After Midnight Project

Warped Tour Pomona

Posted on by 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…

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar 8/16-8/22

Posted on by Kristen

I’m still flying high over all the glorious weekend I had in San Diego at The North Park Music Thing…either that or this feeling is caused by the combination of acute sleep deprivation and abnormally high levels of caffeine necessary to accomplish everything that needs to be done for Monday.

Anyway, North Park Music Thing (NPMT) is like a mini SXSW that takes place in San Diego every year. During the day it’s a conference with booths, demo listening sessions, and panels on topics ranging from music licensing and touring on a budget to the current state of radio and music and technology. At night it’s a veritable smorgasbord of music with all the local clubs and bars playing host to a variety of showcases featuring mostly local music acts. I love conferences as places for learning and inspiration and I love concert festivals for the discovery and enjoyment factors. The combination of the two was quite heavenly.

Briefly, some highlights of my weekend included a highly entertaining keynote speech by Kim Fowley, seeing Endoxi again, the near mosh-pit that took place at The Silent Comedy set, and meeting and talking to some new music-loving friends. Also, the absolute MAGIC that occurred Saturday night as we venue hopped, listening to and discovering band after amazing band. This included several LA-based bands; faves like Lady Danville and The Rescues as well as some new fantastic groups like The Makepeace Brothers and Shaimus. Seriously, I was floating…

And in my attempt to remain up in the air, there is plenty of good stuff I’m looking forward to this week. And the list goes as follows:

Monday: Truth & Salvage Co. at Jimmy Kimmel (6pm)…it’s sold out but if you keep checking at 1iota.com, you could probably score a discarded ticket
ALSO: Dead Sara at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: Alice Russell at Bootleg Theater(10:30)
ALSO: Amos Lee at Largo at the Coronet (7:30, 9:30)
ALSO: The Diamond Light at Saint Rocke (10pm)
ALSO: Crocodiles at The Echo (9pm)…just because I’m curious as to what the hype is all about
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 featuring John Elliot (9pm) 

Tuesday: Rachel Yamagata at The Hotel Café (10pm)
ALSO: Brandon Flowers at The Troubadour (9pm)
ALSO: Matthew Jordan at Café Was (8pm)
ALSO: Jake Newton at Molly Malone’s (9:30)
ALSO: Adam Haworth Stephens (of Two Gallants) at Spaceland (9pm) 

Weds: The White Buffalo at The Mint (10:30) 

Thursday: Jonah Matranga at The Hotel Café (7pm)
ALSO: Mat Kearney at Saint Rocke (10pm) 

Friday: Graydon at The Hotel Café (11pm)
ALSO: Rufus Wainwright at The Greek Theater (7:30) 

Saturday: Sunset Junction featuring Andy Clockwise, Everest, White Apple Tree, Saint Motel, Chris Pierce, Dawes, etc.
ALSO: Cary Brothers at The Troubadour (10pm)
ALSO: Killola at The Roxy 

Sunday: Sunset Junction featuring The Janks, Gringo Star, Fitz & The Tantrums, etc.
ALSO: Haim at The Troubadour
ALSO: Agent Ribbons at Bootleg Theater (11pm)
ALSO: Austin Hartley Leonard at The Foundry on Melrose 

To Keep in Mind:
August 26th-28th Sunset Strip Music Festival featuring The Silent Comedy, Nico Vega, Queen Caveat, Semi Precious Weapons, Neon trees,  etc.
August 28th: Something Corporate at Club Nokia
September 4th: After Midnight Project at The Key Club
September 18th: Heart at Gibson Amphitheater
September 25th: Band of Horses at Greek Theater
September 25th: Muse at Staples Center
September 30th: BIFFY CLYRO at The Bootleg Theater
October 1st: Brandi Carlile and The Avett Brothers at Nokia Theater LA Live
October 13th: Frightened Rabbit at The Mayan Theater
October 18th: Mumford & Sons at Hollywood Palladium
December 11th: The Black Crowes and Truth & Salvage Co. at Hollywood Palladium

~ Kristen

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 8/9-8/15

Posted on by Kristen

I must say, there are a LOT of festivals going on this week. Thursday is the Sunset Strip Block Party celebrating the fact that there will no longer be construction holding up traffic along the strip (YAY!). Saturday is the Venice Beach music festival featuring Keaton Simons . Then both Saturday and Sunday at the Echoplex is the Free for All music festival sponsored by When You Awake and featuring Langhorne Silm on Sunday.  And let’s not forget about Warped Tour  on Weds in Pomona featuring many fantastic bands including my new favorite, After Midnight Project. We could also throw in the North Park Music Thing down in San Diego which I’ll be attending over the weekend.

