Nicholas Jame Murphy is Chet Faker, and chicks dig him. After hearing a couple of cuts from his latest album “Built on Glass” on NPR- God bless public radio- I scoured the internet to listen to more of his work. I was instantly hooked. To me, his take on electronic music reminded me of James Blake with a more soulful edge. When I heard he was wrapping his U.S. tour with a performance at The Roxy, I jumped at purchasing tickets as soon as they went on sale. Tickets for the show went so fast that The Roxy added scheduled another concert earlier in the week to accommodate the high demand.
Chet Faker is a producer, and his performance was, for the most part, just him, his console and his keyboard. For a couple of songs throughout his set, he brought on additional musicians (a guitarist and drummer) to fill out the sound, but in the dimly lit venue, it was essentially just him and the audience. Some reviews suggest that his performance was perhaps not best suited for a live setting, but I think that sentiment needs a qualifier.
Perhaps if he was performing at the Hollywood Bowl, or a venue whose capacity exceeds 1000, the performance could have used a full band or better stage design (i.e. lighting and effects), but we’re taking about the Roxy Theatre here (an intimate venue whose capacity is only 500), and in my opinion, the intimate setting, coupled with the intimate music, with the artist performing alone to the audience, was completely appropriate, and really the only way Chet should have be introduced to his legion of new fans for the first time. In fact, I thought his cover of Jeff Buckley’s “I Want Someone Badly” (the highlight of the show for me, considering that Jeff Buckley is a major favorite of mine) could have only performed by himself.
Speaking of fans, they were a mix of crazed young females who occasionally screamed, “I want to lick your beard,” to drunk frat boys who were trying to flirt with the girls who were fixated on main act. I could have done with the loud drunk frat boys (ok, maybe not frat boys … but definitely college aged kiddies who had no concept of how to handle their booze) as I actually had a 5 second stare down to get one of them to shut the hell up during one of the songs, but the show was everything good that I anticipated.
Chet Faker is scheduled to perform at the sold-out FYF Fest in Los Angeles, August 23rd, and I am able to find- god, willing- a tickets, I’ll be anxious to see how his set then compares to what I saw at The Roxy.
The photos below were taken with a DSLR camera. As per usual at The Roxy, I found it difficult to get the shots I wanted with the equipment that I have. I’ll master my gear eventually … hopefully … lol.
I could only find one video of Chet Faker’s performance at the Roxy, so I included some other videos of his live performance for your viewing pleasure. If you know of another video clip of Chet Faker performing at The Roxy, please let me know in the comments so I can add it to the post.
On July 31, 2013, I went to go see Hiatus Kaiyote at the Bootleg Theater. Following the gig, and due to a year long set of fate-induced circumstances, I was lucky enough to hang out with the band for a bit before they had to run to the airport for travel. The lead singer, Nai Palm, was hanging outside with KCRW DJ, Jeremy Sole, and another singer, doing some freestyle, vocal jamming. Afterwards, Nai introduced me to the gentleman with, “This Moses. He’s amazing. You NEED to check his stuff out.”
I did, and I was immediately hooked. It was a distinctive vocal style which blends equal parts jazz and soul. The recordings makes adept use of loopers, creating a sound that led me to tell him, when I saw him afterwards at Laura Mvula’s show at the El Rey Theatre on 9/17/13 that he sounded like a modern day Bobby McFerrin. I don’t dole out high praise like that often, but I thought it was deserved. How pleased was I when I heard that he would be one of the opening act for Hiatus Kaiyote’s gig at the Skirball?
Armed with just a couple microphones, a looper and a guitar, he performed a remarkable set. His vocal arrangements were simple but lush. His melodies were smooth but firm. What I enjoyed most about his live performance was watching him use his looper to create the music right before us. Having sung in vocal groups in high school and college, I’ll have to admit … I was totally geeking out.
I follow his fan page on Facebook to keep track of when his next performances are (and you should too to find links of some high quality videos and recordings of his current work) as his live act is definitely something that I would pay to see again. In fact, as fate would have it, I’ve recently learned that he will opening for one of my last concerts of the year: Thundercat at the Echo on December 5th, 2013. I suppose, it was just meant to be.
Unfortunately, the Flickr slideshow below is not currently available on mobile devices. If you are on a mobile device, please click THIS LINK to get redirected to the set of photos.
