Month: June 2013

Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters | Shrine Auditorium | June 26th, 2013

IMG_1897

The first time I ever heard a Led Zeppelin song was freshman year of college. After procrastinating till the last minute, I was up late  pulling an all-nighter writing a paper for a class. At 5 or 6 in the morning, as the sunrise was creeping over the cold, frozen, Ithaca landscape,  I was listening to the radio when all of a sudden a peppy, spirited, guitar lick caught my attention. I kept writing, but had to take break to listen to the lyrics.  It seemed to be about a guy waiting for a his lover. It appears that he’s been stood up, but then you find out that he was waiting “on the wrong block” and thus is the “Fool In The Rain” (the title of the song). I thought that song was a light hearted, terrific, pick-me-up a bleary eyed writer, but more than the song, and being a singer in college, I was taken aback by the voice behind it.

After turning in my paper, I decided to walk to the used CD shop that was, at the time, in the heart of College Town- sadly, it’s no longer there- and I bought “Led Zeppelin II”, “Houses of the Holy” and “In Through The Out Door” with the money I had made pouring beers from a keg at frat parties. My interest and education in classic rock started with those three CDs, and Robert Plant immediately became my standard response to the question, “Who is the greatest rock vocalist of all time?”

I have a bucket list of acts that I want to see in concert. Led Zeppelin is on that list. Though there is/was speculation that the band would come back together for a reunion tour- with Jason Bonham taking the place of his lat father’s place on drums- it seems that the odds of that happening are dwindling.  When I received an email notice that Robert Plant was performing at the Shrine- that you, Internets!- I jumped at getting tickets.

I got to the Shrine but had to wait for my guest to arrive before going inside.  While I was waiting, I asked around to see if cameras were allowed into the venue.  Unfortunately, they were not. Nuts. I had just purchased a new “pocket-sized” camera and was looking forward to breaking it in with a legend.  I guess that that will have to wait for the next show.

IMG_1852When my guest arrived, we entered the architecturally, stunning venue- a Los Angeles landmark- during Grace Potter and the Nocturnals set. I wasn’t too familiar with their music, but for some reason I had the unfounded perception of them being mostly a blues band.  It turns out my preconceived notions were quite wrong. Grace Potter is rock and roll, and she and her band carried themselves as such. Grace Potter can sing.  I was impressed with her vocal ability, and even whispered to my guest that her voice and vocal stylings reminded me of Janis Joplin. I was duly impressed.  They closed out their set with a vigorous, group drum solo that got the crowds adrenaline pumping.

With the audience already riled up, the crowd was ready for the main act.

When the lights went low a little past a quarter after 9, a gentle guitar solo welcomed the crowd. “It’s good to have you back again,” Robert plant sang (“Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You”), and the crowd wild.

It was a solid set. I anticipated the order of the songs having looked up the set lists from his other recent concerts. As with a majority of the audience, I was looking forward to those Led Zeppelin tunes that I love so much. I wasn’t expecting much, if any, variations from the set list, but what impressed- and even surprised- me was the way he took those songs that I knew and “flipped” them. It’s one thing to do a faithful cover, which he did on “Going to California”, but its was quite inspiring to see him “remix” some of those classics by incorporating other musical elements.  A splash of blues here, world music there, and even techno (it should be noted that the keyboard player is/was the keyboard player for Massive Attack). And though you know that the band is well-oiled and rehearsed machine, it almost felt like the venue was their laboratory to create new sounds, and the audience was their muse.

IMG_1886The repertoire not only spanned Led Zeppelin hits, but also songs from his solo catalog (“In the Mood) and covers (Howl in’ Wolf’s “Spoonful”).

Babe I’m Gonna Leave You
In The Mood
Tin Pan Valley
Spoonful
Black Dog
Another Tribe
Going To California
The Enchanter
Please Read The Letter
Friends
Funny In My Mind (I Believe I’m Fixin’ To Die)
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Whole Lotta Love

Encore:

Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down
Rock And Roll

Perhaps the poignant moment of the show came toward the end when Robert Plant seemed to look into himself and addressed the audience stating, more or less, the following, “It’s been a long road. One year turns into another. 40 years ago tonight I was in Long Beach with my other band.”

I wasn’t alive 40 years ago, but I can only imagine what it could have been like. He may not be able to move around on stage like he did 40 years ago, but his musicality, and his voice, still hold true. Bucket list material. ‘Nuff said.

by Categories: ConcertsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Nina Diaz | Hotel Café | June 9th, 2013

IMG_3511I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Nina Diaz’s solo gig at Hotel Café.  I’ve been a fan of the band that she fronts, Girl In A Coma , for several years now and having seen them perform live three times (including the day before at the Ink-N-Iron Festival , I guess I kind of assumed that she would be doing acoustic covers of their recordings from the past four albums. It wasn’t that.  It was so much better.

Before delving into her set, let me first get this out of the way: I’m in love with Nina’s voice. She is a tour de force. She can sing with sultry inflection or belt out punk choruses, and she does it with what seems to be the greatest of ease. I’m a grown ass man, but I’ll have to admit, after listening to songs like “Adjust”, “Smart” and “So” off of Girl In Coma’s album “Exits and All the Rest” , I fell in love with Nina’s voice like I did back in middle school when I heard Mariah Carey’s “Vision of Love” and “I Don’t Wanna Cry”. It’s comparing apple to oranges- their vocal styles are completely different- but I think that you get the picture.

IMG_1739
Autographed poster. I had two pens. You’ll notice that she signed it with both. LOL.

