LA

Have you been to Saint Rocke?

Posted on by Kristen

It’s not in LA proper so it’s taken me awhile to get there, but Saint Rocke is now on the fast track to becoming one of my new favorite places to see live music. Located on the PCH in Hermosa Beach, it really isn’t that far away (especially when the traffic is light). It’s got all the charm of The Hotel Cafe but with more space, more seating, and free parking! Plus, if you order food during their happy hour (starts at 5pm M-F) nearly the entire menu is $5. I opted for the kobe beef sliders with sweet potato fries and they were delicious…I have it on good authority that the tacos and the pizzas are also excellent options.

I didn’t just decide to check out a new venue on a whim. I was drawn to Hermosa Beach because it was a stop on the Joe Firstman/Jay Nash tour. The line up played The Hotel Cafe last Thursday but I could not make it as I was at The Roxy enjoying Alex Band (more on that from Amanda).

For the record, this duo is NOT to be missed. I’ve been following Joe around the country for over five years now and never have I seen the same set twice…he even changes up his own songs to keep things fresh. Already, songs from his most recent release, El Porto, have gotten new versions.  I will enjoy just about anything coming from this guy but Sunday night’s set was one of the most enjoyable I’ve seen him do in years. A great mix of old (one of my all-time favorite CDs is his debut The War of Women), new, and newly revised. His next record, Joe Firstman Live at The Treehouse, comes out next month and I cannot wait to hear it all. For a taste, go to his website and download a free track!  

Jay Nash has been a more recent addition to my list of favorite singer-songwriters. His recent collaborations with some of my favorite artists like Caitlin Crosby and Matt Duke brought him to my attention. He is also the founder and frequent participant in my favorite Monday night activity, Songwriters in the Round at Room 5. Unfortunately just as I start going to more of his shows, he decided to up and move to Vermont. The fact that he has returned to LA so soon is encouraging however and I hope that more tours like this one will continue to bring him back to his former home.

Both Joe and Jay are the kind of artist that need to be seen live to truly be appreciated for the amazingly gifted musicians they are. And when they get on the stage together, the energy is kicked up an additional notch as they feed off each other to create the kind of performance that could never be captured or repeated…moments that make you realize how incredibly fortunate you are to be in that exact place at that exact time…moments that keep you going to show after show…the kind of stuff to live for and the reason I love artists like Joe Firstman and Jay Nash and venues like Saint Rocke that can bring out these kinds of magical moments.

If you want to check out a show at Saint Rocke, here’s a link to their calendar . Might I suggest Pat McGee this Sunday…or if you read this in time 100 Monkeys tonight (Tuesday July 20th).

If you want to see more of Joe Firstman and Jay Nash their tour together is almost over, but they both have dates up on their websites and they will both be at Hotel Carolina at the end of August.

~ Kristen

p.s. this is a repost, but here’s a recording a took of the song Jay wrote about leaving California…I think it may be my new favorite.

Golden State Goodnight– Jay Nash

Mumford & Sons at The BellyUp

Posted on by Kristen

Yet another British band stole my heart last Sunday night.  I have been casually enjoying Mumford & Sons for some time now, but seeing them live took my feelings to a completely new level and made me aware of so many things I would never have know from simply listening to their album. I had no idea, for example, that most of their songs were preformed with only a kick drum for percussion. Mr. Mumford has the ability to sing, play acoustic lead guitar, and keep the beat…that’s incredibly. Their newer material, however, seems to involve more percussion.  For several songs the entire kit was employed by either the singer or the bassist. This is another thing I would be unaware of had I not been able to see them live. Their newer material, by the way, is equally moving.

But this list of new things I learned about Mumford & Sons from seeing them live goes on. I learned that the bassist has the best facial expressions, the band can instrument swap with ease, the band members have great in between songs banter…and on a related note, like to keep their pants on while performing on stage. They are also a happy band (lots of smiling)…plus, they seem to enjoy performing while various farm animals are strewn about the stage (picture evidence to follow).

