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

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: 9/20-9/26

I’m doing my best to ignore the emails and updates about shows tonight. The fact that Jake Newton is now playing with Austin Hartley Leonard at The Foundry…I’m not listening. I need a night in! Not that I’m complaining. This past week has been fantastic. The number of new bands I was able to check out and enjoy for the first time include Everest, The Daylights, Jennifer Knapp, Assemble the Skyline, Electric Touch, Deluka, Taylor Locke and the Roughs, and Heavy Young Heathens. Plus, I saw the most bizarre combination of acts I could possible imagine in one evening: Trace Adkins and Primus. All in all, not a bad week for music.

And this next week is shaping up to be just as good! Weds night I would especially recommend coming to On The Rox to check out the fantastic night of music featuring another band I’ve been meaning to check out, Lakes.

Then the week will cap off with the Epicenter Twenty Ten festival out in Fontana, CA. I’ll be counting down to the event all week with posts about some of the artists I’m most looking forward to check out over the weekend.

I just have to get through the week first. To help me get through, I have the following events on my radar:

Monday: Dead Sara at The Viper Room (10pm)
ALSO: Andy Clockwise FREE at Spaceland (10pm)
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (9pm)
ALSO: it’s a school night at Bardot featuring Curt Smith (10pm) 

Tuesday: Northstar Session and Anna Nalick at The Hotel Cafe (9,10)
ALSO: Rhett Miller at Largo at the Coronet (8:30) 

Weds: ATN Management Presents On the Rox featuring Time You Exist, Parade of Lights, The Howls, Lakes, and That Noise (7:30)
ALSO: Cloud Cult at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: Stars Go Dim at Whiskey a Go Go (10pm)
ALSO: Airborne Toxic Event at Ford Amphitheater (8pm) 

Thursday: Hinder at House of Blues Anaheim (8pm) 

Friday: Ry Cuming at The Hotel Cafe (11pm) 

Saturday: Epicenter Twenty Ten featuring Crash Kings, Papa Roach, Eminem, etc. (noon)
ALSO: Darker My Love and Band of Horses at Greek Theater (7:30)
ALSO: Muse at The Staples Center (7:30)
ALSO: So & SO at The Hotel Cafe (10pm) 

Sunday: Epicenter Twenty Ten featuring Biffy Clyro, The Academy Is…, Against Me!, Thirty Seconds to Mars, etc. (noon)
ALSO: Sick of Sarah at The Roxy (10pm)
ALSO: Muse at The Staples Center (7:30)
ALSO: Mini Mansions at The Viper Room (9:30)
ALSO: Vampire Weekend at The Hollywood Bowl (7:30) 

To Keep in Mind:  

September 27th: Semi Precious Weapons at El Rey
September 28th: Guster at The Troubadour
September 30th: Queen Caveat at Silverlake Lounge
September 30th: BIFFY CLYRO at The Bootleg Theater
October 1st: Brandi Carlile and The Avett Brothers at Nokia Theater LA Live
October 2nd: Truth & Salvage Co. at The Troubadour
October 8th: Crash Kings, Civil Twilight, and Anberin at The House of Blues
October 13th: Frightened Rabbit at The Mayan Theater
October 17th: Joe Firstman at The Hotel Café
October 18th: Mumford & Sons at The Hollywood Palladium
November 4th: Five for Fighting at The Brixton
November 5th: Bayside at The Toubadour
November 17th: Tyler Hilton at The Roxy
December 4th: Joe Firstman at Saint Rocke
December 11th: The Black Crowes and Truth & Salvage Co. at Hollywood Palladium  

~ Kristen

https://twitter.com/_localmusicnat

Let’s Go! ATN Presents On The Rox

Next Weds, Sept. 22nd, I’m really excited about this entire line-up at On the Rox (the bar above The Roxy). A couple weeks ago, someone introduced me to Lakes. I put them on my “to watch” list and lo and behold, they book a show! I proceeded to listen to the rest of the bands playing that night and really feel like this will be an all around amazing evening for music. Don’t miss out! Only $5 if you RSVP (matt@lakesband.com).

