by Brad Roberts
I'm most excited about the triple header on Thursday at The Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre where Dawes and Blitzen Trapper are co-starring in a show that features local wunder-siblings, The Belle Brigade as an opening act. And since The Belle Brigade (Ethan and Barbara Gruska are shown above on the road from their cross-country tour this summer) will very shortly be headlining their own shows, this is a golden opportunity. Blitzen Trapper, through a series of top quality albums, have quietly and insistently made themselves one of my favorite bands. I've also seen their live shows grow from competent to superb over the past couple of years. Dawes are riding high on their new album, Nothing Is Wrong, which has fastened itself onto my rotating playlist, so I'm looking forward to seeing them for the first time.
This week's installment of our co-hosting gig with KROQ Locals Only, The Western States Motel residency at The Roxy - On The Rox presents two of the best local bands, Francisco the Man and Radars To The Sky...and for free! Come check out The Strip in the posh surroundings that once played host to private parties with the likes of John Lennon and Ringo Starr. Don't ask me how I know that.
There's a bunch of good local bands playing around town as well, just look inside...
Monday, November 14
- Empires @ Origami Vinyl
- Pigeon John, Matthew Komam @ Hotel Cafe
- Fun, Captain Cuts @ The Troubadour
- The Chain Gang of 1974, Races, Polaris At Noon @ The Echo
- Vanaprasta, Twilight Sleep, Empires, Outernational @ The Satellite
- "School Night!" w/ Harper Blynn, Greg Holden, Wim @ Bardot
- Hi Ho Silver Oh, The Finches, Moses Campbell, Ema and The Ghosts @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Little Hurricane, Terraplane Sun, Jack and White, The Silent Comedy @ Bootleg Bar
DECISION:
Another bunch of great residency shows to choose from tonight, like at The Echo where Races have an EP release and open for The Chain Gang of 1974 or at The Satellite Vanaprasta residency which offers Twilight Sleep for openers. Ema and The Ghosts and Moses Campbell play for Hi Ho Silver Oh at Silver Lake Lounge (with one of the nicest flyers of the week at right), making a real hot bill, and Terraplane Sun are at Bootleg Bar with Little Hurricane.
Tuesday, November 15
- They Might Be Giants @ Amoeba Music
- Augustana, The Ethers, Grace Woodroofe, Little Red Lung @ Hotel Cafe
- Radio Free Silver Lake and KROQ Locals Only w. The Western States Motel, Francisco the Man, Radars To The Sky @ The Roxy
- Bird By Bird, The Thophy Fire, Jawfaker, Word @ Silver Lake Lounge
- ChameleonsVox, Black Swan Lane, Sleepmask @ The Troubadour
- KIEV, Monte Mar, The New Limb, Facts On File @ The Central
- Y La Bamba, Death Songs, Teeth of Torquoise, Fiore @ Bootleg Bar
- A Winged Victory for the Sullen w/ Adam Wiltzie and Dustin O'Halloran, Benoît Pioulard, Ken Camden @ The Satellite
- Son Ark, Aaron Embry, Daniel Ahearn & the Jones, Marcus Very Ordinary @ The Echo
- The Ruby Friedman Band, Ertel @ La Cita
DECISION:
I wandered off to the little venue upstairs at The Roxy called On The Rox last Tuesday to catch the first night of The Western States Motel residency that Radio Free Silver Lake is hosting wih KROQ Locals Only. In the plush comfort of the big soft couches that sit by windows overlooking Sunset Strip and the city beyond, I was treated to a really tight set by The Ross Sea Party, who employ disciplined playing and singing in the service of well written tunes, and though I'd never seen Blonde Summer before, they engaged me with their solid songs. Headliners scored with a bunch on new tunes from the latest album, Freeway Freeway Riverbedand a handful of old favorites. It was nice to meet up with Carl Jordan and his bandmates before the set and hear what's up since I last saw them at LaBrie's last February. Tonight The Western States Motel continue the residency with more great support from Radar To The Sky and Francisco the Man.
Meanwhile over at The Echo, Son Ark have a show with Daniel Ahearn & the Jones, and Aaron Embry who I haven't seen in way too long. Also Dustin O'Halloran, of Devics, performs with Adam Wiltzie as the delightfully titled A Winged Victory for the Sullen at The Satellite. Dustin O'Halloran recently composed the score for the indie film, Like Crazy, which won the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Festival.
Wednesday, November 16
- "Desert Nights" w/ Duniven, Holly Conlan, Harley Cortez @ The Standard
- Schuyler Fisk, Harper Blynn, Madi Diaz, Kyle Andrews @ Hotel Cafe
- Michael Ian Black @ Largo at the Coronet
- Vince Gill @ The Troubadour
- Dub Trio, Mast @ The Echo
- Little Scream, BOBBY, Undercolours @ The Satellite
- Company of Thieves, Kissing Cousins, Motopony @ Bootleg Bar
- Key Losers, Nicholas Krgovich, The Finches @ The Smell
- Penguin Prison, The One AM Radio, Future People, Maria Cotto (KCRW) @ The Central
- The Electra, Basemant Babies, Machine Fang @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Video Premiere & Show @ Nomerica Night @ El Cid
- Carolina Chickadee presents @ Taix Lounge
DECISION:
This might be the night to head to The Standard for their "Desert Nights" series with Radio Free Silver Lake friend, Duniven, on the program with a solo set by another friend, Harley Cortez. I haven't made it over to The Strip for one of these shows yet and this may be the night. These shows start at 7:30, so it could be a reasonable early evening. By the way, RFSL will be presenting a record release party for I Need To Try For Her for Duniven on November 30th at Bootleg.