So, it was an amazing night learning more about Mumford & Sons, but let’s face it, the real reason I ventured down to Solano Beach in the first place was because of the opening band….The Silent Comedy. I actually got two doses of my fave local San Diego band over the weekend. And even with a more than slightly under the weather singer/bassist, the boys still delivered their unique brand of folk rock, blowing the roof off the joint before Mumford & Sons even had a chance.

And once again I will mention that The Silent Comedy will be venturing up to LA June 17th to perform at an event at Speakeasy. Also performing that night: Queen Caveat! Check out the event details here:

For a taste, here is Mumford & Son’s “Black White Page”:

~ Kristen

p.s. the goat on the keyboard and a few additional Mumford & Sons pics:

Kristen’s Concert Calendar: 6/7-6/13

Posted on by Kristen

This week I write to you from San Diego. Tonight I have a ticket to go see The Silent Comedy open for Mumford & Sons. Needless to say, there is a great deal of excitement involved. Friday night The Silent Comedy played at The Royal Dive in Oceanside so I decided to make a weekend of it in San Diego. Not that it’s been all fun and games…actually it’s mostly been paper-writing, but the change of location was good I suppose. And I get to see one of my favorite bands twice!  And speaking of the marvelous The Silent Comedy, they are coming back up to LA June 17th. Playing a NEW VENUE called Speakeasy over in the Silverlake area. Also playing that night: Queen Caveat! It’s gonna be a good one, so mark your calendar!

But if you want to know what to put on your calendar this week, here’s what I’ve got on mine:

Monday: Paris Carney, Songwriters in the Round (featuring Kathryn Ostenberg, Joel Eckels, Buddy, and Brother Sal), Jay Nash at Room 5 (8, 9, 10:30)…are you seeing this line-up!?! A good night to check out my favorite place to hang Monday nights
ALSO:  it’s a school night at Bardot featuring Super Secret Act (10pm)…I semi-recall them saying something about Hot Hot Heat, but no matter who it is, it will be a fun night, but don’t forget to RSVP (http://itsaschoolnight.com/)
ALSO: Thao and Mirah with The Most of All at Bootleg (10pm)
ALSO: The Delta Spirit FREE at Amobea (7pm)
ALSO: Abbot Kinney at Molly Malone’s (9pm)…Jared from Abbot Kinney starts his month long residency at Molly Malone’s…AKA Abbot Kinney’s Summer of Exploding Hearts

 Tuesday: The Shakers EP Release FREE at The Viper Room also featuring Automatique and New Liberty (Philly band alert!) (11, 12,8)
ALSO: Alice Wallace at The Mint (8pm)
ALSO: Greg Holden at Room 5 (9pm) 

Weds: Allen Stone and Dave Barnes at The Roxy (9pm)
ALSO: Alex Lambert (yes, the one from American Idol) at The Mint (7pm)
ALSO: Ashes Divide at The Viper Room (11pm)
ALSO: Crash Test Dummies at The Hotel Café (7pm)…yes you read that right…I recommend getting advanced tickets
ALSO: Hot Hot Heat at Bootleg (11:15) 

Thursday:  BONNAROO BEGINS! Let’s take this moment to lament the fact that I am not there…silly classes having everything due this week
ALSO: Ian Axel, Amber Rubarth, Holly Conlan, TD Lind, and No Country at The Hotel Cafe (7pm)…just go for Ian and stay til the end…seriously good night of music
ALSO: Chantal Kreviazuk at The Mint (9pm)
ALSO: Fitz and the Tantrums at Spaceland (10pm)
ALSO: Amber Pacific at Whiskey a Go-Go (7pm) 

Friday: Iglu and Hartly at The Roxy (9pm)
ALSO: Helen Stellar at Spaceland (10pm) 

Saturday: Greg Laswell, Brian Wright, and SO & So at The Hotel Cafe (8, 9, 10)…The Greg Laswell/Brian Wright portion of the evening seems to be Sold out, but go see So & So…
ALSO: Mayer Hawthorne at The Ghetty (6pm) 

