Tag: concert pic

Stacy Barthe | BET Experience: Acoustically Speaking | 6/28/14 [PHOTOS]

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE OTHER PERFORMANCES THAT I CAUGHT DURING THE BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE

IMG_7019

Hosted by the former Rap City and 106 & Park host Big Tigger, perhaps my favorite part of the BET Experience FREE Fan Fest was the intimate afternoon of performances at the Acoustically Speaking showcase. Taped live in front of an audience of not more than 300, the performances and interviews gave me an opportunity to “Experience” the sounds of some seriously talented, developing and established recording artists.

Each artist performed a short set of 4-5 songs. Each performance was followed by a one-on-one interview with Big Tigger. The performances and the interviews gave audience members an opportunity to really connect with each of the artists. It was truly a one of a kind performance experience.

The first artist to perform was Stacy Barthe. Though you may not know much about her, you certainly know her music. She co-wrote “Hummingbird Heartbeat” for Katy Perry. She wrote “Everywhere You Go” for Kelly Rowland. She co-wrote “Cheers (Drink to That)” for Rihanna. Yeah, you’ve heard her music.

This was my first time listening to her music, and based on what I learned of her through her interview with Big Tigger, I could really feel how much emotional capital was invested into her music. Her struggles, her triumphs … her life … was all on display, and it was a revelation. Hopefully, BET will air the entire performance and interview at some point, but in the meantime, CLICK HERE to check out what video clips have been posted on BET’s website.

Her album is scheduled to be released on October 28th. Follow her on Facebook [StacyBartheOfficial] to get further updates.

CLICK HERE to check out a collection of Instagram videos of most, if not all, of the songs Stacy Barthe performed at this concert.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE OTHER PERFORMANCES THAT I CAUGHT DURING THE BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE

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

James Supercave | Twilight Concert Series | Santa Monica Pier | 7/10/14 [PHOTOS & REVIEW]

CLICK HERE to check out other acts performing a Twilight Concert at the Santa Monica Pier!

IMG_6956

James Supercave is a five piece alternative rock band based out of Los Angeles. I made an effort to beat L.A. traffic to make it up to the pier in time to catch their set. After all, if KCRW’s Jason Bentley listed this band as on of the top “5 LA Musicians to watch in 2014”, I wanted to see/hear what the rave was all about.

Insofar as they’ve only release one EP, their setlist wasn’t too long, but each of their tunes provided an impressive punch.  Their sound is hard to describe. Maybe a more pop inclined Modest Mouse that utilized more electronic elements? Maybe a sprinkle of The Flaming Lips?

Maybe its a disservice to try to compare them to another musical act. After all, they are a new band and still have room to develop and expand upon their sound. All I know is that I really enjoyed what I heard. The music was breezy and eclectic. A very appropriate sound to open a summer of music on the Santa Monica Pier.

CLICK HERE to check out a collection of Instagram videos of most, if not all, of the songs James Supercave performed at this concert.

I found two videos on Youtube from their performance that you can watch below:

CLICK HERE to check out other acts performing a Twilight Concert at the Santa Monica Pier!

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

Maxwell | BET Experience | 6/27/14 [PHOTOS]

 CLICK HERE TO SEE THE OTHER PERFORMANCES THAT I CAUGHT DURING THE BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE

IMG_6730

I’ve seen Maxwell in concert twice before. This was my first time going to a concert of his solo. I’ll have to admit, not having a date/guest for the show was a little different from the times before. The next time I go, I’ll have to try a little harder to get a female companion to go with me.

Ever since the release of his album “Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite” in 1996, I’ve been a fan. When it comes to male soul singers, Maxwell is up there on the top of my list. There aren’t many male vocalists who have the kind of command over their falsetto like Maxwell. As a former musician, I appreciate the talent.

His live performances have always lived up his albums. If you have any doubt of the quality of vocal ability, just purchase his “MTV Unplugged” album. His cover of Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work” is prima facie evidence of his ability.

The women at the Staples Center that evening were ready for Maxwell and the sexiness he was about to unleash. His live show even got a little bawdy when he asked the women whether their “juices” were flowing yet. After singing songs like “Fire We Make”, “Fortunate”, “Lifetime” and his other radio hits, I kinda figured the answers were, “yes”.

My only criticism of the show had to do with the audience. Rule number one of concert-going is that you never leave until the house lights go up. I don’t care if you’re concerned about the traffic or if there’s a bar you want to hit up … if you have tickets for a show, why leave early? Odds are, you’re going to miss something that you wanted to see/hear.

