Friday’s witch hunt at The Roxy was the highlight of my month for sure. Not a single kink in the line-up of Queen Caveat, Imagine Dragons, Saint Motel, and Nico Vega…plus a killer (pun intended) ending.
Check out the review written for Antiquiet by LMN’s friend Steve Keyes!
~ 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
Just got back from seeing Assemble the Skyline at The Roxy. They make me smile. I mean, just listen to this song: Thrill Me (Such a Bitch)
Are you smiling yet?
okay, watch this:
I like their sense of humor. And alligators attacking my head aside, they put on a decent live show. Amanda was especially enthralled by drummer Nick who she convinced me bears a striking resemblance (in both appearance and energy) to 30 Seconds to Mars’ Jared Leto…especially in his current bleach blonde stage.
Anyway, if you’re looking for a fun new band to see, go check out Assemble The Skyline!
~ Kristen
Giving Room 5’s Songwriters in the Round some competition for my favorite Monday night activity would surely be the It’s a School Night events at Bardot. Bardot is this lovely club located above The Avalon in Hollywood…worth going to check out the decor alone. Every Monday night the club plays host to a couple amazing bands; up and comers like Carney, The Rescues, Madi Diaz and occassionally some pretty major acts like Ben Folds and next week’s guest Curt Smith (of Tears for Fears). And did I mention all of this is FREE?
The catch? Acts aren’t always announced very far in advance. Also, the events are generally RSVP only and with major acts like Ben Folds, get there early or there will be a line down the street! Fortunately, all you need to do is check the it’s a school night website and get on the mailing list then RSVP and you’ve got an in past the velvet ropes (yes, there actually is a velvet rope)!
Last night, I ventured to Bardot to see Everest and Lemon Sun. Everest has been on my list of bands to see for awhile now and they certainly did not disappoint. Be sure to catch them out on tour with Guster and then Matt Costa. They put on a fantastic live show:
Lemon Sun, as usual, gave us a rockin’ set…even with a drummer they’d never played with before. However, the dance party was cut short when the cops showed up. I’m guessing there were some noise complaints… The band insisted on busting out one more song before giving in to the authorities:
All in all a good evening. Next week: Curt Smith and Angela McCluskey. It was also mentioned that sometime in October, Fran Healy (of Travis) will be making an appearance on a school night… To give you a tiny idea of what this means to me, I’ll just say that the Travis tune “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?” was my theme song for many many years…
~ Kristen
About a week ago, Amanda and I ventured to Pomona for Warped Tour #2. I’m so glad I went, mostly because it was another excuse to rock out with After Midnight Project, who, by the way, are coming home to LA to play the Key Club September 4th (get your tickets now!).
One of the best parts of Warped Tour Pomona, was the fact that After Midnight Project was able to do an acoustic set. The following video isn’t from Pomona, but AMP have been doing several acoustic sets, including one at the KIA tent that was captured and showcased here. I love it when rock bands break it down acoustically, but I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a band do it as well as After Midnight Project…
Other highlights for me included actually being able to see Mayday Parade, hearing some of You Me At Six’s new songs, and being able to sample several new bands. Amanda was a big fan of Dicso Curtis who gave me a new appreciation for Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” and certainly put forth the happiest performance of the day (seriously, try to watch the band play and not smile).
Personally, I was enraptured by the Arkansas-based Deas Vail, whose soaring vocals, subtle harmonies, and piano base drew me in like a moth to a flame. I was literally walking past their stage to go elsewhere when I heard the music and HAD to stop. I kept trying to leave, but I just couldn’t…it was too beautiful to look away.
I recognized the name of the band, not because they were openers for the Owl City/Lights tour that I really wanted to see, but because I had at one point told myself NOT to like the band as they won a competition to get their video on MTVU, beating my beloved Carney. Funny how these things work sometimes…
Here’s that video:
And here’s the song that hooked me: Birds
~ Kristen
p.s. pictures to come…
Last Monday night’s Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 was a bit of a fantasy event featuring my very favorite west coast duo of Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan and my very fave east coast duo, Isaac and Thorry Koren (AKA The Kin-currently based in NYC although originally from Australia). Although I have known both sets of artists (with The Kin, it’s been years), they had not known each other. It was fun watching them all fall in love with one another, as everyone had genuine appreciation for the art and the artist on the stage. After Joey and Kenneth did a couple of tunes, Isaac made a comment about how great they were. Then, after The Kin’s first song, Joey, with his typical deadpan humor, informed the audience that he knew after Isaac’s complement, they were just setting them up to blow them away. And it just continued from there…
The two pairs, along with the always fabulous Joel Eckels, put on one of the best shows I have seen at that venue. Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 always seems to bring out the best in the artists and the spontaneous collaborations born from that kind of set-up are unique opportunities to see these musicians at their finest, pushing everyone on stage to become even better and giving Kenneth Pattengale multiple reasons to prove that he is one of the most talented musicians you will ever meet (he plays on neary every song…even if he’s never heard it before). This Monday night in particular, was truely something special to behold. The emotional intensity bursting forth from the stage Monday night quite simply left me melted in a puddle on the floor.
Fortunately, I was able to hold it together long enough to take a couple pictures, and more importantly, capture a song by The Kin called “The Boy Who Turned to Stone.” This song was one of the most memorable from the very first time I saw The Kin play. I haven’t heard it for years now and that they choose to bring it back out at this moment just adds to the memorable nature of the evening.
Enjoy a taste from that most amazing set and please please please do yourself a favor and go to Room 5 some Monday night (any Monday night really) and catch the Songwriters in the Round. It’s the best place to be on a Monday night in Los Angeles!
The Kin- The Boy Who Turned To Stone
~ 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
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