Archive for the ‘Show Calendar’ Category
June Recommendations
What? I actually made a show calendar? Yes, friends. I am finally getting back on track. It only took me a few of months … but I’m just glad I’m getting the chance to give you guys some recommendations again.
It’s getting warmer, so that means more shows every night – outdoors and indoors. Wherever the location may be, there will be plenty of tunes played and probably many cold beverages consumed to gel all your summer nights together. We’ve got a just a few weeks before the Lollapalooza craze begins, so we can concentrate on the shows happening in town for now, and man – are there tons of options for us in June. The Greek Theatre and Hollywood Bowl will be opening its doors to the mass amounts of people, and touring bands are eager to make their time on the road as memorable as possible.
The list of my recommendations are after the jump, but first — Here’s a quick rundown of the folks who have residencies (free weekly shows) in all your local hot spots:
- East side darlings The Californian have a residency over at the Satellite. If you’re looking for some unpretentious folk-tinged indie rock with butter-smooth vocals, great harmonies and sticky melodies, this is your band to check out on Monday nights.
- If you enjoying being on the edge of your seat (or I guess on your toes) from suspense, I highly recommend checking out Dante vs. Zombies out on Monday nights at the Echo. I once watched a set of theirs where Dante changed into a different long tunic before every song. There are no zombies or monster-like aesthetics going on. Instead this group (which also consists members from Jail Weddings), is one big chaotic party which usually involves costumes, make-up and theatrical antics. Oh, and their retro-pop songs? Solid.
- Over at Silverlake Lounge on Mondays, we have Duniven – the new band from the Capshun’s Patrick Thomas. Unlike his former band’s knack for Britpop, Duniven’s sound will please fans of Tom Petty. These guys will be your choice for a nice serving of Americana.
- The Bootleg will be hosting Henry Wolfe‘s residency on Mondays, and if you’ve ever seen him, you may find a strong resemblance between him and his mother Meryl Streep. however, Wolfe isn’t just the new kid on the block trying music out just to do something. He’s released two very nice EPs in the past and his latest album, “Linda Vista,” is absolutely charming. There’s everything from pop to folk to blues, and every song showcases his ability to write songs that are immediately hummable.
- If you’ve ever been to Bardot on Monday nights, you might already know that the Hollywood club has a very different vibe at the beginning of the week. That’s because MFG has successfully pulled their “It’s A School Night” residency off for a handful of months now. High Highs have already been featured this month and the upcoming weeks offer live sets from Fiction Family, Telepathe and Rickie Lee Jones. These nights usually have some cool DJ sets going on afterward as well. Admission is free with an RSVP each week.
- Last but not least, the Santa Monica’s Central S.A.P.C. has re-opened the building that was formerly called 14 Below. Since then, they’ve brought in a bunch of great indie acts to the West Side. Last month’s residency featured The Lonely Wild and this month will be spotlighting up and coming band Incan Abraham. If you like Animal Collective and Local Natives, the drive out there will be worth it.
Check June out below for plenty more shows to kick start a great summer of music!
January Recommendations
Many have been saying that this January is a “slow one” in regards to all the shows coming into town. However, I have to disagree with that. It may be slower but this month definitely isn’t a sleeper. Living in a city such as Los Angeles where there is a sea of great bands waiting to wash up on your own personal shore of musical paradise, it’s always–and I repeat–always easy to find great shows to attend. Forget the hype, the big names, and the bigger venues and stumble upon a new artist all on your own.
With that said, I’d like to remind you of January’s residencies. It may already be the second week of the month but the amount of shows your local bands still have packed in is quite impressive.
- First off, there is The Satellite (formerly Spaceland – please check www.thesatellitela.com for ALL acts playing the venue) where folk brother and sister duo, The Belle Brigade have already lit a fire to start the month off. This week, The Fling will be joining them as a co-headliner for residency on Monday nights. As for Friday nights, The Melvins will also honor their residency at The Satellite.
- At The Echo, we have a newer band going by the name of Cannoneers of the New Command (former members of The Pacific and more) taking on Monday nights. At the very same venue but later in the week, Olin & The Moon take on Tuesday nights while Foster The People of the “Pumped Up Kicks” fame will be headlining on Wednesdays.
- Over at Silverlake Lounge, we have Arizona-based band Kinch playing on Mondays. If you’ve never heard of them, that may change since they are hopping all over the Southwest for this residency. (According to their MySpace, they’ll be going back and forth between LA, San Diego, and Scottsdale on the weekends.)
