Author: Amanda

My Ideal Birthday Concert

Posted on by Amanda

It’s my birthday!  What I’d really like to be doing to celebrate is watch all the fantastic bands that are playing SXSW today (including faves The Crash Kings and Carney). Then I thought, as long as I’m wishing for the impossible, I might as well go all out.  The best way to celebrate my birthday would be by watching the following three bands (one of which no longer plays) at the now defunct Grape Street outside Philadelphia, PA. That’s how I’d really like to celebrate my birthday…yes…
You can give to me a birthday gift by checking these bands out !

1. Pepper’s Ghost– “Everything and Anything” at The Trocadero

2. Pawnshop Roses– “Let It Roll” at The Grape Street 

3. Jealousy Curve – “Black Widow” at The Grape Street

BONUS: Pepper’s Ghost – “You”

~ Kristen

My Ideal Birthday Concert

Posted on by Amanda

It’s my birthday!  What I’d really like to be doing to celebrate is watch all the fantastic bands that are playing SXSW today (including faves The Crash Kings and Carney). Then I thought, as long as I’m wishing for the impossible, I might as well go all out.  The best way to celebrate my birthday would be by watching the following three bands (one of which no longer plays) at the now defunct Grape Street outside Philadelphia, PA. That’s how I’d really like to celebrate my birthday…yes…

You can give to me a birthday gift by checking these bands out !

1. Pepper’s Ghost– “Everything and Anything” at The Trocadero

2. Pawnshop Roses– “Let It Roll” at The Grape Street 

3. Jealousy Curve – “Black Widow” at The Grape Street

BONUS: Pepper’s Ghost – “You”

~ Kristen

My Apologies

Posted on by Amanda

Hi Cool Cats!

I realize I have been off the radar for awhile (I blame the weather for getting me sick!) and I feel like I’ve been letting down the SD scene. To be honest, I haven’t really heard of much of anything going on this week. I can tell you that everyone and their mother has decided to have a show this Saturday. I’ll get to that in a minute…

Tonight: Nothing offhand but there is a $5 show at the Casbah so you can’t really go wrong there…

Friday: Bad Religion @ House of Blues San Diego

Saturday: Patrick Norton @ Soma @7:00  $8
~Sight and Sound featuring- The Softlights, Shapes of Future Frames, Beat Panther, Gayle Skidmore and DJ Soo Cal $10 (or free before 7:30) @ Queen Bee’s in North Park
~Mr. Mustard, Wild Child (Doors concert recreation), and Have a Cigar @ The Belly Up $16 or $18 at door (this is a staff pick show!)
~River City @ Tin Can Alehouse $3
~Rio and Still Ill (cover bands!) @ The Casbah $10

Sunday: Nothing again. Consider it a day of rest 🙂
Hopefully I will have a full schedule for you next week! I can already tell you there are a bunch of shows coming up! Indie Fest featuring Endoxi, Gregory Page, and Metric on the 27th (with indie films screening on the 26th) as well asBamboozle on the 27th and 28th with AFI and Something Corporate as well as The Silent Comedy record release on April 2nd! But don’t worry, I’ll have it out in a nice format so you can read it!

I’ve Been Searching My Soul Tonight

Posted on by Amanda

The other day I ran across season 1 of Ally McBeal at Target and I bought it. I’ve since watched season 1  and half of season 2 (I’m waiting to finish it after April 6th when it officially comes out on DVD).  I used to watch this show back when it aired and re-watching it, I remember why I loved it so much…bells, frogs, anything that went down in that unisex bathroom, and yes, dancing babies…it’s quirky fantasticness! It’s also interesting being a tad older (nearing the same age as Ally in season 1!), the perspective I have on the issues and the characters has changed (quite a bit in some cases). But one thing that has remained is how much I LOVE how this show uses its music.  The presence of songstress Vonda Shepard in just about every episode as the herald of Ally’s thoughts and emotion is simply genus. Not to mention how the characters themselves relate to song (Ally’s theme songs, the use of Barry White). White’s “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything” became one of my favorite songs after this show…I can still do parts of John’s bathroom dance. Just about any song from this show has emotional significance to me and it’s because the songs are incorporated into the storylines so well. This is the perfect example of how to effectively use music in a television show. The songs aren’t simply laid on top of some montage like another layer in the editing room. Instead, they are integrally woven into the very fabric of the show. They cannot simply be taken out or interchanged as the music IS the show.  And that’s why I love it!

