Author: Amanda

Curtis Peoples at The Mint- 3/6/10

Posted on by Amanda

I have known Curtis for a number of years now, and have really enjoyed watching him grow as both a person and an artist. He came out of writing and recording hibernation Saturday night to play a show at The Mint. He seemed so genuinely happy to be back on the stage and to share some of his new tunes with us. And that’s one of the things I love about Curtis. He’s so genuine and honest (I mean, the man admits to loving CSI: Miami, having a fetish for 80’s music, and wearing girl’s jean…). But this honesty also comes across in his songs and in his performance which always makes him a pleasure to watch.

My favorite Curtis tune has to be the last single, “All I Want”, from his latest self titled album. I still can’t decide, however, whether I like it best sung with the full band (gives it power and allows it to build a bit more) or just simply with Curtis and his guitar which is how I first heard it. Check out the video and let me know what you think!

Of course he sang “All I Want” Saturday night. Curtis also played several new tunes including one that he wrote with Tyler Hilton called “So Young” which I think will be a stand-out on Tyler’s forthcoming CD. 

The set was capped off with a fantastic version of Tom Petty’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” with Dave Yaden delivering masterful solos on the keys…and which has subsequently set me off on a Tom Petty kick.

Can’t wait for next time!

http://www.curtispeoples.com/

~ Kristen

Kristen's LA Concert List 3/8-3/14

Posted on by Amanda

It’s Oscar night! So I’m going to make this brief. There are so many good shows this week, I’m a bit overwhelmed with the choices…and I didn’t even do an exhaustive search.  All I know is that I’m not going to be sleeping much…and I wish I had a double (someone needs to go to these shows I can’t go to and report back!).

Here’s what I’ve got cooking:

Monday: Aimee Miriello at Molly Malone’s (10pm)

ALSO: Barcelona at Saint Rocke (8pm)

Tuesday: Big Pink and IO Echo at El Rey (7pm)

ALSO: Manchester Orchestra at The Troubadour (9pm)

ALSO: The Rescues and Honeyhoney at Saint Rocke (8pm)

ALSO: Laura Veirs at Spaceland (8:30)

Weds: Manchester Orchestra at The Troubadour (9pm)

ALSO: Cary Brothers and Meiko at The Hotel Cafe (8,10)

ALSO: Delta Spirit at Bootleg (11pm)

ALSO: Olin and The Moon at Spaceland (8:30)

ALSO: Agent Ribbon at The Silverlake Lounge (11pm)

ALSO: The Silent Comedy and Transfer at The Casbah in San Diego (8:30)

ALSO: Beachwood Rocker’s Society at Crane’s

Thursday: Melissa Ferrick, Jim Bianco, Joey Ryan, and Caitlin Crosby and Jay Nash at The Hotel Cafe (7,9,10,11)…so much great music all night long!

ALSO: The Silent Comedy and Transfer at The Casbah in San Diego (8:30)… I’m driving down if anyone wants to carpool…

ALSO: Purple Melon at Molly Malone’s (10pm)

ALSO: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The Echoplex (8:30)

Friday: Bleecker Street featuring Paris Carney and Matthew Jordan at Molly Malone’s (8pm)

ALSO: Basia Bulat, Brother Sal, and Truth & Salvage Co. with The Parsons Red Heads at The Hotel Cafe (8,9,10)…last week was insane…don’t miss out!

ALSO: Brandi Carlile at House of Blues Anaheim (8pm)

ALSO: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The Echoplex (8:30)

Saturday: Great Northern at Bootleg (10:30)

ALSO: The Hereafter at Molly Malone’s (9pm)

ALSO: Until June and Lady Danville at Saint Rocke (8pm)

ALSO: The Other Side of Morning at The Loft (10pm)

ALSO: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The Echoplex (8:30)

Sunday: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The House of Blues Anaheim (8pm)

To Keep in Mind:

March 26th: Nico Vega and Metric at Hollywood Palladium

March 27th: San Diego Indie Fest featuring Metric

March 27th/28th: Bamboozled Left featuring Something Corporate and AFI

April 6th: Paper Tongues at The Troubadour

April 9th: Lights and Owl City at Club Nokia

April 12th: Butch Walker at El Rey

April 16th: George Stanford CD release at The Hotel Café

April 16th-19th: Coachella

Sometime in May: CARNEY at El Rey…just block out the entire month in anticipation…  

