New Music Tuesday 7/23/13 Featuring Kid Karate, Ben Rector, Truth & Salvage Co.

Posted on by Kristen

In need of some new music in your life? Well, I’ve got you covered. Here are my top picks from what is coming out this week.

Kid Karate – Lights Out EP

This Irish duo has been tearing it up in LA these last couple of weeks. I’ve been looking forward to this release since I first heard “Two Times” in preparation for this year’s SXSW. To me they have a very White Stripes kind of vibe, hard-hitting and raw rock music. They play in San Diego tonight at The Griffin.

Ben Rector – The Walking In Between

As a huge fan of his previous releases, Into The Morning and Something Like This, I have high hopes for this singer songwriter’s newest release. Ben has a talent for writing fun and engaging pop songs. I haven’t delved into The Walking In Between yet, but the first single “Beautiful” is the free single on itunes this week and I listen to that and can’t help but smile. He’s coming back to SoCal this fall playing the House of Blues in both SD and LA September 23rd and 24th
respectively.

Truth & Salvage Co. – Pick Me Up

Before they moved to Nashville, Truth & Salvage Co. was one of my favorite LA bands. They put on such an enjoyable live show with their Americana rock, you can’t help but dance and sing along. I’m going to guess that Pick Me Up is a very apt title for the new album.

Also of interest:

 

~ Kristen

Amanda’s SD Concert Calendar 7/22-7/28

Posted on by Amanda

What happened to July? Wasn’t it just February? Maybe I’m just a tiny bit not right in the head after all that Comic Con craziness. We go from Comic Con craziness to a week of music craziness. This week we have Kid Karate at the Griffin, Saint Motel at the Soda Bar, and the 1975 at the Casbah just to name a few. Strap in, it’s going to be another long week. 

 

Monday: Papa, Wardell @ Casbah at 9pm
AND: Chamber Band @ Soda Bar at 9:30pm

Tuesday: 91X Loudspeaker Live Presents: Spero, Kid Karate, & more @ Griffin at 8:30pm
AND: The Filthy Violets @ Casbah at 9:30pm

Wednesday: Get Back Loretta, The Palace Ballroom, Deadly Birds @ U31 at 9pm
AND: The Tilt, Midnight Pine @ Casbah at 9pm
AND: Matchbox Twenty and The Goo Goo Dolls @ Valley View Casino Center at 7:30pm
AND: Dirty Sirens, Mrs. Henry @ Griffin at 9pm
AND: Roadkill Ghost Chior, The Lonely Wild @ Soda Bar at 9pm
AND: BoDeans @ Belly Up at 8pm

Thursday: Saint Motel, Hockey @ Soda Bar at 9pm
AND: The Cult @ House of Blues at 8pm- SOLD OUT
AND: The Hollerin @ Lafayette Hotel at 7pm

Friday: The 1975 @ Casbah at 9pm- SOLD OUT
AND: Fitz and the Tantrums @ Del Mar Racetrack at 4pm
AND: The Heavy Guilt @ Whistlestop Bar at 9pm
AND: Oh, Spirit @ Lestats at 9pm

Saturday: Shakey Graves @ Soda Bar at 9pm
AND: Okapi Sun @ Bar Pink at 9pm

Sunday: Peter Murphey @ Belly Up at 9pm- SOLD OUT
AND: Speedy Ortiz @ Soda Bar at 9:30pm

