CONCERT BLAST 5/26 - 5/31

CONCERT BLAST

Tuesday May 26^th

Morbid Angel @ Key Club

R.I.S.E. @ Dakota Live Music Lounge

Mandy Moore @ Amoeba Music

Robin Trower @ Canyon

Phantom Blue, Lizzy Borden, Meldrum, Lemmy Kilmister @ The Whisky

Seabird @ The Mint

50 Cent Haircut @ The Foundry on Melrose

The Sadies @ Spaceland

Avi Buffalo, Divasedero, Greater California, The Reporter Who Became King @ Echo

Ryan Hiller @ Molly Malones

Voices Voices @ The Smell

Roy G and the Biv @ Silverlake Lounge

Lady Sovereign, Chester French, Hollywood Holt @ El Rey

Dwight Yoakam @ The Tonight Show

Kellin Watson @ Cinema Bar

Jay Nash, Sam Bradley @ The Hotel Cafe

Wednesday May 27^th

Sun Kill Moon, Mia Doi Todd @ El Rey

The Prodigy, Destructo, The Glitch Mob @ Palladium

Chris Gelbuda, Philip Sayce @ Molly Malones

Jens Lekman, Tig Notaro @ Echo

Dub Club @ Echoplex

Erick Macek @ Café Muse

DNA, Octopus, The Naked, Gingerjake @ The Viper Room

Oh Darling, Black Apples, The Hard to Get, The Meemies @ Silverlake Lounge

Eric Knight @ King King Club

Neptune’s Favor, Rhythm Nun, Plague of Ravens @ The Scene

War Tapes @ Club Moscow/Boardner’s

Tim Moyer @ Club 705

Sarah McLachlan @ The Tonight Show

Tim Fagan @ Room 5

Allie Moss, Carina Round @ The Hotel Café

Roy G and the Biv, Love Grenades @ Spaceland

Tyler Brytant @ The Mint

Heat, 2 Much, Low Buggit Records, Ever Ready Records @ Knitting Factory

Links, Select Three @ The Knitting Factory (Alterknit Stage)

Chris Murray Combo, Black Square, EV Dub @ Knitting Factory (Alterknit Stage)

Veil Era @ The Mountain Bar

moe. , Days Difference @ The Roxy

The Thermals, The Shaky Hands @ The Troubadour

Lightnin’ Woodcock @ Air Conditioned Lounge (Venice)

Brian Buckley Band @ Dakota Live Music Lounge

Thursday May 28^th

Prince @ The Tonight Show

War Tapes @ The Continental Room

Curtis Peoples, Bryan Greenberg, Graham Colton @ Sainte Rocke

Roy G and the Biv @ Prospector

Karrin Allyson @ Catalina Jazz Club

Shetland Poneis, Will Crum @ The Scene

Phil Tallo, No Benefits, Hartbrake Kid, Something Hit, Derailed @ Whisky Go Go

St Vincent, Pattern Is Movement @ El Rey

Jens Lekman, Tig Notaro @ Echo

LOL 2 @ Echoplex (Presented by BUST and Comedy Is The New Black)

Kim D and the Killer Bees, The Mighty Regis @ Molly Malones
The Wooden Birds, The New Trust @ Spaceland

Fleetwood Mac @ Staples Center

You Me & Iowa, Restaurant, The High Strung @ Silverlake Lounge

Nite Jewel, Cave, Jealous, TRS-80, Monster @ The Smell

Jim Hanft, King Washington, The Hanks @ The Hotel Cafe

Passion Pit, Harlem Shakes, Cale Parks @ The Troubadour

Kim Garrison @ The Viper Room

Balkan Beat Box @ Zanzibar

Johanna Sarard, Silverface Champs, The Larks @ Taix

Duress, The Big Bag Theory, Breaking Down, Alestar Digby @ Viper Room

The Human Abstract, Kill The Mockingbird, Vanna, I Wrestled A Bear Once @ The Knitting Factory (Front Stage)

Volumen Cero, Los Hollywood @ Knitting Factory (Main Stage)
The Tartans, Northern Portrait @ Knitting Factory (Alterknit Stage)

