Matt Pond is one of the artists I hold responsible for dragging my life back towards music nearly eight years ago. It was the video for the song "Closest" which showed a band in their individual preparations for a session in the studio that piqued my interest in this band. Each going throught the mundane activities we all share like making some coffee or brushing your teeth or walking the dog, before heading out to catch a bus, or drive, or walk to whatever our destination is. The band members all arrive at the same time, go inside, strap on their instruments, which they strum, pluck, bow or strike all in unison, and the video ends. The song's resemblance to Fleetwood Mac was not lost on me.
The revelation was the realization that, in spite of their exhalted status as musicians, we shared the same concerns and hopes and dreams, even across generations, as we meet our basic rituals of survival. This was before I was able to number even one musician among the people I know and I was thunderstruck with the desire to meet these people. That was a life-altering moment and now, over seven years later, I consider most of my best friends to be musicians. "Life is change", and as I began to go out and see the band Matt Pond PA there were constant line up changes in the band over the years.
But now Matt Pond has reinvented himself as a new band (minus the PA) and released a new album, The Lives Inside The Lines In Your Hand, which may be the best album of his career. So sure-footed and self-possessed, it sounds like the work of someone who has reached a place of comfort where the music and lyrics are a reflection of a life in balance. The album is comfortingly familiar yet stakes out new ground for this accomplished artist. He appears on a bill with Jukebox the Ghost on Thursday at Echoplex and I'll be there.
Radio Free Silver Lake is proud to present the premiere resident night for Haunted Summer at Casey's on Friday night. This local project of love is likely to attract a crowd of friends and admirers, especially with Avi Zahner Isenberg on the bill. Other bands you can catch this week include Xu Xu Fang, Seasons, Radar Bros., Young Empress, Cardoza and The Mid Cities. Look out below...
- Skye w/ Madi Diaz, Jason Joseph & The Spectacular / special guests, Brushy One String @ Hotel Cafe
- Gliss, United Ghosts, Line and Circle, Robotanists @ Los Globos
- Mind The Gap, Mike Mobb, Las Feas @ The Central
- The Residents @ El Rey
- Mystery Skulls, Gangplans, Monster Rally, Ghost Beach, Channel One @ Bootleg Bar
- Wires in the Walls, The Ross Sea Party, Tall Tales and the Silver Linings, Owls, Sandbox @ Silver Lake Lounge
- "School Nights!" w/ Warships, Chief, Angela McCluskey, Go Tell The Eskimo @ Bardot
- A House For Lions, Max and The Moon, The Peach Kings, The Cerny Brothers @ Echoplex
- Ken Wakan, Oh Boy Les Mecs, yoYa, Seasons @ The Echo
- The Mowgli's, The Diamond Light, Zak Waters, Lisa Donnelly @ The Satellite
- Skintown, Greenlander, Textbeak, The New Dreamz, Tripp Nasty @ Pehrspace
DECISION:
Once again the Monday residencies are finishing up and I've managed to miss some of the bands I really should see. I would split my time between The Echo and The Satellite tonight if I could. After The Mowgli's (at left) smashing performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live last Thursday night I would love to catch them before it's too late to see them in a neighborhood bar. Alas, Kan Wakan also come highly recommended, and as they have Seasons on their bill tonight at The Echo, this may get the edge.
Tuesday, February 26
- Skye w/ Javier Dunn, Anna Rose, Loretti, White Dove, ¡Socorro! @ Hotel Cafe
- Plague Vendor, TḤΞM ḤΘШLIИG BΘИΞS, Diamonds Under Fire, Sketch Orchestra@ The Central
- Reckless Kelly, Micky & the Motorcars, Sturgill Simpson @ The Troubadour
- Silver Phial, The Sunset Drifters, The Picture and the Frame, Ted Z and the Wranglers, David England @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Com Truise, XXYYXX, Teen Daze, Penthouse Penthouse @ Echoplex
- Hinterlands, Tremellow, Habits @ The Satellite
- Ramona Falls, Social Studies, Sexy Jail @ Bootleg Bar
- The Lovely Bad Things record release, The Shrine @ The Echo
- Santoros, The Abigails, LA Witch @ Harvard & Stone
DECISION:
I'm really glad the Silver Lake Lounge is offering a consistent schedule of rock shows again, especially because it's one of those clubs at which I can just step off the bus and be two steps from the front door. It's kind of like the bus stop is inside the Silver Lake Lounge. Tonight another very "buzzed about" band, The Picture and The Frame (shown at right) are appearing on a bill also featuring Silver Phial and The Sunset Drifters.
Wednesday, February 27
- Emily Kinney, Scott James Record Release Show, The Gallery Record Release Show, Faith Tucker @ Hotel Cafe
- "Desert Nights" w/ BK Honeycrisp, Aura Bakker, Steve Taylor & Molly Tuttle @ The Standard
- Future Fix, Rare Times, The Long Fall @ The Central
- The Get Down Boys, Barnaby Saints, KG Bird, Ben Johnson @ Silver Lake Lounge
- The New Standards @ Largo at the Coronet
- Willy Moon @ Bootleg Bar
- Francisco The Man record release, Tashaki Miyaki, Western Lows @ Bootleg Bar
- Heidi Happy, Boys School, Dan Abraham @ Room 5
- OBN III's, Pangea, Audacity @ The Smell
- Sir Sly, Bear Mountai n, Man Without Country, Houses @ The Echo
- Deluka, The Royalty, Xu Xu Fang @ The Satellite
- SISU, Summer Twins, Thee Raincats @ Harvard & Stone
DECISION:
A record release show by Francisco, The Man (at left) at Bootleg Bar would be a logoical choice, but for the chance to see Xu Xu Fang at The Satellite opening for Deluka or SISU and Summer Twins at Harvard & Stone. What to do?
