Bouncing Souls @ The El Rey Theater (10/30/09)

Regina Spektor @ The Greek Theater (10/28/09)

Gossip @ The Henry Fonda Theater (10/26/09)

my first introduction to gossip came from a music blog. a streaming version of "heavy cross" caught my attention so i got the album. i took a listen to the album in its entirety unfortunately, it didn't grab me. it was early in august and i was distraught about missing and airborne show. still hurt about that one. time goes by and the gossip "surprise" the audience at the perez hilton presents tour and close for ladyhawke....blown away. beth ditto's voice will move you. but only if you have a soul. upon the release of their fourth studio album they perform at the henry fonda theater. armed with good people we embark to the music venue. i can't speak for them but it was one hellofa good show. and by the looks of it i'm probably speaking for them. one hellofa good show. their live show can't be compare to anyone because they're in a class of their own. it will move you if not knock you up and down and all around. i did not stop dancing. not for one song. not for one pause. purely fantastic. when i'm older i can say i went to this show. the grand kids will respect me more for that reason alone. i've been stuck on their latest album, Music for Men. i'll have to go down memory lane and take a listen to their previous work...won't you join me?

enjoy the music.

From Vancouver With Love (10/09)

while on my visit to vancouver british columbia, canada here are a few bands visiting the area:
-Gossip
-Dragonette
-The Airborne Toxic Event
-Florence + the Machine
-Fanfarlo
-Metric
-Regina Spektor
-The Blue Violets
with music venues like The Venue, The Orpheum Theater, and The Commodore..i'd probably maybe someday come back to vancouver for a destination concert.

enjoy the music.

Ladyhawke @ The Avalon (10/03/09)

its a far distance from new zealand. so what does an american to do? watch the lord of the rings trilogy? i can't even get through the first one. watch jurassic park (sam neil is from new zealand)? my only copy is on vhs. watch true blood (anna paquin is from new zealand)? i don't have cable. knit a wool sweater? knitting?!? that's what the mall is for but i'm typing this late in the evening hours. i've been fortunate to have met a few new zealanders through my travels who have tried to get me to visit new zealand for some time now. obliged graciously however i've had to decline. probably far too many times the invitations have been limited to nonexistent. wah wah wah. in any event new zealand just got a little closer. Ladyhawke is a singer-songwriter with only one album on her table but from the looks of the size of the audience they can't get enough of her. to be honest my main purpose was to see ida maria for perez hilton presents. but due to unforeseen circumstance ida maria canceled. which left ladyhawke as well as semi precious weapons (who are doing very well in their own rite..opening for the sounds...you go boy! girl? definitely boy!!) and Julian Christian Perretta to their own. which was fine. the entire tour was screwed up. but it was fine i was there for the music. by the time ladyhawke was on stage it was good in the hood because i had a wonderful time. with such songs, "Paris is Buring," "My Delirium," "Another Runaway," oh who am i kidding the entire album is fantastic. it's still on my playlist called, "daily breath of fresh air" and to my surprise and those in the audience who don't subscribe to perez hilton's sms text messages/blog The Gossip was set to perform as a "surprise guest" i was surprised. i was blown away by The Gossip (Beth Ditto, lead singer of The Gossip is a fellow Razorback) from the lead singer to the drums to everything about the gossip captivated me. so much that i went to see them again at the henry fonda theater (entry will follow). in any event it was ladyhawke's show. caveat: destiny will find you even if you're not looking.

enjoy the music.

The Get Up Kids @ The Avalon (09/24/09)

apparently they were emo before what i think emo is today. Emo History Lesson The Get Up Kids are a far cry from what i'm use to mainstream emo of today kinda scares me. so i'll be listening to the original emo..broaden my horizons and follow the rainbow..sorry for the short entry but if you read the wiki entry that's probably enough information for this evening. but hey, now you can say you've learned something new..at least i did.

enjoy the music.

