May15th: Save the Date! Carney is Coming!!

This week, they are at SXSW, MAY 15, they will be in LA at The El Rey.  Mark your calendars, get your tickets, and whatever you do, don’t miss your chance to see one of my favorite LA bands, Carney, before they venture off to the Big Apple.

Their album, Mr. Green Vol.1, FINALLY comes out May 11th. For a taste, check out the music video for their first single “Love Me, Chase Me” directed by the talented Timothy Garrett.

http://www.carneyband.com/

~ Kristen

My Ideal Birthday Concert

It’s my birthday!  What I’d really like to be doing to celebrate is watch all the fantastic bands that are playing SXSW today (including faves The Crash Kings and Carney). Then I thought, as long as I’m wishing for the impossible, I might as well go all out.  The best way to celebrate my birthday would be by watching the following three bands (one of which no longer plays) at the now defunct Grape Street outside Philadelphia, PA. That’s how I’d really like to celebrate my birthday…yes…
You can give to me a birthday gift by checking these bands out !

1. Pepper’s Ghost– “Everything and Anything” at The Trocadero

2. Pawnshop Roses– “Let It Roll” at The Grape Street 

3. Jealousy Curve – “Black Widow” at The Grape Street

BONUS: Pepper’s Ghost – “You”

~ Kristen

My Ideal Birthday Concert

It’s my birthday!  What I’d really like to be doing to celebrate is watch all the fantastic bands that are playing SXSW today (including faves The Crash Kings and Carney). Then I thought, as long as I’m wishing for the impossible, I might as well go all out.  The best way to celebrate my birthday would be by watching the following three bands (one of which no longer plays) at the now defunct Grape Street outside Philadelphia, PA. That’s how I’d really like to celebrate my birthday…yes…

You can give to me a birthday gift by checking these bands out !

1. Pepper’s Ghost– “Everything and Anything” at The Trocadero

2. Pawnshop Roses– “Let It Roll” at The Grape Street 

3. Jealousy Curve – “Black Widow” at The Grape Street

BONUS: Pepper’s Ghost – “You”

~ Kristen

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar 3/15-3/21

Howdy Folks!
There are two very important things happening this week. First is the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. This is one of the biggest music (and film) festivals of the year. So many of my favorite bands are going to be there…unfortunately this means, not so many are going to be around this week. And this is incredibly unfortunate considering important thing #2 which is that this Thursday is my birthday! Life would be perfect if I were in Texas this week, but alas that is not my fate. Instead, I will be listening to all the artists that will be playing in Austin via the internet and compiling my best of SXSW ’10 list (last year’s introduced me to bands such as Nico Vega and The Crash Kings!!).

There are still some excellent shows this week if you’re looking for some live music! And if you’re looking to get me something for my birthday…just forward to me the names of some of your favorite bands (especially if you think I haven’t heard of them)…new music is the best gift! 🙂

This week’s shows:

Monday: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at House of Blues Anaheim (8pm)

ALSO: Paris Carney at Room 5 (8pm)

ALSO: Andy Clockwise at The Troubadour (8pm)

ALSO: She & Him at Largo at the Coronet (8pm)

Tuesday: The Swell Season at Largo at the Coronet (8:30)

ALSO: The Classic Crime at Chain Reaction in Anaheim (8pm)

Weds: Kingsize at The Silverlake Lounge (9pm)

ALSO: Brooke White, Nina Storey, and Tommy King at The Hotel Cafe (8,9,10)

ALSO: The Shakers at Kibitz Room (Canter’s Deli)…part of their residency (11pm)

ALSO: Beachwood Rockers’ Society

Thursday: Watkins Family Hour at Largo at the Coronet (8pm)…fave Nickel Creek siblings Sara and Sean Watkins with special guests!

ALSO: Terra Naomi at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)

ALSO: Mississippi Man at The Roxy (8pm)

ALSO: New Found Glory at the House of Blues (8:30)

Friday: Brian Fallon (of Gaslight Anthem) at The Troubadour (9pm)

Saturday: The Elizabeth Kill at The Cat Club (10:30)

ALSO: Beth Hart at The Echo (7pm)

Sunday: Tears for Fears at The Wiltern (6:30)

To Keep in Mind:

March 26th: Nico Vega and Metric at Hollywood Palladium

March 27th: San Diego Indie Fest featuring Metric

March 27th/28th: Bamboozled Left featuring Something Corporate and AFI

March 31st: The Silent Comedy at Bootleg

April 6th: Paper Tongues at The Troubadour

April 9th: Lights and Owl City at Club Nokia

April 12th: Butch Walker at El Rey

April 16th: George Stanford CD release at The Hotel Café

April 16th-19th: Coachella

May 15th: Carney at The El Rey   

June 10-13th: BONNAROO

~ Kristen

Kristen's LA Concert Calendar 3/15-3/21

Howdy Folks!

There are two very important things happening this week. First is the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. This is one of the biggest music (and film) festivals of the year. So many of my favorite bands are going to be there…unfortunately this means, not so many are going to be around this week. And this is incredibly unfortunate considering important thing #2 which is that this Thursday is my birthday! Life would be perfect if I were in Texas this week, but alas that is not my fate. Instead, I will be listening to all the artists that will be playing in Austin via the internet and compiling my best of SXSW ’10 list (last year’s introduced me to bands such as Nico Vega and The Crash Kings!!).

There are still some excellent shows this week if you’re looking for some live music! And if you’re looking to get me something for my birthday…just forward to me the names of some of your favorite bands (especially if you think I haven’t heard of them)…new music is the best gift! 🙂

This week’s shows:

Monday: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at House of Blues Anaheim (8pm)

ALSO: Paris Carney at Room 5 (8pm)

ALSO: Andy Clockwise at The Troubadour (8pm)

ALSO: She & Him at Largo at the Coronet (8pm)

Tuesday: The Swell Season at Largo at the Coronet (8:30)

ALSO: The Classic Crime at Chain Reaction in Anaheim (8pm)

Weds: Kingsize at The Silverlake Lounge (9pm)

ALSO: Brooke White, Nina Storey, and Tommy King at The Hotel Cafe (8,9,10)

ALSO: The Shakers at Kibitz Room (Canter’s Deli)…part of their residency (11pm)

ALSO: Beachwood Rockers’ Society

Thursday: Watkins Family Hour at Largo at the Coronet (8pm)…fave Nickel Creek siblings Sara and Sean Watkins with special guests!

ALSO: Terra Naomi at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)

ALSO: Mississippi Man at The Roxy (8pm)

ALSO: New Found Glory at the House of Blues (8:30)

Friday: Brian Fallon (of Gaslight Anthem) at The Troubadour (9pm)

Saturday: The Elizabeth Kill at The Cat Club (10:30)

ALSO: Beth Hart at The Echo (7pm)

Sunday: Tears for Fears at The Wiltern (6:30)

To Keep in Mind:

March 26th: Nico Vega and Metric at Hollywood Palladium

March 27th: San Diego Indie Fest featuring Metric

March 27th/28th: Bamboozled Left featuring Something Corporate and AFI

March 31st: The Silent Comedy at Bootleg

April 6th: Paper Tongues at The Troubadour

April 9th: Lights and Owl City at Club Nokia

April 12th: Butch Walker at El Rey

April 16th: George Stanford CD release at The Hotel Café

April 16th-19th: Coachella

May 15th: Carney at The El Rey   

June 10-13th: BONNAROO

~ Kristen

“…your voice is echoing again through catacombs inside my mind…” – Breathless by Dan Wilson

Dan Wilson just blows my mind every time. The man is a genius.  Tonight at The Hotel Café he mostly played new songs which is great on the one hand because I was able to hear new brilliance for the first time, but on the other hand, so much goes unplayed.  He did manage to squeeze in my two faves “Breathless” and “Free Life” plus a good one from his Semisonic days (“Singing in my Sleep”) so I was left feeling completely satisfied.

The entire evening was full of amazing music. Jim Bianco is always such a treat to watch. He has this new song from his forthcoming CD that I think takes his music to a whole new level. But, of course, he sings that one right before a song that calls for strippers…

Joey Ryan is one of my new faves and deserves a blurb all to himself (forthcoming).

And my intuition about Scars on 45 was spot on! I have a very good feeling about this group that was just signed to Chop Shop Records and are working on recording their debut album…next stop for them: SXSW. Definitely keep your eyes and ears open for these guys…

Next up: Nico Vega at El Rey…NOT to be missed!

~ Kristen

Thursday at The Hotel Cafe

Thursday night I went to the Hotel Cafe to see the last night of Joey Ryan’s residency. Joey has been playing lately with Kenneth Pattengale whom I’ve seen several times now and enjoy more with each viewing. Both Kenneth’s and Joey’s sets were bolstered by the other joining in with their harmonies. They have a big upcoming two hour set at McCabe’s Guitar Shop Saturday April 24th which should definitely go on your calendar.
Joey and Kenneth were great (as anticipated), but the big surprise of the evening was The Paper Raincoat,  a band from Brooklyn featuring SXSW  ’09 fave Amber Rubarth. The Paper Raincoat is on my SXSW ’10 list and proved worthy of such a spot with their highly entertaining live set. My favorite bit being this acoustic version of “Rewind”. Watch the video…such a treat!

~ Kristen