Alex Denzen

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 7/30-8/5

Posted on by Kristen

The Olympics have started! I am already completely hooked. I’ve watched swimming, gymnastics, volleyball, beach volleyball, weight lifting, soccer, cycling, dressage, fencing, archery, shooting, rowing, basketball…well you get the picture. I am having a very difficult time pulling myself away enough to do much else. It is going to be difficult to get out to any shows this week and that is really saying something. I wonder if there is some sort of condition to define my predicament…

Honestly I feel like everything should shut down for two weeks, but unfortunately there are some amazing shows happening. If it weren’t for my little Olympics obsession, here’s what I would be out doing this week:

Monday: Terraplane Sun and The Silent Comedy FREE at The Satellite (11,12)
ALSO: The Short Eyes and Fine FREE at Silverlake Lounge (10,11)
ALSO: Paris Carney and friends and Songwriters in the Round featuring Joel Eckels, Liam Gerner, and Dawn Mitschele at Room 5 (8,9)
ALSO: Of Verona and Andy Clockwise at The Viper Room (10,11)
ALSO: Indians, Lindsay Rae Spurlock, Frank + Derol at Bardot (9pm)…free with RSVP http://www.itsaschoolnight.com/losangeles/
ALSO: Carolina Liar, The Fray, and Kelly Clarkson at The Hollywood Bowl (7pm)
ALSO: Neon Trees at The Wiltern (6:30)

 

Tuesday: King Washington, Lovers Drugs, the Hunting Accident, Jason Faulkner and more at The Echoplex (7pm)
ALSO: The Local Strangers at The Hotel Cafe (7pm)
ALSO: Nina Storey at Molly Malone’s (9pm)
ALSO: Beachwood Sessions FREE at The Piano Bar featuring Dave Green and Tripp Rezac (8pm)

 

Weds: Jasmine Ash at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)
ALSO: Chris Thile at Largo (two shows: 8pm and 10pm)

 

Thursday: Josh Fletcher, Alex Denzen, Jessie Payo, and Andy Davis at The Hotel Cafe (7,8,9,10)
ALSO: The Dead Ships and NO FREE at Pershing Square (7pm)
ALSO: Pan America and The Janks at The Viper Room (10,11)
ALSO: Terra Naomi and Sonia Rao at WitZend (8,10)
ALSO: Soul Asylum with Trapper Schoepp and The Shades at The Troubadour (8pm)

 

Friday: So & So and George Stanford at WitZend (9,11)
ALSO: Cory Chisel and the Wondering Sons at The El Rey (8pm)
ALSO: Belle Brigade FREE at California Plaza Downtown (noon)

 

Saturday: Band of Skulls at The Annenberg Space for Photography (7pm)…FREE with RSVP http://www.kcrw.com/events/who-shot-rock-roll
ALSO: Keaton Simons at The Troubadour (8pm)
ALSO: Western Scene at 3 of Clubs (9pm)
ALSO: Monsters Calling Home at Bootleg Bar (9pm)
ALSO: The 3rd New Los Angeles Folk Festival at Zorthian Ranch in Altadena, CA (1pm)

 

Sunday: Italian Japanese at The Central (11pm)

 

To Keep in Mind:
August 8th: Langhorne Slim & The Law at The Troubadour
August 10th and 11th: Jack White at Shrine Auditorium
August 13th: The Kills at The El Rey
August 13th: Birdy at The Roxy
August 14th: The Dunwells at The Hotel Café
August 14th: Filter at The Roxy
August 16th-18th: SSMF
August 19th: fun. at The Wiltern
August 23rd: Civil Twilight and Morning Parade at The El Rey
August 24th: Truth & Salvage Co. at The Troubadour
August 25th: Charlotte Martin at The Hotel Cafe
August 28th: High Voltage Party at Tripp
September 1st & 2nd: FYF at Downtown LA
September 4th: Gotye at The Greek Theatre
September 9th: The Ataris at The Roxy
September 14th: Teitur at The Hotel Cafe
September 14th: The Hives at The Wiltern
September 22nd: Epicenter at Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre
September 22nd: Sondre Lerche at The Troubadour
October 1st: Ed Sheeran at The Wiltern
October 1st: Safety Suit at The Roxy
October 2nd: Garbage at The Hollywood Palladium
October 2nd: The Lumineers at The Fonda Theatre
October 4th: The Milk Carton Kids at The Largo
October 11th: Awolnation and Imagine Dragons at Club Nokia
October 19th: Tony Lucca at The Roxy
October 19th: Frightened Rabbit at The Troubadour
October 20th: Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers at Saint Rocke
November 2nd: NEEDTOBREATHE at Fox Theater Pomona
November 6th: Jens Lekman at Fonda Theatre

~ Kristen

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New Band Love: Harper Blynn

Posted on by Kristen

The best band discoveries are always the ones that come unexpectedly. You’re sitting in the back at the bar talking to some friends when this band you’ve never even heard of takes the stage. They may not look like much (or they may look bat shit crazy) and you kind of cock your head in mild amusement, surveying the musicians on stage and their particular set up for anything of note.  You’re just about to dismiss them as another one in a loooong line of mediocre bands when they start to play. By the end of the first song, your attention is rapt.  A couple songs in and you note the goosebumps on your arms. Then, before you know it, you’ve gravitated to the front of the room and you’re dancing, swaying, fist pumping, hand clapping, throwing gang signs, or whatever the style of music necessitates. You have this question swimming around your head; “Where has this music been all my life?!?” The excitement is palpable. You might even find yourself at the merch booth before the set is over to make sure that you get a copy of what is soon to be your new favorite CD.

