By Brad Roberts
Watch out, it's April Fool's Week, and we're surrounded by fools. And an earthquake! It makes me realize how long I've been a Californian to see facebook light up with friends who have never felt one, since I was here between 1985 and 1995 when we had such a rash of quakes. Among the stand outs were the Whittier Narrows quake on October 1, 1987 which threw all my records out onto the floor and destroyed my two big, old fashioned KLH stereo speakers while living in a BRICK(!) building, and the Northridge quake of 1994 which didn't even feel like an earthquake. It was a completely different and violent animal which made the gentle side-to-side swaying motion of most quakes seem like child's play. Put cracks all through the apartment I still live in today. (They've all been painted over.) The seismic drought we've had for the past 20 years has lulled old-timers into a state of complacency and newcomers don't think we really have them. Well, surprise! My own personal opinion (not based on any scientific facts whatsoever) is that small to medium activity keeps the really big one at bay. So I guess I'd rather have some than none at all.
And in the nine years since I started going out to concerts again, I've yet to feel one while in a club or a theatre. Maybe this week will change all that. Here are some shows to get your rock rolling. Monday, Tuesday and Friday and Saturday are conspicuously packed with good choices.
The spectacular show at Space 15 Twenty on Saturday by Manhattan Murder Mystery, where they blew the non-existent roof off the place, demands that you try to attend their show on Monday at The Down and Out. This amazing band is still maintaining a career high both as stage performers and as songwriters.
Beginning this Tuesday, Aaron Embry starts a bi-weekly residency at Hotel Cafe that is going to showcase a lot of new material he's been writing recently and that is always cause to celebrate. He has put together great line ups for the dates of April 1, 15 and 29, this week with Ferraby Lionheart.
Friday gives us First Fridays with Mary & Eli with Madame Headress this week. (They alternate with Dawn Of Sequins every other month during this year long residency) Adding their considerable talents to the proceedings are Bloody Death Skull or Madame Grislee at Pehrspace.
Monday, March 31
- The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers, Sam Outlaw, Maesa, Grand Vanity @ The Satellite
- James Supercave, MT OSSA, Gothic Tropic, HEALTH (DJ) @ The Echo
- The Strypes, Dinosaur Pile Up @ El Rey
- Tall Tales and The Silver Lining, Magic Mirror @ Harvard & Stone
- Manhattan Murder Mystery, mARMITs, Gnarbaby @ The Down & Out
- Moses Sumney, Brandon Coleman, Ken Wakan, Special Guest @ Bootleg Bar
- Moons Of Mars, Water District, Faux Chaud, Steffaloo @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Down North, Michael Storey, Ned & The Dirt @ Hotel Cafe
-"School Night!" w/ Saintseneca, Finley Knight, & more TBA @ Bardot
DECISION:
Great big Monday night starts the week like a shot out if a canon. "School Night!" is hosting Ohio's Saintseneca at Bardot, who have been playing a bunch of shows throughout town to celebrate tomorrow's release of their record, Dark Arc, as James Supercave has MT OSSA and Gothic Tropic over at The Echo. Tall Tales and The Silver Lining (photo at right by Betsy Winchell) and Magic Mirror play Charlie Clark's night over at Harvard & Stone, and Manhattan Murder Mystery thrash it out with mARMITs and Gnarbaby at The Down & Out. And that's just the tip of tonight's musical iceberg.
Tuesday, April 1
- Saintseneca @ Amoeba Music (6 PM)
- The Futures League, Son of Stan, Inner Wave @ The Satellite
- Kelela, Total Freedom, NGUZUNGUZU @ The Echo
- New Madrid @ Bootleg Bar
- Lacuna Coil, Kyng, Eve To Adam, Nothing More @ The Roxy
- HOTT MT, Glorious Wondour, Hobart W. Fink, Vinyl Williams @ The Virgil
- Van Allen Belt, Parks Burton, Beisbol, Spencer Owen @ Los Globos
- Neil Young @ Dolby Theatre
- The Cerny Brothers, Tyler Lyle @ The Mint
- Betty Who, Zak Waters, Cardinox @ The Troubadour
- Aaron Embry April Residency, Jerome Holiday, Ferraby Lionheart, Boys School, Hamish Anderson @ Hotel Cafe
- Cut Copy, Jesse Lanza, Turkish Prison @ Hollywood Palladium
DECISION:
Very excited about the Aaron Embry April Residency at Hotel Cafe, and the opportunity to hear his new music, performed publicly for the first time. A full night of great music surrounds his 9 o'clock performance with Jerome Holiday at 8, Ferraby Lionheart at 10, and Boys School at 11. Hamish Anderson starts the night off at 7. This Aaron Embry residency takes place every other Tuesday throughout the month.
HOTT MT join Glorious Wondour and Hobart W. Fink for an All Scene Eye show at The Virgil. Lacuna Coil perform tuneful, heavy medal rock with power, passion and soaring vocals, yet there's a touch of self-parody, as if they know exactly what they're after, which allows them to get away with it without pretention. They're at The Roxy tonight with three other bands. And Neil Young continues his engagement at Dolby Theatre tonight and concluding tomorrow
Wednesday, April 2
- Barcelona, Mackintosh Braun, Western Scene @ The Satellite
- Kelela, Total Freedom, P Morris @ The Echo
- Incan Abraham record release, Vanaprasta, The Black Apples @ Bootleg Theatre
- "Desert Nights" w Lauren Barth, Tara Fox, Natalie Meadors @ The Standard
- Lo-Fang @ The Troubadour
- Son Ark @ Five Star Bar
- Neil Young @ Dolby Theatre
- Beach Club, Kill The Dance Floor, Sleep State, Cheers Elephant @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Big Phony, Plumb, Wise Cub, Blunda, Maudlin Strangers @ Hotel Cafe
- Astro, Chicano Batman, Y Luv @ The Roxy
DECISION:
Buzzbands LA is hosting a super bill for the record release show for Incan Abraham's album, Tolerance, due for release on the 8th, with powerful support from Vanaprasta, who have been working on their own new album, and the hard rocking The Black Apples at Bootleg Theatre. For a long time Incan Abraham (at right) has been presenting one of the most solidly professional stage acts in town. Marion Hodges in DJing. Multi-instrumentalist, Lo-Fang, is in town for a show at The Troubadour.
