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Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar 2/6-2/12

Posted on by Kristen

Well…that was certainly an eventful weekend. Friday night I had a very ominous feeling before going to the El Rey to join a friend for Adam Gontier (of Three Days Grace) and Martin Sexton. At the end of the evening, I ended up in fascinating company at my fave late night eatery and I thought my gut must have been waaay off. Three hours later, sleepless and in the ER with a friend, my earlier instincts were justified.

Saturday, I cancelled my plans to participate in Tyrone Well’s music video shoot in Venice for sleep’s sake. Then it was an evening at The Rainbow Room and The Hotel Cafe with great food, friends, and music (the three essentials of any successful evening).

Today I had to cut myself off from the world and lock myself in lab as I had entered the weekend woefully behind on an important deadline at work and that I have two big presentation to give in the next seven days. This week is going to be rough…thankfully there are a few choice shows to pull me through. Here are my options:

Monday: Youngblood Hawke, Lady Danville, Useless Keys FREE at The Satellite (9pm)
ALSO: Paris Carney and Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 featuring Kyler England, Sweet Talk Radio, Shane Alexander, and Joel Eckels (8,9)

 

Tuesday: Queen Caveat at Hemingways (11pm)
ALSO: The Elizabeth Kill at Skinny’s Lounge in NOHO (9pm)
ALSO: Makepeace Brothers and friends Acoustic Nights at WitZend (9pm)
ALSO: Marcus Very Ordinary at The Central (8pm)

 

Weds: Millow, Marketa Irglova, Jake Newton and Garrison Starr at The Hotel Cafe (8, 9:30, 10:30)
ALSO: Roman Candle Wars and Red Circle Underground at Bootleg Bar (9,10)
ALSO: Aunt Martha and Meiko at Saint Rocke (8pm)

 

Thursday: Harper Blynn at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: Ben Kweller FREE at Amoeba (7pm)
ALSO: Kris Allen at The Mint (9pm)
ALSO: Oh Darling and Y Luv at The Satellite (9pm)
ALSO: Joss Stone at The Troubadour (8pm)

 

Friday: Teitur and Aunt Martha at Largo (8pm)
ALSO: Graham Colton and Abandoned Pools at The Viper Room (9,10)
ALSO: Javier Dunn, Parker Ainsworth, Rocco Deluca, and Juke Kartel at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)
ALSO: Dr. Dog at The Orpheum (9pm)

 

Saturday: White Denim at The Satellite (10pm)
ALSO: The Fray at The Troubadour (7pm)
ALSO: Ari Shine at The Mint (9:30)
ALSO: Judy Collins at Walt Disney Concert Hall (8pm)

 

Sunday: The Swell Season at McCabe’s (8pm)
ALSO: Twin Atlantic and You Me at Six at Chain Reaction in Anaheim (7pm)
ALSO: Jonah Matranga at The Hotel Cafe (8:30)

To Keep in Mind:
Feb. 14th: Twin Atlantic and You Me at Six at The Troubadour
Feb. 17th: Ryan Adams at The Hollywood Bowl
Feb. 18th: Mayday Parade at The El Rey
Feb. 19th: The Darkness at House of Blues Sunset
Feb. 20th: Milo Greene at The Satellite
Feb. 22nd: Will Dailey and Mariah McManus at The Hotel Café
Feb. 22nd: Imagine Dragons at The Viper Room
Feb. 27th: Dead Sara at The Viper Room
March 5th: Scars on 45 at The Troubadour
March 5th-6th: Dan Wilson and Rachel Yamagata at The Hotel Cafe
March 8th: Crash Kings at The Troubadour
March 9th: William Fitzsimmons at The Troubadour
March 10th: Nico Vega at The Roxy
March 13th-18th: SXSW (Austin, TX)
March 14th: The Pretty Reckless at The HOB Sunset
March 18th: Dia Frampton at The Troubadour
March 20th: Needtobreathe and Ben Rector at Club Nokia
March 22nd: The Lumineers at The Hotel Cafe
March 24th: Ani DiFranco at The Orpheum Theater
March 24th and 25th: Allen Stone at The Troubadour
March 31st: Tyrone Wells at The Roxy
April 1st: Charlotte Martin at The Bootleg Bar
April 13th-15th AND 20th– 22nd: Coachella
April 25th: Ben Kweller at The El Rey
April 27th: Ingrid Michaelson at The Troubadour
May 8th: Snow Patrol at The Hollywood Palladium
June 13th and 14th: Phantom Planet at The Troubadour

 

~ Kristen

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Watch This!: Snow Patrol, Hotel Carolina, Graffiti6

Posted on by Kristen

Snow Patrol – “Called Out In the Dark”

This is quite possibly one of the greatest music videos of all time (at least in my book). I’ve been a fan of Snow Patrol for some time now and I enjoy the song, but what puts it over the edge is the inclusion of Steve (umm…I mean Jack Davenport). To understand my love of Jack, you have to understand that my favorite comedy of all time is the British version of Coupling. I’m not a huge video person, but this one definitely deserves a viewing or two. I’m also really looking forward to the upcoming Snow Patrol tour…

 

Hotel Carolina artists- “Tiny Dancer”

I was so sad to miss Hotel Carolina in Philadelphia a weekend or two ago. Some of my favorite artists at one of my favorite venues…sigh…but I can watch the videos and pretend I was there. Here’s the amazing Matt Duke leading the Hotel Carolina crew in the finale of “Tiny Dancer”.