Soko @ The Bootleg Theater (09/22/09)

well, there it is..the list of musicians i want to see live is dwindling down slowly but surely. SOKO was one of those artists. i had heard of her a couple years ago (I'll kill her, i will never love you more) and since then i wanted to see her live. her voice is raspy/real. nothing produced about it. which only gets better towards the end of the show no matter how early in the morning it became. along the lines of ida maria without all the problems. in any event i've wanted to see her live and dreams do come true if you wait long enough. she played in what seemed like a makeshift theater turned music venue called bootleg theater. i was hoping for my first taste of moonshine but they only served beer and wine. its small but not crowded. imagine this: philip glass mid to late 60s everyone's trippin and feeling the music. bootleg theater was that kind of place. believe it or not i only had beer. the carne asada burrito before the show was not sitting to well. in any event it was intimate and comfortable. its safe to say probably one of the only places in los(t) angeles that you'll find the pre-spaceland crowd. the two acts before soko had a fantastic show (Chris Garneau, Penelope Fortier) definitely noteworthy. but it all came down to soko. the actress turned singer turned actress turned singer/songwriter was a bit late due to technical difficulties of garneau but it was worth the wait. some new/some old songs well into the next morning. if you couldn't guess the theme of the evening: french infused folk..which is probably one of my favorites of the genres. i've attempted to learn the french language but between the laziness and attention deficit problem probably not going to happen..unless, however, my french friend from paris visits sometime soon it might just happen...wink wink nod nod smile smile. btw soko still waiting for an actual album to be released. i don't know if it was the intimacy of the venue but she was really there w/ her audience. she acknowledged our presence more so than any other artist/band that just says, "thank you for coming out" with no set setlist it was like she was just jamming out with friends and you too were a friend of hers as well...which is refreshing. her songs are like a paul laurence dunbar poem:
"O burning doubt and long regret
O tears with which our eyes are wet,
Heart-throbs, heart-aches, the glut of pain,
The somber cloud, the bitter rain,"
but again thats real.
http://www.myspace.com/mysoko
i just checked and checked again she's playing at the henry fonda theater October 24th. fantastic! more room to enjoy.

enjoy the music.

Phoenix @ The Greek Theater (09/16/09)

I file this one under **NEW TO ME.** at The Greek Theater and with Metric opening for them how bad can this band be? French disco-pop never sounded so good (if i ever heard it nothing really comes to mind so late in the afternoon/early in the evening). more and more as the days go by since i've heard of phoenix they're everywhere!! i didn't realize how out of the loop i'm in on pop culture from tv commercials/films/tv shows. i had a fantastic time w/ friends and the thai food was yummy yummy. not necessarily considered a french band since they sing in english. but i'm waiting for their swan song french acoustic folk. it's somewhere out there. on the heels of their new studio album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix they're physically everywhere. mostly on the european side of the atlantic i'm glad i saw them on this side of the pond.

enjoy the music.

NICO VEGA @ The Roxy (09/08/09)

you'll stand up and rock out! that's what you should expect from Nico Vega. i'll be honest my first impressions w/ nico vega left a sour taste as i felt they were force feeding me messages of post-9/11 sentiments of the world (disdain for political regimes and sociological systems.) their studio album is good but their live show is awe-inspiring. there's blood, sweat, and tears from this band and you can feel it. even their acoustic versions of their songs are as powerful...you get their message served delightfully to you even if you least expect it. no need to wonder what happened to the music that moves a generation to question and protest their current "comfortable" lives because nico vega is present. there's no cotton candy coating w/ this band. the three member band (vocals, guitar, drums) is all they need to rock out.
check it out i'm somewhere in the crowd rockin' out:


nico vega is a tough sell to those who don't know their music and during these economic hardships it's really hard to sell it to friends who are not concert fanatics as i am, so i'm left to my own resources...more often than not i find myself feeling awkward and rather hesitant and intimidated but those i'm surrounded. fortunately my prejudices don't dictate my outlook on people/life because very soon after (which has come with experience) i've always come to conclusion of understanding and benevolence towards those i don't know/recognize. so was the case for the fans of nico vega. absolutely without a doubt a fun group to rock out w/ even if we're absolutely completely perfectly unknown strangers. we found the common denominator and were able to have an amazing evening of music.

can't say for sure if they'll make the top twenty pop billboard (seacrest should be out) but this band is worth the a night of rock.

enjoy the music.

THE DUKE SPIRIT @ The El Rey Theater (09/01/09)

