Results tagged “livemusic”

              

Attention violin students everywhere: Hang in there, kids. It is possible to parlay those Vivaldi exercises into a musical career with a fan base of near-hysterical young women. Just ask the dreamy Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy, whose austere synth and drum-accompanied strings nearly brought the house down last Sunday. The profound beauty of the headlining Mountain Goats, on tour to promote their latest full-length, The Life of the World to Come, followed, and the sum total was a night of gorgeous sights, sounds, and stories.

              

Did you know that They Might Be Giants records albums for kids? That are educational? And still rock? If it was inevitable that all the long-standing indie music fans would grow up and have kids, it would follow that all the long-standing indie bands would grow up and have kids, too. And why should either group have to resign themselves to a life of mind-numbing Kidz Bop or Wiggles tunes?

Regina Spektor emerged onto the stage of the Greek Theatre Wednesday night like a child at her first "grown up" party. Her flame-red hair hung in loose ringlets about her face, she wore a poofy white dress adorned with a cartoonish black bow, and her bright red lips suggested a slightly off-kilter leaning towards the naughty. When she spoke she seemed baffled and awed that so many people would don scarves and hats and sweaters to sit out under the stars on such a chilly October night just to see her. "Thank you," she repeated, when shouts of "I love you Regina!" or "Marry me!" or "Play 'Samson'!" gave her room to get a word in edgewise. But when she sang...

       

New York-based As Tall as Lions opened for Mutemath last night at Club Nokia at LA Live. After chatting with lead singer and guitarist Dan Nigro last week, it was a treat to see the band dive headlong with gusto into their 45-minute set which showcased the best of their latest full-length release, You Can't Take it With You, and one indulgence into the back catalog (the wonderfully haunting "Ghost of York" from their 2006 self-titled release).

In 2001, Dan Nigro joined up with some friends from high school and did what surely plenty of young people do in Long Island, New York: They formed a band. It would be glib to say "And the rest is history!" since As Tall as Lions is one hell of a hard-working quartet; they've just kicked off a tour in support of their August full-length release, You Can't Take it With You (Triple Crown Records), serving as support for Mutemath, and you can see them at Club Nokia this Saturday. This tour follows their summer tour with Dredg and Rx Bandits, and by late November through the end of the year they'll be touring in the US with Minus the Bear and in the UK with Frightened Rabbit and Athlete.

       

I feel like I can't help but use a phrase from the lyrics to Brooklyn-based Chairlift's most well-known song to describe how I feel in putting together a write-up of their show this Wednesday night at the Troubadour: "I tried to do handstands for you."

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.

                     

It takes, frankly, balls, to name your album as an homage to a man whose music has remained popular for almost three centuries. Touring in support of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, French import rockers Phoenix took to the stage at the Wiltern Sunday night not just as alt-rock stars, but rather as alt-rock gods, playing a remarkably high-energy, finely-tuned show that gripped the worshiping crowd with every note.

            

Albuquerque-bred and Portland-based rockers The Shins played to an enthralled crowd Sunday night at the historic Hollywood Palladium. Although their last album is nearly two-years behind them, the boys in the band proved that they are intent on building on their quirky alternative rock legacy and moving their sound ever-forward, as the evening's nearly 2-hour set included some new songs likely to appear on a future release.

              

An ever-increasing workload, the recession’s effect on one’s monthly Amoeba habit, a rapidly approaching membership into the “mid-thirties” club - a million and one reasons to stop seeing live music as frequently as my liver could once withstand. But last year’s SXSW/Coachella springtime juggernaut left its indelible mark and a few bands moved to the top of the “must see again and again” list, Cut Copy’s electropop/dance rock eking out the top spot. Who doesn’t love a band you can jump around to? It’s like everything good about the 90s rave scene (without the glow sticks and wide-legged pants, natch) served up with a side of early 80s nu-wave synth.

Venerable Chicago-based band The Sea and Cake hit the Troubadour this week for a pair of shows in support of their October release Car Alarm (Thrill Jockey). Playing together since 1993, core members Sam Prekop and Archer Prewitt--along with drummer John McEntire and bassist Eric Claridge--proved in their almost 2-hour set Thursday night that rocking out isn't just for the young.

Black Friday, Schmiday. Even with the impending recession, we know you dragged/dragging/will drag your kids to the various malls and outlets in the LA area the whole damn weekend. While you may enjoy the thrill of sabotaging your neighbors shopping cart in hopes of snagging whatever Elmo incarnation is hot this year (call me when he can do my taxes and empty the cat box), your poor offspring cannot be placated with more than one Hot Dog on a Stick. Trust us.

It was only a matter of time before hipster boys and girls grew up to have boys and girls of their own, and were left with the dilemma of how to reconcile a live music obsession with a dearth of available babysitters. Presto chango diapero! Kidrockers to your rescue! Beg, borrow, or reproduce - all you need is a little one and a sense of adventure to enjoy a family-friendly afternoon of music (not necessarily kid-specific jams) tomorrow afternoon at The Echo. Past bands of this New York staple include Los Campesinos!, Pela, Rogue Wave, Ra Ra Riot, Harlem Shakes, and Bishop Allen. Come join funny man Patton Oswalt (better known as Rémy to your Ratatouille-loving four year old) and co-host Seth Herzog to kick off the West Coast-incarnation, featuring LA’s The Deadly Syndrome. LAist’s Tom Lewis heralded 2007’s The Ortolan as “rollicky melodies of xylophone, organs, jangly guitars, and pleasantly thrashed drumkits” and liked it so much he put it on his Best of list. With openers Afternoons. This ain’t The Wiggles, my friend.