Keep in Mind: 
July 29th- Wolfmother @ The Belly Up
July 30th- Writer, Mrs. Magician @ Soda Bar
July 30th- Jeff Bridges @ Belly Up
July 31st- We The Kings, Breathe Carolina @ Soma 
August 2nd- Dead Feather Moon, Trouble in the Wind @ Casbah 
August 5th- The Heavy, The Silent Comedy @ Belly Up 
August 8th- Foals @ House of Blues
August 13th- Plain White T’s @ Belly Up 
August 15th- Cold War Kids @ House of Blues
August 15th- Kopecky Family Band @ Soda Bar
August 17th- Weezer @ Del Mar Race Track 
August 25th- Courtney Love @ Belly Up
August 25th- Truth and Salvage Co. @ Griffin
August 28th- K. Flay @ Griffin 
September 6th- Dave Matthews Band @ Cricket Wireless
September 11th- Minus The Bear @ Belly Up 
September 13th- Ra Ra Riot @ Birch North Park Theater  
September 13th- The Features @ Griffin
September 13th- North Park Music Thing
September 14th- North Park Music Thing 
September 16th- Bastille @ House of Blues 
September 20th- X-Fest feat: Blink 182, 30 Seconds to Mars, The Offspring Silversun Pickups, Fitz and the Tantrums, Atlas Genius, Capital Cities, New Politics 
September 20th- Young Dubliners @ Belly Up 
September 21st- FM 94/9 Independence Jam feat: Cage The Elephant, Smallpools, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., American Authors, Royal Teeth, The Colourist and Dead Feather Moon
September 22nd- Depeche Mode @ Sleep Train Amiptheatre 
September 22nd- Fall Out Boy @ Valley View Casino Center 
September 30th- Vampire Weekend @ SDSU Open Air Theater 
October 2nd- Jake Bugg @ House of Blues 
October 4th- Phillip Phillips @ Sleep Train Amiptheatre
October 5th- You Me At Six @ Soma
October 8th- Pet Shop Boys @ Copley Symphony Hall 
October 8th- Conor Oberst @ Belly Up
October 9th- Tony Lucca @ Griffin
October 9th- The Pretty Reckless @ House of Blues
October 10th- Phoenix @ RIMAC Arena @ UCSD 
October 15th- Frank Turner @ House of Blues 
October 18th Jack Johnson @ Balboa Theater 
October 22nd- Passion Pit @ SDSU Open Air Theater 
October 23rd- Paramore, Metric, HELLOGOODBYE @ Viejas Arena (Cox Arena)
October 28th- The Neighbourhood @ House of Blues
October 31st- Two Door Cinema Club @ Humphrey’s
November 1st- Father John Misty @ House of Blues 
November 8th- Nine Inch Nails @ Staples Center 
November 21st- Pearl Jam @ Viejas Arena (SDSU)

 

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 7/23-7/28

Posted on by Kristen

Made a somewhat last minute decision to go down to Comic Con
for a couple days. This ended up being a fantastic call. After a whirlwind 2.5
days (1 day longer than planned), I realized that Comic Con was very much like
SXSW (my favorite week of the year). There were fun panels, celebrity run-ins,
lots of giveaways and exclusives, free food, long lines, no sleep, extreme
scheduling crises, and yes, even music. On that front, we saw New Politics
Thursday night at an MTV2 party with the cast of Teen Wolf, Animals of Kin
played The Griffin on Friday and the How I Met Your Mother
panel on Saturday involved a surprising amount of singing.

Speaking of SXSW, a couple of my favorites from this year
are in town this week. Kid Karate playing a free show at Bardot on Monday and
Bastille is at The Troubadour Tuesday. We also have The 1975, Frightened
Rabbit, and Shakey Graves (more band recommendations from Austin) playing LA
shows this week.

Here are the rest of my picks (lots of good ones this week):
 

Monday: It’s a
School Night FREE at Bardot featuring Kid Karate, Dustbowl Revival (8pm)
ALSO: Shane Alexander and Last American Buffalo FREE at The Satellite (10pm)
ALSO: The Absolute FREE at Silverlake Lounge (10pm)
ALSO: Wolfmother at The Troubadour (8pm)
ALSO: Monday Monday FREE at Room 5 featuring Dave Yaden, Jesse Thomas, Clare
Means, Jenni Alpert, Joel Eckels, etc. (8pm)