Earlier in the evening, I heard a woman preach to her friend that she wanted to hear “Pretty Wings” performed “soooo bad”. Maxwell finished the main part of his set, before coming back on stage for an encore. By that time, I had noticed that the woman had already left (as did a fairly large chunk of the crowd). Maxwell didn’t perform “Pretty Wings” for his first encore (he performed “Ascension”), but he was back on stage for a second encore, and he performed “Pretty Wings” to close the night out. Literally a third of the audience had left in between encores, which is a shame, because Maxwell killed it.

I didn’t feel sorry for the young lady who left the show early. It just goes to show that you never leave a concert until the house lights go up. Her loss.

I wasn’t able to find a setlist online, but you can CLICK THIS LINK to get directed to a collection of Instagram Videos with snippets of most, if not all, of the songs that were performed at this concert.

I wasn’t approved for a photo pass for this performance, so I was only armed with my trusty, pocket-sized point and shoot camera. Not the best, but not to shabby sitting several hundred fee away if you ask me.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE OTHER PERFORMANCES THAT I CAUGHT DURING THE BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE

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

Jill Scott | BET Experience | 6/27/14 [PHOTOS]

 CLICK HERE TO SEE THE OTHER PERFORMANCES THAT I CAUGHT DURING THE BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE

IMG_6729

I have been a fan of Jill Scott since the first time I heard her track “Do You Remember?”. That song moved me like no other. Her incredible voice, together with lyrics that spoke to a love remembered, hit the money spot in my musical soul.

Screen Shot 2014-06-10 at 5.38.46 PMSpeaking of money, money was kind of tight, and since I wasn’t approved for a media pass for this concert, it looked like I wouldn’t be able to attend the show. Desperate to find a way into the concert, I even tried to send Ms. Scott a letter over Twitter to see if she could get me in to the show.  She never responded to my tweet. Wishful thinking, I know.

Thinking that all hope was lost, I went as far as to register to win tickets through other venues.  I entered to win tickets through Complex Magazine, and as the fates would have it, I won. Lucky me.

Jill Scott’s set was everything that I had been waiting for since 2000. Her voice was as powerful and as delicate as ever, singing both classic tunes from her repertoire and a handful of new songs. I only wished that her set was an hour longer as she clearly couldn’t perform all of the songs that I loved in her hour long time slot.

I wasn’t able to find a setlist online, but you can CLICK THIS LINK to get directed to a collection of Instagram Videos with snippets of most, if not all, of the songs that were performed at this concert.

I wasn’t approved for a photo pass for this performance, so I was only armed with my trusty, pocket-sized point and shoot camera. Not the best, but not to shabby sitting several hundred fee away if you ask me.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE OTHER PERFORMANCES THAT I CAUGHT DURING THE BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE

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

Metronomy | The Fonda Theatre | 6/17/14 [PHOTOS & VIDEO]

IMG_6883

When it comes to buying music, I’m old school. I like to sift through racks of CDs or vinyl records to discover music. As a vinyl collector/lover, I often find myself spending hours at local record stores looking for new albums to add to my collection.

One Saturday, I was over at Origami Vinyl to purchase concert tickets to see The War On Drugs. As per usual, I got sidetracked and started looking at some of the records that were on display.

Then, as if it were pulled from the scene in “High Fidelity” where John Cusack’s character plays the Beta Band single “Dry The Rain”, some music started playing out of the store speakers that caught my attention.Neil Schield, the owner of the echo park record store, was manning the register when I asked what album it was. He told me it was the Beta … Metronomy, and that he was spinning their latest album, “Love Letters”. I left the store two of Metronomy’s albums, and I’ll have to say that “Love Letters” is on my list of favorite albums of 2014 (so far). I had to get a ticket for their show at the Fonda when I found out about it.

Yup. It kinda happened just like that.

When the English band (Anna Prior, Gabriel Stebbing, Joseph Mount and Oscar Cash) too the stage, the audience erupted with an enthusiastic cheer. The men, dressed in their matching white suits, and the female drummer, in a similar white matching ensemble, jumped into a set of breezy synth pop that had the sold-out crowd dancing where space permitted.

Their music was extremely polished and on point. The mix at the Fonda was excellent, and the great sound of the venue definitely enhanced the band’s live performance. The played with joy and vigor, and it was clearly self evident with the steady smiles on their faces. They noted that this was their last performance on this particular tour and emphasized how much they were pleased to be playing the last gig of their current tour in Los Angeles.

I roamed the venue during their set to get an idea of whether their energy transferred up into the balcony. It did. Even in the balcony, fans were dancing the the isles. Even I couldn’t resist shaking my booting when I wasn’t trying to find a shot.

