Local Music Nation

Last week got off to a raucous start with The Barbarians of California at the Roxy. Now that I’m nice and warmed up for some rock music, I look forward to more of the same next week highlighted by Grandson at the Bellwether performing songs from one of my most listened to albums of 2025, INERTIA.

The rest of my recs:

Monday: Baby Nova at the Hotel Cafe (8pm)
ALSO: Anikka Bennett at TreePeople (7pm)
ALSO: Cam at the El Rey (8pm)
ALSO: Amy Allen at the Grammy Museum (7:30)
ALSO: Monday Monday at the Hotel Cafe second stage (8pm)

Tuesday: Lila Forde FREE at Club Tee Gee (8pm)
ALSO: Toledo at the Moroccan Lounge (6:30)
ALSO: School Night FREE at Zebulon (6:30)
ALSO: Bryan Adams w/ Pat Benatar + Neil Giraldo at the Forum (7:30)
ALSO: Soft Spot Songwriters Night at Desert 5 Spot
ALSO: Lucas Flood presents “Not Another Showcase” at the Hotel Cafe (7pm)
ALSO: WFNM Showcase FREE at Hotel Ziggy (7pm)
ALSO: Open Folk at the Hotel Cafe second stage (9pm)

Weds: Grandson at the Bellwether (8pm)
ALSO: Chris Lanzon at the Moroccan Lounge (6:30)
ALSO: Dama Blake at the Hotel Cafe second stage (9:30)
ALSO: Hot Mulligan at Hollywood Palladium (6pm)
ALSO: Rocknite.la at FREE at Goldfish (8pm)
ALSO: WFNM Showcase FREE at Hotel Ziggy (7pm)

Thursday: Hayden Everett at the Hotel Cafe second stage (9:30)
ALSO: Big Black Delta at the Venice West (8pm)
ALSO: ITAI residency f. Whatever Mike, Anilee List at Zulu Den (8pm)
ALSO: Ramonda Hammer at the Goldfish (7pm)
ALSO: GUNNAR w/ thebandfriday at the Echo (7pm)
ALSO: Madi Diaz at Highland Park Ebell (8pm)
ALSO: Anson Seabra at the Troubadour (7pm)
ALSO: WFNM Showcase FREE at Bar Lubitsch (7pm)

Friday: Holy Wars and Saint Blonde at Pico Union Project (7pm)
ALSO:  Slower Power, Anna Mooon, Daniel St. Black at the Goldfish (7pm)
ALSO: Michael Cimino at the Peppermint Club (7pm)
ALSO: LJ Benet and Friends at the Hotel Cafe (7pm)
ALSO: Laura Stevenson at Scribble (8pm)
ALSO: Hannah Bahng at the Fonda (7:30)
ALSO: Lucius at the Wiltern (6:30)

Saturday: Folk Bitch Trio at Scribble (8pm)
ALSO: Trestles, Buckets at Gold-Diggers (7pm)
ALSO: Taylor Acorn w/ Wilt at the Echoplex (7pm)
ALSO: Rocket at the Roxy (7pm)
ALSO: Your Smith at the Troubadour (7pm)
ALSO: Thrice at the Novo (7:30)
ALSO: King Princess at the Wiltern (7pm)
ALSO: Robert Plant’s Saving Grace at the United Theater on Broadway (7:30)

Sunday: Porch Sessions f. Zach Day, Lisa Crawley, Haley Fishberger, Nick Petroccione at Pasadena (Location TBA)