Tuesday: Bastille
at The Troubadour (8pm)
ALSO: The Watkins Family Hour at Largo (8:30)
ALSO: Filthy Souls and Davis Fetter at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: Madi Diaz at Bootleg Bar (9pm)
ALSO: Savages at The El Rey (8pm)
ALSO: The Postal Service at The Greek Theatre (7pm)

Weds: Max Collins
(Eve 6) at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: The 1975 at The Troubadour (9pm)
ALSO: Said the Whale and Capital Cities at The Grove (7:30)
ALSO: Savages at The El Rey (8pm)
ALSO: The Postal Service at The Greek Theatre (7pm)

Thursday: Words
& Music by Dan Wilson at The Hotel Cafe (7pm)
ALSO: The Belle Brigade FREE at Skirball Cultural Center (8pm)
ALSO: Death of A Star at Los Globos (9:30)
ALSO: Skylar Grey at Bootleg Bar (9:30)
ALSO: NO at The LA Zoo for Roaring Nights (7pm)
ALSO: Circa Zero at The El Rey (8pm)

Friday: Saint
Motel at The El Rey (8pm)
ALSO: Sweet Talk Radio and Javier Dunn at The Hotel Cafe (8,9)
ALSO: NO FREE at FIGat7th Downtown Festival (7pm)
ALSO: Family Cave at The Good Hurt (10pm)
ALSO: Tyler Lyle, Grizfolk, The Parlotones at Sunset Marquis (7pm)
ALSO: Viza at The Troubadour (10pm)

Saturday: Frightened
Rabbit at House of Blues (8:45)
ALSO: The Other Side of Morning downtown before a showing of Monty Python (6pm)
ALSO: Fitz and The Tantrums w/ Parade of Lights at The Wiltern (7pm)

Sunday: Kris
Angelis and Zane Carney at The Hotel Cafe (8,9)
ALSO: Shakey Graves at Bootleg Bar (11pm)

To Keep in Mind:
August 1st: Semi Precious Weapons at The Viper Room 
August
2nd: Kitten and Dear Boy at The Troubadour 
August 4th: The Both at The Troubadour 
August 1st-3rd: Sunset Strip Music Festival 
August 8th: The Silent Comedy at Fonda Theatre
August 11th: Ivan & Alyosha at The Troubadour 
August 14th: Jamie N Commons at The Troubadour 
August 16th: Michael Bernard Fitzgerald at The Troubadour 
August 16th: Serena Ryder at The Roxy 
August 17th/18th: Echo Park Rising
August 19th/20th: Ed Sheeran at The Staples Center
August 22nd: Andrew Belle at Bootleg Bar 
August 24th: NEEDTOBREATHE at Harvest Social in Anaheim 
August 24th: Truth & Salvage Co. at The Troubadour 
September 4th: Tegan and Sara at The Greek Theatre
September 4th: Brendan James at The Hotel Cafe
September 6th: Gold Fields at The Troubadour 
September 10th: Ewert and The Two Dragons at The Satellite 
September 14th: Hem at The Troubadour 
September 18th: Bastille at The El Rey 
September 19th: Cold War Kids at The Wiltern 
September 20th: twenty one pilots at House of Blues Anaheim (w/ Fall Out Boy
and Panic at The Disco)
September 24th: Ben Rector and Tyrone Wells at House of Blues
September 26th: Hanson at House of Blues Sunset
September 27th: The Naked & Famous at The Wiltern 
September 27th/28th: The Lumineers at The Greek Theatre 
October 1st: Jake Bugg at Fonda Theatre
October 3rd: Matt Nathanson and Joshua Radin at The Wiltern 
October 4th: Travis at The Wiltern 
October 8th: Daughter at The Wiltern
October 9th: The Avett Brothers at Shrine Auditorium 
October 10th: Tony Lucca at The Hotel Cafe  
October 10th/11th: The Pretty Reckless at House of Blues 
October 11th: KT Tunstall at Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery 
October 12th: 30 Seconds to Mars at The Hollywood Bowl
October 14th: Frank Turner at The Fonda 
October 16th: Langhorne Slim & The Law at
The Troubadour
October 16th: The Delta Saints at The
Mint 
October 21st: Carbon Leaf at The Hotel Café
October 25th: Stephen Kellogg at McCabe’s 
October 26th: Boy at The Fonda  
October 27th: Stephen Kellogg at Saint Rocke 
October 28th: Foy Vance at The Hotel Cafe
October 31st: Iron & Wine at Orpheum Theatre

