by Brad Roberts
As the heat of the summer holds L.A. in it's grip, take advantage of the warm nights to get out to some shows. I went a little crazy buying tickets this week. First I had a ticket for Three Mile Pilot at The Echo on Friday, then the lure of Earlimart (shown at right) in their first show in a few years, opening for Grandaddy at The Fonda on Monday, made me realize my credibility would be on the line if I didn't go. As long-time Radio Free Silver Lake friends, and one of the first local bands to pull me into this scene, I'm particularly looking forward to this, and if their new song "97 Heart Attack" is any indication, they're still firing on all cylinders.
This is just the beginning of a very busy fall season of shows as I've also got tickets for Amanda Palmer, Menomena, Grizzly Bear and Calexico for starters. Apart from all that there's the great Buzzbands LA show at Lot 1 on Tuesday with Fort King, College Kids and Doom & Gloom. Alpine Decline are back in town for a short stay and give their last local show at Bootleg Bar on Thursday, before returning to China. Y La Bamba have two shows this week, on Wednesday at Hotel Cafe and Thursday on the Santa Monica Pier, which at sunset, on the ocean, sounds idyllic. Oh, and the Sunset Strip Music Festival on Saturday, which appeals mostly to the metal-heads out there.
The Andrew Bird show at The Greek last night was fantastic. It's quite a slog to walk up to the venue from Franklin Avenue in this heat, but once you get into your seat, and the evening air starts to filter in, the whole ambience of sitting in this park, listening to first rate music makes the experience of going to The Greek one of the highlights of the summer.
Monday, August 13
- Grandaddy, Earlimart, Darren Ravell @ The Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- Golden State, Carreons, Star City Dirty City @ Los Globos
- Birdy @ The Roxy
- SuperSoul Monday w/ Jason Joseph & The Spectacular, Nikki Grier, Chyno, Tasha Taylor, Martin
Harley @ Hotel Cafe
- Francisco The Man, 'Murdergas and the Childcats', Daniel Hart @ The Satellite
- Michael Kiranuku, Elle King @ The Troubadour
- Ray Argyle, Craig Elkins, Vegas Alexander, The Glimmer Stars @ Lot 1
- "School Night!" w/ Diamond Rings, Helena, Only Son, Moostache @ Bardot
- Diamond in the Rough - A Tribute to Neil Diamond's "Hot August Nights" w/ Xander Schloss @ Echoplex
- Marshstepper, Stray Executioner, Protect Me, Bachsung @ Pehrspace
- Meg Myers, Tribes, Army Navy, Steven Roth @ Bootleg Bar
- Wildcat! Wildcat!, Hot Panda, The Neighbourhood, Pageants @ The Echo
- Them Howling Bones, The Mo-Odds, Vinnie Ferra @ Harvard & Stone
DECISION:
I'm really looking forward to tonight's show with Grandaddy, who have reunited for a whirlwind world tour, and I scored a floor ticket at the Henry Fonda Music Box! And when I heard that Earlimart are going to open, after such a long hiatus, I couldn't resist. Can't wait to hear their new music. Their first album in four years, System Preferences, will be released digitally in September and on CD and vinyl in October on their own label, The Ship. Because of this I have to miss Birdy at The Roxy, who I saw once a few years ago when I was very impressed with their expert stage performance and nice album, and Pageants are at The Echo for the second time in two weeks, opening for this week's entry of the Wildcat! Wildcat! residency.