Nina’s set consisted of material that I’d never heard before. With just her voice, her guitar and a set of loop-pedals, she delivered a powerfully emotional set that really was something truly breathtaking to behold. Through her new songs, it felt as if she was telling the sold-out audience of 140 patrons about what she had been going through in her life. Yes, the songs were heavy- delivered with either pent up, fierce fury, or gentle, thoughtful, longing- but Nina engaged the audience in between her songs with playful banter to relieve any tensions her lyrics may have imparted.

Before the third song, she dedicated it to the Spurs, and wanted us to imagine the Spurs wearing nothing but spurs.  After another song, she explained that song and the lyrics “Do you really love me the way you say you do?” is actually about Karma… a very nice prostitute who’ll give you everything you deserve. She even made some lighthearted confessions about the music she had written, admitting when she used the same chord progressions on two separate songs.

But there is no getting around the heaviness of music. She wrote a song about those who go through bad stuff in life and keep it all in.  She wrote an empowerment song about not knowing what kind of person you truly are until you go through a bad break up (“Fall In Love”). She wrote another song that I think she called a “wedding singer song” about her ex- who she made a subtle jab at by calling him a dick … okay, maybe not that subtle- that had the defiant lyrics, “One last kiss, one that you’ll never miss […] all he seems to care about is friends, fame, name [.]”

Perhaps the most heartbreaking song she sang was the song she dedicated to her father, “Mortician’s Musician” (in case you didn’t know, or couldn’t tell, her father is a mortician). I had shivers run down my spine, and goose bumps pop up on my arm, when she sang the lyrics, “I’m not a fool for writing songs, I’m a fool for trying to get you to sing along.” <sob> I desperately want to hear that song again.

She closed her set with a cover of the INXS song “Never Tear Us Apart”- very apropos- but the audience wouldn’t let her leave the stage that easily. She agreed to sing one more song, and advised the audience that she hadn’t planned on singing a Girl In A Coma song, but ended up performing “El Monte” to close out the evening.

Afterwards, I met up with a friend I had invited to the show. The first thing she said to me was that it was the first time, in a long time, that a singer has ever made her laugh and cry at a concert. It went without saying. We experienced something magical that night.

I grabbed the set list from the stage, and went to the merchandise booth to say, “Hi,” to Phanie (drums for Girl in a Coma) and Jenn (bass for Girl In A Coma). I waited for Nina and got her to autograph the set list and the poster that I had ganked from the wall (just so you don’t think I’m a clepto, I asked the bouncer if I could first!). I chatted with some of her friends while her fans greeted her. Sneaking in during a lull, I bid my adieu and head off.

IMG_1741
Clockwise, upper left: Me and Nina, Nina and the autographed set-list (again, signed with both pens. hehehe).

On the 45-minute drive home, I tried to put into context what I had experienced. I’ve been to a lot of amazing shows this year, but this one was different. I got emotionally involved at this show.  And as cheese-ball as it may sound, with Nina sharing bits and pieces of her life, I had become emotionally invested in Nina’s story. In the intimate, dimly-lit venue, for the first time, I felt her frustrations, pain, heartache, longing, revival, strength … the gamut of emotions cover the spectrum. The fact that she performed alone on stage also added a certain gravitas and intimacy with her outpouring of personal history. It almost felt like she was confiding in us.

I plugged my phone into the car stereo and began playing the video clips I had taken. When the clip of “For You” started playing I started thinking of Jeff Buckley’s “Live in Sin-e” recordings. When you get me thinking about one my all-time favorite recordings, you’ve left an impression. Nina left an impression. Whether these new songs are recorded with Girl In A Coma, or whether she puts it out as solo material, people need to hear this music. If Nina ever has a solo gig in your neighborhood, you’d be a fool not to go. Puro heart. Puro rock and roll.

Below, I’ve included several snippets from the show. My only regret is that I wish I had taken more footage.

UPDATE: 11/14/13: God bless the soul who recorded Nina’s entire set and posted it to Youtube.  Now you can watch her amazing solo gig in its entirety.

by Categories: ConcertsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Ink-N-Iron Festival | Queen Mary | June 8, 2013

IMG_1669

I don’t have any tattoos and I don’t know much about cars. I’ve always tossed around the idea of getting a tattoo, and it’s still a possibility at some point, but I’ll just put in a pin in it for now. That being said, I attended the Day 2 of the Ink-N-Iron Festival, and joined the party to celebrate some seriously good music.

It was my first time attending the yearly event, and I have to give the organizers some serious props for making it a day that I’ll remember.  Beautiful cars. Beautiful tattoos. Women in corsets and otherwise dressed up in pin-up outfits. It was clean. It was family friendly. It wasn’t too crowded. Very nicely done.

IMG_1755

I drove to Long Beach from West Los Angeles, and I was slightly worried that I’d arrive a little late to catch the first band I wanted to see perform: Girl In A Coma . I’ve been following this band for a few years now, and I always go out of my way to catch them perform whenever they come to town. I remember when I first heard their music. It was sometime November 2011 when I was up late watching TV.  I had “Last Call with Carson Daly” on, and they were the featured artists for the episode.  Their music snippets piqued my interest and I Googled their music. Boom. Instant fan.  You can check out the feature that I watched here: http://www.hulu.com/watch/302589 .

Thankfully, the Los Angeles traffic gods saw it in their good graces to get me to the Queen Mary on time.

It was an early afternoon 2:00pm set, and I joined their other fans up against the general admittance railing as they finished sound checking.  Even with a few technical difficulties, it was a solid set. They played songs from all four of their full-length albums ( “Both Before I’m Gone” , “Trio BC” , “Adventures In Coverland” , and “Exits and All the Rest”.