~ Kristen

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The Bard Chronicles: Nico Vega and Crash Kings at The Griffin 7/11/13

Posted on by Amanda

The last time I saw Nico Vega in San Diego was at the Casbah to a relatively rowdy crowd but it was by no means a sold out show. They did tour through here with Imagine Dragons playing the SDSU Open Air Theater but I didn’t attend that show.

Crash Kings have playing down at Griffin off and on during the year and I’ve noticed two separate shows there that I was unable to attend. Sad Amanda. Even sadder because I hadn’t seen them play in well over a year.

So what happens when you take two popular LA bands who are friends that even share a rehearsal space and you put them on the road together? In a word, amazingness.

Watching Crash Kings play for the first time in over a year was like no time had passed. Despite having a different drummer, their set was filled with the same enthusiasm as the first time I saw them years ago. And I had honestly forgotten how much that clavinet will rock a room. It was so refreshing to see a band rock out with a piano, keys, and a clavinet. I didn’t even miss the guitar.

It was fantastic to see them rock old favorite like “Mountain Man”, “It’s Only Wednesday,” and “14 Arms.”   Their set was a nice blend of old and new tunes and I have to tell you, those new tunes are awesome. Their set was so awesome, it inspired an encore because the crowd just wouldn’t stop yelling for them. You should really do yourself a favor and go pick up Dark of the Daylight  now.

Nico Vega is an amazing band. And you can tell they are fully on their A Game after having toured all over with Imagine Dragons earlier this year. They are tighter than I’ve ever seen them and somehow even more dynamic than before. Maybe it’s the drums. The tiny stage was hardly big enough to contain them as evidenced by only one painted barrel on stage and Aja’s continual departure from the stage.

At one point during the set, someone yelled for them to play “Wooden Dolls” and the band all sat down on the stage and quietly played the song. I should also mention that one of the barrels was dedicated to an audience member’s deceased pet turtle and Aja informed the crowd that she would be taking it home with her after the show. How sweet! What was even sweeter was seeing other old favorites like “Gravity” and “Beast” mixed in with all the snazzy new tunes from their forthcoming album Lead to Light . If you love Nico Vega or just want some cool stuff from them (their designs are rad) then you should pledge your support here. I’m personally getting a shirt and the font that is Rich’s handwriting.

 

Check out more pics in the gallery below!

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Amanda’s SD Concert Calendar 7/15-7/21

Posted on by Amanda

This is one of my favorite weeks of the year in San Diego because it’s Comic Con time! I know that doesn’t seem to have much to do with music but with all the free events downtown and special pop up shows, you don’t have to have a badge. Rumor has it that Metallica will be playing a secret show sometime this weekend which is pretty cool. Also, The Silent Comedy will be playing at the Vikings off site on Saturday at 6pm. Now, those are the only events I know about, but I know there will be a lot more music related activities happening. After my 3 day show binge this past weekend, I don’t know how I’m going to be able to keep up with everything!

In case you aren’t going to Comic Con, there are lots of other music delights to tickle your fancy.