         

Some bands are simply meant to be seen live.

           

The cradle of love was definitely rocking as I took a trip back to Sunset Blvd. circa 1984 in my DeLorean as Billy Idol opened the House Of Billy, the first of a three night stand at the House Of Blues Sunset. The 80's icon (now in his early 50's) came full force with the snarl and full fist pumping punk rock attitude that made him one of the most recognizable artists of the time.

      

Since they burst on the scene a few years ago, there is one thing that has remained constant in the many live performances from UK imports Bloc Party and that is their ability to constantly deliver a stand-out performance. While their catalog consists of only two LPs and a few singles here and there, their sound still feels fresh and live their tracks are almost all crowd pleasers.

    

A good hangout can be hard to find, so for anyone who finds themselves looking for nightlife in Long Beach, LAist's Photo contributor Michael Zampelli (aka rink_rat on Flickr) suggests The Pike Bar & Fish Grill. He tells us: "The Pike Bar in Long Beach is owned by the original drummer of Social Distortion and you can feel the vibe from the minute you cross the welcome mat with the Social D. skeleton logo and hear the first blast of punk rock from the jukebox. There is free live music nearly every night and the real surprise is the kitchen, which churns out gourmet quality food from mushroom tacos to authentic pasta to the crispiest and most delicate beer-battered fish you've ever tasted." (Check out the menu here.)

By Roger Park

Say Aloha to the the 50th state with a taste of the food and fun of Hawaii. Lots of Hawaiian shirts and grass skirts, vendors with all sorts of goods, fresh floral leis, loads of food (shaved ice!!!!), and beer. Luckily it won't be a grillion degrees out in Northridge, but put on your Hawaiian Tropic just in case--that California sun still burns through the fog.

       

Walter Meego is not a dude, it's actually Justin Sconza (vocals, keyboards, guitar) and Colin Yarck (keyboards, computer), a Chicago-bred but LA-living electronic-alt-pop duo. Throw Andrew Bernhardt in the mix (or on the mix, hmmm?) and you've got one hell of a kick-ass live band. They hit the El Rey earlier this week as the openers on The Presets' tour, playing to a sold out crowd.

There are lots of festivals to attend to this holiday weekend in addition to the Jazz Reggae Festival and Lightning in a Bottle. Check out this morning's guide that includes the Creole Music Festival and Fiesta Hermosa.

          

The 2008 installment of KROQ's Annual Weenie Roast Y Fiesta was decidedly nostalgic this year with sets from punk legends Bad Religion, Orange County rockers the Offspring and the biggest force in metal in its history, Metallica. It was a return to force for the latter band as they finally broke out of a touring holding pattern and "escaped" from the studio to show why they are one of the loudest and most commanding bands in live music today or ever

          

Finally, after all the hubub and debate of the quality of this year's Coachella lineup, the festival got underway Friday afternoon. Featuring Jack Johnson at the top of the bill, the day featured outstanding performances from the Raconteurs who proved that they aren't just Jack White's side project but rather a band that is developing their own sound and identity. The Verve, playing for the first time in nearly a decade sounded like they hadn't even missed a step. The day also featured standout performances from indie darlings Vampire Weekend as well as Tegan and Sara among others.

                 

The LA Times Festival of Books offered something for everyone this weekend. The many panels, author interviews and signing booths were exciting for bookish nerds like us. If you weren't into the bookish side of the book festival, however, there was plenty to whet your appetite. Literally.

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.

If you haven't heard their infectious single "That's Not My Name" burning up LA radio stations, you will soon enough. The Ting Tings, the latest UK import, brought their carefree blend of electro/dance/pop duo to Echo Park's Rec Center Studio in what was their first (and most likely of many) "proper" show in Los Angeles Tuesday night. The Rec Center was packed to see the Tings, a band that at this point really only has thew previously mentioned single to their name (at least here in the US). But that did not matter to this crowd, all that mattered was the quality and freshness of their music.

Seven Grand is kicking things off early for St. Patrick's Day with East L.A. band Ollin performing at the beloved downtown whiskey bar tonight at 9pm (see a video of them below). Ollin is known as "The Mexican Pogues" for their fiesta-festive take on the English/Irish band's songs. Think Irish Mariachi music.

"This is our Homecoming show," an always energetic Dave Grohl yelled at a stopping point in the Foo Fighters two+ hour long set Wednesday night, as expected the sold-out Forum crowd lit up with cheers and screams of approval. With good reason too as the Foos have become the torch-bearers for this generations version of bold and bombastic, arena rock.(with Muse hot on their heels) There are very few bands touring today that can match the energy the Foo Fighters bring to their arena show and Wednesday's show proved their mastery.

Spaceland, Thursday, Feb 28 (With a Pause to mention their Echo show on the 27th.)

For the third time in less than a year, nu-metal/rock/rap powerhouse Linkin Park, blew through Los Angeles. Bringing their now familiar sound to the sold-out Staples Center, co-frontmen Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda screamed, sang and rapped their way through a blistering hour and a half set.