June 10-13th: BONNAROO

~ Kristen

Kristen’s LA Concert List 3/8-3/14

Posted on by Amanda

It’s Oscar night! So I’m going to make this brief. There are so many good shows this week, I’m a bit overwhelmed with the choices…and I didn’t even do an exhaustive search.  All I know is that I’m not going to be sleeping much…and I wish I had a double (someone needs to go to these shows I can’t go to and report back!).
Here’s what I’ve got cooking:

Monday: Aimee Miriello at Molly Malone’s (10pm)

ALSO: Barcelona at Saint Rocke (8pm)

Tuesday: Big Pink and IO Echo at El Rey (7pm)

ALSO: Manchester Orchestra at The Troubadour (9pm)

ALSO: The Rescues and Honeyhoney at Saint Rocke (8pm)

ALSO: Laura Veirs at Spaceland (8:30)

Weds: Manchester Orchestra at The Troubadour (9pm)

ALSO: Cary Brothers and Meiko at The Hotel Cafe (8,10)

ALSO: Delta Spirit at Bootleg (11pm)

ALSO: Olin and The Moon at Spaceland (8:30)

ALSO: Agent Ribbon at The Silverlake Lounge (11pm)

ALSO: The Silent Comedy and Transfer at The Casbah in San Diego (8:30)

ALSO: Beachwood Rocker’s Society at Crane’s

Thursday: Melissa Ferrick, Jim Bianco, Joey Ryan, and Caitlin Crosby and Jay Nash at The Hotel Cafe (7,9,10,11)…so much great music all night long!

ALSO: The Silent Comedy and Transfer at The Casbah in San Diego (8:30)… I’m driving down if anyone wants to carpool…

ALSO: Purple Melon at Molly Malone’s (10pm)

ALSO: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The Echoplex (8:30)

Friday: Bleecker Street featuring Paris Carney and Matthew Jordan at Molly Malone’s (8pm)

ALSO: Basia Bulat, Brother Sal, and Truth & Salvage Co. with The Parsons Red Heads at The Hotel Cafe (8,9,10)…last week was insane…don’t miss out!

ALSO: Brandi Carlile at House of Blues Anaheim (8pm)

ALSO: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The Echoplex (8:30)

Saturday: Great Northern at Bootleg (10:30)

ALSO: The Hereafter at Molly Malone’s (9pm)

ALSO: Until June and Lady Danville at Saint Rocke (8pm)

ALSO: The Other Side of Morning at The Loft (10pm)

ALSO: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The Echoplex (8:30)

Sunday: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at The House of Blues Anaheim (8pm)

To Keep in Mind:

March 26th: Nico Vega and Metric at Hollywood Palladium

March 27th: San Diego Indie Fest featuring Metric

March 27th/28th: Bamboozled Left featuring Something Corporate and AFI

April 6th: Paper Tongues at The Troubadour

April 9th: Lights and Owl City at Club Nokia

April 12th: Butch Walker at El Rey

April 16th: George Stanford CD release at The Hotel Café

April 16th-19th: Coachella

Sometime in May: CARNEY at El Rey…just block out the entire month in anticipation…  

June 10-13th: BONNAROO

~ Kristen

T&S Co. at The Hotel Cafe- Residency Night 3

Posted on by Amanda

It’s just really hard to find the words to express how much fun I have whenever I get the opportunity to see these guys. Nights like this remind me why Truth & Salvage Co. is one of my fave LA bands…and there isn’t a better place to see them play than the Hotel Cafe.  Their energy seemed kicked up a notch further last night, perhaps due to the fact that it was Walker’s birthday. They played several of my faves, both old and new, starting with “Hail, Hail” and ending with an encore of “Pure Mountain Angel” (the way it should always be). They also did a fantastic cover of The Band’s “Shape I’m In.”  The typical crowd was there dancing and singing along. They were accompanied by their usual rowdy antics, which this time included a cupcake fight—seriously, icing everywhere! The only thing I’m craving now more than a cupcake is more T&S Co. Fortunately this whole thing will happen again next Friday, the 4th night of the band’s residency at The Hotel Cafe. I hope to see you there!