But really these festivals are just prepping everyone for next week’s Sunset Junction  and the, of course, Sunset Strip Music Festival at the end of the month.

As for what else is going on:

Monday: Of Verona and Soul Puppet FREE at The Troubadour (9:30, 10:30)
ALSO: Matthew Jordan at Saint Rocke (8:30)
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (9pm) 

Tuesday: Jake Newton at Molly Malone’s (9pm)
ALSO: Holly Conlan at The Hotel Cafe (9pm) 

Weds: Keaton Simons at Cinespace (8pm)
ALSO: Warped Tour in Pomona
ALSO: Semi Precious Weapons at The Staples Center (8pm) 

Thursday: Soraia at Good Hurt (11:30)…Philly band alert!
ALSO: The Shakers at The Cat Club (10pm)…part of Sunset Strip Block Party (http://thesunsetstrip.com/blockparty)
ALSO: Queens of the Stone Age and Eagles of Death Metal at Club Nokia (9pm)
ALSO: My Morning Jacket and Avi Buffalo at The Greek Theater (8pm)
ALSO: Semi Precious Weapons at The Staples Center (8pm)
ALSO: Wartapes at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: The Northstar Session at Molly Malone’s (9:30)
ALSO: Freelance Whales at El Rey opening for Tokyo Police Club (8:30) 

Friday: Natalie Merchant at Orpheum (8pm)
ALSO: Soraia at Canter’s Kibitz Room (10pm)
ALSO: American Idols 2010 Live at The Staples Center (7:30) 

Saturday: Venice Beach Music Fest f. Keaton Simons (1:30pm)
ALSO: Rasputina at The Troubadour (10:15) 

Sunday: Langhorne Slim at The Echoplex (4pm)
ALSO: Mississippi Man at The Troubadour (8:30)
ALSO: Levon Helm and Jenny Lewis at The Greek Theater (8pm) 

 

To Keep in Mind:
August 21st and 22nd: Sunset Junction
August 27-28th: Sunset Strip Music Festival
August 28th: Something Corporate at Club Nokia
September 4th: After Midnight Project at The Key Club
September 18th: Heart at Gibson Amphitheater
September 25th: Band of Horses at Greek Theater
September 25th: Muse at Staples Center
October 1st: Brandi Carlile and The Avett Brothers at Nokia Theater LA Live
October 13th: Frightened Rabbit at The Mayan Theater
December 11th: The Black Crowes and Truth & Salvage Co. at Hollywood Palladium

~ Kristen

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 8/2-8/8

Posted on by Kristen

I’m about to head off to the first of three evenings this week featuring The Kin, so this will be short.  I’m especially excited about Monday night’s Songwriters in the Round. But that’s just the start of a great week of music as detailed below:

Monday: Paris Carney and Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 featuring Isaac and Thorry Koren (The Kin), Joey Ryan, Kenneth Pattengale, and Joel Eckels (9pm)
ALSO: John Elliot at Genghis Cohen (7pm) 

Tuesday: FREE Lovers Drugs at The Viper Room (9pm)
ALSO: Matthew Jordan at Café Was (two sets, 7 and 8:30)
ALSO: William Fitzsimmons at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)
ALSO: Circa Survive at Bootleg (9:50) 

Weds: The Kin at The Cactus Room at The Standard (7pm)
ALSO: The Hereafter at West LA Concert Series at West LA Civic Center (9pm)
ALSO: Andy Clockwise at Spaceland (10pm)
ALSO: Meiko at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: So & So at Molly Malone’s (11pm)
ALSO: Juke Kartel at The Viper Room (8pm) 

Thursday: The Janks at The Echoplex (10:30)
ALSO: Everest at Bootleg (11:30)
ALSO: The Binges at The Viper Room (11pm) 

Friday: Lights at The Hotel Cafe (7pm)
ALSO: 100 Monkeys at The Viper Room (11pm)
ALSO: We Are Scientists at The Troubadour (10pm)
ALSO: Silversun Pickups and Against Me at The Greek Theater (7:30) 

Saturday: The Janks FREE at Pershing Square (7:30)
ALSO: 100 Monkeys at The Viper Room (midnight) 

Sunday: I’m sure something will come up 

 

To Keep in Mind:
August 12th: Semi Precious Weapons at Staples Center
August 21st and 22nd: Sunset Junction
August 27-28th: Sunset Strip Music Festival
August 28th: Something Corporate at Club Nokia
September 4th: After Midnight Project at The Key Club
September 18th: Heart at Gibson Amphitheater
September 25th: Band of Horses at Greek Theater
September 25th: Muse at Staples Center
October 1st: Brandi Carlile and The Avett Brothers at Nokia Theater LA Live
October 13th: Frightened Rabbit at The Mayan Theater
December 11th: The Black Crowes and Truth & Salvage Co. at Hollywood Palladium

