Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 4/24-4/29

I survived the weekend in the desert. I think my body is still recovering from the shock of not being in the 100+ degree weather. I’m hoping to write up a post featuring the highlights of my Coachella experience and some pictures. One of my favorite bands of the weekend was We Are Augustines and they are playing a free show tonight at Bardot for It’s a School Night along with the wonderful LP.

As for the rest of the week, here’s what I’ve got:

 

Tuesday: The Milk Carton Kids at Largo (8pm)
ALSO: Sweet Talk Radio at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)
ALSO: Eve 6 at The Grammy Museum (8pm)
ALSO: Of Verona and Our Lady Peace at The Troubadour (8, 9)
ALSO: The Material at The House of Blues Voodoo Lounge (?)
ALSO: Viza at The El Rey (10pm)

 

Weds: The Chevin and Miracle Parade FREE at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: New Medicine, Dead Sara, and Chevelle at Club Nokia (8pm)
ALSO: Terra Naomi at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)
ALSO: So & So at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: The Dig and Ben Kweller at The El Rey (8pm)
ALSO: Jane Carrey at The Mint (9pm)

 

Thursday: Jasmine Ash at The Roxy (7:15)
ALSO: George Stanford at WitZend (10pm)
ALSO: Zoe Keating at Largo (8pm)
ALSO: Milow and The White Buffalo at The Troubadour (8:30, 10pm)
ALSO: Whispertown and Buddy at The Hotel Cafe (8, 9)
ALSO: Stop Motion Poetry and Sonia Rao at Genghis Cohen (8:30, 9:30)
ALSO: Street Drum Corps and Special Guests at The Viper Room (11pm)
ALSO: Armada at The Mint (8pm)

 

Friday: Griffin House, Anna Nalick, Javier Dunn at The Hotel Cafe (8, 9:30, 10:30)
ALSO: Harper Blynn and Ingrid Michaelson at The Wiltern (8pm)

 

Saturday: Jesse Thomas at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: Susanna Hoffs at McCabe’s (two shows: 8, 10)

 

Sunday: Rosie Thomas with Ivan & Alyosha at The Hotel Cafe (7pm)
ALSO: Sweet Hearts featuring Priscilla Ahn and Charlie Wadhams at Bootleg Bar (10pm)
ALSO: 100 Monkeys at Dragonfly (8pm)

 

To Keep in Mind:
May 2nd: Cage the Elephant at The Mayan
May 3rd: James Morrison at The Avalon
May 6th: Middle Class Rut at The Troubadour
May 8th: Snow Patrol at The Hollywood Palladium
May 10th: Jay Nash at The Hotel Cafe
May 11th: Imagine Dragons at The Troubadour
May 12th: Augustana at The El Rey
May 19th: Eric Hutchinson and Graffiti6 at The Troubadour
May 30th: Eve 6 at The Troubadour
May 31st: Greg Laswell at The El Rey
June 3rd: Deas Vail at The Troubadour
June 5th and 6th: Ben Howard at The Troubadour
June 6th: The Cordovas at Saint Rocke
June 7-10th: Bonnaroo in Manchester, TN
June 13th and 14th: Phantom Planet at The Troubadour
June 16th: Thrice at Club Nokia
June 23rd: Milo Greene at The Troubadour
June 25th: Graffiti6 at The Troubadour

 

~ Kristen

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Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 8/22-8-28

SSMF 2011 might be officially over, but pictures, recaps, new band love announcements, videos, etc. are all being processed so the experience will be extended for a good week or so. Today has been difficult because as much as I need to recover from the totally insanity of the last few days, there is still so much to be done! Tomorrow is a big day at work and a big night out on the town. And let’s not forget that Sunset Junction is next weekend! I’m still not quite sure how it’s all going to go down, but here is my general blueprint for the week:

 

Monday: Ben Rector at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)
ALSO: Scarlet Grey with The Dead & Departed and Dead Country at The Troubadour (8pm, SG at 9:45)…this will be the last local Scarlet Grey show for awhile, so if you’re a fan, you’d best make it out
ALSO: Some Hear Explosions at The Viper Room (11:15)
ALSO: Chappo FREE at The Satellite (10pm)
ALSO: Jenny O, Robert Francis, and The Constellations FREE at Bootleg (10,11,12)
ALSO: The Lexingtons FREE at Silverlake Lounge (12am)
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 featuring Kyler England, Joel Eckels, Stephen Wrabel, and John Schmidt (9pm)

 