 

Monday: Sara Petite, Chuck Mead @ Griffin at 8:30pm

Tuesday: Song Preservation Society @ Soda Bar at 8:30pm
AND: 91X Loudspeaker Live Presents: The Filthy Violets and more @ Griffin at 8:30pm- FREE with RSVP
AND: Caravan Palace @ Belly Up at 9pm

Wednesday: Adam Ant @ Balboa Park Theater at 7:30pm
AND: Nina, Storey, Sam Vicari, Sarah Donner @ Lestats at 8:30pm
AND: Lauren Mann and The Fairly Odd Folk @ Soda Bar at 8:30pm
AND: Blacktop Royalty, We Are/She Is @ Tin Can Alehouse at 9pm

Thursday: The Aquabats @ House of Blues at 8pm
AND: Guggenheim Grotto @ Lestats at 9pm
AND: Grand Tarantula, The Fixtures @ Soda Bat at 8:30pm

Friday: The B52’s @ Del Mar Racetrack- After last race
AND: Rips Entertainment Presents: Animals of Kin, Hills Like Elephants at 9pm
AND: The Gregory Page Show @ Lestats at 9pm
AND: The Styletones @ Bar Pink at 9pm
AND: En Vogue @ Embarcadero Marina Park South at 8pm

Saturday: Josh Damigo, Katy Burgess @ Lestats at 9pm
AND: The Silent Comedy @ Viking Offsite at 6pm
AND: Futurebirds @ Soda Bar at 9pm
AND: En Vogue @ Embarcadero Marina Park South at 8pm

Sunday: Rogue Wave, Hey Marseilles @ Belly Up at 9pm
AND: California Wives @ Soda Bar at 9pm

 

Keep in Mind:

July 21st- The Postal Service @ SDSU Open Air Theater 
July 24th- Matchbox Twenty and The Goo Goo Dolls @ Valley View Casino Center 
July 25th- The Cult @ House of Blues 
July 25th- Saint Motel @ Soda Bar
July 26th- The 1975 @ Casbah
July 26th- Fitz and the Tantrums @ Del Mar Racetrack  
July 28th- Peter Murphy @ Belly Up 
July 30th- Writer, Mrs. Magician @ Soda Bar
August 5th- The Heavy, The Silent Comedy @ Belly Up 
August 8th- Foals @ House of Blues
August 15th- Cold War Kids @ House of Blues
August 15th- Kopecky Family Band @ Soda Bar
August 17th- Weezer @ Del Mar Race Track 
August 25th- Courtney Love @ Belly Up
September 6th- Dave Matthews Band @ Cricket Wireless
September 13th- Ra Ra Riot @ Birch North Park Theater  
September 13th- The Features @ Griffin
September 13th- North Park Music Thing
September 14th- North Park Music Thing 
September 16th- Bastille @ House of Blues 
September 20th- X-Fest feat: Blink 182, 30 Seconds to Mars, The Offspring Silversun Pickups, Fitz and the Tantrums, Atlas Genius, Capital Cities, New Politics 
September 20th- Young Dubliners @ Belly Up 
September 22nd- Depeche Mode @ Sleep Train Amiptheatre 
September 22nd- Fall Out Boy @ Valley View Casino Center 
September 30th- Vampire Weekend @ SDSU Open Air Theater 
October 2nd- Jake Bugg @ House of Blues 
October 4th- Phillip Phillips @ Sleep Train Amiptheatre
October 5th- You Me At Sox @ Soma
October 8th- Pet Shop Boys @ Copley Symphony Hall 
October 8th- Conor Oberst @ Belly Up  
October 10th- Phoenix @ RIMAC Arena @ UCSD 
October 15th- Frank Turner @ House of Blues 
October 18th Jack Johnson @ Balboa Theater 
October 31st- Two Door Cinema Club @ Humphrey’s
November 1st- Father John Misty @ House of Blues 
November 8th- Nine Inch Nails @ Staples Center 
November 21st- Pearl Jam @ Viejas Arena (SDSU) 

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 7/15-7/21

Posted on by Kristen

Looking for something to do today? Check this one out. Semi
Precious Weapons, Dead Sara, SXSW selection Kid Karate, and more! https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=684551651560611&set=a.168130409869407.46023.124013447614437&type=1&theater

I have a bit of a To Do list to accomplish if I am to get to
the Lot Party, but I hope to see you there!