i had only heard (repeatedly for that matter) one song from the duke spirit. an acoustic version of "Wooden Heart" which was quite different from their usual sound. this was more than two years ago and honestly never gave them a second thought because their acoustic wooden heart was just what i wanted from this band. nothing more or less. cut to present day specifically the first of september and they're playing at the el rey theater. which is almost across the street from my place of employment. not only was proximity a factor but the opening band for the evening was band of skulls and if there was anything that i felt more about that evening it was going to be band of skulls. i'll be honest band of skulls killed it that night. it wasn't fair for the duke spirit as they were a tough act to follow (at least for my tastes anyway). at the end of the evening i was intrigued by the duke spirit. i got their album. so i suppose the purpose of the concert worked. i left the theater wanting more. more because i didn't really enjoy the show. i don't want to be too critical but from this to that i didn't understand what she was singing about..i couldn't follow the music. all the right elements were there just not on the same wavelength. maybe too much so that destructive interference occurred. the duke spirit just finished a world tour opening for incubus the el rey theater is not the venue as those they just played at probably a third of their usual but they played like i was a stadium away (way too loud...which in some cases can break the concert going experience). not loud that a pair of earplugs could remedy but walking outside back to the parking garage onto the 101, exiting, parking space 9, apartment number 9, pressing play on the untitled playlist 8 any song on their new album "neptune" (specifically wooden heart, this ship was built to last) headphones in would suffice if not succeed in the duke spirit listening experience. i won't say i won't go to another of their concerts because their music is really really good. i would just to make sure the venue fits their music. nothing bigger than the wiltern but not smaller than the fonda (just in my humbled opinion).

enjoy the music.

BAND OF SKULLS @ The El Rey Theater (09/01/09)

"motel, taco bell" that's all it took. little did i know after listening to the rest of the song subsequently the rest of the album did i hear much more than those three simple words. coming from a three member band Band of Skulls is much more complexed. if not their lyrics but their oh sweet rocknroll melodies. they're fun and bad ass rock stars that you could party with and feel guilt-free despite breaking a couple state and local laws. i can probably say for sure that i first heard of band of skulls sometime at the beginning of july a month later i've probably listened to their album everyday since then. my day is incomplete without them. i don't know why that is but going to see them live and really enjoying their rocknroll probably has something to do with it.



this import british rock band has it and taking it to the bank. especially if performed at lolla 2009 and contributing to the second installment of the major motion picture, Twilight. the end to the small music venue for the band of skulls. it was fun while it lasted. i will miss what i had and as they say "nothing gold can stay." someday in the future this blog will have continued pass my physical existence and left to the devices of generations that have followed we can read this and shed light was it was like before their world domination. who knows what the future holds for concerts as most record labels throw concerts because of an upcoming album release will there be a time when the concert will occur to make an album? does that make sense or is it wishful thinking. i can't remember right now the worse concert going experience to date but they should take some notes about how's it done from band of skulls.

i'll be the first to admit i've been caught rockin out in my not so private open-aired cubicle at work...headphones on and lyrics in hand what would you expect?

enjoy the music.

JJ GREY & MOFRO @ The El Rey Theater (08/28/09)

once again i fell victim to the bright lights of the marquee, the proximity of the el rey theater and the tickets out of the box office with no "convenience" charges. even more so a friend's recommendation to see/listen JJ Grey & MOFRO. and so that's how it happened. as soon as i walk through the door florida pride was apparent you could even feel the humidity of the what seemed like a sold out event. without a doubt the very definition of southern soulful blues is JJ Grey.

i wish i had gone to this show better prepared so i can really get into the music but for my first time he was gentle needless to say i enjoyed.

enjoy the music.

Philip Glass @ Hollywood Bowl (07/23/09)

what do the following pieces of work have in common: The Hours, Taking Lives, Grand Theft Auto IV (the video game) and Candyman? yes, you've guessed correctly: Philip Glass. if you didn't guess correctly you have to learn how to read titles better. even if you didn't guess correctly and you've seen these films and played this video game you have to learn how to listen to scores better. all of these projects have the Philip Glass touch. and no matter how monotonous you think it sounds he'll surprisingly capture you. actually the music will grab your heart and touch your soul (which is still an understatement). and you don't have to be on any mind altering hallucinogen he does that for you...well his music does anyway. that's whats so amazing about philip glass. if you want to sound smarter than you think you are and probably more than a fifth grader amongst strangers mention philip glass. philip glass = minimalist = art music. without a doubt you'll be accepted and acknowledge amongst the highbrow intellectuals (if you aren't you should probably consider wearing glasses that's what i do.) many believe that philip glass is not classical music. there's quite a controversy amongst classical snobs and glass enthusiasts. just like the ol' chicken and the egg debate there's real definitive answer. glass and his ensemble would not have been invited to the hollywood bowl and the LA philharmonic would not have played his music if it wasn't music. and that's the bottom line, the edge of the cliff.

enjoy the music.

