown Independent theatre
- Ryan Bingham and The Dead Horses, Jonny Burke @ The Troubadour
- The Dirtbombs, The Sermon, Jail Weddings @ The Echo
- Crocodiles, Graffiti Island, Pens @ Spaceland
- Gary Wilson & The Blind Dates, James Pants & The Royal Zodiac, Dam-Funk w/ Master Blazter, Weave! @ Bootleg Theatre
- Victim Vision, Future Ghost, Dirt Dress, Les Bicyclettes Blanches @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Woods, Best Coast, Garbaj Kaetz, LA Fog @ Echo Curio
DECISION:
Dungen opens for Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band, fresh from their Sunset Junction gig, at Echoplex. Actually all the Silver Lake clubs have interesting line ups tonight providing a rich showcase of up and coming bands.
Friday, August 28
- JJ Grey & Mofro, The White Buffalo @ El Rey
- Jim Bianco, Common Rotation vs. The Dustbowl Cavaliers record release, Shaimus, Joel Eckels, Zachariah Kaler @ Hotel Cafe
- Os Mutantes, DJ Nobody @ Echoplex
- Pete Yorn, Juliette Commagere, J.D. King @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- Ted Leo and The Pharmacists, Jeff The Brotherhood @ The Echo
- Adam Willetts, M. Geddes Gengras, Yek Koo, VSLS @ Echo Curio
- Learning Music, Video, Rats @ Pehrspace
- Hecuba, Lucky Dragons, Gowns, Beast Cop @ The Smell
- Tenacious D @ Largo at the Coronet
- The Hundred Days, Actress, Ballerina Black @ Bootleg Theatre
- The Warlocks, The Morning After Girls, Gliss @ Spaceland
DECISION:
Pete Yorn has Juliette Commagere as an opener for his second night at the Henry Fonda. I'm interested in the curious musicology of Learning Music at Pehrspace or the throbbing indie glam of Gliss, opening for The Warlocks at Spaceland.
Saturday, August, 2
- Akron/Family, Howlin' Rain, Lucky Dragons @ El Rey
- his Orchestra, Kenneth Pattengale, Soul Puppet @ Bootleg Theatre
- The National, Cass McCombs @ The Wiltern
- Katy Perry, The Bird and The Bee @ Hollywood Palladium
- Box Elders, Audacity, Tijuana Panthers @ The Echo
- Patton Oswalt @ Largo at the Coronet
- Maia Sharp, Michelle Featherstone, The Dirty Diamond, Rusty Anderson, Jason Heath & The Greedy Souls, Graham Isaacson @ Hotel Cafe
- The Minus 5, The Baseball Project feat: Steve Wynn @ The Troubadour
- The Warlocks, The Useless Keys, The Black Apples @ Spaceland
- Blaine Campbell, Ruthann Friedman, Helene Renaut @ Echo Curio
- Princeton (7" Release), Fol Chen, and secret special guest @ Pehrspace
- The Night at Dramaturgy, The Monthlies, and friends @ Mr. T's Bowl
DECISION:
Hang on, for this night there's something for everyone somewhere in town and you're going to have to miss a band you really want to see. I have a ticket for The National at The Wiltern but I would go see his Orchestra (at right, in The Unknown Theatre) in a heartbeat if I was free. Their CD, Field Guide to The Wilds, is still an obsession of mine. Katy Perry brings The Bird and The Bee to the Hollywood Palladium. The Minus 5 (featuring Peter Buck of R.E.M.) play terrific power pop at The Troubadour. Another highlight would be Princeton's 7" Release party for Cocoon of Love with Fol Chen supporting at Pehrspace.
Sunday, August 30
- The Mars Volta @ Hollywood Palladium
- "Grand Ole Echo" w/ Ted Russell Kamp, Gina Villalobos, Paperplanes @ The Echo (5 PM)
- "Part Time Punks" presents Mark Burgess, War Tapes, The New Room @ The Echo (10 PM)
- The Hereafter, "Songwriters Sunday", Tongue and Groove @ Hotel Cafe
- Dredg, RX Bandits, As Tall As Lions @ El Rey
- Pumice, Metal Rouge, Ing, Sleepwalkers Local, Greg Muon @ Echo Curio
DECISION:
The Mars Volta trip out the Hollywood Palladium and one day I'll have to catch this band because by all accounts they play a stunning live show.
Let us know if we missed anything at: [email protected]
Comments