Tuesday, August 14
- Buzzbands LA present Fort King, College Kids, Doom & Gloom @ Lot 1
- So Many Wizards @ Origami Vinyl
- The Dunwells w/ Shel, The Brendan Hines, Mike Starr @ Hotel Cafe
- Alabama Shakes, Michael Kiwanuka @ The Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre
- Dead Can Dance @ Gibson Amphitheatre
- Animal Kingdom, The Neighbourhood @ The Troubadour
- Indie 103.1.com presents The Ross Sea Party, Kid Cadaver, The Temporary Thing, Thurlow @ The Central
- JJAMZ @ Federal Bar
- Kelly Paige, Rene Breton @ Bootleg Bar
- Regina Spector, Only Son @ Greek Theatre
- Antibalas, Very Be Careful @ Echoplex
- DEATHDAY, WL, Bodhi, Industrial Park @ The Satellite
- Dethtrip Forever, Å H K î ¥ ¥ î Ñ î, Vision, Aftereptilesn@ Redwood Bar
- Devine Fits @ Bootleg Theatre
- The Peach Kings, Beach Party, Leggy Peggy @ Harvard & Stone
- Whitey Morgan and the 78's, Rainbow Jackson @ The Echo
DECISION:
Buzzbands LA is featuring three highly buzzed about bands right now, Fort King, College Kids and Doom & Gloom at Lot 1 tonight. Since becoming a band of four a few weeks ago, Fort King has developed an almost cult-like following of fans appropriately won over by the consistent top quality of their recent live performances. I've been a fan forever and can only add: "I told you so". I could say: "I saw this coming" but truthfully, I didn't, making it all that much more surprising and pleasing. College Kids is Malcolm Sosa of Rademacher and Kim Haden in a duo that couldn't be more different from Rademacher, but shares that band's ability for compose compelling narratives as songs. The third band, Doom & Gloom is Nate Cole and Liska Cole (formerly of Castledoor) and this is their new project and they absolutely stunned me when they played my Feed Your Head show last month. That's them above. Catch them while you can because they have the real potential to explode. Hows that for a show recommendation?
The enchanting Regina Spector will hold The Greek in the palm of her hand, as I've seen her do before with her unpredictable songs. The Ross Sea Party continue a residency at The Central with Thurlow.
Wednesday, August 15
- Michael Kiwanuka @ Amoeba Music
- Y La Bamba, The Sister Ruby Band, The Iron Rails, Indian Trading Furs & Jared Kolesar, Lael
Neale @ Hotel Cafe
- "Desert Nights" w/ Anni Celsy, Susan James, Brandon Meyer @ The Standard
- Joe Cocker, Huey Lewis and the News @ The Greek
- Champagne Champagne, The Knux, Emily's Army @ The Troubadour
- Garfunkel & Oates, Karen Kilgariff @ Largo at the Coronet
- Open Mike Andrews, Lavender Diamond @ Bootleg Bar
- The Makepeace Brothers, Marina V @ Witzend
- The Parade, The Path, The Goodnight, Amnesia Beach, and Andrew Tester Show @ The Central
- Yes, Procol Harum @ Gibson Amphitheatre
- Ivan & Alyosha, Coby Brown, The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers @ The Echo
- Cigarette Bums, Wyatt Blair, Fine Minds @ Lot 1
- Kimya Dawson, Only Son, Gina Young @ The Smell
- Futurebirds, The Steelwells, Grandfather Child @ The Satellite
- Dead Dawn, VUM, Mayfly Dance, Mathew O'Neill @ Silver Lake Lounge
DECISION:
It was great to see Lavender Diamond at Hotel Cafe a few weeks ago (shot at right), hearing new music and reveling in Becky Starks' crystalline vocals. Tonight they open at Bootleg Bar for Mike Andrews, and Y La Bamba joins The Sister Ruby Band at the aforementioned Hotel Cafe.
Thursday, August 16
- Amadou & Mariam, Ya La Bamba @ Santa Monica Pier
- Bell Gardens, The Donnies The Amys @ Pershing Square
- Little Hurricane, Right The Stars, Birds and Batteries, The Young Romans, Graffiti Cathedral @ Hotel Cafe
- The Dunwell Brothers @ Levitt Pavilion, Pasadena
- Always Press Record, The Zermatts, Heart of Gold @ Lot 1
- Big Sir featuring Lisa Papineau and Juan Alderete (Mars Volta), Alpine Decline, In The Valley
Below @ Bootleg Bar
- Cold Specks, RT N' The 44's @ The Echo
- Laura Leif & Amber Phelps, The Memories, The Shivas, Mom, Katie & the Lichen, Calvin
Johnson, Happy Noose, Sewn Leather @ Echoplex
- The Entrance Band, ESP, UFO 2012 @ The Satellite
DECISION:
Alpine Decline (at right) moved to China about a year ago, and I feared we might never hear from them again. Well they've been back in town for a couple of weeks to press their new record (looking forward to) and play a couple of shows. Tonight's the last one, and it's at the Bootleg Bar. Y La Bamba are on stage again tonight, this time out on the ocean at Santa Moica Pier. I must check out The Entrance Band soon as I keep hearing good things about them. Tonight they're at The Satellite while RT N' The 44s play The Echo. Tough choices this evening.
