by Brad Roberts
We here at Radio Free Silver Lake are particularly happy to be hosting the "This Ain't A Scene" Photo Exhibition Opening Party at the 1650 Gallery in Echo Park. Featuring about 16 of our favorite local (some of whom are, quite frankly, national) photographers, including many whose work has graced this column for the past three years. I rely on you and owe you a debt of gratitude. They include Laurie Scavo, Jeff Koga, Ben Hoste, Sterling Andrews, Zoe-Ruth Erwin and so many others. Music will be provided with short solo sets by Andrew Spitzer, Kelli Noftle, Rob Danson, Ryan Fuller and the band, The Smugg Brothers. The Gallery itself is a beautiful space, warm and inviting so do come out on Saturday night and help us celebrate these wonderful artists.
The above refrain (the headline quote) rang out over the hills near the Greek Theatre last Friday night as Aaron Embry and his daughter Mayla shared a moment of genuine love and connection with the huge audience filing in for the Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros at dusk on a magnificent evening. The nearly magic moon rose overhead as Aaron played his guitar and told us how Mayla would shout out "Nooooo!" every time he sang that song at home, which caused the whole audience to bellow out "Nooooooooooo!" each time he reached that point in the lyric. Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros wowed the audience with a show stacked with many wonderful new songs that all sound the equal or better than their previous material. This show left me reeling and there were no broken hearts in evidence.
This week includes the EP release party for Zoe-Ruth Erwin's band Little Red Lung, which was the subject of my own laudatory review over at Feed Your Head a few weeks ago. Seasons are also on the bill for this super show at The Satellite on Thursday night. Prepare for mind-expansion.
Monday, May 7
- Count, Jackie Bristow, D Henry Fenton @ Hotel Cafe
- Death Cab For Cutie, Magik Magik Orchestra, Youth Lagoon @ Walt Disney Concert Hall
- Philanthro LA w/ Beggar & The Beast, The Fun Guns, Golden!Age @ The Central
- Baron Von Luxxury, Harlan, Rhythm Droid, DJ Keenhouse @ Echoplex
- Caught a Ghost, Gliss, Facts on File, Flagship @ The Satellite
- "School Night!" w/ Jesca Hoop, ALT-J, Miracle Days @ Bardot
- Frank Fairfield @ Redwood Bar
- Harriet, Monte Mar, The Californian, Don't Stop or We'll Die @ Bootleg Bar
- Youth Lagoon @ The Echo
- Sean Carnage presents Exra Buchla, Whitman, French Quarter, Teague Cullen, J. Noir @ Pehrspace
DECISION:
I'm sure the Walt Disney Concert Hall would be the place to see Death Cab For Cutie, but I've seen them before and they struck me as singularly unexciting the last time, so that's enough. It's been a while since I've heard from Gliss (at right), but I'm always curious what they're up to since they are usually great live. They open for the Caught a Ghost residency at The Satellite. And The Californian are playing the Harriet residency at Bootleg, pulling me in two directions.
Tuesday, May 8
- Snow Patrol, Ed Sheeran @ Hollywood Palladium
- Harper Blynn, Alex Wong record release, Mariana Bell, Among Savages, Casper Vulpius & special guests @ Hotel Cafe
- The Driftwood Singers @ Origami Vinyl
- Austin Brown, Weapons of Audio, Eddie Gomez @ The Central
- OFF! record release, Fidlar, Spider Fevern @ Whisky A Go Go
- The Wombats, Static Jacks, The Neighbourhood @ The Troubadour
- Tapioca and The Flea, Co.Fee, Blac Jesus and the Experimantalists, Dream Panther, Gypsy Mamba, WMX @ The Satellite
- Buzzbands LA presents Taylor Locke & the Roughs, Davis Fetter, Sarah Winters, Michael Goldman @ Lot 1
- Chicha Libre, La Chamba @ Bootleg Bar
- Hecuba record release, Dreamers, Fay, Total Freedom (DJ set) @ The Echo
- Los Creepers, Black Mondays, Trash Monsters, The Slanderin' @ Redwood Bar
- The Record Company, The Mo-Odds, Revoltaire @ Harvard & Stone
DECISION:
Just like last week, it looks like Buzzbands LA has the Tuesday night highlight with Taylor Locke & the Roughs and Davis Fetter at Lot 1. The Driftwood Singers (at right) perform a free set at Origami Vinyl and Harvard & Stone has a good show with The Mo-Odds and The Record Company.