Old Man Markley @ The Troubadour (06/26/09)

i'm almost embarrassed to write about this one because not only was it almost two months ago but also i really enjoyed the show i should have blogged about this one the morning i returned from the show. however, "time is but the stream i go a-fishing in" cut to present day and i can't say anything else about this bluegrass band because it's all been said by everyone else. i pride myself of being an unoriginal one of a kind but along w/ the many who have attended an old man markley show you're among the rest havin one hell of a good time. you don't know the american foxtrot, NO PROBLEM! you're subconscious will guide your body. you leave your worries at the door because they have no problem kickin your a$* (with their music) if you're not having a good time. they're that good.

enjoy the music.

Nouvelle Vague @ The Henry Fonda Theater (06/20/09)

almost three years ago i went to europe specifically paris, france, die, drance, lourdes, france, barcelona, spain, all around italy. half way through the trip i received an email from my dad in which he says, "have a safe clean fun!!!" from the three exclamation points i think he knew i just got a wrist tat. i was traveling and often confused about the direction in which my life is going and it was unanimous vote a compass. it is my first and only (to date) tattoo. the tattoo artist was a strapping barcelonian man who could have put any image on my body mostly because i don't know the spanish word for "no" (dangerous i know) so he provided a distraction to ridiculous pain sensation along my left arm. but there was also the music that played. it was a cover band. or at least the same words and somewhat the same beat to my catchy songs. i believe the specific song was "on the boardwalk" as soon as the tat was finished i somehow managed to find the direction i was heading to exit (the adrenaline was still kicking so it was somewhat a challenge to focus) a flight a stairs later i asked the receptionist/other tattoo artists what the name of the band that was just playing. they mumbled something in catalan/spanish/english which after scribbled on some flyer for a week-long electronic music festival (a week too early): Nouvelle Vague. she even offered to give me the cd but i declined (again the adrenaline was kicking and in hindsight it would have been a great souvenir. however, i didn't have anything to give her which i would have felt bad unless she would have accepted a half eaten powerbar and/or a crumbled metro map of paris. but she did tell me where i could purchase the cd, but unable to listen to the cd until i got home i waited to get the album. still, their music stuck. and as soon as i got home i got their self titled album along with their second album called bande a part. the subsequent until present day nouvelle vague has always and mostly continue to be on any traveling playlist or even enjoy the day any day playlist. however, nouvelle vague a parisian band doesn't travel much this side of the atlantic. the closest they've been to me (in california) has been new york city. and that was a couple of years ago. which spurred the idea of a destination concert night. i would travel to a city just to go to a concert. it didn't come to fruition however maybe someday. it was somber friday and i just read that nouvelle vague was performing on saturday at the fonda. i couldn't believe i didn't see this coming. on the heals of the release of their third studio album i still didn't think they would perform in california. but to my surprise they came I saw and they CONQUERED!!! it was everything i came to expect and love about nouvelle vague. they take a previously recorded song and make their own. even though not completed a considered (at least in my humble opinion) a cover song they still create something that keeps you in without boring you with predictability. "3" their third studio album is a delight if you looking a nouvelle vague twist to bluegrass country. i highly recommend investing in an evening with nouvelle vague specifically Oh La LA: The French Music Festival in California october 24, 2009. C'est ci bon!!

enjoy the music.

Camera Obscura @ The Henry Fonda Theater (06/11/09)

on occasion when i'm at a concert and i'm not familiar with a band (probably 75% of the concerts i attend i'm not too familiar with their music - i call it an adventure) i'll write myself memos on my phone to remind me of the concert going experience. since i don't know the new songs (the two hour crash course of the band before the concert doesn't help all that much) i'll write memorable lyrics or whatever i'm observing (my inherited addhd leaves no time for stillness) Camera Obscura was no different. i didn't "know" the band all that well but i wanted to go on an adventure so off to the henry fonda theater we went and from the looks of it i need to shop at urban outfitters a lot more...in any event here's what i wrote during the concert:

"Perfect Smile
Stuck on You
i wanted to control it but love, i couldn't hold it
if you were in the 60 holding a martini
shaken and maybe stirred they would be on the transmitter
on more than two occasions (trend?) they're smackin their chewing gum...sounds disinterested if not in this situation in thought...maybe?
i thought i knew you well dreams
tell me
heartbroken
brent and tim were here"

i like to keep it short because i don't want to be that girl who's texting on her cellphone at a concert but you get the hint.

upon my research on camera obscura its the first time i've heard the music genre term called chamber pop which is described as "an emphasis on melody and production, as artists layered their baroque, ornate songs with richly textured orchestral strings and horns, all the while virtually denying the very existence of grunge, electronica, and other concurrent musical movements." alright i've learned something new today (captain's log monday july 20, 2009 11:54p.m. sherman oaks, ca 91423).

enjoy the music.