 

Graffiti6– “Stare Into The Sun”

Currently listening to a livestream performance of Graffiti6. I’ve really been enjoying this band since I saw them a couple week’s ago at The El Rey. Their CD Colours sounds better each time I listen. According to the band, their song “Free” is still available for free download on ITunes. Definitely check that out! Since I’m listening to them play acoustically (love it!), here’s an acoustic version of their song “Stare Into the Sun”

Kh7CMDh9720

 

~ Kristen

 

Amanda’s Top Ten Musical Experiences (cont.)

Posted on by Amanda

I bet you thought I forgot all about this! Well, the truth of the matter is… I haven’t been home to write and when I am home, I’m sleeping. I’ve been out making new musical experiences for 2012! As such I’m giving you three more of my top musical experiences and I promise the top 2 won’t be far behind.

 

5.SXSW- I don’t really know how to describe SXSW to anyone other than calling it a musical orgy of sorts. There is so much to see and do whilst in Austin, Texas that it’s hard to keep your head on straight. Last year was my first year and I hope to be going every year after. The cool thing about SXSW is you really only need money for a place to stay and some food. We never went to any official shows (which is what badges are required for) and we had a hard time keeping up with all the musical options out there. During our time at SXSW we saw; Fierce Creatures, Viva City, Purple Melon, AWOLNATION, Neon Trees, The Head and The Heart, The Kin, Dead Sara, Fitz and The Tantrums, Tailor Made Fable, Keaton Simons, Liam Finn, Atomic Tom, Ivan and Alyosha, Queen Caveat, The Gallery, Sabrosa Purr,  The Greenhornes, The Silent Comedy, Mother Mother, Agnes Obel, Brian Wright, Brooke Fraser, Cary Brothers, Holly Conlan, Jim Bianco, Joey Ryan, Kenneth Pattengale, Laura Jansen, Little Red Radio, OK, The Milk Carton Kids, Deluka, Hugo, Meriwether, My Cousin The Emperor, Sinai, Taylor Locke & The Roughs, The Good Natured, Augustana, Doll and The Kicks, Empires, Lenka, Twin Atlantic, and The Stone Foxes. Well, you get the idea…

 

4. Blink-182- I was never a huge fan of Blink. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t change the radio station when their music came on or anything but nothing about them made me have a burning desire to see them live. In 2011, I saw them not once but twice and they will always have a warm spot in my heart. The first time I saw them was for the Honda Civic Tour. I was working with Kevin and Rebecca Joelson and doing some shooting of the event which means I was in the pit for the first few songs and was able to be side stage for the rest of their set. I was surprised at just how many Blink-182 songs I knew and Rebecca and I sang along from the sidelines. What really blew my brain was when they ‘finished’ their set and this giant rig comes down from the batons where all the lights are. I had been staring at it all night trying to figure out what it was. Well, it was a giant arm with a drum set attached! Travis got on this rig and was taken out over the audience while he played a solo for a few minutes. The rig would tilt down, back up and move around. It was mind blowing!!!! Needless to say, I was a fan after that.

 

3. Bonnaroo- In 2011, Bonnaroo was what Coachella should have been lineup wise. If you’ve ever been to or know about Coachella, think of Bonnaroo as the cooler sister who is both hippie and hip. Bonnarro is also held in a giant field and while it lacks the artistic attractions like the wandering robot and the giant hand that can kill a car, it has yoga and it’s own post office. Bonnaroo also has this giant fountain which I’ve been told gets painted different colors every year but it’s a great way to stay cool in the heat. Coachella doesn’t have that. Granted Coachella is easier to get to, but flying out gave us the chance to hang out in Tennessee and check out Nashville for a day or two. Our highlights from Bonnaroo were already posted on this site but we had a blast watching Eminem, The Head and The Heart, Portugal. The Man, Neon Trees, Kopeckey Family Band, Mumford and Sons, Cory Chisel and The Wandering Sons, Alberta Cross, The Black Angels, and The Decemberists. Bonnaroo is a new tradition in my book and I can’t wait to see the lineup for 2012!

 

See you soon for my top 2!