Now, I feel we should all take a moment here and contemplate the brilliance of Ally McBeal and its music (*puts hand over nose*).

~ Kristen

The Classic Crime comes to Anaheim

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This Tuesday I really hope to find the time and energy to trek down to Anaheim to a place called Chain Reaction to see a band called The Classic Crime. The Classic Crime is from Seattle but despite their relative proximity they don’t seem to make it down to LA all that often and I’ve only seen them once (at Warped Tour).  I discovered them several years ago when I was bored and cruising myspace (two things that never happen anymore). The band had just released an acoustic EP, Seattle Sessions, and someone had posted the track “Seattle” on their page. It was love at first listen! I immediate ordered the EP and that song ended up making my best of list that year. Now listen and love that track, but be warned that is not the sound typical of this band (I mentioned Warped Tour, right?). Actually, when listening to the breadth of their catalog of music, I realize that it’s a bit difficult to classify them much further than “rock.” Their CD The Silver Chord produced one of my fave tracks of this year, “Closer Than We Think.” They have a new CD coming out April 6th called Vagabonds and I would love to see some of their new material performed…I’m also still crossing my fingers that I’ll get to hear “Seattle.” My heart…will melt…

 http://www.myspace.com/theclassiccrime

~ Kristen

Get Back Loretta @ Soma

Posted on by Amanda

Happy Sunday!

I hope you all had a restful day after this crazy week we had! We had some awesome shows didn’t we? I know I needed to lay low after all that.

While I don’t yet have a list of shows for this upcoming week I do have a review of the Get Back Loretta show at Soma. I thought I’d share it with you fine folks…

Arguably everyone who came to the show Friday night was there for them. I saw quite a few people (myself included) lazing around the hallways waiting for the clock to turn 9:55 p.m. which was the magic Get Back time.

We got to see glimpses of them on stage but they weren’t really doing a sound check as others were doing it for them. I wondered what was up, then the lights went off on stage and no one was to be found. Next thing we know, the intro for Dreams Got Scattered starts up but it is a disembodied sound since we can’t see anyone. The lights go on, everyone comes on stage, and Chris Wilson (one of the new guitarists) comes out from behind the giant monitor as they explode into the song full swing.

It’s exactly that electric energy and antics that Get Back Loretta played with for their entire set. They played old favorites from Over The Wall as well as new ones from Where Did You Go? They also played an older song I was not familiar with but I enjoyed. We also got the pleasure of being the debut audience for a brand new song! It was glorious with a nice hook that kept us going. =D

I don’t think it is really fair to talk about Get Back and not mention their new guitarists. Joey Bradford is the younger brother of Steven Bradford whom you all know as the bass man and the singer of Get Back. Joey has his own band, Thieves and Liars who are currently on hiatus but despite that, Joey has talent for keeping the rhythm going and complementing the other guitar (as well as other instruments). The other new guitarist is Chris Wilson who also has his own band called Endoxi. I don’t think I have ever seen fingers move as fast as Wilson’s do on a guitar (live anyways). He brings a “harder” feel to the band but I think the energy it gives them helps lift everything up. There are some snazzy guitar solos in there that are hard to miss. It’s a win situation all around. They both add such a nice spice and flavor to the mix. It’s like adding a few extra spices to the Chex mix, if you get what I mean. It makes a good thing better!

Get Back Loretta has another show coming up April 16th so mark your calendars! You won’t want to miss out!

Until next time!
~Amanda