Aloe Blacc performing at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [ig: @methodman13]
My first exposure to Aloe Blacc‘s music was years ago (late 90’s) when he was performing as a rapper/singer in a hip-hop group called Emanon with the producer Exile, but it wasn’t until 2010 that I really started to get interested in his sound. The HBO series Entourage had just ended, and its fans (like me) were anxiously waiting for HBOs new series How to Make It in America, hoping that it would have the same kind of energy and characters of its predecessor.
I was always impressed with Entourage’s soundtrack, so I anticipated How to Make It in America to have as good a soundtrack. As soon as the show’s intro song played, I had to run to my computer and perform a google search to find out the name of the song and who performed it. It was Aloe Blacc’s “I Need a Dollar“, a modern recording with a vintage sound, a sound that I am very partial too, and strong social commentary.
As a native Southern Californian, his closing of the Soul Revue festivities was apropos. Backed by a full band with a terrific horn section, and dressed in a form fitted black suit with a fedora, his set was both visually and sonically the embodiment of traditional soul music. His doting fans lapped up the performance and clearly appreciated every theme of Aloe’s music which ranged from groove shakers to songs of substance.
During his set he called the well known poet, IN-Q, to the stage to recite a poem titled “85”. By that point in the evening, the camera in my battery was dead, so I couldn’t video record it, but thankfully, a video of it being performed at Witzend was posted Jan 11, 2013. A truly lovely performance.
IN-Q performing at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [ig: @methodman13]
After his set closed, Aloe was cheered back to the stage for an encore. The audience clearly didn’t want the day of soul music to end, but curfew ordinances are curfew ordinances and the glorious day of soul music had come to an uplifting conclusion. I went backstage to get some water before moving on with my evening, and happened to see Aloe hanging out with some friends and/or fans. I “happened” to have his 12” single recording of “Get Down” in my backpack so I asked his manager if he could sneak me a signature. He graciously obliged, and not only did I get an autograph, but I also got a pic with Aloe . As I’m typing this right now, I’m wondering why I don’t have an LP copy of Aloe’s “Good Things” (would totally be worth having on vinyl).
Me and Aloe Blacc (with his 2006 12” Single of “Get Down”) at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [ig: @methodman13]
It was a terrific day of soul music, and I hope that the festival organizers can put together another strong line-up for the soul revue next year. Kudos are deserved for KCRW and The Echo for putting together a terrific lineup. It was a great way to end the summer.
Aloe Blacc performing at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [ig: @methodman13]Aloe Blacc performing at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [ig: @methodman13]Aloe Blacc performing at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [ig: @methodman13]Aloe Blacc performing at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [ig: @methodman13]Aloe Blacc performing at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [ig: @methodman13]Aloe Blacc performing at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [ig: @methodman13]
I LOVE soul music. I listen to all genres, but if I had to guess, I’d venture to guess that probably a third of my music collection (iTunes indicates that I have 19,452 songs that last 54.4 days) consists of soul tracks and about half of my vinyl collection consists of soul LPs. From Aretha Franklin to Amy Winehouse, Marvin Gaye to D’Angelo, I have a thing for soul music. Period.
When I heard that KCRW, in association with the Echo/Echoplex, was having a Soul/Reggae Festival, I was excited. As soon as I saw the line-up, I bought tickets. The Bay Area soul duo, Myron and E; The prolific and enduring Lee Fields; one of the architects of Funk, Maceo Parker; the hippie with soul, Allen Stone; and the former rapper turned soul-man, Aloe Blacc: I knew and respected all of these artists and there was no way I was going to miss out on this full day of soul music. I bought an “early bird” VIP ticket which only cost me $45, and my Saturday, September 21st was set. Below is a list of the artists whose performances I had the pleasure of catching. Click through on their names to read my thoughts, see pictures and watch performance snippets. If there is a “(pending)” notice next to the name, follow my blog, twitter (@methodman13) or Instagram (@methodman13) for updates. Hey…. these entries just don’t write themselves! LOL.
Myron & E at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [@methodman13]Myron & E are a soul duo based in the Bay Area. They are currently signed to one of my favorite independent labels, Stones Throw, so even though I wasn’t too familiar with their catalog, I was relatively sure I would be pleased with their music.