~ Kristen

T&S Co. at The Hotel Cafe- Residency Night 3

Posted on by Amanda

It’s just really hard to find the words to express how much fun I have whenever I get the opportunity to see these guys. Nights like this remind me why Truth & Salvage Co. is one of my fave LA bands…and there isn’t a better place to see them play than the Hotel Cafe.  Their energy seemed kicked up a notch further last night, perhaps due to the fact that it was Walker’s birthday. They played several of my faves, both old and new, starting with “Hail, Hail” and ending with an encore of “Pure Mountain Angel” (the way it should always be). They also did a fantastic cover of The Band’s “Shape I’m In.”  The typical crowd was there dancing and singing along. They were accompanied by their usual rowdy antics, which this time included a cupcake fight—seriously, icing everywhere! The only thing I’m craving now more than a cupcake is more T&S Co. Fortunately this whole thing will happen again next Friday, the 4th night of the band’s residency at The Hotel Cafe. I hope to see you there!
~ Kristen

I don’t know how I feel about this trend…

Posted on by Amanda

Being on mailing lists for my favorite bands is somewhat of a double edged sword for me. I love keeping up with what is going on in their lives, but I absolutely hate missing out on so many good shows. Every time they play and I can’t be there…it just kills me. This is why I like local bands…

This past week, I received an email from one of my favorite bands, The Kin. It was detailing this show they are going to be doing in New York City next Weds (March 10th) at Webster Hall. It’s a special charity show through FM Charities whose goal is “to increase awareness of common, treatable illness among all populations.” Great cause, great band…only problem is I live in LA and can’t be there…or can I?

In the email they announced that the show is going to be viewable via webcast. So, if I choose I can sit at home that night and watch one of my favorite bands put on an amazing show…via the internet. I guess this is a good thing. I mean, I LOVE The Kin. I’d love to see them every single time they play. I’ll know what songs they play, if they break out any new tunes, if Shakerleg makes an appearance. I’ll be able to hear any in between song banter, stories from the road or from their most recent annual trip to Australia (where they are from).

But, really, it won’t be the same. It won’t feel the same. I won’t be moved by the pulsating beats from the overblown speakers or sense the energy of the audience as they fall in love with every note. I won’t be able to join in the sea of voices as the songs hit that familiar chorus or turn to that stranger next to me and smile when Thorry and Isaac nail that whistle at the end of “Romeo” or begin to introduce “Abraham” as that song about two brothers…come to think of it, it might be MORE painful to watch the spectacle in this detached mode then to not see it at all.

But this seems to be the way things are going. I watched a couple songs from a Joe Firstman set the other day streaming live from some place or another. In a few minutes, I’ll turn on the live stream from a local Philly radio state (Radio104.5) to hear IKE play a couple of tunes live…I guess streaming entire shows is just the next logical step.

So, I think everyone should check out the stream from The Kin’s show next Weds. And let me know how it goes…’cause I’ll be out at The Troubadour that night having a Manchester Orchestra experience.

http://www.thekin.com/

http://www.fmworldcharities.org/events.html

~ Kristen

Joey Ryan Residency

Posted on by Amanda

If it’s a Thursday in March than it must be a Joey Ryan day! Joey’s March residency at The Hotel Cafe continues this evening at 8pm. Joey Ryan is a fairly new discovery.  Amanda and I both first saw him open for Carney last fall and he instantly went on my watch list. I have since seen him a couple times at The Hotel Cafe and every time I see him, I think I fall in love a little more. Especially since the release of his EP Kenter Canyon which is one of the best EPs I’ve heard in awhile (definitely so far this year).  To endear him even more (to my heart at least), his website says that, at one point, he was planning on attending graduate school to study neuroscience!

If you get a chance, come out and see Joey Ryan at The Hotel Cafe. He’ll sing some songs about the weather and then offer to give you a hug. What more could you want!?! Here are his residency dates:

TONIGHT: March 4th: 8pm- Hotel Cafe (also with Jim Bianco and Honeyhoney)

March 11th: 10pm (with Jim Bianco, Melissa Ferrick, and Caitlin Crosby and Jay Nash)

March 25th: 8pm- Hotel Cafe

Sadly ,he will be at SXSW for one Thursday in between (the 18th) which happens to be my birthday…

http://www.myspace.com/joeyryanband

song: “Broken Headlights” (from Kenter Canyon)

~ Kristen