As for the rest of the week, my top picks are Alpha Rev at
The Hotel Cafe on Wednesday, Deadly Birds at The Viper Room on Friday, and of
course another High Voltage show Saturday at TRiP!

Quite the week for music! Here are all my recommendations:  

Monday: The
Neighbourhood at Fonda Theater (9pm)
ALSO: It’s a School Night FREE at Bardot featuring Y Luv, Royal Teeth,
Gentlemen Hall (8pm)
ALSO: Jared James Nichols at Hunnypot Radio FREE at The Mint (11pm)
ALSO: Last American Buffalo FREE at The Satellite (11pm)
ALSO: The Absolute FREE at Silverlake Lounge (10pm)
ALSO: Wolfmother at The Troubadour (8pm)
ALSO: Monday Monday FREE at Room 5 featuring Clare Means, David and Devine,
Jesse Thomas, Joel Eckels, etc (8pm)

Tuesday: Ernie
Halter and Rose’s Pawn Shop at The Hotel Cafe (9:30, 10:30)
ALSO: Madi Diaz at Bootleg Bar (9pm)
ALSO: Tyler Lyle at Room 5 (9pm)
ALSO: Tribute to Bruce Springsteen FREE at The Satellite featuring Races, Brian
Whelan, Wires in The Walls, etc (9pm)

Weds: Alpha Rev
at The Hotel Cafe (9:30)
ALSO: Kid Karate at Los Globos (9pm)
ALSO: Chi McClean at Room 5 (8pm)
ALSO: Odd Us and Parker Ainsworth at WitZend (8, 9)
ALSO: Alabama Shakes at Hollywood Palladium (7pm)
ALSO: Matchbox Twenty, The Goo Goo Dolls, and Kate Earl at Gibson Amphitheatre (7pm)

Thursday: Little
Dove and Low Volts at Silverlake Lounge (8, 9)
ALSO: Kyle Wyman FREE at The Cinema Bar (8pm)
ALSO: The Record Company FREE at Santa Monica Pier (7pm)
ALSO: Alabama Shakes at Hollywood Palladium (7pm)

Friday: Deadly
Birds at The Viper Room (11pm)
ALSO: Harper Blynn at The Satellite (11pm)
ALSO: NO at Bootleg Bar (10pm)
ALSO: Jackie Does Joel at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)
ALSO: Passenger at El Rey Theatre (8pm)

Saturday: High
Voltage Presents North American, Icarus Landing, Young Romans FREE at TRiP (8pm)
ALSO: Irontom and Dear Boy FREE downtown at Chinatown Summer Nights (6, 8)
ALSO: Chord Overstreet at The Roxy (1pm)
ALSO: The Ten Thousand at Room 5 (10:30)
ALSO: The Songs of Jesus Christ Superstar by Silverlake Soul Revue at The
Satellite (9pm)

Sunday: Sister
Hazel acoustic at Molly Malone’s (9pm)