To get pumped about the lineup, click on the links below:  
Time You Exist
Parade of Lights
The Howls
Lakes
That Noise

Enjoy and I’ll see you next week!

~ Kristen

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 9/13-9/19

About to head out to the San Diego Music Awards. It’s going to be a fantastic evening of music…

As for next week:

Monday: Paris Carney and Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (8,9)

Tuesday: Terra Naomi at The Hotel Café (8pm)

Weds: Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale at The Hotel Café (8pm)
ALSO: Chasing Kings at Bootleg (10pm)
ALSO: The Mulhollands at Boardner’s (10pm) 

Thursday: So and So at Molly Malone’s (10pm)
ALSO: Jennifer Knapp at The Mint (10pm)
ALSO: Audra Mae and Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers at The Troubadour (8:45, 9:45)
ALSO: Blue October at The House of Blues (8pm) 

Friday: Assemble the Skyline at The Roxy(9:30)                                                                                                                                                      
ALSO: 8mm and Andy Clockwise at The Hotel Café (10,11)
ALSO: Scarlet Grey at Saint Rocke (10pm)
ALSO: Jake Newton and Keaton Simons at The Mint (8:30, 9:30)
ALSO: Hanson at The House of Blues (8pm) 

Saturday: Taylor Locke & the Roughs and Heavy Young Heathens at The Mint (10,11)
ALSO: Allen Stone and Alex Rhodes at The Hotel Café (8,11)
ALSO: The Binges and Dirty Sweet at Bootleg (10:30, 11:30)
ALSO: Heart at Gibson Amphitheater (8pm) 

Sunday: Tegan and Sara and Paramore at The Honda Center in Anaheim (8pm)

To Keep in Mind:
September 22nd: ATN event at On the Rox featuring LAKES
September 25th: Band of Horses at Greek Theater
September 25th: Muse at Staples Center
September 25th and 26th: Epicenter in Fontana, CA featuring Biffy Clyro, 30 Seconds to Mars, The Academy Is…, Crash Kings, etc.
September 27th: Semi Precious Weapons at El Rey
September 28th: Guster at The Troubadour
September 30th: Queen Caveat at Silverlake Lounge
September 30th: BIFFY CLYRO at The Bootleg Theater
October 1st: Brandi Carlile and The Avett Brothers at Nokia Theater LA Live
October 2nd: Truth & Salvage Co. at The Troubadour
October 8th: Crash Kings, Civil Twilight, and Anberin at The House of Blues
October 13th: Frightened Rabbit at The Mayan Theater
October 17th: Joe Firstman at The Hotel Café
October 18th: Mumford & Sons at The Hollywood Palladium
November 4th: Five for Fighting at The Brixton
November 5th: Bayside at The Toubadour
November 17th: Tyler Hilton at The Roxy
December 4th: Joe Firstman at Saint Rocke
December 11th: The Black Crowes and Truth & Salvage Co. at Hollywood Palladium 

~ Kristen

https://twitter.com/_localmusicnat

Kristen’s Concert Calendar: 5/17-5/23

Last week was a very emotional week of beginnings and endings…and many goodbyes. On the music front, one of my favorite bands, Jealousy Curve, officially announced that they were going to end their run as a band. Their last show will be their record release next Saturday in Philadelphia at World Cafe Live. (yes I will be there). Carney’s record release show Saturday in Los Angeles at The El Rey signified the exact opposite; the beginning of a successful and (hopefully) very long career. Watching the guys be escorted from the back to the signing table where we all had to wait in line to get our CDs signed and say our hellos really made me realize how far the band has come since I saw them play every week at Molly Malone’s. The entire set was a bit emotional for me. I was at once immensely grateful for having such an amazing band be a part of my life for the last couple of years and incredibly sad that they were leaving Los Angeles and I would not be seeing them play again anytime soon.

But such is life. Really it just gives me more time and energy to discover amazing new bands to enrich and fulfill my life, right? Well, that’s what I’m telling myself anyway.