Thursday, April 3
- bad bad, Walking Shapes, Dark Furs @ The Satellite
- Odesza, D33J, Kodak To Graph @ Echoplex
- Winter Hinterland @ Bootleg Bar
- X Ambassador @ Bootleg HiFi
- Zeta Wave EP Release show, Old Man, Tien, Jessica Payo/Katie Ferrara/Holland Belle @ Lot 1
- The Mavericks, James Intveld @ The Fonda Theatre
- Rasputina, Faun Fables @ The Roxy
- Danger Junkies, Peg Leg Love, The Kidneys, Kings Road Band, Potential Lunatics @ Five Star Bar
- The Haters, Naomi Elizabeth, Pure Shit, ZAWA @ The Smell
- Mad Moon Riot, Swarming Orchids, Afraid Of My Neighbor, Mammoth, Sean Barna @ Silver Lake Lounge
- Particle, Shaky Feelin' @ The Troubadour
- Jonah Matranga w/ Special Guests, Ultimate Bearhug, Catherine Feeny, D Henry Fenton @ Hotel Cafe
DECISION:
Not up on a lot of the bands playing tonight so I'll go with Mad Moon Riot, Swarming Orchids and Afraid Of My Neighbor playing Silver Lake Lounge, while Danger Junkies (at right), celebrate a band member's birthday, with Peg Leg Love and Kings Road Band at Five Star Bar.
Friday, April 4
- "First Fridays" w/ Mikal Cronin, Tijuana Panthers @ The Natural History Museum of Los Angrles County
- The Record Company record release party, The Janks, Ume @ The Satellite
- Ben Watt, Bernard Butler @ The Echo
- Caught a Ghost @ Bootleg Bar
- Mystery Skulls, Dekades, Falling Doves, Bruce Parker, Teleskopes @ The Viper Room
- HowardAmb, Bobb Bruno, Sandy Yang, David Scott Stone @ The Smell
- The Shakers, Brando's Island, Flavian & The Red @ El Cid
- Widespread Panic @ Orpheum Theatre
- Dan Croll, Panama Wedding @ El Rey
- First Fridays with Mary & Eli w/ Madame Headress, Bloody Death Skull, Madame Grislee @ Pehrspace
- Takashi Miyagi, Joel Jerome, LA Witch, Cherry Glazer, Z Berg @ The Church on York - Lucy Kaplansky @ McCabe's
- White Murder, Kat Kong, Death Lens, Hollows @ Lot 1
- The War on Drugs, White Laces @ The Troubadour
- Ernie Halter, Katie Cole record release show, Dylan Chambers,The Roofbeam Carpenters, Pageantry, Adam Levy @ Hotel Cafe
DECISION:
Another madcap Friday night with lots of band favorites scattered around town. The Record Company (at right) has a record release party at The Satellite with The Janks. White Murder, Kat Kong and Death Lens are at Lot 1.
First Fridays with Mary & Eli with Madame Headress, this week presenting Bloody Death Skull and Madame Grislee, always at Pehrspace. Takashi Miyagi plays The Church on York with L.A. Witch and Z Berg.
Saturday, April 5
- Leagues @ The Satellite
- Fitz and the Tantrums @ Hollywood Palladium
- Sheppard, Hotel Cinema, Midnight Faces @ The Echo
- Trentemoller @ The Fonda Theatre
- Feed Your Head presents The Breakups, Special Guest, Charlie Clark, TBA @ Lot 1
- Mr. Little Jeans album release @ Bootleg HiFi
- Widespread Panic @ Orpheum Theatre
- Omniflux, Nightmail, The Ian Fays, Nico Turner @ The Smell
- The War on Drugs, Line & Circle @ The Troubadour
- Dark Star Orchestra @ El Rey
- Peter Case, Ron Franklin @ McCabe's
- Hearty Har, Huxlee, Wistappear @ El Cid
- The Absolute, Animal Cloud, The Prowling Kind, Azadeh, The Midnight Pine, Blind Willies@ Hotel Cafe
DECISION:
Real happy to be welcoming back the always excellent The Breakups (at right) to Feed Your Head at Lot 1 tonight. Charlie Clark is opening the night and I have a Special Guest and a TBA to come.
Fitz and the Tantrums have graduated to the giant stage of the Hollywood Palladium.
Sunday, April 6
- The Magic Band, Jeffertitti's Nile @ The Troubadour
- Mikey Pauker, Holly Williams, Heroine December, Scotty Grand @ Hotel Cafe
- Kate Taylor, Kelly Fitzgerald @ McCabe's
DECISION:
The Magic Band (at right), playing the music of Captain Beefheart, play The Troubadour on an otherwise very quiet Sunday night. The musically ambitious and adventurous Jeffertitti's Nile open the show.
LAST WEEK'S SHOWS:
Manhattan Murder Mystery and So Many Wizards each played amazing sets at Space 15 Twenty on Saturday evening. A terrific gathering of show goers descended on the place and turned it into a fantastic party. Totally made my week!
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