Before closing their set, Nina announced that the band was planning on starting recording for their new album at the end of the year. It sounded like they closed their set with new songs, and when I got the set-list from Phanie (drums) the following night when I went to Nina’s solo gig at the Hotel Café (which was amazing, by the way, and which you can read about by clicking this link… do it!) it looks like their last two songs were new. The video clips I took with my phone don’t do the band justice- I need to buy a good camera that takes good video/audio clips… any suggestions?  They are my favorite all-girl rock band.

The only criticism I had with the festival was that since it was so early in the day, the organizers should have let their fans into the VIP viewing area to watch the set. Other than that, no complaint.

  1. Intro
  2. Say
  3. 
One Eyed fool
  4. 
Adjust
  5. 
Slaughter Ln
  6. 
Si Una Vez
  7. 
She had a plan
  8. 
Joanie in the city
  9. 
Safe
  10. 
Invisible

 

I planned on visiting them at the artist merchandise booth to say, “Hi,” but having noticed that all of their other fans I was standing with announced that they were going to head over, I decided to hang back and walk around the festival grounds.  I’m sure glad I did.

IMG_1803

There was a band named Hopeless Jack & The Handsome Devil that also had a 2:00pm set time. I wasn’t planning on checking them out, and only stumbled upon their set when I decided to check out some cars at the Tiki-Drive-In Stage. As soon as I was within earshot of their music, I thought to myself, “Screw the cars, I need to see who the fuck is playing right now”.

It was raw, heavy, lo-fi, blues, garage rock.  Two guys, one drummer and one guitarist. I hate comparing artists to other artists, but if I had to, I’d say they were The Black Keys, high on adrenaline, and drunk on whiskey.  Simply based on what I was able to catch, which was only the last couple songs of their set, I was hooked. If you see the video below, there was some photo shoot going on, and for a minute, I didn’t want to get in the way.  I stopped the video when I noticed another photographer up at the front of the stage. I walked through the photo shoot, and was able to snap a few cool shoots of the band with my phone.

When they finished their set, I had to catch them to buy whatever music they had. I purchased one of their CDs and their newly pressed 7’’ single of “Firefly” and “Pack My Bags”. The drummer, “Smilin’ Pete”, was the first to greet those who wanted to meet the band. I wanted to get the guys to sign the vinyl that I purchased, and I asked him whether “Hopeless Jack” would be coming out. Smilin’ Pete assured me that Hopeless Jack would be coming out in a minute. He explained that Jack’s music come from and is written from a deep, dark place and he always needs a minute to unwind after a set. Completely understandable.

When Jack came out, Pete introduced us and I told them that though I was only able to catch the end of their set, what I did hear (and saw) really impressed me and got my blood moving. They both autographed my vinyl and snapped a pic.  Both guys were really humble and unassuming.  I’ve been listening to their CD “Shallow Hears – Shallow Graves” and spinning their 7’’ Single non-stop since that weekend.  I’m hoping they come back to the Los Angeles area for a gig so I can catch an entire set.

Afterwards, I head back to the main stage merchandise booth and the gals from Girl In A Coma were still taking pictures and signing autographs. I dropped by to say, “Hello,” and also to let them know I would be showing up the next day for Nina’s solo gig (which was amazing, by the way… wait, I said that already, didn’t I….), snapped a pic, then continued on with my day.

Due to Sharon Jones having to cancel her appearance due to a medical emergency, a few of the set times were switched around causing me to have to pick between acts for 5pm: Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears or Kaleigh Baker. I decided to walk around the venue and think about it.

ScanI checked out some of the vendors and marveled at some of the tattoos getting done. I hopped into an Ink-N-Iron photobooth that was free (very cool!) and walked onto the boat to explore the Queen Mary. It was getting closer to 5:00pm, and since I was already inside the boat, I realized that my musical choice was made for me: Kaleigh Baker it was.

I got up to the front of the stage and as the band was sound-checking, I had a brief conversation with a gentleman, probably in his late 50s-early 60s who asked me about Kaleigh’s music. We talked deep soul and early punk, and he suggested that I check out The Fleshtones. I suggested he stick around for Kaleigh Baker. We took each other’s advice.

IMG_1806

Kaleigh Baker can sing. Her voice and vocal ability is unreal. The way she emotes the lyrics, and controls her voice to express the lyrics of her music is truly, in my opinon, on par with some of the leading female singers of our time. Sure, my comparison may be a little premature- after all, I only have this one set and her newest EP, “The Weight of It All”, to base it on, but I’m willing to put it out there. She’s got the type of voice that makes you FEEL something. The way it lilts. The way it crescendos. The way it belts. I can’t wait for her to record more music so I can see which direction she takes it.

I was able to catch up with her and some of her band mates after the set.  Like the gals in Girl In A Coma, the guys in Hopeless Jack & The Handsome Devil, everybody in Kaleigh’s band, including Kaleigh, was extremely humble and appreciative.  I had a weird moment of deja-vu when I was introduced to the guitar and bass players, as for some reason I felt like I’d met or seen them before.  No … I wasn’t drunk. It was a sober day for me. And no, pretty certain that we had never crossed paths before.  I bought a copy of Kaleigh’s latest EP from the keyboardist/horn player of the band (who I didn’t get a picture with, but was really accommodating with me asking a bunch of questions) and had Kaleigh sign it. Black Joe Lewis who? … lol.

Again, my iPhone video doesn’t do Kaleigh justice.  Try Googling her.  Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

 

At that point, my phone was pretty much dead. I stayed in the boat to charge my phone. JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound were taking the stage, and as much I wanted to check his band out, I was relegated to sitting next to an outlet to charge my phone up.  It took his entire set for my phone to fully charge, but from what I was able to hear, it sounded pretty good. It was funky, indie soul.  From what I could hear, it almost sounded like they had Niles Rogers sit in with them for a song. Perhaps the unexpected surprise was when the band did a soulful/funked-up version of Blackstreet’s “No Diggitiy”.

My friends who were coming to the festival texted me that they were almost at there.  I texted them back and told them I was going to grab a bite to eat, and kick it for them.  When they arrived, and at the suggestion of the gentleman who I spoke with before Kaleigh Baker’s set, I suggested that we check out The Fleshtones.

IMG_1807

The Fleshtones were one of the original punks bands. Like the Ramones, the Fleshtones came out of Queens. Though I wasn’t too familiar with their repertoire, when it comes to being able to catch one of the “original” bands of a particular genre of music, you simply can’t pass it up. They certainly drew a decent crowd, and played some songs that I actually really enjoyed.

One of the highlights of the set was when the one of members made reference to The Dirtbombs- who were actually influenced by The Fleshtones-playing the main stage. One of the members of the Fleshtones addressed the audience, “Why aren’t we watching the Dirtbombs? […] You want quality! […] You got quality right here!”  It was a fun set, and I’m glad I checked it out.

In between the Fleshtones and The Dead Kennedys, my friends and I decided to check out the featured auto exhibit. I haven’t been into cars, but I’ll have to admit, I was impressed.

I’ll admit that I don’t know much about the Dead Kennedys music. In fact, the most I knew about the band was while in law school reading about the obscenity case against the artwork for their third album “Frankenchrist” Some of the songs sounded familiar, but I really felt like the levels were a bit off.  Not enough vocals, maybe?

My friends wanted to see the next main stage act, Rocket From The Crypt , another band that I was not all to familiar with.  They were quite popular when I was in high school, but I was kind of going through a Boyz II Men/Jodeci phase back then.  My phone was running out of juice again, so I opted to head back into the boat to charge up before Iggy and the Stooges.

IMG_1808

Iggy and the Stooges were schedule to open for Morrissey’s concert back in November last year, and I was really hoping to see them back then. Unfortunately, Morrissey  had some medical issues come up and that November show was rescheduled for the March, with Patti Smith replacing Iggy as the opening act.  Patti Smith was good, but she isn’t Iggy.

Iggy and the Stooges were awesome. I tried looking for their set list online, but I couldn’t find one.  It didn’t matter though. It was seriously a “best of” set, with a couple songs off their newest album.  “Raw Power”, “Fun House”, “Penetration”, “I Wanna Be Your Dog”. They did them all.

From the opening note, where I was standing, pictures and video shots were virtually impossible to take as a mosh pit had formed. During “Fun House”, Iggy started pulling up people from the crowd to dance on stage. It was a mad house on stage, and I pitied the stage-hand who had to make sure that women on stage didn’t molest Iggy while he was performing. A potential shit-storm turned into a raucous party.

Watching Iggy hump the speaker, throw his water bottles into the audience, and dance about on stage, was rock-and-roll incarnate. After most of the set, I needed to escape the crowd to find my friends. I bumped into Kaleigh’s band-mates on the edges of the crowd.  They were equally impressed with Iggy’s stage performance.

When the set ended, my friends left to catch a shuttle back to their parking structure.  I opted to hang out for a minute to decompress.  It was a full day for hard hitting, musical goodness. The one day pass was definitely worth the price of admittance, and depending on who’s  on the bill next year, odds are I will be attending again.

by Categories: ConcertsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

The Universe Wanted Me To Listen to the Talking Heads’ “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)”

In a weird, cosmic way, through a series of subtle and not-so-subtle little bits of life events, the universe led me to this song: Talking Heads’ “This Must Be The Place”. To summarize:

– A couple weeks ago, I saw on my twitter feed that David Byrnes was offering a free download of his latest set of recordings with St. Vincent. I downloaded it;

– That weekend, I went to the Make Music Pasadena Festival and I heard an Artist/DJ mix in a vocal stem of Talking Heads “Once In A Lifetime” into a song he was performing;

– Several days later, during a late night of drafting agreements for work, I arbitrarily decided to play  three albums on repeat.  The two that mattered most for purposes of this blog entry were Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs” and Talking Heads’ “Remain In Light” (the third was Vampire Weekend’s “Modern Vampires of the City”);

– I went to see an artist perform this past weekend, and met a friend of hers who recommended that I check out a Sean Penn movie on Netflix called “This Must Be The Place”;

– I wrote and published the blog entry on the Make Muisc Pasadena festival two days ago and decided to listen to Talking Heads’ live album “Stop Making Sense” while writing it;

– It’s now today and I’m watching the movie “This Must Be the Place”. Half way into the movie the protagonist has dialogue with a child that goes as follows:

“Tommy: “Can you play something? Please, just one song.”
Cheyenne: “I don’t play anymore and besides I don’t even know if I remember how.”
Tommy: “My music teacher says once you learn you never forget.”
Cheyenne: “Maybe he was just trying to be nice or he was just trying to worm some money out of you.”
Tommy: “Please, just one!”
Cheyenne: “What do you want me to play?”
Tommy: “‘This Must Be the Place’ by Arcade Fire”
Cheyenne: “Nonsense. ‘This Must Be the Place’ is by the Talking Heads.”
Tommy: “No, it’s by Arcade Fire.”
Cheyenne: “Trust me, you’re delusional. ‘This Must Be the Place’ is by the Talking Heads. Arcade Fire only did a cover.”
Tommy: “Oh” [sings] “Home is where the…”
Cheyenne: “Where are you going? I was just seeing if the guitar was in tune.”
Tommy: “Oh, sorry””

I paused the movie and checked my iTunes and vinyl collection. I never purchased the Talking Heads or Arcade Fire album with this song. The universe wanted me to hear this song. It looks like I’ll know what to spend my Ameoba gift certificates on this weekend.

