Author: Kristen

Allen Stone and Lenka at The Hotel Cafe

Posted on by Kristen

Taking a wee break from grading exams, I ventured to The Hotel Cafe to check out Allen Stone. This guy has quite the impressive voice, teeming with a lot more soul than expected from a guy from Seattle.  It was the perfect hand clapping, head bobbing, feeting tapping time and I will definately keep Allen on my list of artists to go see…I’d suggest you do the same!

For a taste, check out some songs on his myspace (including a terrific cover of “Bare Necessities”)

Here’s an amusing video of the song he ended his set with

Also playing at The Hotel Cafe was Lenka. If you don’t know the name, I’m sure you’d recognize a song or two. The Austrialian artist has an array of catchy tunes that become even cuter as she performs them on a stage with her band in front of colorful cardboard shapes. I really like some of her new tunes and am looking forward to her forthcoming album…but the hightlight of her set for me was when she brought out a trumpet and, along with another member of the band, engaged in some lovely harmonizing trumpet action.

Can’t find any videos of new tunes, but here’s an old one you may recognize…

~ Kristen

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 11/8-11/14

Posted on by Kristen

I Love Nico Vega!! It must be said. Again. Saturday night I impulsively drove up to Santa Barbara to see them play the New Noise Music Festival. I had just gotten through a horrid week…so bad towards the end it was almost funny how many things were going wrong. Then, just in time, Saturday night was one of those evenings that made me once again realize that life is worth living. Danced and sang into the wee hours with some of my favorite people, heard amazing music from a local Santa Barbara band, Verna Beware, as well as an LA fave, Killola. And then, of course, there was Nico Vega. I don’t know if I felt like it was one of Nico Vega’s best performances because it was or because I so desperately needed it…but does it really matter?

Here’s to hoping that this next week won’t be so dreadful and that I’ll be able to get out and see some music! Here are my preferred options (some really good ones this week!!):

Monday: Makepeace Brothers at Aviator Nation in Venice (9pm)
ALSO: Chasing Kings FREE at Silverlake Lounge (11pm)
ALSO: Florence and The Machine at The Wiltern (7:30)
ALSO: A Perfect Circle at Avalon (7:30)
ALSO: Street Sweeper Social Club at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: Paris Carney and Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (8,9) 

Tuesday: Allen Stone and Lenka at The Hotel Cafe (9,10)
ALSO: Brian Wright at Bootleg Theater (10pm)
ALSO: Ari Hest at Room 5 (8pm)
ALSO: A Perfect Circle at Avalon (7:30) 

Weds: ANT Management Presents On The Rox featuring Kyle Nicolaides, The Right Coast, Lakes, and Pan America (8pm)
ALSO: A Perfect Circle at Avalon (7:30)
ALSO: Elle King at Bootleg Theater (8:30) 

Thursday: Austin Hartley Leonard (CD RELEASE!) and Alex Dezen at The Hotel Cafe (9,10)
ALSO: Sabrosa Purr at Silverlake Lounge (11pm)
ALSO: KT Tunstall at the Music Box (8pm)
ALSO: Volcano Dolls at The Viper Room (midnight)
ALSO: Kurt Vile and the Violators at The Echoplex (8:30) 

Friday: Teitur at Bootleg Theater (10pm)
ALSO: Over the Rhine at The Troubadour (10pm)
ALSO: Nonpoint at The Whiskey (10pm) 

Saturday: Terrible Things and Mae at The El Rey (8pm)
ALSO: Darren Criss and Charlene Kaye at The Mint (2:45, 4pm)
ALSO: Tyrone Wells at The Hotel Cafe TWO shows (8,11)
ALSO: The Shakers and Fat City Reprise FREE at The Cat Club 

Sunday: The Elizabeth Kill at The Mint (8pm)
ALSO: Joey Ryan and Meg & Dia at Saint Rocke (8:20,9:10) 

To Keep in Mind:
November 16th: The Lonely Forest at Spaceland
November 17th: Tyler Hilton at The Roxy
November 18th: The Silent Comedy at The Echo
November 18th: Freelance Whales at The Troubadour
November 21st and 22nd: Dar Williams at The Hotel Café
December 1st: Eve 6 at The Troubadour
December 2nd: Scarlet Grey at The Troubadour
December 4th: Joe Firstman at Saint Rocke
December 11th: The Black Crowes and Truth & Salvage Co. at Hollywood Palladium
January 22nd: Guster at The Music Box 

~ Kristen

A Perfect Circle Returns!

Posted on by Kristen

Last week, I had the extreme privilege of seeing A Perfect Circle perform live for one of the first times in over five years. I’ve been a fan of this group ever since about the time they decided to go on “hiatus”. How I discovered A Perfect Circle is…well it’s a funny story that will not be shared on these pages.

Point being, the performance, albeit a brief one filmed for Jimmy Kimmel Live, fulfilled a personal fantasy and definitely did not disappoint.

For those of you who don’t know, A Perfect Circle, is the musical collaboration between Tool frontman, Maynard James Keenan, and Ashes Divide’s Billy Howerdel. The two men positioned themselves on the stage as part of a semi-circle along with Josh Freese (drums), Matt McJunkins (bass), and James Iha (rhythm guitar). I suppose the other half of the “perfect circle” is the audience who, at the Kimmel taping, were in complete unison with the band, swaying, fist pumping, and singing along to every note.

The band is playing several dates in a few select cities, including three nights here in LA at The Avalon, one night dedicated to each of their three released albums (Mer de Noms, Thirteenth Step, and eMOTIVe). You can check here for dates, although all the performances sold out within minutes.

Someone recorded “Imagine” from the Kimmel set…

my favorite A Perfect Circle song (unfortunately not played at the Kimmel set…and therefore forcing me to think about how much money I’m willing to spend on craigslist tickets for the second night of APC’s LA stint)

~ Kristen

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 11/1-11/7

Posted on by Kristen

I hope you’re all enjoying your holiday weekend! After Nico Vega’s witch hunt on Friday and a haunted housewarming Saturday, I’m all Halloweened out. Well…an early morning meeting tomorrow + the overwhelming amount of work I am behind on is kinda forcing me to stay in and avoid the crazy. At least I’m celebrating by watching season 3 of Supernatural whilst I work…still getting my fill of vamps, demons, ghosts, dark lighting and creepy music.

Anyway, I’m taking a little break from the excel spread sheets, to bring you my fantasy concert list for the week. I hope someone will be able to get something out of it…

Monday: Chasing Kings at Silverlake Lounge (11pm)
ALSO: Paris Carney and Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 featuring Joel Eckels, Brother Sal, Austin Hartley Leonard (8,9)
ALSO: It’s a School Night at Bardot featuring Dan Layus and a special guest (10:30)…FREE with RSVP (http://www.itsaschoolnight.com/)

 Tuesday: Ingrid Michaelson at The Troubadour (10pm)
ALSO: Kaki King and Northstar Session at The Hotel Cafe (7,9)

 Weds: 8mm at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: Donavon Frankenreiter at The Roxy (9pm)
ALSO: Voxhaul Broadcast at Spaceland (8:30)
ALSO: Beachwood Rockers Society at Crane’s 

Thursday: Matt Hires and Five for Fighting at The Brixton (8pm)
ALSO: Jake Newton and Alex Denizen at The Hotel Cafe (7,10)
ALSO: Nellie McKay at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: Emily Wells at Largo at Coronet (8:30) 

Friday: My Own Machine at Molly Malone’s (9pm)
ALSO: Anna Nalick at The Mint (9pm)
ALSO: Bayside at The Troubadour (10:30)
ALSO: Paula Cole at Largo (8pm)
ALSO: Dr. Dog at The Wiltern (7pm)

 Saturday: Florence + The Machine at The Wiltern (7:30)

Sunday: Florence + The Machine at The Wiltern (7:30)

 

To Keep in Mind:
November 8th-10th: A Perfect Circle at Avalon
November 12th: Teitur at Bootleg Theater
November 13th: Terrible Things and Mae at The El Rey
November 16th: The Lonely Forest at Spaceland
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 1st: Eve 6 at The Troubadour
December 2nd: Scarlet Grey at The Troubadour
December 4th: Joe Firstman at Saint Rocke
December 11th: The Black Crowes and Truth & Salvage Co. at Hollywood Palladium 

~ Kristen
https://twitter.com/_localmusicnat

Listen to This!: Amy Correia

Posted on by Kristen

Tonight at The House of Blues on Sunset, JP, Chrissie, and the Fairground Boys are playing. While I’m definitely intrigued by this collaboration between Welsh singer JP Jones and The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde, I’m really going because of the opening act. Amy Correia is a folksy singer-songwriter from Lakeville, MA. I stumbled upon Amy several years ago. My mother was in town for a visit and I wanted to take her to a show. None of my favorite bands were playing so we took a gamble and went to Steel City Coffee House in Phoenixville, PA where Amy happened to be playing.

Amy’s unique voice, personable in between song banter, and tunes that were the perfect amalgamation of story and catchy melody were captivating.  The song I remember most from that evening was “Gin”.  Amy was slightly taken aback when two young girls requested the tune, a tale of an alcohol-induced one night stand.  Turns out “Gin” became one of my favorites as well. There is something about Amy’s voice that makes everything she sings somehow tinged with sadness and longing; perfect for songs about mothers lost to prison, blind river boys, or any place, person or thing that as acquired some sort of nostalgic value.

I used to see Amy every time she came to town, but I haven’t had that opportunity in years. I was thrilled to see she was going to be in LA this week…and that she has a new CD (You Go Your Way) released this year. I am very much looking forward to hearing what she’s been up to over the last few years…from what I gather the title of the new disc is indicative of her leaving her label and becoming yet another musician to take the DYI approach to recording music.

So, check out some of Amy Correia’s music and then make your way down to The House of Blues tonight to see Amy warm up the crowd for JP, Chrissie, and The Fairground Boys. It’ll be a good night!

~ Kristen