Radio Free Silver Lake: The L.A. Show Low Down (Or: "I Land On An Island Coast, Where The Only Souls I See Are Ghosts...")

by Brad Roberts

The actual Halloween happens this Wednesday. But Monday has the best Halloween-themed party of the whole week at The Echo when Otik Records presents another round of band-masquerades similar to the program back in 2009. This time it's Haunted Summer doing Animal Collective, The Do-It To-Its doing Elastica!, Sara Radle & The Mockingbirds doing The Ramones, The Monolators doing The Bee Gees and Del Scorcho doing Wheezer. Dress up, and it's only $5. Find out who makes up some of these unknown bands here.

Our buddies, The Lonely Wild, have a big week doing not only Monday's "School Night!" at Bardot but opening for Lord Huron on their triumphant return to The Echo celebrating their highly-lauded, first full-length album, Lonesome Dreams. It's a dream of an album and anyone who was bowled over by Lord Huron when they first came out west a couple of years ago, will find it a wish-fulfillment come true.

There's a holiday lull mid week but things pick up again by the weekend with my Feed Your Head show at Lot 1 of Saturday and on Sunday I get my chance to see the "big new thing", Divine Fits, at The Fonda.

Monday, October 29

- Family of the Year, Terraplane Sun, The Young Rapscallions @ The Viper Room

- The Spyrals + Cab 20 @ Origami Vinyl

- SuperSoul Monday Halloween w/ Jason Joseph & The Spectaculars w/ special guests, The Dunwells, Churchill, Gabriel Kelley @ Hotel Cafe

- Daniel Licht @ Largo at the Coronet

- Hearts and Minutes, Manzanita Falls, Empty Palace @ Lot 1

- Otik Records Halloween Covers Night w/ The Monolators, Sara Radle & The Mockingbirds,
Haunted Summer, The Do-It To-Its, Del Scorcho @ The Echo

- Pre-Halloween Party w/ CakeLadyOg, ICYLYTES + special guests @ Los Globos

- Sad Robot, Gypsyblood, Stonefeather, Sleepy Lady @ Silver Lake Lounge

- The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Millionyoung @ The Troubadour

- "School Night!" w/ Steelwells, The Lonely Wild, Emma Ejwertz @ Bardot

- Kera and the Lasbians, Mr. Elevator & the Brain Hotel, Herbert Bail Orchestra @ Bootleg Bar

- Last In Class, very special guest, Drug Cabin, Brainstorm @ The Satellite

- Robert DeLong, Hot As Sun, HOTT MT @ Echoplex

DECISION:

Crazy-busy Monday night leading up to Halloween highlighted by the Otik Records Show of covers over at The Echo. Watch local favorites like The Monolators and Sara Radle & The Mockingbirds contort themselves into unexpected shapes as they reveal heretofore untapped wells of talent. And don't forget the audience. This is a pretty creative bunch so expect some fairly extravagant costumes.

There are great shows over in West Hollywood at The Viper Room with Family of the Year and Terraplane Sun, while Hollywood's Bardot features The Lonely Wild at "School Night!". And the October residencies of Kera and the Lesbians and Last In Class wrap up tonight as well.

Tuesday, October 30

- Harper Blynn, The Brendan Hines Record Release Show, Alex Wong A City on a Lake, Tyler Lyle @ Hotel Cafe

- BuzzbandsLA 4th Anniversary w/ Voxhaul Broadcast, Gliss, The Break Ups @ Federal Bar

- Aziz Ansari @ Largo at the Coronet

- Bob Mould, Abe Vigoda @ El Rey

- Daughter, Choir of Young Believers @ Bootleg Theatre

- Go West Young Man, The New Limb, Western Scene, The Shade @ The Central

- Miike Snow, Niki & the Dove @ Hollywood Palladium

- Avalon Omega, Leggy Peggy, Sue Ray @ Silver Lake Lounge

- Tammy Faye Starlite's Defense of Opposit Marriag Tour: "Doom 1012" @ Bootleg Bar

- All Hallow's Eve at Airliner @ The Airliner

- Balmorhea, Spindrift, Patrolled By Radar @ The Echo

- Cadence Weapon, Fat Tony, Subtitle @ The Satellite

- Toy Selectah, Mexicans with Guns, Them Jeans, Mas Exitos @ Los Globos

DECISION:

There's so much to do tonight, but a good place to start would be out in North Hollywood at Federal Bar for BuzzbandsLA's 4th Anniversary fete which starts early at 7:30 and features three of Los Angeles' strongest and most solid bands, Voxhaul Broadcast, Gliss and The Break Ups. Denmark's heavenly orchestral band, Choir of Young Believers return to L.A. for the second time this year (lucky us) to open for Daughter at Bootleg Theatre.

Go West Young Man finish up their residency at The Central with The New Limb. These are two more bands to keep your eyes on.

Wednesday, October 31

- A Halloween Celebration w/ Minnesota, Inspiring Flight, Trill Murray @ The Central

- Disclosure, Samo Sound Boy, Tres Dubois, and Behr (La Nuit) @ El Rey

- Halloween Party @ Silver Lake Lounge

- Halloween Night w/ So Many Wizards, Palm Reader, Praps Ps, Sleepimg Bags @ The Smell

- Lost Marauders, Dead Day Revolution, Brainspoon, Rockett Queens @ The Satellite

DECISION:

Halloween night. Very little to report.