To Keep in Mind:
July 22nd: Kid Karate at Bardot 
July 23rd: Bastille at The Troubadour 
July 23rd: Savages at The El Rey
July 23rd/24th: The Postal Service at The Greek Theatre
July 25th: Dan Wilson at The Hotel Cafe 
July 25th: Skylar Grey at Bootleg Bar
July 26th: Saint Motel at The El Rey 
July 27th: Fitz and The Tantrums at The Wiltern
July 28th: Shakey Graves at Bootleg Bar 
July
28th: Zane Carney at Bootleg Bar 
August 1st: Semi Precious Weapons at The Viper Room 
August 2nd: Kitten and Dear Boy at The
Troubadour 
August 4th: The Both at The Troubadour 
August 1st-3rd: Sunset Strip Music Festival 
August 8th: The Silent Comedy at Fonda Theatre
August 11th: Ivan & Alyosha at The Troubadour 
August 14th: Jamie N Commons at The Troubadour 
August 16th: Michael Bernard Fitzgerald at The Troubadour 
August 16th: Serena Ryder at The Roxy 
August 17th/18th: Echo Park Rising
August 19th/20th: Ed Sheeran at The Staples Center
August 22nd: Andrew Belle at Bootleg Bar 
August 24th: NEEDTOBREATHE at Harvest Social in Anaheim 
August 24th: Truth & Salvage Co. at The Troubadour 
September 4th: Tegan and Sara at The Greek Theatre
September 6th: Gold Fields at The Troubadour 
September 10th: Ewert and The Two Dragons at The Satellite 
September 14th: Hem at The Troubadour 
September 18th: Bastille at The El Rey 
September 19th: Cold War Kids at The Wiltern 
September 20th: twenty one pilots at House of Blues Anaheim (w/ Fall Out Boy
and Panic at The Disco)
September 26th: Hanson at House of Blues Sunset
September 27th: The Naked & Famous at The Wiltern 
September 27th/28th: The Lumineers at The Greek Theatre 
October 1st: Jake Bugg at Fonda Theatre
October 3rd: Matt Nathanson and Joshua Radin at The Wiltern 
October 4th: Travis at The Wiltern 
October 8th: Daughter at The Wiltern
October 9th: The Avett Brothers at Shrine Auditorium 
October 10th: Tony Lucca at The Hotel Cafe  
October 10th/11th: The Pretty Reckless at House of Blues
October 11th: KT Tunstall at Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery 
October 12th: 30 Seconds to Mars at The Hollywood Bowl
October 14th: Frank Turner at The Fonda 
October 16th: Langhorne Slim & The Law at
The Troubadour
October 16th: The Delta Saints at The
Mint 
October 21st: Carbon Leaf at The Hotel Café
October 25th: Stephen Kellogg at McCabe’s
October 26th: Boy at The Fonda  
October 27th: Stephen Kellogg at Saint Rocke
October 31st: Iron & Wine at Orpheum Theatre

~
Kristen

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Top 7 Reasons I’m Glad Crash Kings Are Back

Posted on by Kristen

When Crash Kings released their self-titled album back in 2009, they quickly became one of my favorite LA bands. Their unique sound and set-up made them stand out and catchy singles like “Mountain Man” and “You Got Me” helped propel them to mainstream success and the band started touring across the country and making a name for themselves. Then, somehow, they started drifting off the radar. Now, it has been some time, but the band is
back with both a fantastic new album (Dark of the Daylight) and renewed sense of purpose. Crash Kings stormed through a rockin’ set Wednesday night at The Troubadour, introducing their new tunes and playing old favorites to a delighted audience. Seeing the band again reminded me of how much I love them and their music, and I came up with a list of Top 7 Reasons I’m Glad Crash Kings Are Back…

1.
The Clavinet

Who needs a guitar (Crash Kings don’t have one) when you have this key-based
instrument? One of the hallmarks of a Crash Kings tune, the clavinet allows the band to take that guitar sound to a new level and it’s not something I’ve seen anyone else attempt. For this new album and tour, singer Tony Beliveau has expanded the number of keys onstage, surrounding himself by a piano, a clavinet, a standard keyboard, and another “noise” board that also seems to be run by keys.  The Clavinet, however, will always be the one to mesmerize and draw whispers from the crowd.

2.
I have a new CD
for my car

Some fans
might be surprised by what they hear from Dark of Daylight as it’s a slight departure from the band’s debut. The new songs rock a little harder and have a bit more texture, bringing in new, more synthetic sounds and more complex production. However, at the end of the day, Crash Kings are a rock band and in the show, the transition between old and new
tunes is seamless. The first single off the album, “Hot Fire”, is an instant classic, elevating the audience to maximum levels of enthusiasm.  My other new favorite, “Open Door” is a
sway-inducing piano heavy sing-along. The whole album is one that can be listened to on repeat, each song offering something exciting and unique. Seriously, it’s about time I found a new car-worthy CD!