The Stones Throw website introduces the band as follows: “The vocal duo is something of a rarity. There have been countless solo stars, trios, quartets and quintets, but the pairing of equally talented singers isn’t nearly as common. Sam and Dave, Ashford and Simpson, the Righteous Brothers and the Everly Brothers comprise a short list of standouts. Enter Myron & E.” A tall order to live up to, for sure, but I’m willing to bet that the Stones Throw folk know what they’re co-signing on.
They had the earliest set in the day so the crowd hadn’t reached critical mass yet, but they had their die-hard fans in the trenches, wearing their screen-print Myron & E T-shirts, and they performed with the type of gusto to satisfy their own, and to drawn in new fans. Half way through their set E mentioned it was Myron’s birthday, and the crowd joined in on an impromptu singing of “Happy Birthday”.
It was a solid set to establish the “soul” mood for the rest of the day, though at times I felt that some of the vocal tuning was a bit off, which I could attribute to the blazing midday sun, but it was good enough want me to follow them on Facebook so to keep up with their music and see how their sound develops. You should too.
They are touring domestically and throughout Europe throughout the fall, so check them out when they are in your neck of the woods.
Myron & E at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [@methodman13]Myron of Myron & E at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [@methodman13]E of Myron of Myron & E at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [@methodman13]
Most of the time, my lust to see a band perform live is satiated once it happens. After all, the costs of concert going these days can get quite expensive, and I typically like to use my hard earned cash experiencing something new, rather than retread the same territory. There are a handful of acts that I’ve seen perform live, however, that I would gladly pay what I could afford to see perform. One of those acts is Rodrigo y Gabriela .
On July 14, 2013, I went to see them for the third time; the second time at the Hollywood Bowl– one of the best concert going venues in Los Angeles. The other time I saw them perform was at the Orpheum Theatre. And for the third time, they blew me away. It was another KCRW sponsored concert event.
My friends and I boarded the Hollywood Bowl shuttle from Westwood, prepared with our evening picnic essentials (sandwiches, wines, cheese, crackers, etc) and settled into out seats adjacent to the box seats. The angle and view was terrific, and I couldn’t have asked for a better location.
The first act of the evening was a band Lord Huron, an American indie folk band based in Los Angeles. Lord Huron began as a solo project by Ben Schneider in the spring of 2010, and they have released several EPs and a full-length album since. Their sound was a perfect starter as the sun set into the hill behind us. Their music seemed to be a folksier and more mellow version of Local Natives and the audience seemed to appreciate the sounds as they dined on their picnic foods and sipped wine from their plastic cups.
The second act was a band that I had just started to listen to name Devotchka. A quartet formed and based out of Denver, CO, their music was exotic and impassioned. Backed by a sting ensemble, their gypsy-tinged melodies added a certain flavor to the evening. Almost like setting the stage for the exotic. The lead vocalist, Nick Urata had a certain swagger to his performance that made me think his musical personal was a cross between Andrew Bird and Morrissey. Free and light, like Andrew Bird at times, and deep and emotive like Morrissey at others. His suit and hair styling also may have influenced my first impression of him, but I digress.
Devotchaka’s style of music covered a wide gamut of styles, hinting at elements rock, folk, cabaret, eastern European, etc. It was an exotic set of sounds and music that proved to me that KRCW certainly knows how to put a concert bill together, as Devotchka seemed like a very appropriate appetizer for the main course.
The last time I saw Rodrigo y Gabriela at the Hollywood Bowl, they performed backed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Was I worried that they wouldn’t be able to fill out the sound of the Hollywood Bowl without the orchestral accompaniment? Not at all. In fact, they duet performance (altered as a trio with a keyboard for only several selections) showcased their unbelievable talent on the acoustic guitars. On exhibit that evening, the audience saw their raw virtuosity and dexterousness around the strings of their guitars.
For me, there is something special about Rodrigo y Gabriela that makes them a band that I’ll always want to go see when they are in town. Their music, like Devotchka’s, is fusion of styles that are put together so masterfully, one can’t help by call it art. Rodrgio y Gabriela are unlike any other band I can think of that mixes elements of metal, jazz, flamenco and psychedila so effortlessly. It’s music that appeals to such a wide audience.
Watching them perform is also treat. One become mesmerized by they way they perform. They perform with such intensity and such joy, that it’s hard not be transfixed in their motions. I would have loved to dance around to the music, but personally, I just want to watch them perform.
I wanted to watch Rodrigo take his rock-star, stride stance as he plucked away at the strings, nodding his heads like a metronome to the rhythm. I wanted to watch Gabriela’s hands and fingers move about her guitar like spiders hopped up on speed, all while dancing and bouncing about on stage. Even on acoustic guitars, their performance had such aggressive feel; it reminded me of some heavy metal shows I’ve attended. At the same time, the sounds that emanated from their instruments were the sublime of the sublime.
And how can one not be hypnotized at the dizzying speed at which they play? To me, it simply amazing that that music … that much sound … comes out of four hands.
When I go to concerts, I want to be amazed. If you amaze me beyond comprehension, I’ll go see you every time you’re in town. This is why I went to see Rodrigo y Gabriela perform for a third time, and that is why I’ll keep seeing them perform live whenever given the chance.
If Nina Simone were alive today, she would have celebrated her 80th birthday in April. Having passed away ten years ago, Grand Performances and KCRW organized a free evening concert in the heart of downtown Los Angeles celebrating her life. Hosted by KCRW DJ Tom Schnabel, it was an evening that touched on a wide selection of Nina’s vast catalogue. From the upbeat melodies “Ain’t Got No/ I Got Life”, “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free” and “See-Line Woman” to the soulful vibes of “Wild Is The Wind” and “Backlash Blues” to the anthemic “Young, Gifted and Black”, it was a tremendous evening of well rehearsed, beautiful music.
With his robust baritone voice, Dwight Trible sang his two selections with such soulful vigor , it almost overshadowed the rest of the musicians of the evening. He sang with such a pure sense of being in the moment, that it made audience members look to their neighbor in awe.
Grand Performances is a summer concert series that is open to the public. This was the first concert of this series that I have ever attended, and subject to me being able to get there early enough to snag a good location at the venue, I would plan on attending another Grand Performances event. It definitely seemed to be a well organized, family friendly event.
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.
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.
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!
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…
Earlier this year, a friend of mine posted a video clip on Facebook of a performance by a singer named Jose James. I liked what I heard, and started googling him and his music. When I stumbled upon his amazing cover of Freestyle Fellowship’s “Park Bench People”, I nearly lost my mind. I mean, I grew up with “Innercity Griots”, and I have always preached how that that album is in my top 10 list of best and most influential hip-hop albums of all time. What made that album so groundbreaking was how it pushed the limits of hip-hop (at the time), thematically and musically, especially using live jazz instrumentation, courtesy of members from The Underground Railroad (I even got to meet Onaje Murray– who kills it on Freestyle Fellowship’s version of “Park Bench People” in high school once, but that’s another story). Needless to say, I was feeling what Jose James was doing with his music and the fact that he picked one of my favorite hip-hop songs to cover earned him some mad respect.
While I was watching some of the video clips on Youtube, I noticed that Youtube had a tiny little caption in the video description that showed where he would be performing in Los Angeles next. I clicked through the link trying to see how much the tickets were, but apparently the show had sold out. Apparently, it was a KCRW promoted concert, and to my dismay, they had just featured Jose the day before, and tickets for the show sold out immediately. Slightly disheartened, I simply “liked” Jose’s Facebook page for updates on when he’d be in town in the future.
Facebook. Some people can’t stand it. I can’t live without it. About a week after trying to get tickets, I get a notice on FB that a second show had been added. I logged on and purchased tickets. FYI, the ticket for this second show also sold out. Thank you, Facebook.
It had been a tough couple weeks leading up to the show. Work had been overwhelming, and it seemed that everybody I was working with was heading to South By Southwest to work on various projects. I’ve never been to SXSW, so I was a bit envious. But since everyone was in Austin, TX for the music festival, I got a little reprieve from phone calls and emails to enjoy myself for the evening.
When I got to the venue, I picked up my wristband and got stamped at the door. The performance venue was downstairs in a dark basement with low a ceiling. My guest and I roamed the venue looking for a good place to stand, and we ended up basically where we started off, by the entrance, close to the stage right. The show was scheduled to start at 10pm, but the bouncer at the top of the stairs told me that he started around 11 the night before.