Wednesday, May 9
- "Desert Nights" w/ American Bloomers, The North Star Session, Trevor Menear @ The Standard
- Jenny Slate @ Largo at the Coronet
- Jason Reeves & Amber Rubarth, Jay Nash, Clark Graham, Mark Mallman @ Hotel Cafe
- Jonathan Wilson, Allah-Las @ The Troubadour
- Breton, Jonti, Yppah @ The Echo
- Boys School record release, Folk Riot, Party of the Rich @ 3 of Clubs
- Dahga Bloom, Dirt Dress @ Harvard & Stone
- State to State, The Future League, special guest @ The Central
- The Budrows, John Kraus & The Goer @ Redwood Bar
- The Downtown Train, Gypsy River Haunts, The Golden Ghosts, Sadie & the Bue Eyed Devils @ The Satellite
- Tic Tic Boom!, Fartbarf, Veterans of Future Wars @ Lot 1
- Tommy & The High Pilots, A B & the Sea, Jesse Macht @ Bootleg Bar
- Vanish Valley w/Hot TV @ The Down and Out Bar
- Eskmo, Busdriver, Devonwho @ The Airliner right)
DECISION:
There's a whole lot of good shows all over the place tonight like Vanish Valley (at right) at The Down and Out Bar, the Tic Tic Boom! residency at Lot 1 or Jonathan Wilson and Allah Las at The Troubadour.
Thursday, May 10
- Little Red Lung record release show, Seasons, Dorian Wood, San Francesca @ The Satellite
- John Fullbright, The Family Crest, Ry Cuming, The Days Weight, Gurf Morlix @ Hotel Cafe
- DragonForce, Holy Grail, Huntress @ The Troubadour
- John Mayer @ Grammy Museum
- Nick Waterhouse record release, Sister Rogers @ Eagle Rock Center for the Arts
- Pool Honey, Los CometasEEUU, Los Craters, Terrorists @ Lot 1
- JD Samson, Touché @ Echoplex
- Destroyer, Jun Umoja, Stones Throw DJs, Sakanoi, Sofie @ Mr. T's Bowl
- DJ David Scott Stone(ex-member of LCD Soundsystem), DJ Dane Josiah (member of Abe Vigoda), Vice Cooler (Live performance...member of XBXRX, Kit and Hawnay Troof) @ The Smell
- Lovedrug, Kiven, Lakes @ Bootleg Bar
- Ramona Falls, Lotus Plaza, Wymond Miles @ The Echo
- Strong Killings, Scaredycat, Dangerously Sleazy @ Redwood Bar
DECISION:
I look forward to the EP release of Little Red Lung, by Little Red Lung (at right), celebrated tonight with a show at The Satellite with Seasons and Dorian Wood among the support. John Mayer at the Grammy Museum and Touché at Echoplex are also recommended.
Friday, May 11
- Backseat Bingo @ Origami Vinyl
- Goodnight, Texas record release, Creepshow, Kelly McFarling @ Hotel Cafe
- Boots Electric, The Black Marquee, Gram Rabbit @ The Viper Room
- Shooter Jennings, Jonny Corndawg, Jesse Thomas @ El Rey
- Tes Elations record release, Julia Holter, The George Hurd Ensemble @ Bootleg Bar
- The Delta Spirit, Waters @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- Strong Killings, The Blackerbys, Green Lady Killers, The Flytraps @ Redwood Bar
- The Jezabels, Imagine Dragons, Benjamin Francis Leftwich @ The Troubadour
- Gauntlet Hair, Dana Buoy, Greenhorse @ The Satellite
- White Hills, Fancy Space, People, Highland @ The Echo
- Beta Lion, Ssssnake, Far*Out, + 2 Bands @ Mr. T's Bowl
DECISION:
If you're not going to The Delta Spirit at the Henry Fonda you might stay home and store up energy for tomorrow night's Photo Exhibit Show.