Thursday, November 17
- Batwings Catwings @ Origami Vinyl
- Jon Fratelli, Jamie Drake, Lynhurst, Amber Rubarth, Joel Eckels & The Wreckards @ Hotel Cafe
- Dawes, Blitzen Trapper, The Belle Brigade @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- Future Islands, Ed Schrader's Music Beat, XBXRX @ Echoplex
- Julia Holter, Emily Lacy, Dark Furs, Fishwives @ Lot 1
- Lotus, Keys N Krates @ El Rey
- Markéta Irglová (of The Swell Season), Sean Rowe @ The Troubadour
- Nico Stai and the Dead Hart, Lemon Sun @ Harvard & Stone
- Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, The Hours @ Royce Hall
- Sunken Ships, LA Font, Howlin' Woods, Pistol For Ringo, David Shane Smith @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Boom Bip, ESP, WIM @ The Satellite
- GLCO afterParty w/ Just An Animal, Bixel Boys, Guns In The Sun @ The Del Monte Speakeasy - Townhouse
- Hunx and His Punx, Bleached, Fidlar @ The Echo
- Monster, Alyssa Graham, Kevin Earnest @ Bootleg Bar
- Pine Mountain Casket presents @ Taix Lounge
DECISION:
This has the potential to be one of the best shows of the year. Last year's show at El Rey with Blitzen Trapper (at right) touring on their last album in June was such an excellent show that I've been panting to see them again. And their new album, American Goldwing, is such a collection of more memorable and distinctive songs that I can't wait to hear them live tonight at The Fonda. The Belle Brigade have had my support for a while now, but their ascension had been so rapid and immediate, I wonder how they even have time to catch their breath. Good to have them home again. Dawes in the co-headliner of the show and I went out and bought their new CD Nothing Is Wrong in anticipation, and there are a number of catchy songs on this nicely produced album that reminds me in places of a band I used to listen to decades ago, Wet Willie. There's a time-travel trip.
Markéta Irglová is touring with her first album, apart from The Swell Season, and lands at The Troubadour tonight and Just An Animal play another show at The Townhouse at Del Monte in Venice.
Friday, November 18
- Kimya Dawson, Your Heart Breaks @ The Echo
- Mind The Gap, The Tender Mercies, D Henry Fenton & The Elizabethans record release, Jaime Wyatt & The American Bloomers, Amy Blaschke, Jones Street Station @ Hotel Cafe
- United Ghosts @ Origami Vinyl
- Blind Pilot, Point Juncture, WA @ El Rey
- Cold War Kids, Electric Forever @ The Troubadour
- Laurence Juber @ McCabe's
- Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, The Hours @ Royce Hall
- Centro-Matic, Polica, Owens Valley Dynamite @ The Satellite
- Jon Brion @ Largo at the Coronet
- Lucky Dragons, Mike Gao, Altitude Sickness, Merbert Moover, Ro @ Bootleg Bar
- The Static Jacks, Kitten @ The Echo
- Sunshine Factory, Charmkin Rebellion @ Taix Lounge
DECISION:
Cold War Kids look like the best bet at The Troubadour. Otherwise I'm not really up on a lot of the artists performing around town tonight. Good night to go exploring.
Saturday, November 19
- The Ross Sea Party, Peg Leg Love, The Electra, Sneakpeak @ Space 15 Twenty (at noon)
- Doran Danoff, Eddie Grey record release, The Forrest Filosophy, Andrew Figueroa Chiang & The Blazing Rays Of Sun, Jane Lui, Joshua Tyler Hill @ Hotel Cafe
- Good Old War, Me & LP, Imaginary Cities @ The Troubadour
- People Under the Stairs, Luckyiam, Revolutionary Rhythm @ El Rey
- The Roland White Band @ McCabe's
- "Repeat Offender 666" w/ Cut Chemist, Dam Funk + Master Blazter, Mono/Poly, Zackey Force Funk, Jonwayne, Contact Field Orchestra, Tully, J-Logic, Strangeloop @ Echoplex
- Bright Light Social Hour, Jones Street Station, Gaby Moreno @ Bootleg Bar
- Chlorine, Lazy Mary, Radios, Heavy Rain @ The Smell
- Artichoke, The Evil Twins, Ghiant and friends @ Taix Lounge
DECISION:
There's a nice afternoon show at noon over at Space 15 Twenty with The Ross Sea Party and Peg Leg Love. Not a lot to see tonight, so I'll check back in and if something crops up this week, I'll post it.
Sunday, November 20
- April Verch @ McCabe's
- Grand Ol' Echo presents Lucky Tubb + guests @ The Echo (5 PM)
- The Section Quartet @ Largo at the Coronet
- Tony Lucca w/ Lindi Ortega & Sam Grow, Bird, A Stack Lust Event w/ music by Fiona & The Funkles @ Hotel Cafe
- Sunken Ships, Holy Rolling Empire, Wires In the Walls @ Lot 1
- Scott H. Biram, Joe Buck, Molly Gene One Whoaman Band @ The Satellite
- Naama Kates, Valente Bootleg Bar
- Shadow Shadow Shade, Robotanists, open source rebellion, Death To Anders @ The Airliner
- Soft Metals, Animal Bodies, Feathers @ The Echo
DECISION:
The Airliner has a potent show for a Sunday night with talented bands Shadow Shadow Shade, Robotanists and Death To Anders forming an irresistible line up. There's also Sunken Ships and WIres In The Walls at Lot 1. I've seen The Section Quartet provide string back up for a number of bands around town and tonight this wonderful group of musicians (shown above) has their own show at Largo at the Coronet featuring classical arrangements of current rock songs.
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