The later it got, the smaller our little space got. People kept filing in, and the temperature of the room started rising. You could feel it. Note to self: bring a small handheld fan for the next show I attend there. The air-conditioning was on (so says the venue), but you couldn’t tell.
A blurry shot of Jose and Takuya.
Close to 11:00pm, the band the took the stage. One by one, the band members took the stage. Kris Bowers (keyboards), Solomon Dorsey (bass), Takuya Kuroda (trumpet) and Richard Spaven (drums). Each member introduced themselves to the audience through solos, and after a good 10 minutes of jazz instrumentals, Jose joined them on stage to sing “It’s All Over Your Body”, the first track of off his latest album . That song is about 5 and a half minutes long, but they jammed out for at least 10 minutes. It seemed to me that the audience truly understood the musicality of the gentlemen on stage. Each of them was truly skilled at their respective craft.
The room was getting hotter and hotter, and if you came in wearing a jacket or a sweater, you weren’t wearing it anymore. You could feel the the body heat coming off of the person standing next to you. You would think that the temperature would be unbearable, but no. Girls were shouting out Jose’s name with each line he sang, and bodies were swaying to the rhythm. If anything, people were sneakily pushing their way towards the stage, immersing themselves in the sweltering heat. The music was that good. No one wanted too leave their spot (at least where I was standing).
Another blurry shot of Takuya.
Jose has preached his musical root as being set in Jazz. He’s a tremendous “classic” jazz vocalist, as his duet album with Jef Neve, titled “For All We Know”, clearly showcases, but his talent and stylings are so much more that traditional jazz. Like Freestyle Fellowship, he takes a genre and stretches its boundaries.
People have compared vocals to D’Angelo and Bill Withers. People say that he evokes the 70’s soul of Gil Scott Heron. As cliched as it sounds, he’s Jose James. His performance showed me that he is his own style … meaning, if you heard his voice on the radio, you’d probably be able to tell that it’s him and not some other singer.
I usually try to take video clips of a handful of songs of the concert I go to, but after the show I realized that I had only taken clips of three songs. It was the kind of show where you didn’t want to watch it from the tiny screen of a cell phone. I was no more than 15 feet from the stage. I was going to soak it all in with my own eyes. Luckily, the three videos that I did take were of some of the highlight I took away from the show.
I had seen Robert Glasper earlier this year, and it just so happened that the music of “Vanguard”, one of my favorite songs off the album, was written by him. Jose wrote the lyrics. Great song.
Jose covered Bill Wither’s “Ain’t No Sunshine”. A great song. A great voice.
It was 1am when Jose closed his set with “Do You Feel”, and people started to leave. It’s almost understandable. Almost. After all, it was a Wednesday, and people have 9-5 jobs. The show was already over 2 hours. I, technically, have a 9-5 job. BUT he hadn’t played “Park Bench People” yet.
After a bit of cajoling from the faithful who moved forward to take up the space from those who couldn’t hang, Jose came on stage and started to sing a cappella a Marvin Gaye medley of “What’s Going On” and “Mercy Mercy Me”. What he did with the medley blew my mind. The voice is an instrument, but what he did with his instrument left me amazed. He became the human record player, scatting lines making it sound like a DJ was spinning records.
“What’s Going On” and “Mercy Mercy Me”, with their strong social commentary, segued brilliantly into “Park Bench People”, a song about the ravages of homelessness. He continued the scat passages of “Park Bench People” like he did with the medley and made those songs … for lack of more poetic words … his bitch. He took a song that I already loved, and left me amazed with his performance. Close to 1:30am, Jose and the band wrapped it up.
I was able to tell Jose before I left that I was amazed by his set, and that there was nothing I appreciated more in the world than good music, but upon retrospect the concert itself was a one of a kind experience. To experience that kind of musicianship, in that venue, with the heat, and skin, and vibe, excitement, and movement … Before I left him and his band alone, I was able to get Jose and Takuya autograph my 12” single of “Park Bench People”.
They say that listening to good music is like having sex. On March 13, 2013, in the crowded, sweltering basement of the Del Monte Speakeasy in Venice Beach, I left a concert drenched in my own sweat (and probably the sweat of others), my feet and legs aching from the physical exertion of standing for over two hours. I was physically and emotionally spent, but absolutely in awe of the performance that I was lucky enough to catch. When I got to my car, I sat there smoking a cigarette just to relax for a moment.