Tuesday: Brett Hite FREE at the W Hotel (7:15pm)
ALSO: The Trews at The Viper Room (8pm)
ALSO: Chris Thile at The Largo (9pm)
ALSO: David and Devine at The Dragonfly in Santa Monica (8pm)
ALSO: Beachwood Rockers Night at Piano Bar: and evening of FREE great local music starting at 8pm

 

Weds: Anna Nalick and Meiko at The Hotel Cafe (10,11)
ALSO: Fiona Apple at The Largo (8pm)
ALSO: The Lookout Kids at The Viper Room (8:50)

 

Thursday: The Veronicas at The Viper Room (9pm)
ASO: Abbot Kinney FREE at The Hard Rock Cafe (10pm)
ALSO: Madi Diaz at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: Red Circle Underground at O’Briens in Santa Monica (9pm)
ALSO: 100 Monkeys at The El Rey (8pm)

 

Friday: Patrick Park at The Echo (8pm)
ALSO: Will Hutchinson at Room 5 (10pm)

 

Saturday: Sunset Junction featuring KD Lang, Chasing Kings, Milo Greene, Brian Wright, Cary Brothers, Butch Walker, Lovers Drugs and SO MUCH MORE (noon)…for the complete schedule go here: http://www.sunsetjunction.org/index.php/street-fair/performance-schedule
ALSO: Golden State, Brendan Hines, and Sunset Junction after party at the Hotel Cafe (10, 11pm)
ALSO: The Goo Goo Dolls at The Greek Theater (7pm)

 

Sunday: Sunset Junction featuring Hanson, Rooney, The Belle Brigade, Lady Danville, The Rescues, Honeyhoney, Jim Bianco, David and Devine, and SO MANY MORE (noon)…see above link for schedule
ALSO: Holly Miranda and Uh Huh Her at Bootleg Bar (9,10)

 

 

To Keep in Mind:
August 29th: Carbon Leaf at Saint Rocke
August 30th: Fiction Family at Bootleg Bar
September 1st: Fierce Creatures at The Hotel Cafe
September 3rd: FYF
September 8th Dead Sara at The Viper Room
September 9-10: San Diego Music Thing
September 16th: Lobster Fest with Andy Clockwise and more
September 17th: We Barbarians at The Satllite
September 20th: Howie Day at The Hotel Cafe
September 22-24: Hotel Carolina (South Carolina)
September 22nd: Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights at The Viper Room
September 23rd: Inara George at Bootleg Bar
September 23rd/24th: Lee Dewyze at The Hotel Cafe
September 24th: The Script at Hollywood Palladium
September 24th and 25th: William Elliot Whitmore at Bootleg Theater
September 25th: The Lonely Forest at The Wiltern
September 28th: Puddle of Mudd at The Viper Room
October 11th: Rival Sons and Evanescence at Hollywood Palladium
October 14th: Butterfly Boucher at Bootleg Theater
October 22nd: The War on Drugs at The Satellite
November 12th: Feist at The WIltern
November 19th: Milo Greene, The Belle Brigade, and The Civil Wars at The Wiltern
March 13th-18th: SXSW (Austin, TX)

~ Kristen

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Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 5/16-5/22

Annnnd another week is upon us. Where did the last one go? I’m not quite sure. It was a rough one. By Friday, my stress-induced eye twitch was pretty constant. I knew if I was going to make it through the weekend’s to do list, I needed to take measures. I went to the only place I knew could make me forget about my stressors for an evening, found myself a seat and didn’t move for about seven hours. That place, of course, being The Hotel Cafe. And by the end of the magical evening of music, I was singing along with Daniel Bedingfield covering Chantal Kreviazuk’s “Feels Like Home” and all was once again right with the world.

 

This week is not looking to be any easier. Fortunately there are more opportunities for great live shows starting Monday night with one of my favorite Las Vegas-based bands, Imagine Dragons!