Here are the bands and musicians I’m looking at this week to potentially take up the mantel of “new favorite band” and help fill the massive void  in both my concert calendar and my heart left by the breaking up of Jealousy Curve and year-long departure of Carney:

Monday: Filthy Souls at 14 Below in Santa Monica (8pm)
ALSO: The Like FREE at The Echo (10pm)
ALSO: Wartapes at Silverlake Lounge (11pm)
ALSO: MusiCares Nashville Flood Relief Fund Benefit at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)…line up TBA
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 (9pm) 

Tuesday: Nina Storey at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)

Weds: Queen Caveat at The Viper Room (10:45)
ALSO: Beachwood Rockers’ Society at Crane’s 

Thursday: Shout Out Louds at The El Rey (8pm)
ALSO: Glee Live at Gibson Amphitheater (8pm)
ALSO: Terra Naomi at The Hotel Cafe (8pm) 

Friday: Glee Live at Gibson Amphitheater (8pm)
ALSO: The National at The Wiltern (8pm)
ALSO: OK GO at The Musicbox (8pm)
ALSO: Far at The Troubadour (10pm)
ALSO: Lelia Broussard at Room 5 (7pm)
ALSO: Shout Out Louds at The El Rey (8pm)
ALSO: Vienna Teng & Alex Wong and Sara Watkins at McCabe’s (8pm) 

Saturday: The National at The Wiltern (8pm)
ALSO: Glee Live at Gibson Amphitheater (8pm)
ALSO: The Real Sunset Strip On the Rox with Terra Incognita (9pm)
***if you happen to be in the Philadelphia area, you’d better join me at World Cafe Live to witness the last performance of Jealousy Curve…also playing IKE, Camille Peruto, and LA’s own The Shakers! 

Sunday: Frightened Rabbit at The Musicbox (8pm)
ALSO: Lelia Broussard at Saint Rocke (7pm) 

To Keep in Mind:
May 28th: The Silent Comedy and Dirty Sweet at North Park Theater (in SD)
June1st: First Aid Kit at Bootleg
June 3rd: Mumford & Sons at The Music Box
June 6th: Mumford & Sons with The Silent Comedy at BellyUp (in SD)
June 10-13th: BONNAROO
June 25th: Warped Tour in LA
July 10th: Lilith Fair

~ Kristen

A Saturday Night On The Rox

Tim Graves (The Silent Comedy)

For those of you present for The Silent Comedy at On The Rox Saturday night, you know how amazing the evening turned out to be. For the unfortunate few who were unable to attend, you must know that I can now officially check off my life’s to do list “sing on stage with a band.”  At the time I thought, “hey, why not.” It seemed like I knew about half the people in the bar anyway. I’d forgotten the teensy fact that the event was being broadcast over the internet. 

Anyway, I absolutely love what Scheff and The Hawk are doing with The Real Sunset Strip. You can watch the events (including what went down last Saturday night) on their website.  On the Rox is certainly becoming the place to be…especially since they’ve remodeled the venue. Gone are the awkward booths and teeny tiny stage that I was never able to really see. The whole atmosphere is infinitely more comfortable and welcoming with plush couches and a larger stage area. The walls are adorned with photos from The Festival in the Desert and it was noted that the pictures of camels seemed kind of out of place, but I felt them fitting. The Festival in the Desert is an opportunity to discover amazing music in the middle of a desolate wasteland…and having to work to get to it. While On The Rox, is far from a musical wasteland in the heart of the Sunset Strip, it is still somewhat a diamond in the rough, probably not noticed or fully appreciated until visited. This is especially true if they continue to book fantastic bands like The Silent Comedy and last week’s Get Back Loretta

Next Saturday is a band called Fight From Above. I’ve never heard of them, but it will probably be a show worth going to! And if you want to go, it’s FREE. But to ensure your admittance, RSVP to the facebook event page.

What a perfect way to spend your Saturday!

~ Kristen

p.s. A couple pics from The Silent Comedy set. It must be noted that although the stage has been enlarged, it is still not quite big enough for the 6-membered band who spilled over onto the dance floor…and a dance floor it was!