Author: Kristen

FREE Music Downtown LA

Posted on by Kristen

Weds night I found myself downtown at Pershing Square for a free outdoor concert featuring the unlikely combination of Meiko and Purple Melon. I enjoy both the LA-based songstress and the British rockers and the show was very Hotel Cafe meets The Viper Room in a park with food trucks and free lattes (AKA awesome!). 

What is also awesome is that Pershing Square offers these free shows several times a week ALL SUMMER long! Weds nights are sponsered by Beta Records and  Thursday nights go by Spaceland under the stars. Then the week culminates in another show Saturday night.  

To check out the schedule go here

So many great artists to look forward to…I’m especially excited about The Janks on August 7th.

Seriously, how can you pass up free music in a park?

~ Kristen

San Diego Music Awards: Nominees Announced!

Posted on by Kristen

The San Diego Music Awards is an event that takes place every year celebrating local San Diego music and honoring some of the best SD bands. This event will take place Sunday Sept. 12th and will certainly be a must-attend.

This year’s nominees include some LMN favorites such as The Silent Comedy, Endoxi, Dirty Sweet, and Get Back Loretta…as well as some bands that have a place on my personal “to watch” list (Scarlett Symphony, The Loons, Republic of Letters, Transfer, The Burning of Rome, White Apple Tree, Nervous Wreckords, etc.). Most excitedly (for me at least), the list of nominees contains many names that I am unfamiliar with, presenting an opportunity to investigate new music!

Here is the list…

Let’s start listening!

~ Kristen

p.s. to get you started, a sampling of songs from nominees who happen to be playing in Los Angeles at The Viper Room THIS WEEK!

Transfer at The Viper Room Thursday July 29th (11pm)

Dirty Sweet at The Viper Room Friday July 30th (11pm)

Nervous Wreckords at The Viper Room Saturday July 31st (9pm)

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 7/26-8/1

Posted on by Kristen

Still struggling with coherency issues so I’m going to keep this short. This week, like last, is jam packed with musical goodness. I’m especially excited about the return of a couple of my favorite bands to LA. Truth & Salvage Co. on Friday at The House of Blues and The Kin on Sunday at Zanzibar in Santa Monica. But really, that’s just the beginning of all the awesomeness going on next week…check it out:

Monday: Soul Puppet at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)
ALSO: Aiden Moore and Abbot Kinney at Molly Malone’s (10,11)…last chance to catch Aiden before he goes off to NYC
ALSO: Mississippi Man FREE at The Echoplex (10pm)
ALSO: Paris Carney and Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (8,9) 

Tuesday: National Rifle at El Cid (?)…Philly band alert!
ALSO: Moving Picture Show FREE at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: Adam Lambert at Pacific Amphitheater (7:30) 

Weds: Bang the Gong Tour featuring Civil Twilight, Paper Tongues, and Neon Trees at The Glass House in Pomona (7pm)
ALSO: Adam Lambert at Pacific Amphitheater (8pm)
ALSO: Purple Melon and Meiko at Pershing Square (8pm)
ALSO: Guggenheim Grotto at The Hotel Café (8pm)
ALSO: Beachwood Rockers Society at Crane’s 

Thursday: Queen Caveat EP Release and Transfer at The Viper Room (10,11)
ALSO: Garrison Starr and Civil Twilight at The Hotel Cafe (8,9) 

Friday: Truth & Salvage Co. at The House of Blues-Sunset (9pm)
ALSO: Dirty Sweet at The Viper Room (10:40)
ALSO: Army of Me and Tyrone Wells at The Hotel Cafe (7,9)
ALSO: Morcheeba at The Hollywood Bowl (8:30) 

Saturday: The Nervous Wreckhords at The Viper Room (9pm)
ALSO: Viza at The Troubadour (11pm)
ALSO: Morcheeba at The Hollywood Bowl (8:30) 

Sunday: Amber Rubarth and The Kin at Zanzibar in Santa Monica (9pm)
ALSO: Terra Naomi at The Hotel Cafe (9pm) 

To Keep in Mind:
August 6th: Endoxi CD release at Epicentre (SD)
August 12th: Semi Precious Weapons at Staples Center
August 21st and 22nd: Sunset Junction
September 4th: After Midnight Project at The Key Club
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

The Kin return to LA!

Posted on by Kristen

I recieved the following via facebook event invite. Needless to say, I am incredibly excited about the return of The Kin to Los Angeles. These Austrialian-born, NYC-based brothers are one of my favorite live acts. I am especially excited about Monday night’s soungwriters in the round at Room 5 which also features another fave duo, Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale.  As I write this, I am giddy in anticipation of the greatness that will surely unfold that night.
If you get the chance, I’d highly recommend you come to at least one of the events deatiled in the message below:
LA Cohorts,

Were heading west for a week of music in LA. We will be driving in from San Francisco where we have a week of making videos for the new album of groovy cover songs we have made with the Rondo Brothers, called ‘The Kin: Rondo Sessions’.