Just felt like sharing. Thanks for reading.

 

by Categories: UncategorizedTags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Illumination Road | The Roxy | June 4, 2013

IMG_1463

A couple years ago, while throwing back some scotch at one of my favorite pubs in Santa Monica, Ye Olde King’s Head, I was introduced to a couple of musicians who were in a LA based band called Ironheel. They were in the process of putting together a full length album, and they gave me some sites where I could check out their music. Sometime the next day, probably while brewing some coffee to help get my groggy afternoon started, I sat down at my computer and looked them up. I got excited. It was raw rock and roll with killer bass lines that reminded me of some of the greats back from the 60s and 70s.

I’d bump into the guys on occasion at the bar and always ask how their music was going. I can’t seem to remember all of the details- I’m blaming the scotch- but what I did take away from our conversations that was that the band was going through some changes. I figured if they wanted to get further into it, they’d let me know.

Fast forward closer to the present, and after more drinks, Chris Ayden and Chad Mitchell Schlosser tell me that they rebooted the band with a new name, Illumination Road, but still took the same approach to the music that I had liked so much when they were in Ironheel. Apparently, their sound impressed others as well as they were asked to play a set at the Stone Music Festival in Australia where they shared the stage with the likes of Billy Joel, Aerosmith, Buckcherry  and the supergroup Kings of Chaos. When they told me that they were having their first ever  U.S. gig as Illumination Road at the Roxy, I had to check it out. It was just what the doctor ordered.

Good old fashioned rock and roll. An edgier version of the Kinks influenced by Hendrix?  Blue Oyster Cult with Robert Plant influenced vocals? A modern day The Guess Who (more “American Woman” than “No Time”)?  It’s hard to say at this point because they’re such a new band. And honestly, comparisons don’t mean anything. All I know is that there’s a sound here with this band that can really fill a current void in the rock-and-roll marketplace, and it’s a sound that is uniquely their own. If they keep writing songs like the ones I’ve heard, and keep rocking their live performance like I saw them do, maybe they’ll lead the charge to get music back to its classic rock roots.  After all, there is that whole cultural, cyclical hypothesis thingy…

Regardless, I’ll be keeping my eye on them to see where their jams take them. Check out the iPhone video clips I took, and if they pique your interest… pssst … they’re on Facebook.

by Categories: ConcertsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Make Music Pasadena 2013 | June 1, 2013

What do I love more than music festivals? FREE music festivals. Every summer, since 2008, the city of Pasadena transforms Old Town Pasadena into into a bevy of performance venues. Although this year was my first time attending, it is definitely a summer concert experience that I’m sure I will attend for years to come.

Not only is it an opportunity to discover new music, but it’s also a way to put a finger on the pulse of Los Angeles’s local music scene.  I can walk over to one band’s stage, and if it’s not to my liking, on to the next … and did I mention that it’s also FREE? Okay, that’s enough of that…

I created a little schedule of the bands I was interested in checking out. It turned out the first band on my list for the day was a band that I already knew about: The Record Company  You can read about the first time I heard their music (and check out live video clips and music links) by clicking here. Coming from the west side, the trek out to Pasadena took a little longer than anticipated. Luckily, I was able to catch the last 4 songs of their set.

It was the middle of the day, but they drew in a very, very impressive crowd.  I asked the person next to me if they had heard of the band before, and she said that it just sounded good. She was right. Confidently commanding the main stage of the festival, they took their hard-rocking blues and set what seemed to be a very high standard for the rest of the acts that would follow.

Near the end of the set, lead singer, Chris Vos, abandoned the microphone and sang his call to the audience, “I feel good”, to which the audience more than happily obliged to respond with their own “I feel good”. I saw him do something similar at a more intimate venue, but this was more impressive as the crowd was significantly larger than the private affair I saw them at before. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, these guys have some serious potential. Not only can they rock the stage, but they can engage the audience to join in on the raucous good time.

It gets particularly warm in the Summertime in Pasadena, and I realized that my wearing a black polo shirt was probably not the smartest idea. I stepped into a Vans store, and bought a tank-top for $20. Meh.

I dropped by the artist merchandise booth to say hi to the guys in The Record Company.  Though I had already downloaded their music online, I picked up a copy of their CD “Superdead”. The fellas were cool enough to sign it for autographs.

IMG_1749
The Record Company jamming and posing with the CD I asked them to sign.

Next on my list was YACHT. I was looking forward to checking this band out since a lot of my friends seemed to like their music… at least, that’s what Facebook seems to be telling me. I had a good spot for their set and settled in to watch. Their set was fun and energetic, but for some reason I couldn’t get into the set. For me, their electronic/house sound felt a little anticlimactic after watching The Record Company. Also, I just didn’t feel that there was enough for me in terms of melody and lyrics. Their songs felt a bit repetitive. That’s just me though. I would assume that the huge crowd bouncing to the beat would have disagreed with me.

I met up with some friends during YACHT’s set for a brief moment, but as I usually do at Festivals, I left pack and did my own thing.  I’m a loner, Dottie…. a rebel.

I visited a couple merchandise booths and picked up a water, then went back to the main stage check out The New Limb, but as I got settled I noticed that my music notebook was missing. Oi. I spent the next 35-45 minutes retracing my steps. I missed The New Limb, but I found my notebook. Ironically, I had left it at the KCRW booth (one of the main sponsors of the event) when I was signing up for a ticket give away. That was ironic.

I got a text from my friends that they were going to head to Robert Delong (who was also on my list, but I opted to check out The Peach Kings. I had enjoyed listening to their music from their website, and liked what I thought was a catchy, female fronted band that sang sexy, blues influenced music. Really, their EP “Handsome Moves” is pretty sexy.

Unfortunately, my high expectations may have spoiled the impression that they gave me … my expectations and the heat.  The live show felt more psychedelic than blues, and having had my fill of psychadelice rock a few weeks ago, I opted to leave their set early and try to catch up with my friends at Robert DeLong.

It was a few blocks away, which in the 90 degree heat was barely bearable with my $20 tank-top, and as I was approaching the performance venue, The Playhouse Stage, I could start hearing Robert DeLong’s set.  It sounded relatively good, but then I started noticing that his vocals were really quite flat. Honestly, I was kind of regretting my decision to walk the few blocks over, but I decided to carry on.

When I got there, I felt like I was in a club. People were jumping around and surfing the crowd.  It was an enthusiastic crowd, but all I could really focus on were his vocals, which seemed consistently flat. I could understand that, though. The unbearable heat probably played a part in that. Probably the highlight of the set, for me at least, came towards the end when Robert DeLong mixed in a vocal stem from the Talking Heads recording “Once In A Lifetime”.  I thought it was clever and I enjoyed it. I also thought that 95% of the crowd probably didn’t know who the Talking Heads were.

When his set ended, Robert announced that he’d be selling merchandise next to the stage, where I was standing, and added, “Over there, where I’ll be touching you and taking pictures with you.  It’ll be nice.” <shiver>.

Since I was already at the Playhouse Stage, I decided that I would kick it there to check out Tanlines, a band that I briefly saw perform (about a song and a half) at Coachella when I was there this year. Tanline were supposed to get on at 5:45pm, but the heat probably messed with their equipment (I heard that this also happened to Robert DeLong as well), and they took the stage over 15 minutes past their start time. The sound for the first two songs was terrible, which was no fault of their own (unless they used their own sound guy), and I decided to leave. That’s a perk of going to a music festival. You’re free to move on.

Top clockwise: YACHT, Robert DeLong (touching and taking pictures with his fans) and The Peach Kings.
Top clockwise: YACHT, Robert DeLong (touching and taking pictures with his fans) and The Peach Kings.

Since I had left Tanlines’ set, I decided to head back to the Main Stage to catch Youngblood Hawke. The crowd for their performance was massive, and I was relegated to the very back. They were the last band to perform on the Main Stage. Their brand of alternative-new wave-electronic rock seemed to bring with it a loyal following. Their stage presence (at least from what I could see from where I was standing) was solid. You could see the members of the band using the entire width of the stage, frenetically pounding away at drums that seemed to be set up everywhere.

Though I had heard of them, I wasn’t too familiar with their music. Watching them perform, I really couldn’t get a grasp of what they were all about.  For a minute, they sound like Franz Ferdinand, the next they sounded like Rusted Root (at least the percussive elements did), and towards the end it turned very bubblegum pop, almost like a of Monsters and Men, but with an edge. I’m over of Monsters and Men, and I decided to keep walking.

I decided to head up to the Levitt Pavilion, a quaint little outdoor performance amphitheater located on the top of a lawned hill in the center of Old Town Pasadena to check out Haunted Summer.  They were still sound checking as their start time passed (7:00pm), but I comfortably grabbed some space on the lawn and stretched my legs out. I did want to catch a few songs before heading off to catch the final band on my list at 7:30pm.

Their sound check was fun.  They jammed out to a little Jackson5 (“I Want You Back”) but I knew that that wasn’t going to be the sound of their music. The lead singer asked for more reverb all around stating, “As much reverb as you can. Take us into space.”

They started their set with a song called “1996”.  It was very ethereal, and if I weren’t sitting up front, I would have just lay on the grass and closed my eyes. Their music is particularly effects heavy, which in a live setting may take away a bit from the vocals, but I don’t really think that the vocals are necessarily the focus of this band’s music. I enjoyed it and wish I didn’t have to leave their set so early. I couldn’t embed their playlist here, but check them out on Facebook or Reverb Nation.

The last band, and probably the least known band, I wanted to see was a band called The Likes of Us. They were set to perform in a wine bistro (I’ve omitted the name, cause I’m a nice guy). I got there, and, already feeling a little out-of-place wearing a Van’s tank-top in a wine-bistro, the host of the restaurant told me that I couldn’t come in to just see the band, and that I needed to make a reservation for a seat. WTF?! Um, that wasn’t noted in the schedule…

I’m not the confrontational type, so I made a “reservation” and ordered a beer.  I noticed there was some space near the band, and I asked if I could stand over there, promising that I wouldn’t get in the way of anybody. The answer was no. There was a couple that invited me to sit with them, which I appreciated, and I joined them for a minute.  The band started playing, but it was hard for me to hear or see them from where I was sitting. I pulled out my notepad, just to take a few notes from earlier in the day, when I noticed the host glancing at me scribbling in my notebook. I think that I may have intimidated him a bit. I saw this as an opportunity.

After a few songs, I told the nice couple that I would be abandoning them to sneak to a better spot.  I went to the bar, and ordered another beer. I took my beer and went where the host told me I couldn’t stand. I kept scribbling in my notebook. I wasn’t bothered. Huzzah!