Ben Harper and Relentless7, The Henry Clay People @ The Wiltern

Veil Era @ The Mountain Bar

Garaj Mahal, Keri Noble Trio @ The Mint

Robin Trower, Paula O’Rourke @ HOB – Sunset

Just Dave & Friends @ Irelands 32

moe. , Dilana @ The Roxy

My Life With the Thrill Kill Kilt, Lunarclick, Knights of Monte Carlo @ Key Club

Friday May 29^th

Karrin Allyson @ Catalina Jazz Club

50 Cent Haircut @ Casey’s

Jay Nash @ Sainte Rocke

Damon Moon and The Whispering Drifters, Living Suns @ Echo Curio

Brightblack Morning Light @ Eagle Rock Center for the Arts

King Khan & The Shrines, Mark Sultan (BBQ) @ Echo

Adam 12 (of She Wants Revenge) @ Temporary Spaces

Club Underground @ Echo

Passion Pit, Harlem Shakes, Cale Parks @ Echoplex

Windy & Carl @ Sync Space

Butch Walker, Shovels & Rope, Ponderosa @ El Rey

Bassnectar, Nosaj Thing, J-Boogie @ The Music Box at Henry Fonda Theatre

Bodies of Water, Sam Bradley @ The Hotel Café

Miss Derringer, Riverboat Gamblers @ Spaceland

Tiga, James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem, DFA), Destructo, Mr. White @ Avalon

Japandroids @ Silverlake Lounge

Kevin Fisher @ Molly Malones

Assuming We Survive, Inberst, Allura, Throwing Seven, Sans Eyes, Danny Johnson, Phathom @ The Knitting Factory

Vale, The Eternal, Suffering Luna, Destroy Judas @ The Knitting Factory (Alterknit)

Lykke Li @ The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever

Animal Collective, Grouper @ The Wiltern

DJ Oggy @ Blue Moon

Graham Parker @ McCabe’s Guitar Shop

The Lisa Donnelly Project, The Cool Table, Pete Loughran @ The Roxy

Vast @ Key Club

KROQ Presents: The Briggs, Time Again, Viva Hate, Majority Lost @ Knitting Factory

Stevie Starlight @ The Good Hurt

Magnus Hitch @ Trip

School of Seven Bells, Black Moth Super Rainbow, James Yuill @ Troubadour

Saturday May 30^th

Karrin Allyson @ Catalina Jazz Club

Funky Sole @ Echo (FREE)

King Khan & The Shrines, Windy & Carl @ Echo

50 Cent Haircut, Rose’s Pawn Shop @ Cinema Bar

Chris Botti @ Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts

The Mighty Regis, Bandwagon @ Joxer Daly’s

One Night Only – Phish Tribute @ Paul Gleason Theater

Kelly’s Lot @ Liquid Lounge

Battle Flask @ Surf City Saloon

Bishop Lamont @ HoB - Sunset

Dave Seaman @ Avalon

Ray Prim @ Genghis Cohen

Cindy Bullens @ Getty Center for the Arts

Pretty Boy Floyd @ Knitting Factory

Luckman Jazz Orchestra @ Luckman Theater

Fumosonic, The Ben Wendel Group @ Café Metropol

David Benoit @ Royce Hall

Angel Lebron @ Conga Room

Dane Cook @ Staples Center

DJ Oggy @ Tatou

Langhorne Slim, Samantha Crain & The Midnight Shivers @ Spaceland

Fuzz-Huzzi @ The Knitting Factory

Eric Corne, Merle Jagger @ The Mint

Paul Chesne @ O’Brien’s Irish Pub

Seizure Circus @ The Cocaine

Rava Yarbrough @ Room 5

Machete, High Symmetry @ On The Rox (Upstairs at The Roxy)