Friday the 13th’s Creepshow at The Hotel Cafe

Posted on by Kristen

One of my favorite musical events is the semi-annual Creepshow. Pianist extraordinaire, Ely Rise or Ely the Creep as he is affectionately known, gathers together his very talented musician friends for a night of drinking and music at The Hotel Cafe. Ely knows good music and The Creepshow is always an opportunity to discover amazing talent. Over the last couple of years, I have been introduced to artists like Alisan Porter, Elle King, Sarah Hudson, and Esthero and gotten to see favorite acts like Hoobastank, Daniel Bedingfield, and Ferras.  What I love most about the event is that it is a celebration of music. Everyone there is so happy to be on the stage sharing what the love with an audience eager to hear what they have to offer.

The 10th Creepshow took place last Friday (the 13th) and living up to the standard, was an evening full of discovering new artists, seeing a couple of favorites, and generally being blown away by the talent that took the stage. Highlights for me included hearing some new songs from Ferras (especially his duet with Sarah Hudson) and sampling promising new voices like Dana Williams, Nikki Leonti (of Nikki & Rich), and southern sounding rocker Josh Bartholomew. Plus, it wouldn’t be a Creepshow without at least one surprise guest and having Josh Hoge take the stage might have been the most pleasant surprise of them all!

Below are some pictures. Scroll over the pics to get more stories from the fantastic evening of music.

~ Kristen

Kristen’s ’11 Mix – Track 3 – Biffy Clyro

Posted on by Kristen

3. “The Captain” (acoustic) – Biffy Clyro

Another year has gone by and I’m still obsessed with Biffy Clyro.  My fave shirtless Scottsmen spent a lot of time in the US this year (YAY!). Some of my Biffy highlights include seeing them headline at The Troubadour and The Belly Up, selling the band’s merch, sneaking backstage to say hi, interviewing drummer Ben Johnston, filling out my Biffy collection (including imports), and meeting the band as well as some fellow Biffy lovers. But the Biffiest experience of  all was when the band partnered up with author Mark Danielewski to do an evening of music and readings surrounding Mark’s book “Only Revolutions” and Biffy Clyro’s CD of the same name. Mark’s book is amazing. I’d never experienced experimental literature before and found it incredibly rewarding. This event also marked the first time I was able to hear the usually raucous hard rockers break it down and do acoustic versions of their tunes. I loved the acoustic version of “The Captain” so much, I went home and learned it on my guitar. MON THE BIFF!

Here’s “The Captain” prefaced by Mark Danielewski reading from his book:

~ Kristen

Kristen’s ’11 Mix – Track 1 – The Milk Carton Kids

Posted on by Kristen

The New Year is almost here. The season of year end mixes is upon us! My mix is a reflection of MY 2011, containing the tracks and artists that had an impact on me, regardless of when a song was released. For those who want to know about how my year went, I have accompanying stories of why each track was chosen. For those of you just trolling for inspiring new music, I’m sure you can find that too!

Enjoy!!

1. “Michigan” – The Milk Carton Kids

 

I believe that Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale are the most inspired pairing since Paul Simon met Art Garfunkel. This year, my favorite duo made it official and christened themselves a “band” with the name The Milk Carton Kids. Along with the christening, they released an album, Prolouge. “Michigan” is the first track on the album and it took me a solid week to listen to the rest of the CD because I couldn’t move past this song! This year, I saw The Milk Carton Kids at every opportunity. Their unique combination of sad, yet beautiful tunes with gut-busting banter and deadpan humor makes for a show experience unlike any other.

 

 

~ Kristen

Amanda’s SD Concert Calendar 12/19-12/25

Posted on by Amanda

I just finished making a pasta salad and cheesy mashed potatoes for a family holiday dinner tonight. I wonder how much more food I can get before I really expand….   Can you believe Christmas is on Sunday? That means the new year is right around the corner!

Since it’s the holiday week the show schedule is quite light. I won’t complain since it gives me time to shop and wrap gifts!

 

Monday: Pinkback @ Belly Up @9 $20
AND: Wendy Bailey @ Ruby Room @8 $4

Tuesday: Give some music to a friend

Wednesday: Finish shopping!

Thursday: Skyline Union @ Tin Can Alehouse @9 $5

Friday: Writer @ Soda Bar @9
AND: Cash’d Out @ Belly Up @9 $16/$18

Saturday: Last minute present wrapping!

Sunday: Merry Christmas!

 

Keep in Mind:

December 27th- Cracker @ Belly Up @8 $20/$22
December 30th- Get Back Loretta and The Burning of Rome @ Casbah @930 $10
December 31st- The Silent Comedy and Transfer w/The Creepy Creeps, The Heavy Guilt, Low Volts, and more! @ Mississippi Room $25-$40
January 11th- Milk Carton Kids @ Anthology
January 22nd- Wilco and With Denim @ House of Blues
February 3rd- Mute Math @ 4th & B
February 10th- Young the Giant @ Soma
February 23rd- Ra Ra Riot @ Belly Up @8 $18