Saturday, May 12
- "This Ain't A Scene" Photo Exhibition by 16 local artists and Live Music by Rob Danson, Kelli Noftle, Andrew Spitzer, Ryan Fuller, The Smugg Brothers @ 1650 Gallery, 1650 Echo Park Avenue
- The Driftwood Singers 7" release, Tom Brosseau, Restavrant, Ferraby Lionheart @ Echo Country Outpost
- Rachel Platten with Madi Diaz, Lelia Broussard, Jen Foster EP release, Reed Turner, Heartstring Pistol @ Hotel Cafe
- Augustana, Greylag @ El Rey
- Brendan Benson, Young Hines, The Howling Brothers @ The Troubadour
- Nikka Costa @ Luckman Fine Arts Complex
- Rufus Wainwright and Band, Teddy Thompson @ Orpheum Theatre
- The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Blue Angel Lounge @ The Wiltern
- Yann Tiersen @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- Black Moth Super Rainbow, Lumerians, Pictorials @ Echoplex
- SAVOY, No Body, DJ Sam Hiller, Special Guest Heather Bright @The Satellite
- Sister Ruby Band, Holly Gleason, Adam Masterson @ Bootleg Bar
- Sweet Nothin's, Story and The Tellers, + 2 Bands @ Mr. T's Bowl
- The Shondes, The Electra Ingenue, The Potential Lunatics @ The Smell
- Paul Prado's Animal Raps and guests @ Casey's Bar
DECISION:
In spite of all the great shows tonight, you must not miss the opening festivities for "This Ain't A Scene" at 1650 Gallery. Not only will you get to see more work like the sterling example of the band Peter Pants to the right by Miriam Brummer, (see more examples at the gallery link) but there will be live performances by some of our best Singer/songwriters, Andrew Spitzer of Radars To The Sky, Rob Danson of Death To Anders, Kelli Noftle of Miniature Soap and Ryan Fuller of Fort King to grace the evening with short sets.
Elsewhere there's Brendan Benson at The Troubadour, Rufus Wainwright at The Orpheum and the ever-unpredictable The Brian Jonestown Massacre performing gorgeous music between possible violent outbursts at The Wiltern. It's usually worth it.
Sunday, May 13
- Grand Ole Echo w/ Ben Redell Band, Jackson Tannger, Wheelhouse, The Earthworm Ensemble, Larry Santoyo @ The Echo (5 PM)
- Julie Christensen, Cindy Lee, Berryhill @ McCabe's
- Kristy Hanson, Florence Hartigan, Aaron Barnhart, John Desure @ Hotel Cafe
- Levels, Phantastica, Swilson @ Lot 1
- Siddhartha, The Black Apples, Brass Tax, White Murder @ Bootleg Bar
- The Cry, Telephone Overs, As If & The Whatevers @ Redwood Bar
- Tommy & The High Pilots, A B & The Sea, In the Valley Below @ The Central
DECISION:
A nice assortment of low-key shows to finish the weekend, typified by the line up at The Central for Tommy & The High Pilots.
I want to thank those of you who showed up at my fourth anniversary show for Feed Your Head at Lot 1 on Saturday, May 5. It was the night of the magic moon and it certainly put everyone's mood at high tide. Magical musical performances highlighted by a gravity-defying set by Harley Prechtel-Cortez (seen at right) singing songs from each phase of his career...so far, were typical of an evening I won't soon forget. Special thanks to Malcolm Sosa for working so hard to make it happen.
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