Metric @ The Wiltern (06/09/09)

one of the benefits of randomness most often than not you'll be introduced to enjoyable music. i find myself in a state of unexpected surprise when a new band is introduced to me because i'm looking for a particular sound or genre because of a particular mood. its like taking a bug in the mouth as your out on your afternoon jog. it was a few months ago and i had a car rental to get me to point A to point B. i didn't have my five disc cd changer that was accustomed to but one cd to get me through the tragic morning commute and the gentle evening commute. the mp3 cd was given to me by a coworker friend who subsequently took me to the Metric concert. for a good two weeks i listened to Metric to and from work (I will NOT listen to the radio!)

nothing memorable about the show except one or two songs. i haven't listened to metric since then so i can't say it's on my list. i did, however, enjoy the concert maybe someday i'll be in the mood for synthesizer and drum-machine driven sounds of metric.

enjoy the music.

Little Joy @ The Troubadour (06/05/09)

highly anticipated concert of the year. it's only june but i'm calling it to be one of the best live shows i've been to. unless noted otherwise i'm sticking to it with fists in the air ready to defend. i couldn't tell you who opened for Little Joy because not really much of a concern to me, however, one has to think what the "success" rate of an opening band to become bigger and better than the band they once opened for. i can only think of no doubt and christina aguilera but that was way before becoming a concert enthusiast. maybe Black Kids to Mates of State (personal commentary)? in any event Little Joy is why I went and why I breathe (a "little" dramatic...maybe, but i'm proving a point). quality over quantity has been a mantra long before i was introduced to the all you can eat buffets in vegas. composed of Rodrigo Amarante, Fabrizio Moretti, and Binki Shapiro you'll get hints of their Los Hermanos and The Strokes bands respectively. but altogether you'll get something soothing to the soul sweet and enjoyable when your life is good. their live show was just as charming...from their simple tunes to Fabrizio himself (albeit Fabrizio's performance limited to the maracas and beer in hand) Little Joy is a chill summer day with your friends.



the summer is here!

enjoy the music.

STAR LIGHT STAR BRIGHT: Glenn Miller

Star Light Star Bright is a new section of the L.A. Dog And Pony Show that brings light to an influential person/group to the art of Music.




whether you believe it or not you know some Glenn Miller. it's that big band tune thats the score to your happy go lucky morning when 101S/Highland Avenue were flowing, as you're about to enjoy your first cup of coffee only to realize a coworker has left a box of portos in the kitchen to share...or when you're on the receiving end of a wink and smile you'll hear Glenn Miller's music. during the age of the cola wars, nintendo, hypercolor and r&b/pop boy bands Big Band swing couldn't contend to the distraction of the time. nevertheless, i played the clarinet. however, not until after my formative years did i realize the power of the big band. According to wikipedia, "A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late 1940s" no wonder people were gung ho about the war and why America was "the victors" the soundtrack of the time was orchestrated by Glenn Miller. what do we have? autotune and samples? music inspires and motivates to be a better person. i suppose sex, drugs and rock n roll sell rather than the former.

GLENN MILLER

enjoy the music.

lyrics mashup of current playlist

"i've been waiting for a sign, i've been waiting for a sign to tell me where tell me where where i belong, wait they don't love you like i love you wait, they don't love you like i love you. well i'm just a poor little baby cause well i believe them all. fall in love with vanities. everythings gonna get lighter, even if it never gets better. oh simple thing where have you gone i'm getting old and i need something to rely on. my friends all agree give in to our defeat in secret we believe we're nothing, nothing, nothing that we need. you say that i'm the only one but will my heart be broken when the night meets the morning star. i've received a message just to live and let go but the past it tangles into everything i know. whatever makes you happy whatever you want whatever you want you think you're so special i wish that i was special. its really not bad not worse than you thought. so little time i've tried to understand that i'm trying to make a move just to stay in the game i try to stay awake and remember my name but everybody's changing and i don't feel the same. it hit me i got everything i need it hit me i got everything i need."

only until now did i realize that i have more than one playlist all of which have their different takes on life. the most recent playlist that i've compiled has songs i enjoy at this moment can it be an extension of my self? i suppose maybe or not really i don't want to believe but i can't deny it. from the following artists: yeah yeah yeahs, ingrid michaelson, the distillers, mates of state, keane, spinnerette, lily allen, invid, and amy winehouse.

enjoy the music.