Sunday: Greg Laswell, Brian Wright, and Austin Hartley Leonard  at The Hotel Cafe (7, 8, 9)…this one, not sold out last I checked
ALSO: Beth Hart and Garrison Starr at The Echoplex (8pm)
ALSO: Taproot at Whiskey a Go Go (8pm) 

To Keep in Mind:
June 17th: The Other Side of Morning at The House of Blues
June 17th: Queen Caveat and The Silent Comedy at Speakeasy 
June 25th: Warped Tour in LA
June 25th: The Rescues CD Release at The Troubadour
June 21st: Carney at The Troubadour
June 21st: Gaslight Anthem at El Rey
July 7th: Carbon Leaf at The Troubadour
July 8th: Michelle Branch at Greek Theater
July 10th: Lilith Fair
July 18th: The Swell Season and Bird and the Bee at Hollywood Bowl
July 30-31st: Morceeba at Hollywood Bowl
August 12th: Semi Precious Weapons at Staples Center (with Lady GaGa)
September 25th: Band of Horses at Greek Theater
September 25th: Muse at Staples Center

~ Kristen

Kristen’s SXSW ’10 Mix- Part 5

Posted on by Kristen

                   18. “New Improved Formula” – Spring Tigers

You may think that this is yet another British band on the list but actually these guys are from Athens, Georgia. Doesn’t mean I still don’t love this song…

                  19. “Butch” – Saint Motel

Last year, I discovered LA bands Nico Vega and Crash Kings and they are now staples in my life and my music calendar. I wonder if this will be the year for another LA band, Saint Motel?

                 20. “Jane Doe”- Never Shout Never

I saw Christopher Drew Ingel (AKA Never Shout Never) at Bamboozled and he definitely stuck out, but I’m not sure if it was in the best way. Then I came across his CD What Is Love? on sale and decided to give it a go. For some reason, I’m now loving it!

               21. “Oh Lord” – Foxy Shazam

Oh to see this performed live…I can only imagine. The perfect way to end any mix.

the end…or is it…?

~ Kristen

Carney Day!

Posted on by Kristen

Today is the day folks! Mr. Green Vol. I is officially out in stores, on ITunes, etc. Carney’s first full length CD has been on the precipice of release for sometime now it seems, but I’m pretty sure it’s actually happening this time. I would highly recommend everyone go out and get yourself a copy. Once again, for a taste, enjoy the video for the band’s first single, “Love Me, Chase Me” :

The release falls in the midst of a little tour…to get your taste of Carney live (trust me, you’ll love it), see if they’re coming to a town near you. And if you live in LA, I really hope you can come to The El Rey this Saturday to see the boys put on their last hometown show before heading of to NYC.

As for the rest of the dates (copied directly from Myspace):

10 May 2010 8:00 P
Casbah San Diego, California, US  
11 May 2010 8:00 P
Hotel Utah San Francisco, California, US  
13 May 2010 8:00 P
Detroit Bar Costa Mesa, US  
15 May 2010 8:00 P
El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, California, US Find Tickets
30 May 2010 8:00 P
Furthur Festival Angels Camp, US  
31 May 2010 8:00 P
Maxwells Hoboken, New Jersey, US  
1 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Bowery Ballroom New York, New York, US  
2 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub Cambridge, Massachuse, US  
3 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvan, US  
5 Jun 2010 8:00 P
The Bell House Brooklyn, New York, US  
6 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Jammin Java Music Club & Cafe Vienna, Virginia, US  
7 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Lee’s Palace Toronto, Ontario, CA  
9 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Double Door Chicago, US  
10 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Triple Rock Social Club Minneapolis, US  
12 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Bluebird Theater Denver, US  
14 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Crocodile Cafe Seattle, US  
15 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Venue Vancouver, CA  
16 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Mississippi Studios Portland, US  
22 Jun 2010 8:00 P
The Rhythm Room Phoenix, US  
24 Jun 2010 8:00 P
The Cambridge Room @ House of Blues Dallas, US  
25 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Stubbs Jr BBQ Austin, US  
26 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Walter’s on Washington Houston, US  
28 Jun 2010 8:00 P
WorkPlay Theatre Birmingham, US  
29 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Vinyl Atlanta, US