Thursday, November 1

- Ringside (featuring Scott Thomas), Jeremy Silver, May Stands Still, The Honey Trees @ Hotel Cafe

- El Vez @ Largo at the Coronet

- Hobart W Fink, Danny Bobbe, Joaquin Pastor, Trance Farmers @ Lot 1

- Kid Koala, Adira Amram and the Experience, Money Mark, Dan The Automator, David Choe @ Echoplex

- The Donkeys, Chamberlin, Buxton, Bart Davenport @ The Satellite

- Zammuto, AU, Piney Gir @ Bootleg Bar

DECISION:

Still quiet after all the Halloween parties.

Friday, November 2

- Lord Huron, The Lonely Wild @ The Echo

- Tonic W/ special guests, Ryan Darton & The Wildebeast, Famous In Iowa, Eddie Berman & The
Iron Rails @ Hotel Cafe

- Building An Ark World Tour Groundation, Trevor Hall and Fanny Franklin @ El Rey

- Collie Buddz, New Kingston, Los Rakas, Wheeland Brothers @ The Troubadour

- Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers @ The Wiltern

- Andy Clockwise presents "War Stories" @ Los Globos

- Captain Ahab, Toxic Lipstick, Foot Village, Books on Tape @ The Smell

- Husky (AU), Hannah Georgas, Thrillionaire @ The Satellite

- Jeans Wilder + TBA @ Pehrspace

- Molly Bryant & John Spiker, Broken Anchor @ Bootleg Bar

- Marvin Mai, Porkchop, Davy James Show @ The Central

- LoveyDove @ Taix Lounge

DECISION:

Super-excited to hear the new Lord Huron album live. This spectacular new record is a likely contender for album of the year and not only fulfills the promise of their earlier recordings and concert appearances when they burst upon the local scene in 2010, it surpasses them. Glad I had the foresight to buy a ticket long ago for this sold out show. They'll be too big for The Echo soon. They also have a band that is a perfect compliment in both style and quality with The Lonely Wild sharing the bill. They say a limited nimber of tickets will be available at the door, but good luck with that.

At 10:30 tonight Azalia Snail and Dan West's new project, LoveyDove debuts at Taix Lounge.

Saturday, November 3

- Son Ark ,Gypsy River Haunts, Scott Topic, Cop @ The Echo

- Black Flamingo @ Origami Vinyl

- Nneka @ Hotel Cafe

- Mark Eitzel @McCabe's

- RT N' the 44s Record Release Party, CL Hutson, Matt Taylor, Jennifer Luna, Tom Brosseau Echo Country Outpost

- Saint Etienne, Maria Del Pilar @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre

- The All American Rejects, Boys Like Girls, Parachute @ The Wiltern

- Feed Your Head presents The Sixth Son, Emerson Star, Jonny Polonsky solo acoustic + more @ Lot 1

- Chilly Gonzales Solo Piano II @ Bootleg Bar

- Spires That In The Sunset Rise, Arrington de Dionyso, Daniel Higgs, Lucky Dragons @ The Smell

- White Fence, Twerps, Muzz @ The Satellite

DECISION:

Time again for my Feed Your Head show at Lot 1 and I'm happy to present some newer bands on the scene The Sixth Son (at right) and Emerson Star as well as Kind Hearts and Coronets ' Jonny Polonsky as a solo acoustic act. Elsewhere RT N' the 44s have a record release at the Echo Country Outpost with a terrific list of guest artists.

Sunday, November 4

- Mimosa Music Series w/ NO, The Mighty Forces @ Federal Bar (11 AM)

- Day Of The Dead with Buyepongo, Chicano Batman, Olmeca, La Chamba, Jungle Fire, Quita Peñas @ Echoplex

- Mark Eitzel, Tommy Santee Klaws @ The Echo (7:00 PM)

- Willy Porter, Antje Duvekot @ McCabe's

- Zak Waters, Co. fee, Mystery Skulls @ Bootleg Bar

- Divine Fits, Cold Cave @ Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre

- Electric Guest, NO, The Colourist @ El Rey

- Mustard Pimp @ The Troubadour

- Nancy & Beth @ Largo at the Coronet

- The Bad Bad Things, Nerf Herder, Killola @ The Viper Room

- Max and The Moon, Young Empress, Northern Youth, Little Brave @ The Satellite

- The Natural Disasters, The Ross Sea Party, Wreck of the Zephyr, Tall Tales and the Silver
Lining @ El Cid

- The Bush Tetras, Terry Malts, Dunes @ The Echo (10 PM)

DECISION:

I stupidly missed all the local shows by Divine Fits (at right) when they played a three week residency at three different clubs a few months ago, because I only got their album A Thing Called Divine Fits a few days prior to their last show and it was too late to get tickets. As soon as I found out they were returning to L.A. to play The Fonda, I grabbed a ticket. This album is another of my favorites this year. Borne out of the rage and unhappiness of a broken relationship, the album pulsates with alternate bursts of hope and bile in equal measure. Divine Fits share the stage at The Fonda with Cold Cave tonight.

I would probably have gone to El Rey to see NO open for Electric Guest otherwise, or Mark Eitzel and Tommy Santee Klaws at The Echo for an early show at 7, or maybe go to The Satellite to hear Young Empress opening for Max and The Moon. There's no shortage of great music to be heard tonight.