 

As for the rest, here’s what I’ve got:

 

 

Monday: Imagine Dragons at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: Yael Naim at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)
ALSO: Stephen Kellogg at Bootleg Theater (8:30)
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 featuring Adrianne, Rob Giles, Garrison Starr, and Joel Eckels (9pm)

 

Tuesday: Alberta Cross and Chasing Kings at The Satellite (9pm)
ALSO: Jenni Alpert and Lelia Broussard at The Hotel Cafe (7,9)

 

Weds: Patrick Park at Bootleg Theater (9pm)
ALSO: Matthew Mayfield and Kevin Devine at The Hotel Cafe (8,9:30)
ALSO: Golden State at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: Of Verona at Silverlake Lounge (9pm)
ALSO: The Watkins Family at Largo at The Coronet (8:30)
ALSO: Johnny Flynn at The Echo (10pm)
ALSO: The Shakers at Molly Malone’s (8pm)
ALSO: Shawn Mullins and Susanna Hoffs at The Mint (9pm)
ALSO: Semi Precious Weapons at On the Rox (10pm)…FREE with RSVP

 

Thursday: Paris Carney and So & So at The Hotel Cafe (7,9)
ALSO: Irontom (formally The Bellows) at Silverlake Lounge (11pm)

 

Friday: Curtis Peoples at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: Kina Grannis at Largo at the Coronet (8:30)

 

Saturday: Saint Motel’s Judgement Day with Queen Caveat at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: The Janks & The Shivers at The Hotel Cafe (10:30)
ALSO: Sabrosa Purr and 100 Monkeys at The El Rey (7pm)
ALSO: Viza at The Key Club (11pm)
ALSO: Jamestown Revival at Molly Malone’s (10:45)

 

Sunday: Chasing Avalanche and Run Run Run at The Viper Room (8,10)
ALSO: Dead Sara at Bardot (10:30)
ALSO: Alice Smith at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)

 

To Keep in Mind:

May 27th: The Script at Club Nokia
May 27th-29th: Sasquatch Music Festival (Washington)
June 1st: Parade of Lights at Silverlake Lounge
June 2nd: Manchester Orchestra at The Music Box
June 6th and 7th: Band of Skulls at Bootleg Theater
June 7th: Death Cab for Cutie and The Lonely Forest at The El Rey
June 9th: Adele at Hollywood Palladium
June 9-12: Bonnaroo (TN)
June 13th: Florence and The Machine at The Greek Theater
June 15th: Augustana at The House of Blues Sunset
June 17th: Nico Vega at The House of Blues Anaheim
June 29th: Brooke Fraser at The Music Box
July 19th and 21st: Alkaline Trio at The Troubadour
July 26th: The Indigo Girls at The Troubadour
July 28th: A Perfect Circle at Gibson Auditorium
August 12-14th: Outside Lands in San Francisco
August 18-20th: SSMF
September 22-24: Hotel Carolina (South Carolina)

~ Kristen

 

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 2/14-2/20

I should be writing to you now about what an amazing time I had this weekend both at Saint Motel’s Zombie Prom and at the Semi Precious Weapons Grammy after party. Instead, all I really have to report from this weekend is the fact that I am really looking forward to new episodes of Mr. Sunshine (Allison Janney throwing children at ax wielding clowns?!? I’m in!).  I suppose I overdid it a wee bit last week between movie premieres, secret Foo Fighters shows, and an assortment of other amazing concerts. Doesn’t really surprise me that I ended up getting sick.

Anyhoo, let’s hope I feel better soon! In the meantime, here’s what I suggest all you able-bodied folk invest your time in this week:

Monday: It’s a School Night at Bardot FREE with RSVP featuring Lucinda Williams and Augustana
ALSO: Greenroots Valentine’s Day featuring Austin Hartley-Leonard, Jenni Alpert, Keaton Simons, and many many more at Room 5 (8pm)
ALSO: Everest and Red Cortez FREE at The Satellite (10pm)

Tuesday: Mother Mother at The Satellite (9pm)
ALSO: Jonathan Clark and Satellite at Molly Malone’s (8,9)
ALSO: Mountain Men at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: Madi Diaz and Joseph Arthur at The Bootleg (9pm)
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (9pm)

Weds: Scars on 45 at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: Nicole Atkins and The Sea at The Troubadour (10pm)
ALSO: Indians at Bordello (10pm)
ALSO: Satellite at Club Central (9:30)

Thursday: Boyce Avenue at The Roxy (10pm)
ALSO: Jake Newton at Whiskey a Go Go (8pm)
ALSO: Moderne Man at The Troubadour (9:15)

Friday: My Own Machine at Molly Malone’s (10pm)
ALSO: Prohibition Rose at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: Matt Jordan at Genghis Cohen (9pm)
ALSO: Carl Broemel (of My Morning Jacket) at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)

Saturday: 100 Monkeys at The Roxy (9pm)
ALSO: Eli’s Creepshow at The Hotel Cafe featuring Ferras, The Canyons, etc. (9:30)

Sunday: Jordan Cook and Dead Sara at The Viper Room (10, 12)
ALSO: Beth Hart at The Echoplex (6pm)