- Buzz band, Grouplove, continue their residency over at Bootleg Theater.
- LaBrie’s in Glendale highlights a Tuesday night residency from The Monolators who are fronted by one of the coolest husband-wife duos I know.
- At Detroit Bar, we have Pacific Hurt doing a co-residency with Foster The People on Mondays. (Yes, FTP are doing two residencies in one month.)
Other notable monthly events going on always include School Nights at Bardot (with White Sea tonight), Low End Theory at The Airliner on Wednesdays, Funky Sole on Saturdays and Part Time Punks on Sundays at The Echo.
As for the bigger names in the game, all you former nerdy Emo kids can bring your black eyeliner back out because Dashboard Confessional is playing three nights in LA. Wanda Jackson, the First Lady of Rockabilly, comes through town to play with Jack White for two special nights. (The first night is completely sold out.) Giant Drag plays another LA date when London band, White Lies, return to The States. Monotonix will strip and rock here again and Grammy-award winning House DJ, Benny Benassi will also offer his own beats.
Check January out for plenty more shows and start planning for a great beginning to a year in music!
November Recommendations
I know, I know. It’s already November 2nd and I’m just posting the show calendar. My sincere apologies again but I do hope you were still somehow in the loop for some amazing shows last night. I would have highly suggested Deerhunter or The Duke Spirit. However, with it only being 10pm, there may be some shows you can still catch the headliner at tonight considering the fact that many of them go on 11pm. Just hurry!
October was a rough but extremely fun one with all the great bands coming through Los Angeles, but as I was making this month’s calendar, I realized… this city is always going to have a ton of great shows – every single night. I feel very blessed to be living in a city with such a wealth in music.
For November, the three core residencies include Chasing Kings at Silverlake Lounge, The Black Apples at The Echo and Dirt Dress at Spaceland – all bands worth checking out. Although you may not want to go all the way out to Glendale, another band worth your time is The Californian, who has a Tuesday night residency at LaBrie’s Lounge. Remember: Residencies are free! As for a few other free shows, I’ve also remembered to add the bands who will be playing the School Night Monday shows which happen at Bardot (above The Avalon). They often have some incredible after parties with encore performances and killer DJ sets. Another place to always check in for free shows is one of my favorite places in Echo Park – Origami Vinyl. Not only do they have a rad record store but they have a nifty loft upstairs for intimate performances to boot!
Big names coming through LA this month include Florence + The Machine (who will be playing multiple shows), Devo and Blonde Redhead. Robyn returns to the City of Angels once again as well. Check out all the wonderful artists coming through town after the jump!
October Recommendations
So, I know this show calendar is also extremely late just as the latest mixtape was but as I previously said – better late than never! It’s only the 6th of October and the shows this month already have me in a whirlwind of madness/happiness. I hope none of you have missed great shows such as Guided By Voices on Monday or Belle & Sebastian on Sunday or Tuesday. Those were two must-see shows and if you got to go – good for you!
However, the rest of the month just gets more hectic. I can definitely say that this is the most jam-packed month I have ever done in regards to show calendars since I started this site. There are a TON of big names coming through because of Fall tours but I’m sure we’re all happy to have them. Some great bands coming through include Arcade Fire, Frightened Rabbit, Superchunk, The Vaselines, Miike Snow, Sleigh Bells and so much more!
Of course, there are a ton of killer lineups featuring all the small and local bands as well. We can’t forget about those free residency shows on Monday. This month we’ve got multi-instrumentalist and pop mastermind Evan Voytas at The Echo all month. Silverlake Lounge also has killer female rock band, Wet & Reckless while Spaceland has the beloved Radars to the Sky. They’re all great bands and have some pretty fantastic bands supporting them this month, so make sure you take advantage of all this free music!
Also, the Culture Collide Festival (put on by Filter) has quite a few dates. Make sure you head on over to their website to check out the specific lineups and schedules.
Well, what are you waiting for? There aren’t any tricks during this Halloween season. Start planning your schedule with the treats after jump!
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September Recommendations
September is here and that means Fall is just around the corner. Although the leaves don’t really change colors and fall here in Los Angeles as much as they do back in the Midwest, that does mean cooler weather and boot season! However, just because the summer is winding down, that definitely doesn’t mean that the shows will stop coming through the city. If anything, it’s going to get busier! For some artists, the end of a summer tour means the start of a Fall tour and when the kids go back to school, we… continue to go to concerts!