Billy Idol, Dave Mason, Venice @ Santa Monica High School

Peppermint Creeps, Mad Temple @ Key Club

The Flatlanders @ The Troubadour

Kelley James, John West, Miles Fisher @ The Roxy

Sunday May 31^st

One Trick Pony, Langhorne Slim @ Echo

Propagandhi @ Echoplex

Karrin Allyson @ Catalina Jazz Club

King Washington, The Janks, Loomis and The Lust @ Scene Bar

Fishtank Ensemble @ Getty Villa Family Festival

Mark Lanegan, Isobel Campbell @ El Rey

Bella Novela @ Redwood Bar & Grill

Curtis Peoples, Bryan Greenberg, Graham Colton @ Largo

Neil Hamburger @ Spaceland

Letha Lungs @ The Airliner Club

Warpaint @ Space 15Twenty

Forgive Durden, You, Me and Everyone We Know, Anarbor @ The Knitting Factory

Derek Jordan @ Universal Bar and Grill

40 Oz. To Freedom @ HOB – Sunset

DJ Quik @ Key Club

Vast @ Brixton

Black Bone Child @ Dakota Live Music Lounge

Marques Wyatt @ Vanguard

We Are Scientists @ Detroit Bar

The Fucking Wrath, Bastard Ass, Hearthrob, Nails, Dogs Holy Life, Bad Lovers, Xibaba @ Knitting Factory (Alterknit)

Private Wasabi, The Split, After the Reign, Unorthodox…@ Knitting Factory (1 pm)

ON THE RADAR

6/1 – The French Semester on Hunnypot Unlimited Radio

6/1 – Pearl Jam @ The Tonight Show

6/3 – 2 Live Crew @ Key Club

6/3 – Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head @ Spaceland

6/4 – Anthony Hamilton, Musiq Soulchild @ Club Nokia

6/5 - Kate Voegele w/ Angel Taylor, Amy Kuney @ El Rey

6/5 – Clues @ The Echo

6/5 – Erykah Badu @ Club Nokia

6/5 – Lucybell @ Knitting Factory

6/6 – Holy Fuck @ Troubadour

6/6 – Ziggy Marley @ Club Nokia

6/6 – Gavin Rossdale, Nico Vega @ El Rey

6/8 – Metric @ Wiltern

6/8 – The French Semester, Moving Picture Show, Helicopter Rounds, Beau Laundry @ Dakota Live Music Lounge

6/9 – 6/11 – The Tragically Hip @ Troubadour

6/10 – Crystal Antlers @ Spaceland

6/11 – Balkan Beat Box @ Key Club

6/12 – Del The Funky Homosapien, Mike Relm, Bukue One, Serendipity Project (The Funkman Tour) @ HOB – Sunset

6/12 – The Orb @ Henry Fonda

6/12 – 6/14 – Erotica LA @ LA Convention Center

6/13 - Incubus w/ The Duke Spirit @ Hollywood Bowl

6/13 – DataRock, Casxio @ Key Club

6/14 – Nicolay, The Foreign Exchange, The Elsewhere of X, KZM @ The Roxy

6/16 – Telepathe @ Detroit Bar

6/16 – 6/18 – Art Brut @ Spaceland

6/18 – Matisyahu, K’Naan, Dub Trio @ The Wiltern

6/18 – Busdriver @ Knitting Factory

6/19 – Art Brut @ The Echo

6/19 – Josh Groban @ Hollywood Bowl

6/19 – Todd Rundgren @ Club Nokia

6/19 - Jimmy Herring @ HOB - Sunset

6/19 – Ben Kweller, The Local Natives, The Jones Street Station @ El Rey

6/19 – US Air Guitar Championships @ Troubadour

6/20 – PJ Harvey & John Parish @ The Wiltern

6/20 – MC Lyte @ Knitting Factory

6/20 – DJ Quik feat. Kurupt @ HOB – Sunset

6/20 – The Mae Shi @ Mr. T’s Bowl

6/20 – Dinosaur Jr. @ Detroit Bair

6/21 – Femi Kuti, Santigold @ Hollywood Bowl

6/21 – Chairlift @ Detroit Bar

6/22-6/23 – Wilco @ The Wiltern (Sold Out!)