3.       Mike Beliveau renews faith in the bass guitar

Crash Kings bassist, Mike Beliveau, is a remarkable example of how a bass can really be used to augment a song beyond the standard, keeping a back line. This guy makes bass-solos exciting! Last night, he took out a slide and used it on his instrument to get this sound that made me feel like there was a violin (or maybe cello) in the room. Plus, with singer Tony in a bit of a keyboard cage, Mike is left to fill the stage and he does, proving that a bassist doesn’t have to be relegated to a corner bobbing their heads.

4.        More Piano Rock!

Piano rock might be my favorite of all genres. There is not enough exciting, solid rock music coming out these days, let along compelling tunes from this sub-genre. Crash Kings are masters at infusing my favorite instrument into a solid rock song. It’s the kind of music that makes the heart swell AND the head bob.

5.
“Old new” music finally
recorded

There are a
couple songs on the album that I’ve heard before but have basically forgotten because they were never recorded and released. The band started playing “All Along” and I nearly squealed with the pleasure of re-visiting this song I hadn’t heard in years. That part of the song when the instruments pause and Tony’s voice breaks into the chorus…well, I’d forgotten what a breath-taking moment that was. I also had faint memories of a song that ended up being called “White Wolf” that is the perfect combination of beauty and drama and will just take you places.

6.
“14 Arms” live

As a huge
fan of Crash Kings’ first album, it is an extreme pleasure to hear these songs once again performed on the stage. At The Troubadour we got the hit singles as well as songs like “1985” “It’s Only Wednesday” (fitting for the day), “Saving Grace” and “14 Arms” which happens to be the first Crash Kings song I ever heard and hence my “gateway” into Crash Kings fandom.

7.
Crash Kings fans
are amazing people

I was
surprised by the number of people I knew who came out for the show. Talking with one of my friends, she said something about their being a number of awesome people she’s met because of Crash Kings. Looking around the room during the show, I couldn’t have imagined a better crowd; enthusiastic w/o being pushy, friendly w/o being drunk, and the kind of people who simply love good music. If you make it out to a Crash Kings show, do yourself a favor and introduce yourself to the people standing next to you. Instant friend.

Speaking of the tour, here are the dates. Be sure to get our early or stay late for the equally awesome Nico Vega!

July 11 — San Diego, Calif. — The Griffin

July 12 — LasVegas, Nev. — Hard Rock Café – Vegas Strip

July 13 — Salt Lake City, Utah — Bar Deluxe

July 14 — Denver, Col. — Bluebird Theater

July 16 — Kansas City, Ks. — Riot Room

July 18 — Dallas, Texas — The Door

July 19 — Austin, Texas — Stubb’s Jr.

July 20 — Houston, Texas — The Studio @ Warehouse Live

July 22 — Orlando, Fla. — The Social

July 23 — Jacksonville, Fla. — Jack Rabbits

July 25 — Atlanta, Ga. — Vinyl

July 26 — Columbia, S.C. — New Brookland Tavern

July 28 — Baltimore, Md. — Ram’s Head Live

July 31 — New York, N.Y. — Bowery Ballroom

Aug. 1 — West Chester, Penn. — The Note

Aug. 2 — Columbus, Ohio — The Basement

Aug. 5 — Nashville, TN — Exit/In

Aug. 6 — St. Louis, Mo. — Old Rock House

Aug. 8 — Chicago, Ill. — Abbey Pub

Aug. 10 —Cleveland, Ohio — Wendy Park

Aug. 11 — Pittsburgh, Penn. — Altar Bar

Aug. 13 — Syracuse, N.Y. — Westcott Theatre

Aug. 14 — Poughkeepsie, N.Y. — The Loft

Aug 16 — Cambridge, MA — The Sinclair

~ Kristen