To Keep in Mind:
Feb. 21st: Joe Firstman at The Hotel Cafe
Feb. 22nd: Sick of Sarah at The Roxy
Feb 26th: Josh Ritter and Scott Hutchinson (Frightened Rabbit) at The Music Box
Feb 26th: Young the Giant at The Roxy
March 1st: Biffy Clyro at The Troubadour
March 1st: Queen Caveat and The Silent Comedy at Saint Rocke
March 3rd: Civil Twilight at The Troubadour
March 4th: After Midnight Project at The Roxy
March 8th: Vertical Horizon at The Roxy
March 9th: Jay Nash at Saint Rocke
March 17th: Alkaline Trio and Dead Country at The Mayan
March 21st: Joe Firstman at The Hotel Cafe
March 22nd: War on Drugs at The Troubadour
March 26th: Lady Danville at The Troubadour
May 27th: The Script at Club Nokia
September 22-24: Hotel Carolina

~ Kristen

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 10/4-10/10

I’m exhausted, but I’m still chanting from my latest encounter with my current band obsession, Biffy Clyro. For those of you who don’t realize what an amazing opportunity it was to see them at such a small venue, you should read this article . Anyway, between Semi Precious Weapons, Parade of Lights, Biffy Clyro, The Avett Brothers, Brandi Carlile, and Truth & Salvage Co., last week will be really difficult to beat…not that this week won’t give it a fair try. Here’s what I’m contemplating:

Monday: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (9pm)

Tuesday: Amos Lee at Saint Rocke (9:30)
ALSO: Anna Nalick and Northstar Sessions at The Hotel Cafe (9, 10)
ALSO: First Aid Kit at Spaceland (8:30)
ALSO: Whispertown and Jenny & Johnny at The Troubadour (8:30, 10:15)
ALSO: Basia Bulat at The Echo (9pm) 

Weds: Empires at Spaceland (9pm)
ALSO: Kenneth Pattengale at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: CocoRosie at The Music Box (9pm) 

Thursday: Arcade Fire at The Shrine (8pm)
ALSO: Lissie at The Troubadour (10pm)
ALSO: Jay Nash at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: Lovers Drugs at Genghis Cohen (9:30) 

Friday: Crash Kings, Civil Twilight, and Anberlin at The House of Blues (8:30)
ALSO: Ferras and others for The Creepshow at The Hotel Cafe (10pm)
ALSO: One Republic and Maroon 5 at The Greek Theater (7pm) 

Saturday: The Klaxons at The Troubadour (10pm)
ALSO: Matt Hires at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)
ALSO: One Republic and Marron 5 at The Greek Theater (7pm)
ALSO: Langhorne Slim at Joshua Tree Roots Music Festival (6pm) 

Sunday: 100 Monkeys at The Roxy (9pm)
ALSO: The Weepies at The El Rey (8pm) 

To Keep in Mind:
October 13th: Frightened Rabbit at The Mayan Theater
October 17th: Joe Firstman at The Hotel Café
October 18th: Mumford & Sons at The Hollywood Palladium
October 28th: Foxy Shazam and Free Energy at The Troubadour
October 29th: Nico Vega at The Roxy
November 2nd: Ingrid Michaelson at The Troubadour
November 4th: Five for Fighting at The Brixton
November 5th: Bayside at The Toubadour
November 8th-10th: A Perfect Circle at Avalon
November 17th: Tyler Hilton at The Roxy
November 18th: Freelance Whales at The Troubadour
November 21st and 22nd: Dar Williams at The Hotel Café
December 4th: Joe Firstman at Saint Rocke
December 11th: The Black Crowes and Truth & Salvage Co. at Hollywood Palladium 

~ Kristen
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Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 8/2-8/8

I’m about to head off to the first of three evenings this week featuring The Kin, so this will be short.  I’m especially excited about Monday night’s Songwriters in the Round. But that’s just the start of a great week of music as detailed below:

Monday: Paris Carney and Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 featuring Isaac and Thorry Koren (The Kin), Joey Ryan, Kenneth Pattengale, and Joel Eckels (9pm)
ALSO: John Elliot at Genghis Cohen (7pm) 

Tuesday: FREE Lovers Drugs at The Viper Room (9pm)
ALSO: Matthew Jordan at Café Was (two sets, 7 and 8:30)
ALSO: William Fitzsimmons at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)
ALSO: Circa Survive at Bootleg (9:50) 