6/23 – thenewno2 @ Spaceland

6/25 – Wilco @ The WIltern

6/25 – Deastro @ Spaceland

6/26 - Aretha Franklin @ Hollywood Bowl (on sale Saturday at Noon)

6/26 – Bone Thugs N Harmony @ Club Nokia

6/26 - Xavier Rudd @ HOB – Sunset

6/27 – The Zombies, The Yardbirds @ The Spencer Davis Group @ The Wiltern

6/28 – Adele @ Hollywood Bowl

6/28 – Phoenix, Amazing Baby @ Wiltern

6/29 – Ani DiFranco @ Orpheum Theatre

6/29 – Ed Harcourt @ Bordello

6/30 – Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood @ Hollywood Bowl

7/1 – The French Semester @ Silverlake Lounge

7/4 – Deer Tick w/ Dawes @ Spaceland

7/5 – Death Cab For Cutie, New Pornographers, Tegan & Sara @ Hollywood Bowl

7/7 – The Hold Steady @ El Rey

7/9 – Old 97’s w Rhett Miller @ Henry Fonda

7/10 – Andrew Bird, Ra Ra Riot, Heartless Bastards @ Greek Theatre

7/10 – Boyce Avenue, Hana Pestle @ Knitting Factory

7/11 – Tortoise @ Troubadour

7/13 – Beyonce @ Staples Center

7/16 – Cowboy Junkies @ The Wiltern

716 – Germs, The Mae Shi, Spider Problem

7/16 – The Spires, The French Semester @ Echo Curio

7/17 – The Donnas @ Troubadour

7/17 – Ceu @ Roxy Theatre

7/21 – John Butler Trio @ Troubadour

7/21 – Counting Crows, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Augustana @ Greek Theatre

7/29 – Mika Miko @ Alex’s Bar

7/29 – Bedouin Soundclash @ The Roxy

7/31 – The French Semester @ Knitting Factory

8/04 – Bowerbirds, Megafaun @ Echo

8/05 – Dwele @ Key Club

8/07 – Herbie Hancock @ Hollywood Bowl

8/07 – Black Eyed Peas @ OC Super Fair

8/08 – Rock The Bells feat. Ice Cube, Nas, Big Boi, Busta Rhymes, The Roots, Reflection Eternal, Common, K’Naan, RZA, GZA, Raekwon, The Knux, Eyedea & Abilities, Pete Rock, KRS-One, Supernatural, Murs, Chali 2na, Evidence & Alchemist, and others…@ San Manuel Amphitheatre

8/08 – Morris Day & The Time @ Greek Theatre

8/12 – N.A.S.A @ El Rey

8/12 – Dr. John, James Cotton, Buddy Guy @ Hollywood Bowl

8/13 – Eric Krasno & Chapter 2, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk @ Key Club

8/23 – Dave Koz & Friends, Tower of Power @ Hollywood Bowl

8/26 – Cake @ Henry Fonda

8/28 – Ted Leo + The Pharmacists @ Echo

9/02 – Hall & Oates @ Nokia Theater L.A. Live

9/05 – Bob Weir & Ratdog w/ special guest Jackie Greene @ Greek Theatre

9/08 – AC/DC @ Honda Center

9/18 – Pink w/ The Ting Tings

9/24 –Beastie Boys @ Hollywood Bowl

10/4 – Kylie Minogue @ Hollywood Bowl

10/25 – U2, Black Eyed Peas @ The Rose Bowl

10/31 – Steve Aoki, Major Lazer, Diplo, Switch @ The Forum

WORD?!?!?

• Gangi, who just played their last FREE MONDAY at Spaceland on Memorial Day, is not very good. The critic in me hopes it is the duo’s last appearance at Spaceland, and for any bill that I am going to take my time to attend for that matter. How did that duo ever get the highly coveted Spaceland residency in the first place?!?!? They were absolute garbage. The main MC could barely get the crowd to put their hands up - not even his friends would do it...and this was at the last show of the residency. Their vocals blew. To call their integration of electronic drums (and other effect) into their pop-ish sound mediocre would be an overstatement. I didn’t see one group of people in the crowd who were thoroughly enjoying Gangi’s music. It felt as though half the crowd was there to see Local Natives continue to generate more hype for their machine. They are playing June 19^th at the El Rey Theater and hopefully will be well on their way after that. The quintet is certainly talented, as exhibited by their ability to seamlessly move in between each others instruments. The other half of the crowd was most likely there to see Warpaint play after Gangi – word on the street is that Warpaint is not to be missed…unfortunately, I had to leave early.