Metronomy is back in the United States for more touring in September and are back in Los Angeles October 21st at the Regent Theatre. I suggest you follow them on Facebook to know when they are back in your neck of the woods.

Metronomy Setlist The Fonda Theatre, Hollywood, CA, USA 2014


Getting a photo pass only allows photographers to take pictures during the first 3 songs of each set. I wish I had more time to take more pictures of Metronomy. Their stage set up allowed for great lighting at certain moments. I wish I had noticed the lighting patterns earlier. Oh well. Enjoy the pictures!

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

Cloud Control | The Fonda Theatre | 6/17/14 [PHOTOS]

IMG_6854

Opening for Metronomy at The Fonda Theatre was an award-winning indie alternative rock band from Australia: Cloud Control.  This Aussie quartet consisting of Alister Wright, Heidi Lenffer, Ulrigh Lenffer and Jeremy Kelshaw, released their first album, “Bliss Release” to great regional praise. So much critical adoration, in fact, their debut was nominated for two ARIA awards in 2010 for Best Rock Album and Breakthrough Artist, and was the winner of the 6th annual Australian Music Prize, among other accolades. They released their sophomore album, “Cloud Control”, on September 17, 2013, and had been supporting its release with international tours.

As this was my introduction to their music, I went in with open ears and came out a fan. Their performance was solid and their music was rather good. I could definitely understand why they are popular in Australia. Their music definitely has a psychedelic vibe, but it’s more Tame Impala than The Dandy Warhols. Their set had both upbeat dance numbers and mellow “chill-out” cuts, and I found that it was a great setlist. So great, that I even purchased a copy of the their newest album on wax (and got it signed!) after the show.

I always find it interesting when  bands have great support in their home countries, but take a while to break out in other territories. I spoke briefly with Heidi (the keyboardist and vocalist) and asked her what her thoughts were about that point. She exclaimed that that’s exactly what they were aiming to impact during this last round international tour dates. She explained that she hoped that touring with Metronomy and sneaking in festival and other performance dates earned them new ears and fans.

I hope it worked for them. Hey, at least it worked for me. Follow them on Twitter (@Cloud_Control) or Facebook (CloudController) and make sure you catch them when they are in your neck of the woods.

The setlist for their performance is below:

  1. Dojo Rising
  2. The Smoke
  3. Moon Rabbit
  4. Promises
  5. Gold Canary
  6. Nothing In The Water
  7. Scar

I wasn’t able to find any video clips of their performance online, so enjoy a playlist from their Souncloud account below.

The lighting for their set was rather dim, so I had to set my ISO higher than normal. Still think I took a couple decent pics though.

by Categories: ConcertsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Twilight Concert Series | Santa Monica Pier

Twilight Concert Series | Santa Monica Pier | Summer 2014

IMG_6915

Whenever I have friends visiting Los Angeles during the summer and they ask me for suggestions, I always recommend attending a concert at the Santa Monica Pier. After all, there isn’t a much better way to spend a summer day/eve, at the beach with a picnic listening to some quality music.

For the past 30 years, the Santa Monica Pier has been hosting an extremely well-curated summer concert series known as the “Twilight Concerts”. This year, their line-up is as impressive as I’ve ever seen it. This year I am planning on attending almost all of the schedule concerts.

Below are the bands that I’ll be checking out, and will be updated with blog posts of previews, Instagram videos and photo pictorials and reviews. If you don’t follow my blog, save this page in a tab to follow my summer at the pier!

JULY 10th

July 17th

July 31st

August 7th

August 14th

August 21st

August 28th

September 4th

September 11th

To see the full list of acts performing at the Santa Monica Pier as part of the 20th Annual Twilight Concert series, CLICK HERE.

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

FEA | AMPLYFi | 6/13/14 [PICS & VID]

IMG_6841

FEA (pronounced FAY-ah)  is the feminine form of the Spanish word for “ugly”. It’s also the name of a Riot Grrrl, side project of some bad ass rockers from Texas.

Back in 2012, I discovered the music of a band from Texas named Girl In A Coma. It was love first listen. The trio consisting of Jenn Alva and sisters Nina and Phanie Diaz steamrolled my ear drums with their brand of San Antonio flavored indie rock.

As Nina Diaz recently recorded her own solo project (and who’ll be Southern California Thursday July 24th at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach and Friday July 25 at Levitt Pavillion in MacArthur Park supporting her latest album), Phanie and Jenn decided to put together a new band, FEA, with singer Theresa Moher and guitarist Aaron Lee Magana. Raw with no frills, FEA’s music puts the punk back into punk rock.