IMG_1751
Starting upper left, clockwise: The Crowd of Youngblood Hawke, The Likes of Us, and Haunted Summer

I like the music that The Likes Of Us perform. Granted, since they were performing in a wine bar, some of their set was covers of jazz and pop standards. But their original tunes, are real keepers. As you’ve probably noticed, I haven’t posted any videos from the day here, and that’s because my phone would have run out of batteries in first few hours. So, I’ve posted a few of their video from youtube here:

 

Their original tunes are light-hearted and charming. The stylings reminded me of Jason Mraz back in his Live at Java Joe’s days. The lyrics are pure, and the harmonies are simple, and that’s what draws me to their sound. Even in the hustle and bustle of the busy restaurant, they sounded as good live as they did on the recordings I had previously heard.

Since they were playing to a dinner crowd, their set was going to be considerably longer than that of the other performers of the day. I had dinner plans elsewhere, so I had to leave their set early.  I caught them between songs, told them I enjoyed what I had heard, and picked up one of their CDs (which they were giving away for free!). As I headed out of the venue, the host and I made eye contact. I thought about apologizing, but I just kind of stared at him as I left the restaurant. I bet he was wondering what I wrote in my notebook…

by Categories: ConcertsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

A Night For Jolie; A Night To Remember | Henson Recording Studios | May 31, 2013

Jolie Levin (left) and Susie Suh.
Jolie Levine (left) and Susie Suh.

The music industry is a tightly knit community. When you spend a great deal of time working with others on a project- and it’s not just limited to the music industry, it can be any project- you tend to develop unique relationships with those that you are working with. Music, though, tends to be more personal. You’ll have the writers spilling their guts through a pen onto a pad; you’ll have the artists pulling from their souls the emotions they need to express the meaning of those written words whether through voices or instruments; you’ll have the producers and mixers slaving away at the sound boards trying to ensure that the “sound” is just right to convey that message. The people who often go unnoticed though, are the people who work behind the scenes: Managers, attorneys, etc. Often times they work just as hard, if not harder, to make sure whatever project that is being worked on goes off without a hitch.

A few months ago, a dear friend of mine, a phenomenal recording artist and all-around good person, Susie Suh, told me of a benefit concert she was organizing to help out a friend in need. Her friend’s name is Jolie Levine, and she had been a music coordinator for over 30 years before she was diagnosed in 2008 with Lupus.

In case you don’t know what Lupus is, it is an autoimmune disorder that affects 5 million people worldwide.  It has no cure, but can be managed with proper medical care. Without proper medical care, its effects can be quite debilitating. She told me about how Jolie’s deteriorating health had prevented her from working, and that she had been battling the disease without health insurance.  She was previously under AFTRA’s health plan, until she was cut-off when she could no longer work due to health problems.

Susie told me that Jolie was waiting to see if she would be granted Federal Disability in early 2014, but that funds needed to be raised in the meantime to make sure that she could at least care for herself. Susie told me that she was going to spearhead a benefit concert to raise not only money, but also awareness, of the disease. Susie and Jolie had worked together in the past, and worked with some amazing players in the music industry, so Susie pulled out her rolodex and with the help of friends, family, Lupus LA and the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, put together an amazing line-up of music all-stars to support the cause.

The Henson Recording Studios, formerly the legendary A&M Studios, was the venue. It was my first time at the famed location, and I was already getting anxious as I pulled my car into the parking lot. As I walked by the various building on the studio towards the patio where everyone was congregating, I made it a point to first find Susie.

Susie was admirably performing hosting duties near the photo staging area. I approached her and as I was saying hello, my eyes glanced over to a man that most anybody in the music industry would recognize: Glen Ballard. I started to immediately geek out. One of my favorite songs of all-time (and I’m sure it’s the favorite song of millions of others) is Michael Jackson’s “Man In The Mirror”.  He co-wrote that song and worked on the recording.  The first “big” rock concert I went to was at the Irvine Amphitheater where Alanis Morissette was supporting her album “Jagged Little Pill”. He produced and co-wrote that entire album. Needless to say, I was a bit distracted….

IMG_3432I think Susie noticed I was distracted, and she immediately introduced me to Mr. Ballard. I told him what kind of impact his music had on my life, and he seemed very appreciative. I snapped a quick picture with him. Click.

IMG_3433

Seriously, my night could have ended there, but the music hadn’t even started yet! As soon as Mr. Ballard went to say hello to others, I noticed Dave Grusin standing a few feet away! Holy cow. This man put together the music of so many films that I admired (and won a TON of Academy and Grammy Awards).  I’m not sure if he won a Grammy or Academy award for it, but “The Goonies” was a favorite movie of mine growing up, and yes, I knew that he scored that motion picture. Click.

Even though I knew that they were performing that evening, I saw Carnie and Wendy Wilson talking with Susie. I slyly made my way over to Susie and somehow got the Wilson sisters to snap this quick photo with me. Carnie told me I smelled really good. It was a combination of Obsession and Nat Shermans… lol. This was by far my favorite picture of the evening. Click.

IMG_1375

The lights dimmed and everybody started to head into the studio to catch the start of the music for the evening.  The first band was group called Pedestrian. If I recall correctly they only played one song, but it was solid. The lead guitar solo in their song was sublime. After their song, I realized that I had to “excuse myself”. Ten minutes later, I came back into the studio when I saw someone who looked very familiar. I wasn’t wearing my glasses … I never really do … so I had to squint since she was across the room.

I attended the first weekend of Coachella (which you can read about by clicking here) and the highlight of the Saturday was a band that I was recently introduced to called Puscifer. The woman I was staring at looked like the female lead vocalist in Puscifer. I nonchalantly went up to her and, without thinking, asked her, “Hi, are you are singer?” to which she replied, “Yes”. “Do you perform with Puscifer?” I asked. She again replied, “Yes”. Then I went on for about a minute gushing about how I loved their set at Coachella and how I thought their set was worthy of an evening time slot.  I then asked her what her name was. “Carina Round,” she said.

IMG_3445

I immediately wanted to put my shoe in my mouth. The name was familiar, because she was the artist I missed when I had to excuse myself. I only hope I didn’t come off as a douchebag. I felt bad enough that I had missed her performance. I got a picture with her anyways… Click.

IMG_3444During my personally embarrassing moment with the divine Ms. Round, David Stewart was setting up for his set. He invited his daughter, Kaya, up to the stage and they performed a three-song set. They covered some big hits: “No One” by Alicia Keys, “Valerie”, and the apropos Eurhythmics’ classic “Missionary Man”. Kaya is only 13, but she absolutely impressed me with her energy and vocals on “Missionary Man”. In fact, it actually sounded more rock and roll with her singing the verses and belting the hooks.

After her set I went to the silent auction table and perused the offerings. Since I’m not a big baller, shot-caller, yet, I refrained from placing any bids on the larger priced items. Thank god there wasn’t a cruise to bid one (an inside joke for those who know me and the drunk debacle of an experience I had winning a Caribbean cruise …).  There was, however, something within my price range: An autographed copy of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes latest album “Here”. I started with the $30 bid.

Carnie and Wendy Wilson then took that stage and did a simple acoustic set the highlights of which included their signature  “Hold On”, which they said they usually never perform with Chynna Phillips, but they made the exception this night, and the classic Beach Boy’s song co-written by their dad, “God Only Knows”. Swoon. 

 

IMG_3451Kelly Martin then spoke on behalf of Lupus LA sharing her family’s experience with the disease, and then introduced my boss’s daughter, Cori B to the stage to perform a song about love.  It was the first time I had ever seen her perform live, and I was impressed. What’s even more impressive is that Cori, too, is living with Lupus, so her performance had a significant poignancy to it.

After her song, I went back to check on my $30 bid.  Apparently, someone wanted to start a bidding war. It was up to $35. I upped the ante to $40, and went back inside the studio.

Susie then did a short set, and let’s put it this way, if you aren’t familiar with her music, you should be. Heck, if it’s good enough for Glen Ballard (who produced an album of hers), it should be good enough for you, right? Check out the clip below.  Nuff’ said. 

After Susie’s set, I went back to check on my $40 bid.  It was now $45. This was it. $50.  My final bid.  I went back inside the studio, and crossed my fingers.

When I got back into the room, Donna Washington was absolutely killing a funkedified version of Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do For Love”. She only performed one song, but I would not have stopped her if she wanted to keep singing.

David Pack and his backing band started setting up and before starting his set, had some kind words for Jolie.  He prefaced his performance by stating (and I’m paraphrasing), “It’s really something to get love back, especially when you’ve been giving it for so long … Tonight’s all about love.”  Clearly, he knew a little about the hardships that Jolie was going through as he also had to overcome serious medical issues in his own personal fight to battle cancer.

He said, “If this doesn’t raise enough money, we’ll have another concert,” then dedicated the first song, “You’re The Only Woman,” to Jolie.  He then performed “How Much I feel” and another song I didn’t know.  When it seemed that he would finish his set, he said that some more more.  For the heck of it, I subtly mumbled out loud, “Biggest Part Of Me”:  I’m pretty sure he could here me cause I was a little fan boy standing up front. Lo and Behold, he performed it. David Pack’s voice has still got it. I’d take a date to a concert of his. 

 

IMG_3458Before vacating the stage, he called Glen up to the stage and told a story of one of the first times he worked with Jolie.  Apparently, it was a song written for an actor of General Hospital who was signed to Quincy Jones’ label at the time. It was fun watching the two music savants share a little history. When Dave finished up his set, I accosted him for a quick picture. Click.

Before I forget, I’d be remiss not to mention the stellar backing band of the evening. Players whose musicality is good enough for our POTUS.  Greg Phillinganes on the keys, Neil Stubenhaus on the bass and Ricky Lawrence on Drums. Now, THAT is a house band.

971245_10151470265943111_1319836293_nI quickly went back to the auction table, and saw that my $50 bid was the last bid standing.  As I was settling my auction bid, Ms. Siedah Garrett then took the stage and started performing.  I went back into the performance room studio right when she had concluded her first song, and she called Glen up to the stage.

I knew what was coming.  After all, Glen and Siedah wrote one of the greatest songs in pop music history: “Man In The Mirror” .  But before starting the music, Glen took the mic in his hands and thanked those who had both attended and donated.  He looked around the fabled A&M (now Henson) studio, and proclaimed, “We’re on sacred ground in here.  In here, Jolie was the connector […] Thanks for taking care of us.  It’s time for us to take care of you.” With Siedah taking the leads, her strong, impassioned voice carried the song wonderfully, instilling in everybody with the essence of the song that everybody can make the world a better place in their own way.  

It was an evening of music, the likes of which, I’ll most likely never experience again. It was a Night for Jolie, and it was a night to remember.

Jolie was such an important part of the music of my, and probably your, youth. If you don’t believe me, you can check out a partial discography of the albums that she helped “put together” on her discogs.com profile. You probably have owned at least one of those albums. Donations are still being accepted for Jolie. A donation in even the smallest amounts help.  As they say, what goes around, comes around. Make sure you have something good coming your way.

To make a donation, and learn more about lupus, please click on the following links:

http://www.sweetrelief.org/program/jolies-lupus-recovery-fund/

http://www.gofundme.com/jolieslupusrecoveryfund

by Categories: ConcertsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment