Who’s In Town!? Not to Miss Shows In… OC!

Reel Big Fish - photo courtesy rebelnoise.com

By Kristina Tassio

Ahh, the fresh smell of Fall. Summer ending doesn’t mean the fun has stopped! Quite the contrary! Prove it to yourself by hitting up some of these shows!:

16 September - A.A. Bondy @ The Detroit Bar (Costa Mesa) 21+

18 September - Reel Big Fish (End of the Locally Grown Series!) @ The Grove of Anaheim

18 September - Nekromantix @ The Glass House (Pomona)

22 September - Riverboat Gamblers @ Alex’s Bar (Long Beach)

24 September - Voodoo Glow Skulls @ Alex’s Bar (Long Beach)

28 September - Jimmy Eat World @ The Fox Theater (Pomona)

Be sure to follow @BandsinOC on twitter to keep up with giveaways and shows in our area!

Tagged: Los Angeles, Orange County, Recommendation, Upcoming Concerts, submission, .

Live: FYF Fest 2010!

Best Coast @ FYF Fest 2010; picture courtesy Nicole Trimillos

By Kristina Tassio

Labor Day weekend in LA can get hot, really hot, and at Los Angeles State Historic Park this past Saturday, it was. Despite the heat, tons of people showed up to brave the heat, 45-minute waits-in-lines for water, bathrooms and booze, to enjoy one of the best lineups for a festival show ever. One of the best things about the lineup is that it’s so much like a mix tape: there were ups, downs, quiet parts, loud parts, mellow parts and chaotic parts and they were all timed perfectly. Here are some of my favorite parts:

Best Coast (pictured above) seemingly brought a breeze to overheated fans with their easy, breezy, bittersweet surf-rock. Simple, but fun and totally worth the heat.

AA Bondy played beautiful, winding songs that made you want to snuggle close to someone you love and slow dance the afternoon away.

Local Natives brought the sing-alongs with their descriptive lyrics and dance-worthy grooves.

Fans endured the most unshaded, dusty spot in the park to get a taste of the awesomeness that is old school punk rockers, 7 Seconds. While being the oldest of bands (we definitely don’t mind) to perform that day, they put forth the most energetic and adrenaline-inducing set all day.

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti put on a mind bending, hallucinogenic set, providing the experience without needing the means to an altered perspective.

Dead Man’s Bones performed their ghoulish doo-wop with their ever-popular children’s choir, Saturday they were called Warm Glass of Milk. Playing a few new songs and including a costume contest for the kids, who dressed as deceased fictional and historical characters, in which the prize was a trophy and the chance to smash a guitar on stage, the band put forth a most enjoyable set despite fangirls screaming obscenities at Ryan Gosling.

All in all, the day was fun and jam-packed. Hopefully, the organizers can get the water and bathrooms situation figured out by next year, so the fest will be the best.

Keep following @BandsinOC and @bandsin_LA for more awesome shows and news!

Tagged: Going Local, Los Angeles, Orange County, submission, .

Who’s In Town?! Not to Miss Gigs in…LA!

by Devon Maloney, photo via Timeout Chicago

FINALLY. Summer is here, Independence Day is just around the corner, and the shizz is hitting the fan in the best way possible. With the kebabs on the grill and the floating chairs inflated again, all the best bands are sweating in their overheated tour vans, just to bring their latest and greatest to one of the best cities in the WORLD—L.A., TRICK! Here are some of our top picks for July:

1 July - Dum Dum Girls @ the Echo

19-20 July - The Dodos @ the Music Box (Henry Fonda)

23 July - Delta Spirit @ the El Rey

23 July - The Avett Brothers @ UCLA Tennis Center

24 July - The Spinto Band @ Spaceland

27 July - Phosphorescent @ the Troubadour

28 July - Laura Marling @ the El Rey

29 July - Here We Go Magic @ the Troubadour

31 July - Joanna Newsom @ the Orpheum

Honorable Mentions:

9 July - Yes @ the Greek

12 July - Built to Spill @ the Hollywood Bowl

21 July - Rihanna @ Staples Center

For more of the ZILLION shows going on in July (we swear, there are a zillion, maybe even a gajillion), go to  Bandsintown.com and check out your concert cloud! And keep following the blog and @bandsin_LA on Twitter for more recommendations throughout the month!

Tagged: recommendation, los angeles, .

Video: Josh Ritter @ the Music Box in Hollywood, 6/23

Josh Ritter’s “Lillith, Egypt” from devon maloney on Vimeo.

by Devon Maloney

JOSH RITTER performed at—nay, transformed—the Henry Fonda Music Box in Hollywood last night. Supported by the sensationally talented bluegrass/roots trio theCarolina Chocolate Drops, Ritter captivated the audience with his near-constant grinning and his two-hour set of narrative foot-stompers and simple lullabies. His performance was punctuated with short anecdotes that “[had] nothing to do with this next song,” and then, toward the end of the night, Ritter asked for all the lights in the entire house to be turned off. He stepped away from the microphone, unplugged his acoustic guitar, and played “In the Dark,” while the entire crowd sang along, some even adding harmonies. By the end of the night, it would have been impossible for him to get away with NOT playing the three-song encore his fans demanded.

Here, he and his five-piece band of snappy-suited gentlemen play “Lillian, Egypt.” It’s clear by both the movement of the cameraperson (me) and the animation of the artist himself that this was not a show at which one was encouraged to stand still.

Be sure to check out Josh Ritter (and the Carolina Chocolate Drops, who are simply not to be missed!) when he comes to your town!

Tagged: los angeles, concerts, josh ritter, reviews, .

Who’s In Town?! Not to Miss Gigs in…LA!

by Devon Maloney

Hoo-ee. Summer is almost here, and I’d be willing to bet that your concert calendar is proof of that. Since June is such a doozy for shows, we’ve got a Top 10 this time. Be sure to snag your seats soon, because many of these are sure to sell out right quick!

Here’s what’s what in the Angels this month:

6/3 - Why? @ the Glass House (Pomona)

6/4 - Local Natives @ the Troubadour (SOLD OUT)

6/5 - the xx @ the Henry Ford Music Box

6/6 - the xx @ the Wiltern

6/8 - Grace Potter & the Nocturnals @ the Roxy - choose wisely!

6/8 - Delta Spirit, Ezra Furman & the Harpoons @ Belly Up Tavern (Solana, CA) - choose wisely!

6/15 - Woods, Real Estate @ the Echoplex

6/20 - Yeasayer @ the Hollywood Bowl

6/22 - Stars @ the Troubadour

6/29 - Blitzen Trapper @ the El Rey Theatre

Don’t forget to drop by once in awhile to check up on the new goods that will be coming your way this summer. And remember to follow @bandsin_LA for more concert updates in Lala-land!

Tagged: los angeles, la, not to miss, .