Weds: The Kin at The Cactus Room at The Standard (7pm)
ALSO: The Hereafter at West LA Concert Series at West LA Civic Center (9pm)
ALSO: Andy Clockwise at Spaceland (10pm)
ALSO: Meiko at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: So & So at Molly Malone’s (11pm)
ALSO: Juke Kartel at The Viper Room (8pm) 

Thursday: The Janks at The Echoplex (10:30)
ALSO: Everest at Bootleg (11:30)
ALSO: The Binges at The Viper Room (11pm) 

Friday: Lights at The Hotel Cafe (7pm)
ALSO: 100 Monkeys at The Viper Room (11pm)
ALSO: We Are Scientists at The Troubadour (10pm)
ALSO: Silversun Pickups and Against Me at The Greek Theater (7:30) 

Saturday: The Janks FREE at Pershing Square (7:30)
ALSO: 100 Monkeys at The Viper Room (midnight) 

Sunday: I’m sure something will come up 

 

To Keep in Mind:
August 12th: Semi Precious Weapons at Staples Center
August 21st and 22nd: Sunset Junction
August 27-28th: Sunset Strip Music Festival
August 28th: Something Corporate at Club Nokia
September 4th: After Midnight Project at The Key Club
September 18th: Heart at Gibson Amphitheater
September 25th: Band of Horses at Greek Theater
September 25th: Muse at Staples Center
October 1st: Brandi Carlile and The Avett Brothers at Nokia Theater LA Live
October 13th: Frightened Rabbit at The Mayan Theater
December 11th: The Black Crowes and Truth & Salvage Co. at Hollywood Palladium

~ Kristen

Have you been to Saint Rocke?

It’s not in LA proper so it’s taken me awhile to get there, but Saint Rocke is now on the fast track to becoming one of my new favorite places to see live music. Located on the PCH in Hermosa Beach, it really isn’t that far away (especially when the traffic is light). It’s got all the charm of The Hotel Cafe but with more space, more seating, and free parking! Plus, if you order food during their happy hour (starts at 5pm M-F) nearly the entire menu is $5. I opted for the kobe beef sliders with sweet potato fries and they were delicious…I have it on good authority that the tacos and the pizzas are also excellent options.

I didn’t just decide to check out a new venue on a whim. I was drawn to Hermosa Beach because it was a stop on the Joe Firstman/Jay Nash tour. The line up played The Hotel Cafe last Thursday but I could not make it as I was at The Roxy enjoying Alex Band (more on that from Amanda).

For the record, this duo is NOT to be missed. I’ve been following Joe around the country for over five years now and never have I seen the same set twice…he even changes up his own songs to keep things fresh. Already, songs from his most recent release, El Porto, have gotten new versions.  I will enjoy just about anything coming from this guy but Sunday night’s set was one of the most enjoyable I’ve seen him do in years. A great mix of old (one of my all-time favorite CDs is his debut The War of Women), new, and newly revised. His next record, Joe Firstman Live at The Treehouse, comes out next month and I cannot wait to hear it all. For a taste, go to his website and download a free track!  

Jay Nash has been a more recent addition to my list of favorite singer-songwriters. His recent collaborations with some of my favorite artists like Caitlin Crosby and Matt Duke brought him to my attention. He is also the founder and frequent participant in my favorite Monday night activity, Songwriters in the Round at Room 5. Unfortunately just as I start going to more of his shows, he decided to up and move to Vermont. The fact that he has returned to LA so soon is encouraging however and I hope that more tours like this one will continue to bring him back to his former home.

Both Joe and Jay are the kind of artist that need to be seen live to truly be appreciated for the amazingly gifted musicians they are. And when they get on the stage together, the energy is kicked up an additional notch as they feed off each other to create the kind of performance that could never be captured or repeated…moments that make you realize how incredibly fortunate you are to be in that exact place at that exact time…moments that keep you going to show after show…the kind of stuff to live for and the reason I love artists like Joe Firstman and Jay Nash and venues like Saint Rocke that can bring out these kinds of magical moments.

If you want to check out a show at Saint Rocke, here’s a link to their calendar . Might I suggest Pat McGee this Sunday…or if you read this in time 100 Monkeys tonight (Tuesday July 20th).

If you want to see more of Joe Firstman and Jay Nash their tour together is almost over, but they both have dates up on their websites and they will both be at Hotel Carolina at the end of August.

~ Kristen

p.s. this is a repost, but here’s a recording a took of the song Jay wrote about leaving California…I think it may be my new favorite.

Golden State Goodnight– Jay Nash