We then get to spend a week in LA with you before we head to a summer music festival in France. Please come and be with us on Sunday August 1st for our main show of the week at the venu…e ZANZIBAR…details for all shows below.

Cheers!

Isaac and Thorald
The Kin

Friday July 30th – Sunset Marquis – Special showcase – RSVP only

Sunday August 1st – ZANZIBAR – w/Bri Anne Michelle and Amber Rubarth. 1301 5th St Santa Monica, CA 90401, Doors at 7pm, $10

Monday August 2nd – Room 5 – Songwriters Circle with Friends in the round. 143 N La Brea Ave West Hollywood, CA 90036, 8pm

Wednesday August 4th – The Standard Hotel – Poolside performance
8300 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90069, free

 
 
And what song should pop up on my ITunes as I read this message: The Kin- New Day (LIVE) Enjoy!
~ Kristen

Have you been to Saint Rocke?

Posted on by Kristen

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

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 7/19-7/25

Posted on by Kristen

Sometimes I feel that there is a correlation between how much I’m enjoying the music and how much money I spend on music-related items. This past week could go down as one of the best of the year music-wise. With two helpings of The Silent Comedy, a much anticipated Nico Vega experience, finally seeing Alex Band, being introduced to a fantastic new group (Imagine Dragons), and capping it all off by being serenaded with a couple of my favorite singer-songwriters (Joe Firstman and Jay Nash)…well, it will be a difficult week to top.

This week will also go down as one in which I spent a LOT of money for the music. I do go to quite a few shows in a given year, but I really don’t go to very many major ones. I see venues like The Hollywood Palladium and The Wiltern only a handful of times a year and places like the Staples Center and the Hollywood Bowl, I may not even see at all. But in the past week I purchased tickets to four major upcoming shows (The Dead Weather, The Black Crowes/Truth & Salvage Co., and Brandi Carlile/The Avett Brothers, Frightened Rabbit). I really feel that my inspiration to secure my place at these events stemmed from the state of complete musical bliss that kept me in somewhat of a drug-induced trance all week long. And let’s not even get into the merch purchases, Best Buy runs, and upcoming concert festival preparations that also contributed to my numerous trips to the ATM.

But I must admit that the thrill of seeing my inbox full of order confirmations really only adds to the general giddiness that has permeated the week and I honestly wouldn’t mind every week being so hard on my wallet as long as it is equally uplifting for my heart.

Will this next week measure up? Here’s the blueprint:

Monday: Victoria Clemmons, Abbot Kinney, Hellen Stellar at Molly Malone’s (7:30, 9:30, 10:30)
ALSO: Christopher Dallman and Brooke White at The Hotel Cafe (8, 10)
ALSO: Paris Carney and Songwriters in the Round featuring Jay Nash and Amber Rubarth at Room 5 (9pm)
ALSO: Mississippi Man FREE at The Echo (10pm)
ALSO: Train at The Grammy Museum (8pm) 

Tuesday: Charlie Mars and Keaton Simons at The Hotel Cafe (8,9)
ALSO: Run Devil Run at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: Ben Taylor and Katie Herzig at Largo at Coronet (8pm) 

Weds: Dead Weather at The Hollywood Palladium (7:30)
ALSO: Gaslight Anthem at The Wiltern (7pm)
ALSO: The Guggenheim Grotto at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)
ALSO: Visqueen at The Mint (8pm)
ALSO: Edie Carey at Genghis Cohen (8pm)
ALSO: Keane at The Greek Theater (7pm) 

Thursday: The Other Side of Morning at The Cat Club (10pm)
ALSO: Garrison Star, Jake Newton, Lelia Broussard, and Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale at The Hotel Cafe (8-midnight) 

Friday: Tyrone Wells at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: Tony Lucca Album Release at The Mint (11pm)
ALSO: Vienne at Room 5 (11pm)
ALSO: Purple Melon at The Viper Room (10:30)
ALSO: Robyn FREE at Amoeba (7pm) 

Saturday: Pat McGee at The Mint (10:30)
ALSO: Pinback at El Rey (8pm)
ALSO: Miniature Tigers at Spaceland (10pm) 

Sunday:  Terra Naomi and Dead Sara at The Hotel Cafe (9,10)
ALSO: Pat McGee at Saint Rocke (9pm)
ALSO: Bang the Gong Tour featuring Neon Trees, Paper Tongues, and Civil Twilight (SD) 

To Keep in Mind:
July 29th: Queen Caveat EP Release at The Viper Room
July 29th: Civil Twlight at The Hotel Cafe
July 30th: Dirty Sweet at The Viper Room  
July 30-31st: Morcheeba at Hollywood Bowl
August 6th: Endoxi CD release at Epicentre (SD)
August 12th: Semi Precious Weapons at Staples Center
August 21st and 22nd: Sunset Junction
September 4th: After Midnight Project at The Key Club
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