Little Boots Get Everyone's Feet Moving...

So, I went to The Roxy last night for an anticipated night of synthy singer pop - headlined by the British sensation (and new Elektra artist) Little Boots.

I got there early enough to catch both openers, the first being Yes Giantess. Hailing from Boston, this triple synth/keys quartet (there is also a drummer) played catchy, danceable, 80s anthem influenced potential anthems. While the crowd was not huge as they ran through their forty minute set, the people who were there certainly enjoyed themselves. The singer's voice, while not the voice of Little Boots or the front woman for Music Go Music, carries the songs well - and he was animated on stage. On the singers right and left were other band members rocking out on keys and synth, one of whom was rocking an awesome Cleveland Indians hat and I subsequently found out grew up in Chagrin Falls, OH....a few neighborhoods away from my hometown.

Speaking with the band afterwards, who now reside in Boston, MA, they seem genuinely excited about the prospects for their future. They'd just played Chicago the night before, were shooting up to San Fran the next day, and then heading to Europe for a serious serious tour. Searching for their music online this morning, I stumbled across this awesome link - http://neongoldrecords.blogspot.com/2009/06/mixtape.html where you can download a 60 minute mixtape of theirs for free. I haven't given it a full listen, but free music is free music...

The next band to follow was Music Go Music, or as I sometimes dyslexic-ally refer to them as Go Music Go. That group has a lot going on on stage - especially because they have so many people. The singers voice is big and carries well, but I can't say that I loved her because her stage presence I found more irritating than charming. She moved her arms really flamboyantly, kind of like Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, which drew my attention toward her far too frequently. While I didn't like her flamboyance or unique look (especially her ugly ass vest), the heavily gay crowd really didn't seem to mind her stage antics. What I found myself enjoying was not the singer, but the drummer - who played a relatively small kit (5-7 pieces). He was great and versatile - which kind of fits the band as I felt that they did not really have a defined sound. They waxed and waned from indie-upbeat music to music that had flavors of hippie and jam rock to ballad type songs. Since I have not listened to their recordings, this may just be their way of making their performance more interesting. However, assuming that their recordings are similar to their live performance, I'd say this band is still finding their niche.

After MGM, it was a considerable wait until Little Boots finally went on. She opened the show with her danceable hit, "Meddle" which caused an eruption in the crowd that had grown considerably from the end of MGM's set. Sitting in what appeared to be a packed house, I felt very fortunate to be in a seat in VIP rather than on the dance floor. I had a great view of the stage as well as the entertaining crowd. She continued to rifle through much of the music on her album (that is not yet released in the states) and had the good sense of humor to joke with the crowd that despite her record not being available, it appeared that the whole crowd already knew the songs. Personally, I thought it was very nice and refreshing to see an artist, especially a major label one, embracing the piracy rather than getting upset about it. Along with Boots was her drummer (exceptional) and synth player (also great).

At precisely midnight, as she began a new song, part of her stage light show started flashing Jewish Stars/Stars of David. While this very well could be in everyone of her performances, I thought it was really cool because last night just happened to be Rosh Hashannah, the Jewish New Year. Although you begin worship at sundown, technically I think the New Year doesn't begin until midnight. If Boots is going into that level of detail for her stage set-up, than I am even more excited to see her again.

Not only was the stage lighting cool, but Boots' outfit rocked. She wore some white celled looking dress that had shoulder pads (a la David Byrne, stop making sense). Boots' looked totally hip and her sexy white outfit was a great contrast to her synth players graphic wolf t-shirt (which I want). To top it off, for her encore, Boots changed into some shaggy looking dress that kind of reminded me of the hair on a Komondor.

All in all, Boots delivered a stellar 55 minute set plus a two song encore. My only disappointment was that she did not do her cover of the Virgins that she re-genderized and called "Rich Boys." I look forward to seeing her again next time she comes around...

Monolith Music Festival 2009

As you all are well aware, I spent this past weekend in Denver, CO at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre for the Monolith Music Festival. I have to start out by saying that Red Rocks is by far the best music venue that I have ever been to in my life. It is in the small town of Morrison and it is built right into the center of a beautiful mountain. The greatest ting about Red Rocks is that the sound is breathtaking. There truly is not one bad seat in the entire venue and no matter where you are (even if it is in the parking lot) you can hear the music perfectly.

