Allen Stone and Lenka at The Hotel Cafe

Posted on by Kristen

Taking a wee break from grading exams, I ventured to The Hotel Cafe to check out Allen Stone. This guy has quite the impressive voice, teeming with a lot more soul than expected from a guy from Seattle.  It was the perfect hand clapping, head bobbing, feeting tapping time and I will definately keep Allen on my list of artists to go see…I’d suggest you do the same!

For a taste, check out some songs on his myspace (including a terrific cover of “Bare Necessities”)

Here’s an amusing video of the song he ended his set with

Also playing at The Hotel Cafe was Lenka. If you don’t know the name, I’m sure you’d recognize a song or two. The Austrialian artist has an array of catchy tunes that become even cuter as she performs them on a stage with her band in front of colorful cardboard shapes. I really like some of her new tunes and am looking forward to her forthcoming album…but the hightlight of her set for me was when she brought out a trumpet and, along with another member of the band, engaged in some lovely harmonizing trumpet action.

Can’t find any videos of new tunes, but here’s an old one you may recognize…

~ Kristen

Amanda’s Show Calendar 11/8-11/14

Posted on by Amanda

I don’t know about you but mind body is still having a hard time with this “fall back” business. I keep waking up thinking I’m late and having to remind my body that I’m not but in fact I have another hour to sleep and should be happy. Alas, no such luck.

I have an upcoming post about some snazzy bands I found in Vegas but for now, you will have to settle with this week’s concert calendar. It’s chock full of goodness on Friday and Saturday! 🙂

Monday: The Howls @ The Casbah @9 $8
AND: Circle Pit @ Soda Bar @9 $7

Tuesday: Relax 🙂

Wednesday: 91X Snow Jam Pre Party w/ Nervous Wreckords @ The Belly Up @ 9 $12
AND: Sean Hayes @ Soda Bar @9 $12

Thursday: The Silent Comedy, Andy Clockwise, Fierce Creatures @ The Casbah @9 $10 adv/$12 day of

Friday: Tyler Hilton and Trevor Davis @ Lestats @9 $?
AND: Skyline Union @ Bar Eleven @10 $5
AND: Republic of Letters @ Epicentre @6:30 $8 adv/$10 day of
AND: Illuminauts @ Soda Bar @9 $8
AND: KT Tunstall @ House of Blues SD @730 $22.50 adv/$26 day of

Saturday: Gayle Skidmore @ The Ruby Room @8 $8
AND: The Soft Pack @ The Casbah @9 $13 adv/$15 day of
AND: Endoxi @ Winstons @8 $FREE
AND: Scheff’s Beer, Bands, and BBQ @ Bar Pink @1-4 $10
AND: FM 94.9 8th Anniversary with The Hold Steady and The Night Marchers @ 4th & B  @7 $26
AND: Josh Damigo @ Lestats @9 $?

Sunday: Blonde Redhead @ House of Blues San Diego @7:30 $22

Keep in Mind:

November 15th- Joey Ryan and Meg and Dia @ Epicentre @6:30
November 16th- Mayday Parade @ House of Blues SD
November 18th- Echo Revolution and Wendy Bailey @ Bar Eleven @9
November 18th- Get Back Loretta @ The Casbah @10 $8
November 20th- Cartel, Hey Monday, and The Ready Set @ Epicentre @6 $15
December 2nd-The Dead Kennedys- House of Blues San Diego
December 5th- Passion Pit @ Soma
December 10th-  Delta Spirit @ House of Blues San Diego
December 15th- Wrex the Halls w/Smashing Pumpkins, My Chemical Romance, Bad Religion, Jimmy Eat World, Anberlin, Switchfoot, A Day to Remember

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 11/8-11/14

Posted on by Kristen

I Love Nico Vega!! It must be said. Again. Saturday night I impulsively drove up to Santa Barbara to see them play the New Noise Music Festival. I had just gotten through a horrid week…so bad towards the end it was almost funny how many things were going wrong. Then, just in time, Saturday night was one of those evenings that made me once again realize that life is worth living. Danced and sang into the wee hours with some of my favorite people, heard amazing music from a local Santa Barbara band, Verna Beware, as well as an LA fave, Killola. And then, of course, there was Nico Vega. I don’t know if I felt like it was one of Nico Vega’s best performances because it was or because I so desperately needed it…but does it really matter?

Here’s to hoping that this next week won’t be so dreadful and that I’ll be able to get out and see some music! Here are my preferred options (some really good ones this week!!):

Monday: Makepeace Brothers at Aviator Nation in Venice (9pm)
ALSO: Chasing Kings FREE at Silverlake Lounge (11pm)
ALSO: Florence and The Machine at The Wiltern (7:30)
ALSO: A Perfect Circle at Avalon (7:30)
ALSO: Street Sweeper Social Club at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: Paris Carney and Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (8,9) 

Tuesday: Allen Stone and Lenka at The Hotel Cafe (9,10)
ALSO: Brian Wright at Bootleg Theater (10pm)
ALSO: Ari Hest at Room 5 (8pm)
ALSO: A Perfect Circle at Avalon (7:30) 

Weds: ANT Management Presents On The Rox featuring Kyle Nicolaides, The Right Coast, Lakes, and Pan America (8pm)
ALSO: A Perfect Circle at Avalon (7:30)
ALSO: Elle King at Bootleg Theater (8:30) 

Thursday: Austin Hartley Leonard (CD RELEASE!) and Alex Dezen at The Hotel Cafe (9,10)
ALSO: Sabrosa Purr at Silverlake Lounge (11pm)
ALSO: KT Tunstall at the Music Box (8pm)
ALSO: Volcano Dolls at The Viper Room (midnight)
ALSO: Kurt Vile and the Violators at The Echoplex (8:30) 

Friday: Teitur at Bootleg Theater (10pm)
ALSO: Over the Rhine at The Troubadour (10pm)
ALSO: Nonpoint at The Whiskey (10pm) 

Saturday: Terrible Things and Mae at The El Rey (8pm)
ALSO: Darren Criss and Charlene Kaye at The Mint (2:45, 4pm)
ALSO: Tyrone Wells at The Hotel Cafe TWO shows (8,11)
ALSO: The Shakers and Fat City Reprise FREE at The Cat Club 

Sunday: The Elizabeth Kill at The Mint (8pm)
ALSO: Joey Ryan and Meg & Dia at Saint Rocke (8:20,9:10) 

To Keep in Mind:
November 16th: The Lonely Forest at Spaceland
November 17th: Tyler Hilton at The Roxy
November 18th: The Silent Comedy at The Echo
November 18th: Freelance Whales at The Troubadour
November 21st and 22nd: Dar Williams at The Hotel Café
December 1st: Eve 6 at The Troubadour
December 2nd: Scarlet Grey at The Troubadour
December 4th: Joe Firstman at Saint Rocke
December 11th: The Black Crowes and Truth & Salvage Co. at Hollywood Palladium
January 22nd: Guster at The Music Box 

~ Kristen

A Perfect Circle Returns!

Posted on by 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