Friday, August 17
- Three Mile Pilot @ The Echo
- Ethan Lipton & his Orchestra @ California Plaza (12 noon)
- Ugly Winner, Spaceships @ Origami Vinyl
- David Wax Museum @ Levitt Pavilion, Pasadena
- The Dahls, Ladies Gun Club, Jim Hanft w/ Samantha Yonack, Sweetwater & The Satisfaction, Science Fiction Theatre @ Hotel Cafe
- Charli XCX, IO ECHO, Kitten @ The Troubadour
- Sean Rowe, Aaron Embry @ McCabe's
- The Lions, The Expanders @ The Mint
- The Be Good Tanyas, Leftover Cuties, Willie Watson @ Bootleg Theatre
- Toys That Kill, Moses Campbell, Peter Pants, Sleeping Bags @ The Smell
- Wake's The Fifth Finger EP release, Co. Fee, Juj, Sahy Uhns, Benedek, DREAMS @ The Satellite
- Kevin Earnest Trio featuring Chris Saunders and Joel Meyer @ Room 5
DECISION:
It would not be a mistake to say that I have been waiting three years for this show at The Echo with Three Mile Pilot The fact that I'm a big fan of both Zach Smith and Pall Jenkins (Paolo Zappoli) and their respective bands is hardly a secret. Ever since Pinback and The Black Heart Procession became two of my favorite bands, I was intrigued by the notion of the combination band that had helped spawn them. Three Mile Pilot reunited briefly in 20o9 when they played at Echoplex. That show was great and they played a lot of material that ended up on their first new album in ten years: 2010's The Inevitable Past Is The Future Forgotten. Being one of my favorite albums that year, I was most anxious to hear it live, but a tour never came about. Bummer. But now is the chance and backed by the release of a new EP, Maps, this should prove to be quite a show.
Sean Rowe has a show at McCabe's Guitar Shop with Aaron Embry, who is in town briefly before he heads out again, this time to tour with Dawes. Moses Campbell and Peter Pants revisit The Smell.
Saturday, August 18
- Reverend Horton Heat With Dead Rock West @ Pershing Square
- Alexz Johnson w/ Julia Sinclair, Chelsea Williams, Misty Boyce, Miss Lopez & The Wandering
Few @ Hotel Cafe
- Fool's Gold @ Levitt Pavilion, MacArthur Park
- The Henry Clay People, Jail Weddings, Sanglorians @ Bootleg Bar
- Triple Chicken Foot, Breed Street Rookies, Ocha La Rocha, Bloody Death Skull, Safari S' Goody, Malika Sellami @ HM 157
- Armada, King Washington, Empire of One, Wise Club @ Lot 1
- Braid, Owen, TS & the Past Haunts @ The Troubadour
- Diego Garcia, Gregory Rogove @ Largo at the Coronet
- Drunk Olympics w/ Captions, Young Empress + TBA @ The Mime
- Hot TV, Le Cos, Traps PS, Whirlynn Pop @ Pehrspace
- Outernational record release, Las Cafeteras, Los Hollywood @ The Satellite
- Shinerm @ Echoplex
- So Many Wizards record release, Matthewdavid, Magick ((())) Orchids, Magical Mistakes @ The Smell
DECISION:
No contest. I'm going to the Bootleg Bar to see The Henry Clay People tonight. The last few shows I've seen with these guys have been fantastic, and I expect no less tonight. And then there's this:
Sunday, August 19
- Grand Ole Echo w/ Dan Janisch, Jeremiah And The Red Eyes, drunken prayer, CAP GUN HOLD UPS @ The Echo (5 PM)
- Diego Garcia & David Garza @ Levitt Pavilion, Pasadena
- Joy Kills Sorrow, The Well Pennies @ Bootleg Bar
- Correatown, Pony Boy, Blac Jesus & The Experimentists, Amy Rieckelman @ The Virgil
- The Royal Concept, Eastern Conference Champions @ The Troubadour
- Lee Fields & The Expressions, Boogaloo Assassins @ Echoplex
- Seapony, Trixie's Big Red Motorbike, Sweater Girls @ The Echo (10 PM)
- Tartufi, James Supercave @ The Satellite
DECISION:
Hooray for Eastern Conference Champions (at right) who are at The Troubadour tonight opening for The Royal Concept. Correatown have a show at The Virgil as well. Am I ever gonna get any rest? Guess I'll sleep when I'm dead.
Typapad is acting a little crazy. Very tempermental and won't do spell check so forgive the illiteracy.
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