At least…that’s how it happens for me…

Friday night I met up with friends at The Mint. We wanted to see The Damnwells/Alex Denzen, a band from New York City that we had enjoyed for several years. We got there in time to catch one of their openers, another NYC –based band called Harper Blynn. I think it was about two songs into Harper Blynn’s set and we were already discussing the possibility of driving down to San Diego the next day to see them play again. I’m not sure what exactly hooked me. Perhaps it was some combination of rock intensity mixed with catchy melodies interlaced with intricate harmonies and fun guitar solos (although if I had to categorize the group I might go with folk pop). The energy jumping from the stage was easily picked up by the audience who packed the venue (tables had to be moved!). I had goosebumps and an overwhelming urge to make a beeline to the merch booth.  I had fallen in love.

 

Since Friday, Harper Blynn’s 2010 release, Loneliest Generation, has gotten a lot of play in my car and in the office. I found myself wishing that I had had this CD a few years ago when I was going through my quarter-life crisis. Lyrically, the tunes speak to my mid-twenties self, floating on that line between youthful idealism and realizations about harsher realities. Right now, my favorite songs are the more upbeat “This Is It” and the perfectly titled “25 Years” but the slow melodic beauty of songs like “The Doubt” and the building anthemic quality of “All Pretenders” showcase the band’s ability strike a deeper emotional chord and highlight the reasons why I love their music. Harper Blynn also have a self titled EP released this year.

 

Monday night, I headed out once again to see The Damnwells as well as the always enchanting Cary Brothers at Bardot in Hollywood. I enjoyed the sets from The Damnwells and Cary Brothers (both backed the members of Harper Blynn), but I was especially ecstatic when Cary announced that he was ending his set a couple songs early in order to let “the hardest working band in show-biz” (or at least that evening) take the stage and perform a couple of their songs. The place exploded when Harper Blynn did one of their tunes and then followed it up by their fun cover of Beyonce’s “Halo” (could that song be more catchy?!?). The DJ who played after the band did not have a difficult transition to make as the entire place was dancing.

 

If you want to learn more about Harper Blynn, here are some useful links. This fall they are out on the road again with The Damnwells, hitting up cities in the midwest and east coast. Check their website for the specifics (sadly no west coast dates…).

http://www.harperblynn.com/Home.html

http://www.facebook.com/harperblynn?sk=app_178091127385

http://twitter.com/#!/harperblynn

~ Kristen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 10/18-10/24

Posted on by Kristen

That blank white page really is filling me with rage this week. My favorite Mumford & Sons tune will have to be performed without me in the audience tomorrow (Monday Oct. 18th) at The Palladium as I will be proctoring an exam that evening. It was quite painful to give away my ticket (purchased during the pre-sale mind you). But, as they say, life goes on…as does the music. With Joe Firstman tonight at the Hotel Cafe and a host of promising acts to fill the week, I’m sure I’ll get by ;).

Here are my musical suggestions this week:

Monday: Mumford & Sons at The Hollywood Palladium (7pm)
ALSO: Griffin House at The Troubadour (9:30)
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (9pm) 

Tuesday: The Diamond Light at Bootleg (10:30)
ALSO: Keaton Simons at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: Northstar Session at The Hotel Cafe (9pm) 

Weds: Flyleaf and Story of the Year at House of Blues (7:45)
ALSO: BellX1 at The Hotel Café (9pm)
ALSO: Matt White at The Viper Room (7:45) 

Thursday: Griffin House at Saint Rocke (10pm)
ALSO: Dead Country at Silverlake Lounge (9pm)
ALSO: Alex Dezen at The Hotel Cafe (10pm)
ALSO: Assemble the Skyline FREE at Hot Topic on Hollywood and Highland (6:30)
ALSO: The Shakers at The Kibitz Room at Canter’s Deli (10:30) 

Friday: Prohibition Rose at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: Buckcherry at The Honda Center in Anaheim (8pm) 

Saturday: Sufjan Stevens at The Wiltern (7pm) 

Sunday: Joan Osborne at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: The White Buffalo at Saint Rocke (9:30) 

To Keep in Mind:
October 28th: Foxy Shazam and Free Energy at The Troubadour
October 29th: Nico Vega at The Roxy
November 2nd: Ingrid Michaelson at The Troubadour
November 4th: Five for Fighting at The Brixton
November 5th: Bayside at The Toubadour
November 6th-7th: Florence + The Machine at The Wiltern
November 8th-10th: A Perfect Circle at Avalon
November 13th: Terrible Things and Mae at The El Rey
November 17th: Tyler Hilton at The Roxy
November 18th: Freelance Whales at The Troubadour
November 21st and 22nd: Dar Williams at The Hotel Café
December 4th: Joe Firstman at Saint Rocke
December 11th: The Black Crowes and Truth & Salvage Co. at Hollywood Palladium 

~ Kristen
https://twitter.com/_localmusicnat