A very big thank you to Claire and everyone at Madison House Publicity for bringing SUPERGOODMUSIC to the Monolith Music Festival. It was an amazing two days and I am so happy that I was able to be there and to share my experience with all of you.

Enjoy my review of the festival below.

Monolith Festival: Day One

I knew that I was in for a very interesting weekend when I arrived at Red Rocks to colder than normal weather and some pretty heavy rain, but the prospect of seeing so many incredible bands in one day helped me to rally under some pretty bad festival circumstances.

After hearing so much about Red Rocks, I knew that I couldn’t begin my first experience at this historic venue without spending some quality time in what is referred to as Shakedown Street. Named after the song by Grateful Dead, Shakedown Street is where many music going people congregate to tailgate before anyone ventures into the venue. After spending around 2 hours in Shakedown Street, my crew and I made our way into Red Rocks to start enjoying all that the festival had to offer.

Whenever I attend a festival for the first time, I need to spend a good amount of time gathering my bearings of the environment. After looking at the festival map online a couple weeks ago, I was intrigued as to how everything was going to be set up. First there was the regular main stage where concerts at Red Rocks usually take place, but up at the top of what seemed like a million stairs, was another smaller stage called the Southern Comfort stage. Around the corner from the main stage was the madeloud.com stage, and in the depths of the Red Rocks Amphitheatre where there is a mini museum were two small stages called the woxy.com stage and the Radius Earphones Stage.

The first band that I was able to see was The Walkmen who played at the Southern Comfort Stage at 5:30. I have been a fan of The Walkmen since their album Bows + Arrows came out in 2004, so I was very excited to see them in concert. Even though it was very cold and the rain was coming down very hard, the band didn’t let either of those two factors affect their performance. It was the perfect way to start off Monolith because The Walkmen gave a highly energetic performance that was filled with great songs like “The Rat,” “What’s In It for Me,” and “Little House of Savages.”

After The Walkmen, I made my way over to the main stage to see one of my favorite artists M.Ward. If you don’t know anything about M.Ward then I highly suggest you check out his music because he has been making some great albums for many years now. His set included many songs off of his latest album Hold Time and it was the perfect act to see before the night really began to take off.

Following M.Ward was Girl Talk. If you have never seen Girl Talk than you are missing out on one of the most interesting live shows out there right now. For those unfamiliar (which I’m sure there aren’t many of you) Girl Talk is a DJ of sorts who crafts mash ups of artists that you never would think go together, but he makes it work. One great thing about Girl Talk is that he always brings members of the audience on stage with him in an effort to feed of the energy that they bring to aid in his “performance.” Even though the days heaviest rain occurred during his set, Girl Talk was one of the best artists that I saw all weekend.

Following Girl Talk was one of the best bands out right now the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I had seen the Yeah Yeah Yeahs four times now this summer, but every time that I see them they continue to impress me. Their set is the perfect mixture of new material and classics that you expect the band to play. Many people attending Monolith this year were concerned that they wouldn’t bring a high energy performance, but I assumed that they had never seen the band from Brooklyn before, and hopefully they were blown away by how amazing the band is live. The highlight, for me, came when during the opening of “Heads Will Roll.” There is just something about the opening notes that just take you into another zone. They once again proved to me that they are one of the best live bands touring right now, if you ahven’t seen them, than you need to immediately.

Day one of the Monolith may have been cold and wet, but it did what every first day of a festival is supposed to do and that’s get you even more hyped up for day two.

Monolith Festival: Day Two

Even though it rained day two of Monolith, it was not as heavy as day one, and for most of the day, festival goers were treated to blue skies and amazing music. When I woke up that morning, I checked twitter and read a tweet from Passion Pit saying that they were taking over Phoenix spot because MSTRKRFT had cancelled and Phoenix was moving to the main stage. Even though I was looking forward to seeing MSTRKRFT, I was ok with the cancellation because I felt that Phoenix deserved to be on the main stage.

I got to the festival earlier than I did the day before to ensure that I could see more music than I did yesterday. The first band that I wanted to see was Neon Indian, who was scheduled to play the woxy.com stage at 3:00 PM. Even though it was completely packed, I was able to enjoy a few songs by this upcoming band. If you haven’t heard of Neon Indian, than you need to find their music online and learn about them now before they become the Passion Pit of 2010.