 

~ Kristen

Favorite Band Alert! The Kin

Posted on by Kristen

Waking Up Shining

I am still overwhelmed with emotion from seeing The Kin play Monday night at The Hotel Cafe. It had been far too long since brothers Thorry and Isaac Koren played LA. An added bonus, the absolutely brilliant and incredibly unique Shakerleg was indeed present behind his makeshift drum kit and despite the fact that he was terribly ill, still managed to pull out all the stops on stage. They played mostly songs from their most recent album, The Upside, and closed the night with some covers they’ve been working on, but the highlight for me was when they came off the stage and into the audience to play a brand new tune.  

There is nothing better than seeing one of your favorite bands play after you haven’t seen them in awhile…except perhaps seeing an amazing band play for the first time. Which is why, if you’re in the Los Angeles area, I think you should come to The Stronghold in Venice 9pm Weds night to fall in love with The Kin as they are playing one more time before leaving LA.

 The Kin covers Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” in NYC

~ Kristen

Kristen’s Concert Calendar 5/3-5/9

Posted on by Kristen

I’m still singing from Saturday night’s grand adventure On The Rox with The Silent Comedy. For more on that, you should check out the forthcoming (fingers crossed) post I will be putting up.

This week, I’m especially excited about two appearances The Kin make on my calendar. Monday night at The Hotel Cafe and Weds at Stronghold in Venice. It’s been WAY too long since brothers Koren have been in Los Angeles. It will probably be some time before they are here again so don’t miss these opportunities to see one of my very favorite bands play live! As an added bonus, I hear Shakerleg may also be coming to town…

As for what else I’m looking forward to this week:

Monday: The Kin at The Hotel Cafe (7pm)….yes, it’s an early one, but it’ll be worth the traffic, trust me!
ALSO: Wartapes FREE at Silverlake Lounge (11pm)
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (9pm) 

Tuesday: Until June at Spaceland (9pm)
ALSO: Greg Laswell and Brian Wright at The Troubadour (8pm)
ALSO: Links at The Viper Room (midnight) 

Weds: The Kin at Stronghold in Venice (9pm)
ALSO: The Hold Steady at The El Rey (8pm)
ALSO: The Daylights and Whispering Pines at The Hotel Cafe (10,11) 
ALSO: Beachwood Rockers’ Society at Crane’s

Thursday: Other Side of Morning at Harvelle’s  in Santa Monica (10:30)
ALSO: Green River Ordinance at The Troubadour (10pm)
ALSO: Ingrid Michaelson at The Hotel Cafe (7pm)…definitely sold out…but one never knows…
ALSO: Austin Hartley-Leonard at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: Links FREE at Space 15 Twenty (7pm) 

Friday: Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale and Chris Pierce at The Hotel Cafe (10,11)
ALSO: Beth Hart, Linda Perry, etc. at Club Nokia (8pm)
ALSO: The Janks at Spaceland (11) 

Saturday: Ely’s Creep Show featuring Hoobastank, Ferras, Elliot Yamin, etc. at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)…sorry, it’s sold out…I’ll let you know how it goes 😉
ALSO: Warpaint at Bootleg (10:30)
ALSO: Fight From Above at On The Rox (10pm) 

Sunday: Viza at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: Patrick Park at Saint Rocke (7pm) 

To Keep in Mind:

May 13th: Crash Kings at The Roxy
May 15th: Carney at The El Rey   
May 15th: 30 Seconds to Mars at The Greek Theater
May 19th: Queen Caveat at The Viper Room
May 28th: The Silent Comedy and Dirty Sweet at North Park Theater (in SD)
June1st: First Aid Kit at Bootleg
June 6th: Mumford & Sons with The Silent Comedy at BellyUp (in SD)
June 10-13th: BONNAROO (in Tennessee)
June 25th: Warped Tour in LA (well, Carson)
July 10th: Lilith Fair 

~ Kristen