In 2012, I was blessed to have been able to attend 24 concerts. This being the inaugural post of my blog, I thought it may be a good way to kick things off if I listed each of the concerts in the order that I enjoyed them (starting with the least favorite, and ending with my favorite), with a line or two of my thoughts.
24. Shuggie Otis– The Echoplex- Wed Dec 5
It’s hard to see an artist that you acknowledge as Los Angeles musical royalty without his gift. By all accounts, a sad musical revelation for me.
23. The 10th Annual Korea Times Music Festival– Hollywood Bowl- Sat April 28
While I can appreciate the musicality of some of the K-Pop act thats performed throughout the evening, I’m assuming I didn’t truly appreciate it like the others because I just didn’t understand enough. I’m a bad Korean-American.
22. Moby– The Annenberg Space for Photography- Sat Jul 14
Moby did two sets: Live Folk and DJ. Unfortunately, I wasn’t that impressed with either. While I can appreciate his musical venture, I kind of want to hear the older hits that I grew up with.
21. Boyce Avenue– Club Nokia at LA Live- Sat Dec 08
By buddy proposed to his girl, on stage at this show. He picked the perfect show. Chicks dig Boyce Avenue.
20. Starting 6– Vanguard- Fri Aug 10
Hot, sweaty, party hip-hop. These guys can rock a joint
19. Orange Tulip Conspiracy– Mr. T’s Bowl- Fri Sep 21
The musicality of this Jazz group is amazing. A must for any jazz aficionado. I hear they are recording a new album, and I can’t wait to her the new material.
18. The Airplane Boys– Roxy Theater- Wed Aug 15
Other level hip-hop. I also saw them at Coachella. They killed it at the Roxy like they killed it in the desert.
17. Bizarre Ride Fest– Bizarre Ride Live (Fatlip, Slimkid3, J. Swift, etc.)- The Roxy Theater- Sat Dec 29
The Pharcyde’s debut album “Bizzare Ride II The Pharcyde”, to quote my buddy David [@davidshein on twitter] is “just one of the best hip hop albums ever”. I won’t disagree. Even when it’s performed by only half of the original group, the music still holds up.
16. The Heavy– El Rey Theatre- Fri Sep 07
In support of the their most recent release, The Glorious Dead, I jammed out at this concert. Their front man, Kevin Swaby, was born to perform.
15. Jason Mraz and Christina Perri– Tour Is A Four Letter Word- Hollywood Bowl- Fri Oct 05
I enjoyed Jason Mraz at the Hollywood Bowl, but I’ve seen him at The Wiltern (full band) and The Walt Disney Concert Hall (acoustic), and his music is better suited for more intimate venues.
14. Animal Collective, Flying Lotus and Huun Huur Tu– Hollywood Bowl- Sun Sept 23
Animal Collective delivered. Huun Huur Tu entertained. Flying Lotus blew my mind.
13. Raphael Saadiq and Band of Skulls– The Annenberg Space for Photography- Sat Aug 04
Such and odd concert pairing, but they both were amazing. KCRW kicks ass.
12. Girl In A Coma, Pinata Protest and Sara Radle– The Echoplex- Fri Apr 27
Girl In A Coma is one of my favorite “new” bands. These girls kick ass. I wanted to see them again this year when they were opening for Grizzly Bear, but I couldn’t fit it into my schedule. The lead singer, Nina Diaz, has a voice to die for.
11. Playboy Jazz Festival– Hollywood Bowl- Sun Jun 17
Ramsey Lewis is a musical savant. I always pay money to watch genius perform. Robin Thicke were Preservation Hall Jazz Band were good. Was a slightly unimpressed with Spectrum Road.
10. Eric Hutchinson– Troubadour- Sat May 19
He was the first artist I truly “represented” back at my first job after passing the bar exam. I couldn’t be prouder of how far he’s come.
9. Allen Stone– The Fonda Theatre- Fri Oct 19
If this guys plays his card right, he could playing the Hollywood Bowl in a few years. The first thought I had after the show ended? “I’ll be able to tell my kids (when I have them), that I stood front row at an Allen Stone concert at The Fonda”.
8. Ben Harper– Vieux Farka Tour- Hollywood Bowl- Sun Jul 01
When Ben Harper sang a cappella, without a mic, at the front of the Hollywood Bowl stage, he earned by respect. He also played the one song I needed to hear, “Burn One Down”. Can’t ask for more.
7. Hot Chip, Passion Pit and Omar Souleyman– Hollywood Bowl- Sun Sep 9
I went to the show to see Passion Pit. They met and exceeded expectations. I was expecting more from Hot Chip. I didn’t get to see Omar Souleyman.
6. Meshell Ndegeocello and James “Blood” Ulmer– Royce Hall- Fri Dec 7
Meshell Ngedeocello performed her interpretations of Nina Simone classics. Mesmerizing.
5. Peter Gabriel– Back To Front- Hollywood Bowl- Sat Oct 6
I’m not going to lie. I had a moment. Flashing back to my younger years when he played “In Your Eyes”, mine started to water. The power of music.
4. Fiona Apple– The Greek Theatre- Fri Sep 14
She may have been a bit too gaunt for my personal liking, but she can still sing. A poetess with a voice. There isn’t that many like her out there in the world.
3. Mint Condition– Club Nokia at LA Live- Sat Jan 28
Mint Condition has always been underrated. In my humble opinion? They’re one of the best live, R&B bands out there, period. Stokley’s voice is perfect for R&B. I grew up with their music. They are one of my favorite bands.
2. No Doubt– Gibson Amphitheatre- Fri Nov 30
I’ve always kicked my self in the rear when it comes to No Doubt. They used to perform locally when I was growing out, but I never went to a show. I can now cross this off my concert bucket-list. Oh, by the way, I’m in love with Gwen…
1. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival– Empire Polo Club- Fri Apr 13 through Sun Apr 15
Dr. Dre & Snoop. Radiohead. The Black Keys. Bon Iver. Swedish House Mafia. At The Drive-In. Florence and the Machine. Girl Talk. The Shins. Mazzy Star. Andrew Bird. Need I go on?
I’ve written about most of the shows on my Facebook page, so if you want to know a little more about particulars, free to shoot me a tweet [@methodman13] and I’ll send over some other thoughts.
I hope your 2013 is filled with musical discovery, and that a song stirs your heart always.
![Aloe Blacc performing at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [ig: @methodman13]](https://musicofmymind14.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/dsc05330.jpg?w=1075)
![IN-Q performing at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [ig: @methodman13]](https://musicofmymind14.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/dsc05352.jpg?w=1075)
![Me and Aloe Blacc (with his 2006 12'' Single of "Get Down") at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [ig: @methodman13]](https://musicofmymind14.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/dsc05355.jpg?w=247&h=300)
![Aloe Blacc performing at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [ig: @methodman13]](https://musicofmymind14.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/dsc053241.jpg?w=1075)
![Aloe Blacc performing at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [ig: @methodman13]](https://musicofmymind14.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/dsc05323.jpg?w=1075)
![Aloe Blacc performing at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [ig: @methodman13]](https://musicofmymind14.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/dsc05319.jpg?w=1075)
![Aloe Blacc performing at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [ig: @methodman13]](https://musicofmymind14.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/dsc05308.jpg?w=1075)
![Aloe Blacc performing at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [ig: @methodman13]](https://musicofmymind14.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/dsc05306.jpg?w=1075)
![Aloe Blacc performing at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [ig: @methodman13]](https://musicofmymind14.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/dsc05303.jpg?w=1075)
![Myron & E at The Beach Ball Festiva 9/21/13 [@methodman13]](https://musicofmymind14.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/dsc05054.jpg?w=1075)
![Myron & E at The Beach Ball Festiva 9/21/13 [@methodman13]](https://musicofmymind14.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/dsc05060.jpg?w=1075)
![Myron of Myron & E at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [@methodman13]](https://musicofmymind14.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/dsc05063.jpg?w=1075)
![E of Myron of Myron & E at The Beach Ball Festival 9/21/13 [@methodman13]](https://musicofmymind14.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/dsc05065.jpg?w=1075)
I was able to tell Jose before I left that I was amazed by his set, and that there was nothing I appreciated more in the world than good music, but upon retrospect the concert itself was a one of a kind experience. To experience that kind of musicianship, in that venue, with the heat, and skin, and vibe, excitement, and movement … Before I left him and his band alone, I was able to get Jose and Takuya autograph my 12” single of “Park Bench People”. 
#DKLPHOTOS 