The venue they played at, AMPLYFi, seemed to be the perfect setting for their Riot Grrrl music. It was a small, unassuming venue that seemed to be on par with the “do it yourself” Riot Grrrl mentality of the 90s. Their set was relatively short but it was as aggressive and shredding. They even threw in a little rockabilly flavor covering Wanda Jackson’s “Fujiyama Mama”.

Only time will tell whether Phanie and Jenn keep this musical incarnation going; I’m just glad I got to see them do their thing.

If unadulterated Riot Grrrl punk rock is your cup of tea, I suggest you follow FEA on Facebook by CLICKING HERE.

I’ll have to admit, I had a difficult getting any real quality shots at this venue. I used my DSRL, but lacking true proficiency at adjusting settings to accommodate for the quickly change lighting and the low light, and not having the greatest aperture, I’m thinking I probably could have snapped better pics with my point and shoot. C’est la vie. Practice, practice, practice … I’m hoping, will lead to perfect.

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

Nick Waterhouse | Ink-N-Iron | 6/7/14 [PHOTOS & VIDEO]

When retro-soul is done right, I love it. Last year, I was unable to catch Nick Waterhouse’s concert on the Santa Monica Pier. When I heard that he was scheduled to perform at Ink-N-Iron, I was thrilled. Some may argue that a “kid” in his mid-twenties, couldn’t possibly know about retro-soul. I’d have to disagree with them.

Dressed in a dapper suit, and his trademark Buddy Holly glasses, Nick Waterhouse and his full band took to the stage and the anxious crowd roared. They had waited eagerly to hear some music that harkened back vintage 50 and 60s soul, and they got it

Accompanied by backing vocalists, horns, drum, keys and bass, Nick managed and conducted his band through a set of music that really breathed a new kind of funk into the retro-soul genre. The only thing “modern” about the set were the iPads that the horns used for their setlist and (I’m assuming) score.

The band was terrific. Obviously a tightly knit group of players, each instrumentalist played off each other with the kind of synchronicity you would expect from a seasoned Motown band. Hidden in the not so apparent details, Nick Waterhouse’s musicality was on full display. His orchestration, and his musical arrangements, was proof positive to me that his retro-soul sound is no fluke. He may be young, but he’s got it, and he’s got it in spades.

I loved the set. I was grooving in my spot the entire time, and looking around to see how others were reacting, everyone… and I mean everyone … was doing the same. Towards the end of the set, uninvited concert goers even snuck their way onstage to dance and groove to the music. I seriously look forward to hearing- and seeing- more music from him.

I couldn’t find a setlist of his set online, so if you attended the event and know what his setlist was, please post it in the comments, and I’ll add it to the post.

I’m particularly proud of some of the photos I took during Nick’s set. I hope you enjoy them too.

by Categories: Concerts, Pictorials | Videos, ReviewsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

The Damned | Ink-N-Iron |6/7/14 [PHOTOS & VIDEO]

 CLICK HERE TO SEE OTHER ACTS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH AT INK-N-IRON

IMG_6776

Formed the year I was born, 1976, The Damned are a rock band from London, England. I was particularly interested in checking out there set as they are known to be one of the forerunners of the “gothic” music genre: a music style that is a mix of post-punk and alternative rock. I was especially excited that they were playing Ink-N-Iron because I couldn’t recall the last time they toured the United States.

Though their line-up has changed up over the course of their existence, three of their original members performed on this night on the Queen Mary: lead singer Dave Vanian, guitarist Captain Sensible and keyboardist Monty Oxymoron.

Dave Vanian’s performance was particularly impressive. His dark (dressed in black, with sunglasses and gloves) and mysterious stage presence was quite a contrast from Lee Ving’s performance. He performance demonstrated an understated bravado that really demonstrated, to me, a terrific command of the stage.

The audience, who had just before been moshing with reckless, and violent, abandon the set before, was now bouncing about with more fun and freedom. 37 years after they had formed, it appeared to me that they still had plenty in the tank, with their classically punk attitude in full form.

I couldn’t find a setlist of their set online, so if you attended the event and know what their setlist was, please post it in the comments, and I’ll add it to the post.

Immediately below are some videos I found of The Briefs performing at the festival and also the Ink-N-Iron pre-party. If you know of any other videos that are online, please post the link below in the comments so that I can add it to the playlist.

 

CLICK HERE TO SEE OTHER ACTS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH AT INK-N-IRON

by Categories: ConcertsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments