Results tagged “knittingfactory”

Open since 2000, Hollywood Boulevard's music venue The Knitting Factory announced yesterday that they will not renew their lease for the site, which ends on October 31st of this year, reports the LA Times music blog Pop & Hiss.

Supporting their second album, Get Young! Boston indie rockers, Pretty & Nice will be playing the Knitting Factory on Sunday. Often compared to Elvis Costello and Devo these art rockers' spazzed out, messy, giddy sound has won them applause from the critics and the kids who just want to dance. (Or jump up and down as the case may be.) Lead singer and founding member Jeremy Mendicino, was kind enough to talk to us from the road on Sunday. Here is some of what was said. Pretty & Nice - Tora Tora Tora

We haven't seen a Sunday like this since the summertime. We've got Athens-based new wave rock band the B-52's performing at Club Nokia in Downtown. Seattle's own experimental rockers Minus the Bear will be coming through the Henry Fonda Music Box with our favorite Raleigh-based indie pop group, the Annuals. LA locals Tigers Can Bite You are slated to rock at the Alterknit Lounge at the Knitting Factory. And, lastly, singer-songwriter Charlie Wadhams will be continuing his month-long Sunday Night Residency at Tangier. Word on the street is that Tangier will be closing its doors soon due to financial woes. But how could anyone turn down the Part Time Punks Festival at the Echo and Echoplex compound? Not only will some of LA's prominent fringe acts be playing (The Muslims, Mika Miko, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti), but living legends like Manchester's A Certain Ratio will be headlining the predominantly punk-tinged extravaganza. It will be the band's first performance in the US since 1985—the year I was born.

The Knitting Factory's conditional use permit was challenged last month and if they lost a Conditional Use Permit hearing, they could have been forced to close their doors. Someone at the Scientology building next door allegedly started a petition complaining about the music venue which started this whole matter.

On Thursday, the Hollywood music venue, Knitting Factory, will be at a morning hearing that could revoke the Conditional Use Permit that allows the space to operate. The hearing was prompted by a petition circulated by an employee of the neighboring Scientology building and signed by a total of 31 people, according to a Knitting Factory spokesman. The two complaints listed say that the venue is a nuisance to the community and challenges their adherence to the permit. Rumors are also floating around that there are tensions between the venue and landlord, CIM Group, but the Knitting Factory says they hear the developer may "go at bat" for them.

The music venue that is the Knitting Factory has been a mainstay in the resurgence of Hollywood since 2000. As an anchor tenant and early adopter of the area, the New York City based club saw Hollywood change from having the 18th Street Gang territory sit one block away to having tourists flock the area making it a likely candidate for one of the most pedestrian dense areas in the city. Now that the area is built up and the Factory is surrounded by national brand name stores and businesses, trouble has come knocking on the door.

For a band named after the Hawaiian word for "hello," Aloha seemed a little shy during their too-brief opening set for the Velvet Teen on Tuesday night. But the scrawny indie kids were confident about their musicianship, which was impressive indeed. The band played with a blend of Death Cab For Cutie's melodic sense and the Sea and Cake's jazzy virtuosity, with drummer Cale Parks unleashing a torrent of polyrhythms from his lightning-like hands. Aloha didn’t lean too heavily on their new material, only playing one song from last year’s Light Works EP, but the energetic set didn’t suffer for it. The young-ish crowd, likely there to see Velvet Teen (or Black Moth Super Rainbow across the hall on the main stage), was attentive and even supportive; it’s too bad the band had to cut things short. More photos after the jump.

Luckily, since SXSW Music officially starts on Wednesday, tonight's massive line-up of residencies is hardly affected, save for The Voom Blooms who are replaced by We Barbarians and others at the Viper Room tonight (full list of tonight's residencies after the jump). However, the exodus of Los Angeles based bands is upon us.

The Guide to March Rock Music Residencies has been updated with a few more listings -- it seems as if residencies are catching on, which is a good thing. Meanwhile, Howlin Rain plays their last LA concert before a tour promoting their new album, Magnificent Fiend, that was released yesterday.

Our brain is going to explode with all the great choices tonight. From friggin' amazing jazz (see, we're not swearing) at UCLA to folk-punk sensibilities of The Hackensaw Boys at Tangier in Los Feliz (video after the jump), tonight is a bounty of gold. Also, Jim Bianco will be at Amoeba and it's the first night for Wednesday night March residencies.

What Made Milwaukee Famous finish up their Los Angeles tour playing along with Tulsa and the British Sea Power/Colourmusic bill moves over to Spaceland. On the Westside, there's only one choice to make and that is hip-hop violinist Paul Dateh at the Temple Bar (check out our interview with him including video). Over in Little Tokyo, Vosotros is having a record release party at LAND for their new album featuring 12 bands. You can get the music free on iTunes via their podcast (search "vosotros the lazy susan" and click on the image)

If you cannot make it to hear the amazing jazz vocalist, Julia Fordham, at The Roxy tonight, opening up at Hotel Cafe tonight is Tiffany Randol, who we caught at one of <strong>Alex & Sam's Tangier shows. The front woman of NYC based glam rock band, Valeze, has now gone solo singer/songwriter style, making Los Angeles her second home, and is bringing out a new sound that is more folk-acoustic-pop than anything. The LA newbie can belt out her lyrics like a pro and her body and hips swing as if the music has seduced her in some kind of trance. Later at the Hotel Cafe, one of acoustic favs plays his last night of the Hotel Cafe residency -- stay for Brian Wright and the Waco Tragedies. ~ Z.B.

LA Weekly points us to some hot picks for tonight. About Girl in Coma: "Joan Jett knows a thing or two about rock & roll, and her latest protegees, Girl in a Coma, on her Blackheart label are one of the best and most interesting bands to come out of Texas in a long time," writes Falling James. They also play Alex's Bar in Long Beach tomorrow night. Also, Brian Wahl picks the "rare appearance" of Buddy Collette Big Band, who will be playing at the Terrace Court on the second level of Paseo Colorado at 8 p.m.

Willie Nelson may be playing downtown tonight, but if you want some folk rock that's local and amazingly fresh, go hear Brian Wright and the Waco Tragedies. We heard them last week at their first show of their Hotel Cafe February residency and it was in-your-face and beautiful. But you've got a tough choice if you like this kind of music because when it rains, it pours -- Canadian acoustic folk soul-grass band, The Duhks, will be at the Knitting Factory.

For a band of two 16-year-olds and one 17-year-old, Din Caliber has a huge sound that's quite exciting. And Linda Perry, record label owner/producer (credits include Gwen Stefani, Pink, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilara), has her eye on them. The home schooled trio practices four to five nights a week for four hours and has played the House of Blues and a few shows at the Whiskey A Go Go. Tonight they play the Knitting Factory on the Main Stage. Also of note tonight is the North Mississippi Allstars who mix punk, rock and down-home blues (it's quite lovely). They'll be sharing the stage tonight with the Drive-By Truckers at the Avalon.

For those who joined us last night (thank you for coming!), we witnessed many hot and bothered moments with an excellent band we've never hard before -- The Makers (we can't find their website, help). They are in residency at Seven Grand every Tuesday and we highly recommend checking them out. For tonight, first night residencies for this month happen at the Viper Room, Hotel Cafe and the Silverlake Lounge (see our Guide to February Rock Music Residencies). We're feeling a bit rustic today, so we recommend Brian Wright & the Waco Tragedies at Hotel Cafe.

Portland based musician and known as "the Stephen King of Indie Pop," Chris Robley and his band -- Fear of Heights -- play at Mr. T's Bowl tonight in Highland Park. Plenty of MP3s to check out of this indie-pop folk band below.

Every January, organ trio, Soulive heads out to Southern California for The NAMM Show. While the trio of Eric Krasno, Neal Evans and Alan Evans take part in the gathering of music industry professionals, they also book themselves a few concerts in Anaheim and Los Angeles to give the SoCal Soulive heads a taste of their trademark jazzy funk sound.

Two highly recommended Hip-Hop shows take place tonight. Experience the powerful Gospel of Hip-Hop with KRS ONE at The Roxy or explore some electronic Hip-Hop with Sole and the Skyrider Band. And we mean no disrespect to Peanut Butter Wolf who is playing at El Rey with Chromeo, but we know for sure that show is sold out (scalp away!). The Troubadour has some jazz fusion rock going on (MP3s after the jump) and you can find straight ahead jazz at UCLA.

Minibar @ Temple Bar

Sole is a badass, a rapper, a visionary, and this Friday he will be the dopest show to check out in town. Sole is often best known for his solo work with Anticon, and did a killer interview with us back in July, but will be killing it with his new music-homies the Skyrider Band. So like they recorded this self-titled album, and its smokin-good.

Pink Mochi and the feel-good all American folk rock band, Charlie Wadhams.

We Barbarians, the Long Beach locals who recently played on tour with the Cold War Kids, begin their Silverlake Lounge Residency tonight. And we fully approve.

Mars Volta - L'Via L'Viaquez

The Wiggles Do The Humpty Dance. It's trippy!

If tonight's slim pickings in the music scene had an official theme, it would fall into Western/Country. In mid-country, House of Blues, Sunset Strip, is hosting a night of insane Psychobilly (punk, meet rockabilly). The Southlands of Long Beach finds the baritone country rock sounds of Brad Johnson at Cowboy Country and to the north in the Valley, the straight ahead country rockabilly Jeffrey Michaels visits The Cowboy Palace Saloon.

Metal Skool with Kelly Clarkson

The Venice Beach Drum Orchestra will play at the Spronto Gallery at 4 p.m.

"Imaginary Places" - Busdriver (and excellent vid filmed on the streets of LA and a great piece too)

"La Gallina" - Ozomatli