After Neon Indian, I made my way over to the main stage to see The Dandy Warhols perform. I used to be a big fan of The Dandy Warhols and it has been a very long time since I have listened to one of their albums, but as soon as they began I was immediately taken back to the time when I used to listen to them all the time. The highlight came at the end of their set when the band played their biggest song “We Used To Be Friends.”

When The Dandy Warhols were finished, I headed back up the stairs to the Southern Comfort Stage to see The Thermals play. By that time, the rain picked back up again, so I found a spot to sit on the wall and sat there as I enjoyed The Thermals set. The crowd there had to be full of people who loved them because it seemed as if everyone there knew all the words to their songs. Even though I’m not that familiar with them, I found it very refreshing to see so many people enjoying them.

Before The Thermals were done, I made my way back down to the main stage to see The Glitch Mob. I had never heard of them before, so I knew that I needed to check them out because you don’t play the main stage at a festival without having major credibility. What I loved most about seeing The Glitch Mob is that I didn’t know who they were, so my expectations were completely blown away by what I witnessed. The Glitch Mob is made up of three DJs who use these touch screen tablets as their turntables and also use what looks like the drum set from RockBand to add heavy drums to the songs. They took me by surprise because it was unlike anything that I have ever seen before. Each of the three members does something different to each song and I enjoyed everything that they did. I love nothing more than discovering love for a new band or artist while at a festival and I look forward to seeing more of The Glitch Mob in the future.

After The Glitch Mob I traveled back up the stairs to get prepared to see Passion Pit play at 7:00 PM on the Southern Comfort Stage. To me, Passion Pit is a double-edged sword because I love their music so much, but after seeing them live twice, and being very disappointed by them, I was hoping that they would prove me wrong, unfortunately, they didn’t. The band sounds great live; it’s just that lead singer Michael Angelakos voice isn’t good live. It’s upsetting because I love the band so much.

I left Passion Pit early to ensure that I would get a good spot for one of my favorite bands, Phoenix. I have been dying to see Phoenix for so many years now and to be able to finally see them live and at one of the United States best music venues was a dream come true. The great thing about their set was that many people there were disappointed that they weren’t going to be seeing MSTRKRFT, and they were worried that Phoenix wasn’t going to be as good a live show as MSTRKRFT. In my opinion, Phoenix should have always been scheduled for the main stage, because after years of trying to break the States, they finally have with their latest album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Their set was filled with high-energy music that is the perfect storm of dance-pop goodness. Every song was amazing, but the highlight definitely came at the final song of their set “1901,” purely because it was the song that everyone knows so it brought the energy of the crowd way up.

Unfortunately, I had to leave early due to an early flight the next morning, but I was more than happy to end Monolith on such a high note.

This was the third year for Monolith and I recommend that anyone who is able to attend the festival in the future to do so because it was one of the best festivals that I have ever been to. They always have an amazing lineup and I can guarantee that it will only get better with age.

Enjoy all of my pictures from the weekend below.

Red Rocks at Night

Girl Talk

WOXY.com Stage

The Walkmen at Southern Comfort Stage

Phoenix

Passion Pit

Passion Pit at Southern Comfort Stage

Monolith Festival Crowd

The Glitch Mob
The Dandy Warhols

The Main Stage at Monolith
Empty Amphitheatre

Main Stage at Monolith

Shakedown Street at Monolith

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Spaceland Goes Bananas

I can't say that I've been to a performance at Spaceland like Saint Motel's house shaking get-down on Monday night. The band pulled out all the stops to create a truly memorable event.

There were scantily clad women on stage, there was live video feed, there was sequenced footage, there were props, there were free condoms, there was character, there was charisma, there was a frontman without pants!

It was the first time I've been at Spaceland and witnessed not just one crowd surfer, but multiple crowd surfers. And not only were there multiple crowd surfers, but one of them happened to be A/J Jackson, the birthday boy and vocalist/guitarist of Saint Motel - who was celebrating his birthday. His buddies hoisted him up during the encore as he continued to rip smooth licks on his guitar.

A Sharp, the lead guitarist, did some creative guitar play of his own, a fedora rocking Dak was thumping on his bass as scantily clad women with boas hung all over him, and Greg Erwin kept the party moving with his infectious drumming.

All in all it was a night not to be missed and surely to be remembered. Don't miss next week when they bring it with the EXPERIMENTAL theme....I'm already excited.

Black Keys Hip-Hop Album!?!?!?!?!

Black Keys are releasing an album with a slew of hip-hop all-stars, including Mos Def, RZA, Raekwon, Ludacris and Q-Tip. Billboard's got the story. Check it out here.

CONCERT BLAST 09.14 - 09.20

THE CONCERT BLAST...

Monday September 14^th

Leslie & The Badgers, Rudy Friedman, Correatown, Olin and The Moon @ Echo (FREE)

Saint Motel, Astra Heights, The Black & White Years, Divisible @ Spaceland (FREE)

The Foreign Exchange, Nicolay @ The Roxy

Joshua James, Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons, Maxim Ludwig @ Troubadour

Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West @ Jay Leno Show

Bella Novela @ The Continental Room

Ace Frehley @ The Grammy Museum

Asia Whiteacre w/ The Mint Sessions @ The Mint (Free After 9:30)

Suicide Silence, 13 Killing, The Dark Alliance @ Key Club

JT Spangler, Kristi Jo, Josh Damigo, Joel Eckels @ Room 5

Dave Matthews Band @ The Tonight Show w/ Conan O’Brien

Alex Band, Josiah Leming, Vincent Minor, James Maddock @ Hotel Cafe

Dirty Penny, Lamour, JMD, Eric Baines, The Brittanys @ The Viper Room

Golden Hits, Sweatson Klank, As Is, Warrior Line @ Echo Curio

Dadfag, Computer Lab, Brotman & Short, Teen Beer @ Pehrspace

Funkmosphere @ Carbon (FREE)

Stereofix @ Detroit Bar (Free)

Yvonne Reyes, Mitch Allan & Guests @ Molly Malones

Paisty Jenny @ Whisky A Go Go

The Icarus line, Ogod, Radio Freq @ Silverlake Lounge (Free)

John Torres, Jennie Laws, Daniel Velasco & Andy Zuniga, Annie Dingwall, Nicole Davis @ Genghis Cohen

Tuesday September 15^th

Throw Me The Statue, The Brunettes, Devon Williams, Nurses @ Echo

Vieux Farka Toure, Weave @ Echoplex

Arctic Monkeys @ Hollywood Palladium

Filter Presents: The 88, Hanne Hukkelberg, Jeremiah Streeter, Simon Lynge @ Spaceland ($6 w/ Flyer)

Fanfarlo, The Love Language @ Troubadour

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, YACHT @ Fox Theater Pomona

Cubensis @ Marlin Bar & Grill

Broken Nobles, Man’s Assassination Man, Hiking, The Widow Babies @ The Smell

Sea Wolf, Afternoons @ Detroit Bar

Phoenix @ The Tonight Show w/ Conan O’Brien

Dan Dyer @ LA County Fair

Andrea Bocelli @ Kodak Theatre

Sharif @ The Fox and Hounds

Kellie Pickler, Bob DiPiero, Chris Lindsey, Aimee Mayo @ HOB – Sunset

Marcus Very Ordinary @ The Viper Room

Sonos (Record Release Show), Nina Storey, Robin Smith, Former/Future @ Hotel Cafe

Earthbaby, Sixstep, Ricky Hopkins & Urban Band @ The Mint

Snow in Africa @ Key Club

Defusions of Grand Tour w/ The Idyllists, Marcus Very Ordinary, Gregg Tillery, The Hoof & The Heel @ The Viper Room

Mister Nervous, Pointless Thorns, Adam Bones, Jennifer Stuler @ Downstairs Lounge – The Viper Room

Spacewaves, Molino, Heavy Water Experiments @ Echo Curio

Mustard Pimp, Acid Girls, Them Jeans, Dan Oh @ Cinespace

Lauren Tarantino, Trey Lockerbie @ Room 5

'

Kaile Goh, Give Up The Girl @ Molly Malones

Sea Wolf @ Detroit Bar

The Devil Whale, Novi Split, The Young Whiskey @ Silverlake Lounge

Save Darfur Benefit Concert @ Knitting Factory (Front Stage)

Valet Park This, Meldrum @ Whisky A Go Go

Rob Paryonian (comedy), The Westar, Hope Easton and The Adam Kadmon Band @ Genghis Cohen

Wednesday September 16^th

Dub Club @ Echoplex

The French Semester, Team Abraham, Downtown Union, Rademacher @ Silverlake Lounge

Club NME w/ Diane Birch @ Spaceland

Scion House Party @ The Roxy (10:30 pm – RSVP for guest list)

Laura Izibor, Chaz @ The Roxy

Dj Quikie Mart @ On The Roxy

Chairlift, Glasser, John Maus @ Troubadour

Phoenix, Metric, The Soft Pack @ Greek Theatre

The Killers @ Hollywood Bowl

Dilated Peoples @ Key Club

Monotonix, Signals, TPF!, PROTECT ME @ The Smell

Cobbie Caillat, Howie Day @ HOB – Anaheim

Miley Cyrus @ Jay Leno Show

Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ The Tonight Show w/ Conan O’Brien

Esperenza Spalding w/ John West @ El REy Theatre

New Maximum Donkey @ El Cid

Fanfarlo @ Echo (Unconfirmed)

Andy Caldwell @ Ecco Ultra Lounge

The Growlers, Dirt Dress, Audacity, My Pet Saddle @ Bootleg Theater

Richard Cheese @ Henry Fonda Theatre

Robotanists, Vanaprasta, Golden Years @ Club Moscow

Diamonds Under Fire, Watson 66 @ Molly Malones

Wagatail Presents: Telepath, Big Gigantic @ The Mint

Mike Blumberg @ Universal Bar & Grill

A Skylit Drive @ The Crossing

Sea Wolf, Afternoons @ Glass House

Dan Dyer @ LA County Fair

Ohm, Dead Off Center, Lucid Dream Factory @ Whisky A Go Go

Sleepweel Sweetheart @ The Viper Room

Otep @ Whisky A Go Go

Oak & Gorski, Chris Trapper, James Snyder, Linus of Hollywood, Anglos @ Hotel Café

Halloween Town, Sleepweel Sweetheart, 8mm, Lucky Valentine @ The Viper Room

Hank Floyd, Jazz Three-O, Paul Hasch @ Room 5

Young Gullie, Bellz, Fresh @ Knitting Factory (Front Stage)

Telescope, Family of The Year @ Knitting Factory (Alterknit Lounge)

Matt Lowell, Betsy Hammer, Jalopy & Friends @ Genghis Cohen

Thursday September 17^th

The Drones, Model, Actress, Bridezilla @ Echo

Down and Derby Roller Disco @ Echoplex

Miranda Lee Richards, The Shine Brothers, Highway, Go Fever @ Spaceland

The French Semester, The Monthlies, The Robatanists, Cola Cola @ Air Conditioned Lounge

Sea Wolf, Afternoons, Sara Lov @ Troubadour

Soulive w/ The Shady Horns, Nigel Hall, DJ Mike Relm @ El Rey Theatre

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, YACHT, The Breeders@ Greek Theatre

Colbie Caillat, Howie Day @ HOB – Anaheim

Bruce Hornsby, Eric Clapton @ Jay Leno Show

Links @ Detroit Bar

DUBLUVA, Kounterfeit Change @ Lighthouse

Blink 182, Asher Roth, Taking Back Sunday, Weezer @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

Lemon Sun @ The Gypsy Lounge

Gary Allan @ Club Nokia

The Gaslight Anthem, Murder By Death, The Loved Ones, Frank Turner @ Henry Fonda Theatre

Bajofondo, Anomie Belle @ Mayan Theatre

Scrote @ Steve Allen Theatre

Joey Cape, Chad Rex, Jon Snodgrass @ The Knitting Factory (Front Stage)

Apoptygma Berzerk, Aerodrone, The Surrender @ Knitting Factory

The Airborne Toxic Event, Red Cortez @ Fox Theatre

Bella Novela @ Old Town Pub (Pasadena)

Dan Dyer, Creedence Clearwater Revisited @ LA County Fair

Brownout! @ Zanzibar

Every Time I Die, Bring Me The Horizon @ HOB – Sunset

Y & T, Mix Machine, Joe Steel @ Key Club

LA Guns @ Whisky A Go Go

Jake Coco, Bleu, Meredith Claire & The Mumbles, Brutus Gets The Girl, Melinda Ortner @ Hotel Café

Kinkade, The Hellen Back Quartet, Vanessa Hidary @ The Mint

Oh My God, Goons of Doom, Max & The Marginalized @ The Viper Room

Epitaph & Zune Present: Every Time I Die, Bring Me The Horizon @ HOB – Sunset

Links, Studiofix @ Detroit Bar

Latchkey Kid, Miso, Shevy Smith @ Saint Rocke

Kat Bailess @ Molly Malones

Timber Timbre, Minor Canon, The Street and Babe Shadow, What Laura Says @ Silverlake Lounge

Friday September 18^th

Club Underground @ Echo

Little Boots, Music Go Music, Yes Giantes @ The Roxy

Soul Slam V – Prince & Michael Jackson @ Echoplex

Everest, These United States, The Parson Redheads @ Troubadour

G Love and Special Sauce, Iration @ HOB – Anaheim

Joe Louis Walker @ Arcadia Blues Club

Dada Life, Felix Cartal @ Avalon

Nelly Furtado @ Tonigth Show w/ Conan O’Brien

Kool & The Gang @ Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts

Passafire, Fortunate Youth @ Saint Rocke

Kate Simko @ King King Club

Chester French, Blink 182, Fall Out Boy, The All-American Rejects @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

Frank Turner, Murder By Death, The Gaslight Anthem, The Loved Ones @ Avalon

Gipsy Kings @ Greek Theatre

Meat Puppets, Dead Confederate, Ume @ El Rey Theater

Very Be Careful, Andrea Ferraz & D’Agua, Pilar Diaz, DJ Rude One @ The Mint

June Panic & The Learning Curve @ The Airliner Club

Lord Jeff @ Synchronicity Space

Pink, The Ting Tings @ Staples Center

Sugar Ray @ Taste Of Newport

Bajofondo @ Glass House

Joe Henry, Alicia Witt @ Room 5

Dan Dyer, Average White Band, War @ LA County Fair

The English Beat, Drama Zone @ Brixton

Y & T @ Galaxy Theatre

Kim Divine @ Gypsy Den

John Nemeth @ Harvelles

Mint Entertainment @ Key Club

Dragonforce, Sonata Arctica, Taking Dawn @ HOB – Sunset

Philanthro Productions Presents Jason Bentley @ Boulevard 3

Hanne Hukkelberg, Dave Yaden & Skyler Stonestreet, Aras Baskauskas, Hallows, Frontier Ruckers @ Hotel Café

Burning Brides, Danko Jones, Taxi, The Corruption, The Plasticines @ The Viper Room

Absynths, Naima Earth, Family Tree Analog, Vid.I.Ous @ Echo Curio

Saccharine Trust, The Urinals, The chuck Dukowski Sextet, Saturn, Pipsqueak @ The Smell

Meho Plaza, Octave Cat, Kill Kill Kill, This Blinding Light @ Pehrspace

Jay-J, Danny Love, Lil’ Brandon @ Detroit Bar

Musicians Institute Graduation – James Alexander Band, Jamie Meyer, Paul Trudeau, The Boxing Gandhis @ Molly Malones

Night Horse, Sea of Air, Emeralds @ Bootleg

Thirteen Arrows, Lemon Drop Kick, Jeezum Crow, Bad Obsession, Basco Band, Short Necked Giraffes, Dirty Suicide @ Knitting Factory

Kida, 5-6 Deuce, The Savages, Top Notch @ Knitting Factory (Front Stage)

Adrian Bewley, Natalie Wattre, Pale, Kanude, After, Axia @ Knitting Factory (Alterknit Lounge)

Monica Richardson, Michael Ripoll, Eddie Berman @ Genghis Cohen

Saturday September 19^th

Funky Sole @ Echo (FREE)

Southern Culture on The Skids, Triple Chicken Foot, Speedbuggy, 5’Oclock Somewhere @ Echoplex

The Most Serene Republic, The Grates @ Spaceland

Chelsea Girls, Killola, Go Betty Go @ The Roxy (All Ages)

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, The Depreciation Guild, Cymbals Eat Guitars @ Troubadour

Mason Jennings, Crash Kings @ El Rey

Porcupine Tree @ Club Nokia

Blacklist Union @ Bar Sinister

Sueflayy Presents: Daniel Hawks, Nikki Lang, After (unconfirmed line-up) @ The Mint

Creedence Clearwater Revisited @ Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts

Bone Thugs N Harmony @ The Grove of Anaheim

Happy Mondays, Psychedlic Furs, Amusement Purks on Fire @ HOB – Anaheim

Average White Band @ Canyon Club

Space Cowboy @ Sabor Lounge

World/Inferno Friendship Society, Regime Noir @ The Knitting Factory

We Shot The Moon, Mansions, The Record Life, Fiasco! @ The Knitting Factory (Front Stage)

Ivan Ives, Johnny Polygon @ Knitting Factory (Alterknit Lounge)

Train @ Taste of Newport

Bad Boy Bill, Matt Tolfrey @ Avalon

Gabby La La & The Ukulady, Kit’N Tenders, Javarnanda, Megan Jacobs @ Echo Curio

DJ Oggy @ Blue Moon

Every Time I Die, Bring Me The Horizon @ Glass House

Leann Rimes, Dan Dyer @ LA County Fair

Matty G, Pablo Hassan, 12^th Planet, Caspa, DJ Evolution @ HOB – Sunset

People, Powder @ Key Club

Kat Parsons, The Appletons, Derek Evans, Dreamers, Ryan Blakely Smith and The Voyage,

Boomkat @ Hotel Cafe

Kottak, DJ Stacee Coleman, Kings of Spade, Soulsail, Sasha and Kliz-O, Vise, Honor Role, @

The viper Room

Global Deejays, Yang, Kid Krazzy @ Henry Fonda Theater

Pink Martini @ Hollywood Bowl

Hiking, The Deadly Finns, Devon Williams @ Pehrspace

Cobra Lillies (EP Release & Fashion Show) @ American Legion Post 206

Railroad to Alaska, Brookline @ Detroit Bar

Sassy Minxx @ Brixton South Bay

Big Whup, So Many Wizards, American Gil & The Major Dudes, Voice On Tape @ The Smell

Mark Ford & The Neptunes Club, Ghosthounds @ Saint Rocke

Evan Robinson, Steve Carson Band, Echo Division, Dead Rabbits @ Molly Malones

I See Hawks in LA, Gina Villalobos, Elliott Randall @ Bootleg

Heather Catelena, Alex Hwang, The Flashcards @ Genghis Cohen

Sunday September 20^th

The Avengers, Pansy Division, Paul Collins Beat (feat. members of Nerve) @ Echo

HellYa! Night w/ By Sunlight, Shirley Rolls, American Buffalo, Chris Garneau @ Spaceland

Karl Blau, No Kids, Tara Jane O’Neil, Mount Eerie @ Eagle Rock Center for the Arts

The Radiators @ Saint Rocke

Destruction of Rose @ Cobalt Café

Paris Strother, Ryan McDermott, Sunday Jazz Jam @ Room 5

Gov’t Mule, Carney @ HOB – Anaheim

Peter Frampton @ The Canyon Club

Ravi Shankar @ Hollywood Bowl

Kinky, Omar Torrez @ Grand Performances

Legal Weapon, Sylvia Juncosa, Nels Cline, Jon Wahl, Mike Watt & The Missingman,

Saccharine Trust, Carnage Asada, Bag Theory @ The Knitting Factory (Front Stage)

Frightened Rabbit, The Twilight Sad, We Were Promised Jetpacks @ The Knitting Factory

Doro, Resistance, Aukus, Sex Dept. @ Key Club

LAZ, Strong Arm Steady @ Zanzibar

Pieta Brown @ McCabe’s Guitar Shop

Dan Dyer @ LA Couny Fair

Superficial Saints @ Cozy’s Bar & Grill

Placebo @ Club Nokia

Quincy Blaque, Ken Stacey, Magnolia Memoir, Still Waters Run Deep, Nervous Breakdown @ Hotel Café

387 Music Entertainment Presents: Kalle Goh, Elena Deglinnocenti @ The Mint

High Voltage Presents: Loce N Load, Katie Cole, Livan, Dead Wasps @ The Viper Room

ARTN-SHANT All Stars Grand Concert @ Greek Theatre

India Calling @ Hollywood Bowl

Gospel Brunch @ HOB – Sunset (10 am; 1 pm seatings)

Clara Lofaro, Sheryl Cohen @ Molly Malones

Dave Matthews Band: 09/09/09 The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles

Last night I attended the Dave Matthews Band as they played The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. After seeing my first DMB show at the Outside Lands Music Festival two weeks, I was eager to see how they are in a normal concert setting. Photography was prohibited at the show last night, some people got kicked out for taking pictures, so I didn't risk it.

First things first, for anyone living in the Los Angeles who has never been to a show at The Greek than I suggest that you head over to their official website to see who is going to be coming their soon because it is now my favorite venue in Los Angeles. It is located up in the hills in the same area as the Griffith Park Observatory, making it a secluded venue that is engulfed in a sea of trees. The whole vibe up there is something to behold for yourself, so I recommend all SUPERGOODMUSIC fans to get there as soon as possible.

As for the show itself, it wasn't as good as the show I saw at Outside Lands. I'm no superfan, but I was with two friends who are, and they told me that the show was all over the place and too heavy on new material (9 out of the 20 songs were new). Another aspect that brought down the show was the crowd, which wasn't as into it as I would've expected since this was a 5,000 seat theatre that I thought would be filled with hardcore fans. There were numerous times during the show where large portions of the crowd would get up and make their way to the concession stands or bathrooms. One aspect that helped me to enjoy the show was that a lot of the setlist was similar to the one at Outside Lands, so I was more familiar with more of the songs than I expected. One of the major highlights of the show last night came during the song "Lying In The Hands of God," when a flutist by the name of Nestor Torres came out and blew away the audience with his ability, it was unlike anything that I had seen before.

Overall, I enjoyed myself for three reasons. First, the venue, which I can't stress how amazing it is to see a show at The Greek. Second, I've seen a lot of live music in my life, and even though I am not a huge Dave Matthews Band fan, I must admit that they give everything at their shows. You know if you pay to attend a concert of theirs that you will get your moneys worth because they are the kind of band that pours their heart out onstage every night. And last but not least, the company. Going to concerts with people you love always makes for a great evening.

Here is the setlist from last nights show:

Don't Drink the Water
Stay Or Leave
Seven
You Might Die Trying
Shake Me Like a Monkey
Lying In the Hands of God
Why I Am
Crush
Funny The Way It Is
Squirm
Where Are You Going
Alligator Pie
Dancing Nancies
So Damn Lucky
You and Me
Grey Street
Jimi Thing

Encore:
Baby Blue
The Maker
Tripping Billies

Monolith Festival: bands to look for

Here is another installment of Monolith Festival: bands to look for.

I leave for Denver, CO in just two days and I couldn't be more excited for this weekend of incredible music.

The Twilight Sad

It’s often very rare that you find a band whose name really represents their music, but The Twilight Sad do. Their music is very somber and evokes a very depressing mood, but I’m no stranger to sad music, and I find The Twilight Sad to be a very enjoyable band. How their music will play out during a festival is another story, because I have seen many “sad music” bands not translate very well to the festival scene. Regardless, I plan on making my way over to their set on Sunday and I hope you all do as well. To hear more music from The Twilight Sad, head over to their official MySpace page.

http://www.myspace.com/thetwilightsad

Thunderheist

Thunderheist are the latest Canadian import to bring with them a dance heavy electronic sound, but what separates them from other bands like them is the lo-fi quality that their music has. If you’re looking for gritty underground beats that you would normally find in a small dirty club than I highly recommend that you check out Thunderheist. Songs such as “Nothing 2 Step 2,” “Jerk It,” and my personal favorite, “LBG” are the easiest way to turn even the most proper parties into a more interesting affair. Watch their video for “Jerk It” below and head on over to their official MySpace page to hear more from Thunderheist.

http://www.myspace.com/thunderheist

Deer Tick

Deer Tick is a rock band. The beauty of them is that they aren’t trying to be something that they aren’t and all they want to do is make rock music. One of the things that makes them so special is the voice lead singer John Joseph McCauley III. You feel every single word that he sings because of how unique his scratchy voice is. Watch Deer Tick perform live on KEXP in Seattle below and head over to the bands official MySpace page to hear more music from them.

http://www.myspace.com/deertick

Woodhands

Woodhands is an electronic band from Toronto who made minor buzz this year with a popular remix of Peter, Bjorn & Johns “Nothing to Worry About,” but are now making waves with their own original music. Unlike other electro-dance bands from Canada, Woodhands is more listener friendly and not as harsh as the other bands from the North Country land. To hear more from this exciting band, head over to their official MySpace page, and if you can’t wait than watch their music video for “I Wasn’t Made For Fighting” below.

http://www.myspace.com/woodhands

Health

Health is one of the most buzzed about bands out right now and I am so excited to get the chance to see them live for the first time. The best way to categorize them as a band would be to call them experimental. They make music that is unlike anything that is out their right now, and even though most people may not like it, I have nothing but respect for a band that is going out on a limb and doing something different. Their latest album “Get Color” was released today and I highly recommend that all of you check it out. Watch their music video for “Die Slow” below and head over to their official MySpace page to hear more from this amazing new band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWZxThGh5wQ