• Suburban Nirvana Club had its first ever Multi-Day Concert Event this weekend playing host to Carmel Helene, an up and coming singer/songwriter, on Friday and featuring the pleasure inducing tunes of rising shoegaze immigrant-pop band The French Semester on Saturday. With a well lubricated crowd and no visits from the police, the suburban festival was a wild success.

• Lady Sovereign, Chester French and Hollywood Holt are performing TONIGHT at Henry Fonda Theatre. This should be a banger folks; in my opinion hip-hop/hip-pop line-ups in L.A. generally aren’t this good from top to bottom. Hollywood Holt is a rising hip-hop artist who hails from Chicago. His performances are charged with energy and he is one of those rare hip-hop openers that is actually should not be missed…so get there early. Chester French is one of Pharrell Williams’ artists whose been popping up more frequently in the music scene, including on several remixes and on Common’s most recent release. Lady Sovereign is the tiny foreign female rapping phenomenon who packs a lot of verbal ammunition in a petite package.

• What is up with airplanes flying over the beach trailing advertisements for up and coming concerts???? Is that really an efficient promotional expenditure? Doesn’t it cost a lot of money to just have a plane fly over the beach for a few minutes? Do those dollars really translate into that many more ticket sales that would otherwise not occur? I’m not claiming to be an advertising or marketing guru – but I’m down by the Santa Monica beach this weekend when I saw flyovers promoting tickets for Pink featuring The Ting Tings. It just seems a bit too expensive of an advertising push – and I think it has the opportunity to backfire. I generally don’t like seeing those flyover advertisements, let alone the planes that are trailing them, when I am trying to enjoy a clear day of sunshine and the ocean breeze. If I was on the fence about that show, I no longer am.  I wouldn't go unless I were to get a free ticket. Then I’d go. Cause I’ll go see music if it is freeJ

• Green Day will be playing their first show in support of their new release, 21^st Century Breakdown, on June 4^th at the Music Box at Henry Fonda. It is a hot ticket; I tried to buy some within 15 minutes of their going on sale and got no love. Green Day won’t play another show for more than a month, so this night should be a real treat for anybody who was lucky enough to get tickets. Speaking of, anybody have an extra?

• Ben Harper and Relentless7 is playing The Wiltern on Thursday. Their recently released debut album is absolutely fantastic. If you have not had the privilege of seeing these guys in action and you are a fan of rock n’ roll and/or Ben Harper, you must go see this band! Just as a bonus, they’ve got The Henry Clay People opening for them – an LA group that has received a lot of buzz since SXSW.

• Passion Pit comes through L.A. at the end of the week – rocking Troubadour on Thursday night and Echoplex on Friday (both shows are sold out – if you have an extra or an in at the Troub – PLEASE LET ME KNOW). If you have never heard of PP, check out their exceptional song “The Reeling” from their full length album Manners. FYI, a free remix of it should still be available for download at rcrdlbl.com.

• Lisa Donnelly has her CD RELEASE PARTY at The Roxy on Friday May 29^th. I caught her for the first time a few weeks ago. She has a great vibe going with her band and her voice is pretty. If you’re looking for good tunes, but something that isn’t aggressive L.A. indie rock, check her out.

• Roy G and the Biv will be in town this week. They’ve made the trek all the way from Texas and hopefully L.A. embraces this fun, hip-hop influenced electro-pop group because I like them and want them to come back. They will be at Silverlake Lounge tonight, Spaceland on Wednesday and The Prospector in Long Beach on Thursday night. Check out “Runnin” or “In My Cards” here http://www.myspace.com/roygandthebiv.