~ Kristen

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 7/26-8/1

Posted on by Kristen

Still struggling with coherency issues so I’m going to keep this short. This week, like last, is jam packed with musical goodness. I’m especially excited about the return of a couple of my favorite bands to LA. Truth & Salvage Co. on Friday at The House of Blues and The Kin on Sunday at Zanzibar in Santa Monica. But really, that’s just the beginning of all the awesomeness going on next week…check it out:

Monday: Soul Puppet at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)
ALSO: Aiden Moore and Abbot Kinney at Molly Malone’s (10,11)…last chance to catch Aiden before he goes off to NYC
ALSO: Mississippi Man FREE at The Echoplex (10pm)
ALSO: Paris Carney and Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (8,9) 

Tuesday: National Rifle at El Cid (?)…Philly band alert!
ALSO: Moving Picture Show FREE at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: Adam Lambert at Pacific Amphitheater (7:30) 

Weds: Bang the Gong Tour featuring Civil Twilight, Paper Tongues, and Neon Trees at The Glass House in Pomona (7pm)
ALSO: Adam Lambert at Pacific Amphitheater (8pm)
ALSO: Purple Melon and Meiko at Pershing Square (8pm)
ALSO: Guggenheim Grotto at The Hotel Café (8pm)
ALSO: Beachwood Rockers Society at Crane’s 

Thursday: Queen Caveat EP Release and Transfer at The Viper Room (10,11)
ALSO: Garrison Starr and Civil Twilight at The Hotel Cafe (8,9) 

Friday: Truth & Salvage Co. at The House of Blues-Sunset (9pm)
ALSO: Dirty Sweet at The Viper Room (10:40)
ALSO: Army of Me and Tyrone Wells at The Hotel Cafe (7,9)
ALSO: Morcheeba at The Hollywood Bowl (8:30) 

Saturday: The Nervous Wreckhords at The Viper Room (9pm)
ALSO: Viza at The Troubadour (11pm)
ALSO: Morcheeba at The Hollywood Bowl (8:30) 

Sunday: Amber Rubarth and The Kin at Zanzibar in Santa Monica (9pm)
ALSO: Terra Naomi at The Hotel Cafe (9pm) 

To Keep in Mind:
August 6th: Endoxi CD release at Epicentre (SD)
August 12th: Semi Precious Weapons at Staples Center
August 21st and 22nd: Sunset Junction
September 4th: After Midnight Project at The Key Club
September 25th: Band of Horses at Greek Theater
September 25th: Muse at Staples Center
October 1st: Brandi Carlile and The Avett Brothers at Nokia Theater LA Live
October 13th: Frightened Rabbit at The Mayan Theater
December 11th: The Black Crowes and Truth & Salvage Co. at Hollywood Palladium

~ Kristen

Kristen’s Concert Calendar: 7/12-7/18

Posted on by Kristen

Well, Amanda and I certainly had quite the busy weekend getting sneak previews of some very exciting projects coming out soon. Slash-approved British rockers, Gods and Men, are in the process of recording their first album for Pacific Records. Remember the name…it will come up again soon, I’m sure. Also, San Diego’s own Endoxi just finished their first full-length CD, Earthbound. The record is coming out August 3rd and the release party will be August 6th at Epicentre in SD. I’m very excited about Endoxi, and feel that they are poised to become the next big band out of San Diego.

But if you need a good show before August 6th, this week will definitely satisfy. Two of my very favorite bands are playing the Troubadour, The Silent Comedy on Tuesday (opening for Andy Clockwise) and Nico Vega on Weds (opening for Sweethead). You know you’ve been meaning to check out these bands I’m always blathering on about…well, here’s your chance so don’t miss it! 

As for everything else (it’s quite a fantastic week for music):

Monday: Matt Morris at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: Mississippi Man FREE at The Echo (10pm)
ALSO: The Shakers at Les Deux (10pm)
ALSO: Abbot Kinney at Molly Malone’s (8pm)
ALSO: Kings of Leon at Hollywood Bowl (7:30)
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (9pm) 

Tuesday: The Silent Comedy and Andy Clockwise at The Troubadour (8:30)
ALSO: Imagine Dragons FREE at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: Matthew Jordan at Cafe Was (7pm)
ALSO: Austin Hartley-Leonard at The Hotel Cafe (8pm) 

Weds: Nico Vega at The Troubadour (9:15)…what else do you need? 