Thursday, February 28
- Jukebox the Ghost, Matt Pond, The Lighthouse & The Whaler @ Echoplex
- Ruthanne, Distant Cousins, Feisty Heart, Paper Pilots, Lea Cappelli @ Hotel Cafe
- Gold Fields, A SIlent Film, Royal Teeth @ The Troubadour
- The Watkins Family Hour @ Largo at the Coronet
- Califone, Radar Bros., Dana Falconberry, Blues Oblique @ The Satellite
- Hustle Roses @ Bootleg Bar
- the Absolute, Bell Gardens, Anthem Of Silence, Baby Blue @ El Cid
- Wild Pack Of Canaries, Crystal Antlers, White Murder, Mr. Elevator & The Brain Motel @ Silver Lake Lounge
DECISION:
As I explained above, I will be at the Jukebox the Ghost (at right) show to see Matt Pond debut his new album. Interest in the show has forced a move from The Echo to the downstairs Echoplex. I'm really looking forward to this show.
Radar Bros. are at The Satellite with Califone and Wild Pack of Canaries at Silver Lake Lounge, providing good alternatives.
Friday, March 1
- "First Fridays" w/ Allah Las, The Babies @ Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
- Song Preservation Society, Ari Hest, Goldentboy feat. The New Familiar, Philip Boone, Whiskerman, Jillette Johnson @ Hotel Cafe
- Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks @ McCabe's Guitar Shop (8 & 10 PM)
- Kishi Bashi, Shugo Tokumaru, Tall Tall Trees @ The Troubadour
- Radio Free Silver Lake presents Haunted Summer, Avi Zahner Isenberg (solo) @ Casey's
- Young Empress, Ash Reiter, Familiar Haunts, Heathers @ Pehrspace
- SuperVision, Hamm FM, Paul Basic @ The Central
- Snowden, The Donnies The Amys @ The Satellite
- R. Stevie Moore, LAKE, Plateaus, Bouquet @ The Smell
- Free Energy @ Bootleg Bar
- Caspian, Junius Native @ Echoplex
- Rob Delaney @ Largo at the Coronet
- Morrissey, Patti Smith and Her Band, Kristeen Young @ Staples Center
- The Used, We Came As Romans, Crown The Empire, Mindflow @ The Wiltern
- Surfer Blood, Grand Rapids @ The Echo
DECISION:
Haunted Summer (photo by Amanda Glover at right) have already been a subject of an interview at RFSL, so tonight we are presenting the first night of their first residency Friday at Casey's Irish Bar downtown with Mr. Avi himself, Avi Zahner Isenberg in a solo performance that is always a special treat. In fact Haunted Summer have lined up some smashing acts for the month's run.
Lots of other good shows tonight include huge stars like Morrissey and Patti Smith at Staples to amazing local bands like Young Empress at Pehrspace to classics like Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks playing two shows at McCabe's.
Saturday, March 2
- Electric Six, Gabriel The Marine, Prima Donna @ The Troubadour
- Mashuggah, Animals as Leaders, Intronaut @ The Wiltern
- STS9, Tycho @ Hollywood Palladium
- The Chapin Sisters @ McCabe's Guitar Shop
- “Song For Echo Park: A Film Within A Film” with special musical guests @ The Church of Fun
- Feed Your Head presents, Daniel Ahearn and The Jones, Cardoza, John Graney (solo) @ Lot 1
- PROTECTME, Palm Reader, Business Cats, Canyons @ The Smell
- Starfucker, Blackbird Blackbird @ The Fonda Theatre
- Summer Vacation, Peter Pants, W-H-I-T-E + 1 TBA @ Pehrspace
- The Muffs, Jusstuss @ The Satellite
- Seven Saturdays, Light FM, Nightmail @ El Cid
DECISION:
“Song For Echo Park: A Film Within A Film” is an event at The Church of Fun that sounds like an old fashioned "happening" with a 2 ½ minute short film premiere about the arts community of Echo Park and live entertainments including poets and with a wonderful music selection of songs from many, many bands including George Glass, Judson, Manhattan Murder Mystery, The Janks, Amanda Jo Williams and so on and on.
Also Feed Your Head has an intimate evening at Lot 1 with acoustic sets from Daniel Ahearn and The Jones and John Graney solo and Cardoza will surprise us with a new line up.
Sunday, March 3
- Rev. Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping and the Triple Goddess Gospel Singers @ The Echo
- The Lone Bellow, Morgan Karr, Mark Macminn, Paige Nichols @ Hotel Cafe
- Susie Glaze & The Hilonesome Band @ McCabe's
- The Hush Sound, The Last Royals, Sydney Wayser @ The Troubadour
- Toro y Moi, Sinkane, Dog Bite @ The Fonda Theatre
- Noah and the MegaFauna, TheMid Cities @ The Satellite
DECISION:
Try a late scheduled show at The Satellite with the always surprising and wonderful The Mid Cities (at right) with Noah and the MagaFauna for a delightful Sunday evening.
Sorry for the brevity this week, but this afternoon (Sunday, Feb 24) I have to don my rented tux and head for the Red Carpet. (below) Me and my buddy, Scarlett, last year.
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