To Keep in Mind:       
November 24^th: 3Quency w/ Soulidified at the Belasco
November 25^th: Damiano David at the Wiltern
November 25^th: Of Monsters and Men at Hollywood Palladium
November 29^th: Jens Lekman at Lodge Room (8pm)
November 29^th: Sarah McLachlan at Orpheum Theatre (8pm)
December 1^st: Vincent Lima at the Troubadour
December 3^rd: Jutes at the El Rey (8pm)
December 3^rd: Kids in America at Permanent Records (6pm)
December 3^rd: Twin Shadow at the Regent Theater (8pm)
December 5^th: Anna of the North at the Roxy (7pm)
December 5^th: Chaparelle at the Troubadour
December 6^th: Chaparelle at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever (7pm)
December 6^th: The Aces at the Bellwether (8pm)
December 6^th: Plague Vendor at Teragram Ballroom (7pm)
December 6^th: Chaparelle at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever (7pm)
December 6^th: Lola Young at the Palladium
December 7^th: Lola Young at the Palladium
December 7^th: Bruvvy at Permanent Records (6pm)
December 7^th: Ken Yates w/ Emily Kinney at Gold-Diggers (7pm)
December 7^th: Ben Barnes at the El Rey (7pm)
December 8^th: The Struts at the Grammy Museum (7:30)
December 10^th: Couch w/ Night Talks at the Fonda (1pm)
December 13^th: The Haunt w/ Himalayas at the Echo
December 14^th: Sarah Kang at the El Rey (8pm)
December 15^th: 4 Non Blondes at the Roxy (7pm)
December 16^th: 4 Non Blondes at the Roxy (7pm)
December 17^th: Colin Meloy at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever (7pm)
December 18^th: The Academy Is at the Belasco (7pm)
December 19^th: The Academy Is at the Belasco (7pm)
December 19^th: Colin Meloy at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever (7pm)
December 20^th: Colin Meloy at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever (7pm)
January 14^th: Dean Lewis at the Bellwether (7:30)
January 16^th: gavn! at the Troubadour
January 20^th: Jacob Banks at the Troubadour
January 20^th: Tyler Hilton & Kate Voegele at the Venice West (8pm)
January 22^nd: William Elliot Whitmore at the Peppermint Club
January 23^rd: The Runarounds at the Fonda (7pm)
January 27^th: Nothing More at the Belasco
January 28^th: Madison Cunningham at the Bellwether
January 31^st: Cate Canning at the Moroccan Lounge (6:30)
February 20^th: Joe Pug at the Peppermint Club
February 21^st: Lights at the El Rey (8pm)
February 22^nd: Lights at the El Rey (7pm)
February 26^th: AHI at the Troubadour
February 26^th: Fitz and the Tantrums at the Fonda (7pm)
February 26^th: Somebody’s Child at the Echo
February 27^th: Bob Schneider
March 1^st: Emery at the Echoplex
March 3^rd: Black Pistol Fire at the Teragram Ballroom (7pm)
March 6^th: The Strumbellas at the Regent (8pm)
March 6^th: Bad Bad Hats at the Echo
March 7^th: Badflower at the Fonda (7pm)
March 8^th: SZN4 at the Fonda (7pm)
March 10^th: dodie at the Wiltern (7pm)
March 19^th: The Barr Brothers at the Lodge Room (8pm)
March 20^th: The Barr Brothers at the Troubadour
March 28^th: The Record Company at the El Rey (7pm)
March 28^th: Louis XIV at the Lodge Room (8pm)
April 4^th: Alexander Stewart at Pacific Electric (8pm)
April 12^th: Dar Williams at the Troubadour
April 18^th: The Summer Set at the El Rey (7pm)
April 20^th: Langhorne Slim at the Troubadour
April 21^st: Flyte at Lodge Room (7pm)
April 22^nd: Flyte at Lodge Room (7pm)
April 24^th: Coach Party at the Moroccan Lounge (6:30)
April 24^th: Alice Phoebe Lou at the Wiltern
May 22^nd: Yungblud at the Greek Theatre (8pm)
May 28^th: The Scratch at the Echo
July 11^th: Wolfmother at the Wiltern
August 8^th: Ed Sheeran w/ Sigrid at Sofi Stadium
September 15^th: When Chai Met Toast at the Lodge Room (8pm)

~ Kristen

The news that rocked my world last week was that my beloved venue, The Hotel Cafe, is closing at its current location early next year.  This was the very first LA music space I entered (the night I moved to town) and it has been a place of solace, support, and many magical moments and musical discoveries over the years. The owners are relocating to a nearby spot in Hollywood, but it will be very hard for me to say goodbye to such an iconic and impactful venue.

The goodbye tour started last night when one of my favorite artists to be birthed from The Hotel Cafe, Meiko, returned for a night of music and memories. She told stories from her past (waiting tables at the venue) and present (living in London with three kids) which exemplified how we can both hold onto a space and move away from it – a good lesson to learn.

Next up in The Hotel Cafe nostalgia tour is Joshua Radin headlining two nights in the space that helped launch his career. Also next week we have acoustic Lifehouse, Justin Tranter, and a very packed Tuesday night including Casey Lowery’s first LA show, Hotel Mira, and Queens of the Stone Age.

Monday: Lifehouse at the El Rey (7pm)
ALSO: Barbarians of California at the Roxy (7pm)
ALSO: Dogma Society at the Moroccan Lounge (9:30)
ALSO: The Jins at the Troubadour (7pm)
ALSO: Monday Monday at the Hotel Cafe second stage (8pm)

Tuesday: Casey Lowery w/ Skateland at the Moroccan Lounge (9:30)
ALSO: Hotel Mira at Zebulon (7pm)
ALSO: Jet at Aviator Nation Dreamland (7pm)
ALSO: Local’s Night at the Venice West (8pm)
ALSO: Chris Pierce & Garrison Starr at the Troubadour (7pm)
ALSO: Lifehouse at the El Rey (7pm)
ALSO: Sir Chloe w/ Telescreens at the Fonda (8pm)
ALSO: Queens of the Stone Age at the Dolby Theatre (7pm)
ALSO: Soft Spot Songwriters Night at Desert 5 Spot
ALSO: Lucas Flood presents “Not Another Showcase” at the Hotel Cafe (7pm)
ALSO: WFNM Showcase FREE at Hotel Ziggy (7pm)
ALSO: Open Folk at the Hotel Cafe second stage (9pm)

Weds: Ny Oh at Archival (7:30)
ALSO: Brendan Abernathy at the Moroccan Lounge (9:30)
ALSO: Good Neighbours w/ Nicky Youre at the El Rey (8pm)
ALSO: Sarah Kinsley at El Cid (two shows; 6pm, 9:30)
ALSO: Ryan Nealon w/ Emilee Moore at the Moroccan Lounge (6:30)
ALSO: Dogpark w/ Cardinal Bloom at the Troubadour (7pm)
ALSO: Lukas Nelson at the Fonda (7:30)
ALSO: The Darkness at the Wiltern (7pm)
ALSO: Rocknite.la at FREE at Goldfish (8pm)
ALSO: WFNM Showcase FREE at Hotel Ziggy (7pm)

Thursday: Jesse & Friends f. Justin Tranter and more at the Hotel Cafe (8pm)
ALSO: Rose’s Pawn Shop FREE at Desert 5 Spot (9pm)
ALSO: Brent Cobb at the Troubadour (7pm)
ALSO: Vundabar at Scribble (8pm)
ALSO: John Craigie at the Venice West (8pm)
ALSO: Waylon Wyatt at the El Rey (8pm)
ALSO: Jesse Welles at the Belasco (7pm)
ALSO: Jesse McCartney at Hollywood Palladium (7pm)
ALSO: WFNM Showcase FREE at Bar Lubitsch (7pm)

Friday: Joshua Radin w/ Maria Taylor and Darling Tarling at the Hotel Cafe (7:30)
ALSO: quinine at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever (8pm)
ALSO: Vundabar at Scribble (8pm)
ALSO: Mike Viola at McCabe’s (8pm)
ALSO: Sorry Ghost at The Paramount (7pm)
ALSO: Portugal. The Man at the Troubadour (7pm)
ALSO: Waylon Wyatt at the El Rey (8pm)
ALSO: Infinity Song w/ John-Robert at Teragram Ballroom (7pm)
ALSO: Jesse Welles at the Belasco (7pm)
ALSO: Tash Sultana at the Novo (8pm)

Saturday: Midnight Til Morning at the El Rey (two shows; 5pm, 8:15)
ALSO: Joshua Radin w/ Maria Taylor and Darling Tarling at the Hotel Cafe (7:30)
ALSO: Mating Ritual at the Lodge Room (7:30)
ALSO: Smallpools w/ Kevian Kraemer at the Echoplex (7pm)
ALSO: Joy Oladokun w/ Bartees Strange at the Peppermint Club (7pm)

Sunday: Caroline Rose at Bob Barker Marionette Theater (two shows; 5:30, 9pm)
ALSO: Chris Joyner w/ Freddy Trujillo at the Hotel Cafe second stage (7pm)
ALSO: Portugal. The Man at the Wiltern (7pm)

To Keep in Mind:       
November 19^th: Grandson at the Bellwether (8pm)
November 19^th: Chris Lanzon at the Moroccan Lounge (6:30)
November 19^th: Hot Mulligan at Hollywood Palladium
November 14^th: Joshua Radin at the Hotel Cafe
November 15^th: Smallpools at the Echoplex
November 15^th: Midnight Til Morning at the El Rey (5pm, 8pm)
November 17^th: Cam at the El Rey (8pm)
November 18^th: School Night at Zebulon
November 19^th: Grandson at the Bellwether (8pm)
November 20^th: Jessie J at the United Theatre on Broadway (8pm)
November 21^st: Laura Stevenson at Scribble
November 22^nd: Thrice at the Novo (7:30)
November 22^nd: Taylor Acorn at the Echoplex
November 22^nd: Your Smith at the Troubadour
November 22^nd: Folk Bitch Trio at Scribble
November 24^th: 3Quency w/ Soulidified at the Belasco
November 25^th: Damiano David at the Wiltern
November 25^th: Of Monsters and Men at Hollywood Palladium
November 29^th: Jens Lekman at Lodge Room (8pm)
December 1^st: Vincent Lima at the Troubadour
December 3^rd: Jutes at the El Rey (8pm)
December 3^rd: Kids in America at Permanent Records (6pm)
December 3^rd: Twin Shadow at the Regent Theater (8pm)
December 5^th: Anna of the North at the Roxy (7pm)
December 5^th: Chaparelle at the Troubadour
December 6^th: Chaparelle at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever (7pm)
December 6^th: The Aces at the Bellwether (8pm)
December 6^th: Plague Vendor at Teragram Ballroom (7pm)
December 6^th: Chaparelle at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever (7pm)
December 6^th: Lola Young at the Palladium
December 7^th: Lola Young at the Palladium
December 7^th: Bruvvy at Permanent Records (6pm)
December 7^th: Ken Yates w/ Emily Kinney at Gold-Diggers (7pm)
December 7^th: Ben Barnes at the El Rey (7pm)
December 10^th: Couch w/ Night Talks at the Fonda (1pm)
December 13^th: The Haunt w/ Himalayas at the Echo
December 14^th: Sarah Kang at the El Rey (8pm)
December 15^th: 4 Non Blondes at the Roxy (7pm)
December 16^th: 4 Non Blondes at the Roxy (7pm)
December 17^th: Colin Meloy at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever (7pm)
December 18^th: The Academy Is at the Belasco (7pm)
December 19^th: The Academy Is at the Belasco (7pm)
December 19^th: Colin Meloy at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever (7pm)
December 20^th: Colin Meloy at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever (7pm)
January 14^th: Dean Lewis at the Bellwether (7:30)
January 16^th: gavn! at the Troubadour
January 20^th: Jacob Banks at the Troubadour
January 20^th: Tyler Hilton & Kate Voegele at the Venice West (8pm)
January 23^rd: The Runarounds at the Fonda (7pm)
January 27^th: Nothing More at the Belasco
January 28^th: Madison Cunningham at the Bellwether
January 31^st: Cate Canning at the Moroccan Lounge (6:30)
February 20^th: Joe Pug at the Peppermint Club
February 21^st: Lights at the El Rey (8pm)
February 26^th: AHI at the Troubadour
February 26^th: Fitz and the Tantrums at the Fonda (7pm)
February 26^th: Somebody’s Child at the Echo
February 27^th: Bob Schneider
March 1^st: Emery at the Echoplex
March 3^rd: Black Pistol Fire at the Teragram Ballroom (7pm)
March 6^th: The Strumbellas at the Regent (8pm)
March 6^th: Bad Bad Hats at the Echo
March 7^th: Badflower at the Fonda (7pm)
March 8^th: SZN4 at the Fonda (7pm)
March 10^th: dodie at the Wiltern (7pm)
March 19^th: The Barr Brothers at the Lodge Room (8pm)
March 20^th: The Barr Brothers at the Troubadour
March 28^th: The Record Company at the El Rey (7pm)
March 28^th: Louis XIV at the Lodge Room (8pm)
April 4^th: Alexander Stewart at Pacific Electric (8pm)
April 12^th: Dar Williams at the Troubadour
April 18^th: The Summer Set at the El Rey (7pm)
April 24^th: Coach Party at the Moroccan Lounge (6:30)
April 24^th: Alice Phoebe Lou at the Wiltern
May 22^nd: Yungblud at the Greek Theatre (8pm)
July 11^th: Wolfmother at the Wiltern
August 8^th: Ed Sheeran w/ Sigrid at Sofi Stadium
September 15^th: When Chai Met Toast at the Lodge Room (8pm)

~ Kristen