Thursday: KT Tunstall, Garrison Starr, Jay Nash, Joe Firstman at The Hotel Cafe (7-11)
ALSO: Killola at The Viper Room (11pm)
ALSO: Wakey Wakey at Bootleg (10pm)
ALSO: Alex Band at The Roxy (8:30)
ALSO: Fitz & the Tantrums at the Hammer museum (7pm)
ALSO: Alternate Routes at Levitt Pavilion in Pasadena (8pm)
ALSO: Nico Vega at Velvet Jones in Santa Barbara (7pm) 

Friday: Tyrone Wells at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: Victoria Clemmons, Kris Karlsson, Alex Rhodes at Genghis Cohen (8,9,10)
ALSO: Lovers Drugs at Rusty’s Surf Ranch in Santa Monica (9pm)
ALSO: Juke Kartel at The Viper Room (11:15)
ALSO: MGMT at The Greek Theater (7:30) 

Saturday: Thrice at Fox Theater in Pomona (6:30)
ALSO: Leerone and Laura Jensen at The Hotel Cafe (8, 10)  
ALSO: The Silent Comedy at The Casbah (SD) 

Sunday: The Swell Season and Bird and the Bee at Hollywood Bowl (7:30)
ALSO: Joe Firstman and Jay Nash at Saint Rocke (7pm) 

To Keep in Mind:
July 21st: Gaslight Anthem at The Wiltern
July 23rd: Tony Lucca album release at The Mint
July 28th: Bang the Gong Tour featuring Civil Twilight, Paper Tongues, and Neon Trees at The Glass House
July 29th: Queen Caveat EP Release at The Viper Room
July 29th: Civil Twlight at The Hotel Cafe
July 30th: Dirty Sweet at The Viper Room  
July 30-31st: Morcheeba at Hollywood Bowl
August 6th: Endoxi CD release at Epicentre (SD)
August 12th: Semi Precious Weapons at Staples Center
August 21st and 22nd: Sunset Junction
September 4th: After Midnight Project at The Key Club
September 25th: Band of Horses at Greek Theater
September 25th: Muse at Staples Center 

~ Kristen

Warped Tour Ventura- Kristen’s Take

Posted on by Kristen

Warped Tour always makes me feel old. All these carefree teenagers running amok, jumping up and down for bands I’ve never heard of whose members look like they are barely out of high school. There’s nothing wrong with any of this…it just makes me feel old. I didn’t even go last year.

But I love concert festivals and this year’s line-up drew me back into the sea of mohawks, bad tattoos, and fist-pumping adolescents. Okay, not the line-up in its entirety as much as one band in particular, After Midnight Project. My new fave band from Bamboozled is on the entire tour this year and I needed a reminder of why their CD, Let’s Build Something to Break, was playing in my car stereo for weeks.

And reminded I was as once again the gentlemen of After Midnight Project lifted my spirits and blew me away with their amazingly catchy brand of head banding/hand swaying rock music and their perfectly crafted bridges (a good bridge in a song will make me go week in the knees every time).  In addition, since I knew all the songs this time, I was able to sing along…well I wasn’t technically able to emit anything via my vocal chords as I’m currently suffering from laryngitis…but I was able to mouth all the words and could at least properly time all my dance moves.

AMP was one of the first bands to play that day and we got there just in time to make our way to their stage before the opening chords of their set. I was a little concerned after their set was over that the day could not get any better…especially seeing as we had already missed both Lovers Drug and You Me at Six (seriously, why were there bands playing at 11:30 when the ticket said starts at noon?).

We saw many more bands as the day progressed. Some I loved (Mayday Parade), some had promise (The Cab, Emorosa, Automatic Loveletter), some I had quite a strong distaste for (shall remain nameless), and some I have simply forgotten. There were a couple of bands I saw this year that I really love listening to but whose performances were somewhat disappointing. Both The Pretty Reckless and Never Shout Never have some amazing tunes, but the lead singers of both groups kind of made me want to strangle them (or their parents) for some of the remarks they made in between songs…again making me feel quite the old fogey.

My entire day, however, was righted by three bands: Alkaline Trio, Sum 41, and All-American Rejects. All three are bands from my own high school days and as they played those tunes I’ve always loved, I lost myself in the music, forgetting where I was, both time and place. I was reminded why events like this are completely worth my time and my money. Ironically, by the end of the day, Warped Tour had done something totally unexpected…it made me feel like a young teenager again! Ah, the rejuvenating power of music…

~ Kristen

Enjoy some random pics: