The Academy Is…

Countdown to Epicenter Twenty Ten: 7 days!

Posted on by Kristen

Next weekend (Sept. 25-26), Epicenter Twenty Ten takes place in Fontana, CA. The website tagline says it’s the place to be and that, indeed, it is.

The headliners for this two day festival  event include Eminem, Kiss, Blink 182, and Rise Against, but all you really need to get me there are two little words: Biffy Clyro! Ever since these Scottsmen blew my mind opening for Manchester Orchestra, I’ve been dying to see them again. It’s when they were added to the line-up that I was convinced I needed to get myself to Fontana.

Biffy Clyro isn’t the only band I’m looking forward to seeing that weekend. I’m also really excited about Crash Kings, The Academy Is…, 30 Seconds to Mars, Papa Roach, and, as with all festival-like events, I’m really hoping to discover a new amazing band that I’ve never heard before.

I’m so pumped about this event, that all week long we’ll be counting down the days with music and videos by the bands I’m most looking forward to seeing.  

Let’s get things started with the main event (at least for me), Biffy Clyro! Here’s a video for the first song off their album Only Revolutions.

~ Kristen

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

Posted on by Kristen

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

New(ish) Band Love: Scarlet Grey

Posted on by Amanda

So awhile back I was up in LA on one of my music binges with my LMN cohort and came across a new band I fell head over heels for. Normally, I don’t pay much attention to opening bands. I blame it on my youth spent listening to poor openers while waiting for the bands I came to see. I learned how to skip the openers (or ignore them) to get to the good part. I’m the first to admit that only a handful have really caught my attention.

Well, this lovely band definitely made me take notice. They emitted this type of energy you usually don’t see in openers and it was really captivating! At first, Scarlet Grey reminded me a bit of The Academy Is… (one of my favorite bands) but there was something else there I couldn’t pinpoint at the time. After a chat with their merch guy, I found out they had toured with AFI (not on the west coast of course) and that’s when I realized they they were this wonderful hybrid of AFI and The Academy Is… As HitPredictor.com said, they are “Pop… with dirt under it’s nails.” You can check out their interview with Scarlet Grey here.

Even if you aren’t a fan of The Academy Is… or AFI I suggest you take the time to check them out. If you like catchy dark tunes they are worth some investigation. I can tell you that they got me hooked and I’m not the easiest person to impress right off the bat. If I still don’t have you convinced, you can check out their Myspace page and see for yourself if they are your style. Fortunately for you, they have a show tonight (Sept. 9th) at The Roxy where you can check them out in person!

For some curious folk about the band, Scarlet Grey’s frontman Ben Grey wrote an article for Sound Alarm about “Six Things Never to Say on Stage.” Also, you can check out Scarlet Grey on Twitter or follow frontman Ben Grey or both, depending on your style 😉

Enjoy friends 🙂

~Amanda

Kristen’s LA Concert Calendar: 10/3-10/9

Posted on by Kristen

This week brings us Filter Magazine’s Culture Collide Festival. This multi-cultural festival, primarily taking place in Silverlake, combines live music, film screenings and food from around the world. For more information, check out the website (http://culturecollide.com/). Festival tickets can be purchased for $20 and there is a free block party at the end of the week. I’m not overly familiar with many of the bands, but I’m looking forward to discovering some new international artists. All of my recommended musical events associated with the festival will be marked with a CCF.
It’s a very rich music-wise. Here’s what I’m most excited about:

 

Monday: Nightmare & The Cat and Youngblood Hawke FREE at The Satellite (10,11)…starting a not to miss October residency with Youngblood Hawke
ALSO: Fat City Reprise and Red Circle Underground at The Viper Room (11:15, 12:15)…the beginning of Fat City Reprise’s October Residency
ALSO: Indians FREE at Silverlake Lounge (11pm)…yet another October residency (Monday’s in October are PACKED!)
ALSO: Songwriters in the Round at Room 5 featuring Liam Gerner, Scott Goldbaum, and Stephen Wrabel (9pm)
ALSO: It’s a School Night at Bardot featuring Elizaveta, The Kopecky Family Band, and Hanni El Khatib (9pm)…free with RSVP http://www.itsaschoolnight.com/

 

Tuesday: Joe Purdy at The Hotel Cafe (9:30)
ALSO: Transfer at The Roxy (8pm)
ALSO: Viza at The Viper Room (10:15)
ALSO: Wires in The Walls, Escalator Hill, and Oak and Gorski at The Central (9,10,11)
ALSO: Locksley at The Bootleg (10pm)
ALSO: Johnny Moezzi at The Foundry (8pm)
ALSO: Liam Gerner at The Mint (10:30)

 

Weds: Nico Vega and Blondie at Club Nokia (8pm)
ALSO: Terra Naomi and Ari Shrine at The Silverlake Lounge (8:30, 9:30)
ALSO: Ivan & Alyosha at The Echo (8pm)
ALSO: Bethpage Black at Rolling Stone LA at Hollywood and Highland (11pm)
ALSO: Robbie Robertson at The Grammy Museum (8pm)
ALSO: Kopecky Famiy Band at The House of Blues Sunset (8:30)
ALSO: CCF- Liam Finn at Whole Foods in West Hollywood

 

Thursday: Garrison Starr and All New People at The Hotel Cafe (10pm)
ALSO: Liam Gerner, The Americans, Patrick Park, and Maxim Ludwig at The Bootleg (8:30)…wow a great night of music all the way through!
ALSO: CCF- Liam Finn at The Echo (11:30
ALSO: CCF- The Black Box Revelation at Swinghouse (8pm)

 

Friday: Incubus at The Hollywood Bowl (7:30)
ALSO: CCF- The Asteroids Galaxy Tour at The Echoplex (11pm)
ALSO: CCF- WIM, He’s My Brothers/She’s My Sister, The Postelles, Avi Buffalo at ReFORM (8:30)
ALSO: CCF- Laura Jansen at Echo Park United Methodist Church (9:30)

 

Saturday: Rachel Platten, Keaton Simons and Michael Tolcher at The Hotel Cafe (9pm)
ALSO: Chamberlin at Bootleg Theater (11pm)
ALSO: Abigail Washburn at McCabe’s Guitar Shop (8pm)
ALSO: CCF- Carina Round at Echo Park United Methodist Church (8:30)

 

Sunday: Michael Tolcher, Rachel Platten, Keaton Simons at Saint Rocke (7,8,9)
ALSO: Tyrone Wells at The Hotel Cafe (8pm)
ALSO: CCF Block Party featuring Avi Buffalo, The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, The Tender Box, etc. (2pm)

 

 

To Keep in Mind:
October 10th: The Silent Comedy at Bardot
October 11th: Rival Sons and Evanescence at Hollywood Palladium
October 11th: Switchfoot and Anberlin at The Wiltern
October 14th: Butterfly Boucher at Bootleg Theater
October 17th: Youngblood Hawke and Imagine Dragons at The Satellite
October 18th: Portishead at The Shrine
October 19th: Melissa Ferrick and Harper Blynn at The Hotel Cafe
October 22nd: The War on Drugs at The Satellite
November 3rd: Twin Atlantic and Awolnation at The Music Box
November 4th: Mike Doughty at The El Rey
November 7th: Lights at The El Rey
November 8th: Thrice at The Mayan Theater
November 8th: First Aid Kit at The Troubadour
November 11th: Jack’s Mannequin and The Academ Is… at The El Rey
November 12th: Feist at The WIltern
November 13th: Milk Carton Kids at The El Rey
November 17th: Marketa Irglova at The Troubadour
November 19th: Milo Greene, The Belle Brigade, and The Civil Wars at The Wiltern
November 29th: Rachel Yamagata at The Troubadour
March 13th-18th: SXSW (Austin, TX)

~ Kristen

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