This month, we have three great residencies. The first being the lovely lush folk sounds of the collective that goes by the name of Family of the Year; you can catch them at Silverlake Lounge every Monday. On the same nights, you can also catch Eastern Conference Champions rock Spaceland out while Vanaprasta and Pacific Hurt (formerly Aushua) offer some incredible sets during their double-jointed residency at The Echo.
I’ll also say this: If you think September is busy, just keep in mind that it’s only a warm-up for what’s coming in October. Check all the shows out below and start planning ahead!
August Recommendations
Well, as the last month of summer, August has a few big names coming through LA but not as much as usual since a lot of acts have been over in the Midwest for Pitchfork and appear to be staying there for Lollapalooza. However, that doesn’t mean August lacks interesting shows. Come on, it’s LA! We’re one of the cities that is lucky enough to have all the acts more likely to pop by than other areas in the nation.
If you look at the recommendations below, you’ll see that Empire of the Sun is definitely taking advantage of their time here by playing four nights in a row at the Henry Fonda Music Box. The Greek Theatre is always in full swing in summer as well. They’ll be welcoming Silversun Pickups back home along with The Henry Clay People as one of the opening acts. The outdoor theater will also be offering shows from Norah Jones, Jenny Lewis and My Morning Jacket (with Avi Buffalo as openers).
However, don’t forget about the residencies on Monday because, as always, they’re FREE and give you a chance to check out some of the most upcoming and talented bands in the area. This month, residencies are a real treat no matter which venue you go to. Silverlake Lounge has The Twilight Sleep while The Echo has Fol Chen and Spaceland has White Arrows.
Check the rest of August out below and see what other shows you can grab tickets for. My apologies for posting this so late since there are already some great shows going on tonight. I hope you’re out and enjoying yourselves. When you live in a city that’s so wealthy in music, you’d regret not catching a show.
July Recommendations
July is the best month of the summer season because things actually get swinging in full force with the constant sun. Also, because my birthday is at the end of the month! (Details on that event later on in the month.) However, the most obvious shift in gear is seen in all the events that are summer specific. For instance, places such as the Hollywood Bowl and The Greek Theatre start their massive concert series. Big venues can be a pain to pay for but these are two places I don’t mind because of the large open air seating. Museums such as The Getty will continue to put on their “Saturdays Off the 405″ series and the Hammer Museum will revive their annual “Also I Like To Rock” series.
Of course, there are some pretty solid residencies going on in the smaller venues this month as well. I highly suggest catching some Summer Darling and Mississippi Man shows but take a look at the massive roster for July below and decide for yourself. Poor planning never does anyone good so do your part for a good summer!
June Recommendations
Oh man… Summer is always the funnest time to go to shows all around town but June is really starting us off with a bang. This week in particular is crazy for everyone since all these artists are now making their way back down from Sasquatch. This calendar starts late but just look at all the shows for tonight! It’s been like that for the past few nights and will only get more hectic as the month goes on.
Of course, both Local Natives shows are sold out this weekend. Everyone who didn’t go to Sasquatch is running around doing anything to get LCD Soundsystem tickets. Andrew Bird had to add another show on the 8th because tonight’s show along with the one on the 7th sold out so quickly. I hope you’re figuring out clever ways to win or get tickets! Or you can double check for free in-store performances at places like Origami Vinyl, Vacation Vinyl and last but not least, Amoeba.
Make wise choices, Angelenos. You probably won’t regret going to any of the shows listed below but there are just so many to choose from. So make sure you’re happy with your decisions!
May Recommendations
So, all the acts who have slowly been rolling into LA as they decide to pass their way through after Coachella or on their way to Sasquatch are making May pretty fantastic so far. We kicked things off on the 1st with Avi Buffalo‘s record release show at The Troubadour and the 3rd brought us Broken Social Scene at the Henry Fonda.
The big shows include The National, Massive Attack, Nada Surf and more but the small local indie gems also include The Like, 60 Watt Kid and Hurricane Bells. Also, we can’t forget how Flying Lotus will be debuting at his first live performance ever and Voxtrot will be playing their Farewell Tour. Check all the dates out below and start planning your month out like a true music fiend.
April Recommendations
We’ve got another great month ahead of us, even if you aren’t going to Coachella! Check it all out below!
