The.xx.(L!VE).2012

The.xx.2012

@Music.Box.(Los Angeles, CA)

Monday.July.23rd

WOW, Its been how long since my last concert?  What a perfect show to kick off August's concerts.  As we all know, July is a slow month because everyone is in Europe for the festivals.  I almost forgot all about this concert.  My friend Zowie texted me and I came very close to buying a ticket to see Batman (which you gotta see to checkout Anne Hathaway as Cat Women, AWESUM!!!).  Thank God, she texted right in time or I would of missed (I wouldn't, if you know me) this show.  WHAT A SHOW IT WAS!

I arrived at the Music Box around 7:45pm and there was a huge line to get in and it was not moving fast enough.  Thank God for Zowie, she texted me and told me that she was in front with the tickets already.  N!CE.  We go in and we headed to the shirt stand.  From faraway, all I saw was the same shirts, until we got close and they had this really cool NEW shirt with the X embroider.  Inside the shirt had a screen printed X on it.  They are making there own shirts now...cool.  I got one and so did Zowie.

HAIM was the opening band (which I did not know) and I was so excited to see them.  I missed their free show at the California Plaza on Friday and the one on Thursday at Santa Monica pier.  Anyhow, they kicked...A$$!  They where good and they got me so excited that I wanted more.  For sure, another band to see in the future again.  The best part of there performance, was the mother dancing or was she pretending to play the drums?  Either way, she was cute.

The.xx hit the stage around 10:30pm and they opened up with their new single, "Angles".   From there, they played a couple of songs from the first album.  They kept it mellow until the middle of the show, where they preformed the new dance tracks that sounded so....FCVKn AWESOME!!!  The new album is going to be KICK A$$!.  

The crowd was perfect.  No drunks, no pushers or any kind on nonsense, it was just right.  Then there was that strange smell of shit.   Someone dragged that thing all the way into the venue.  I guess they didn't notice the smell when they stepped on it.  The shit was strong.  At first, I thought someone took a load in there pants.  Just imagine if they did...DAM.  

Back to The.xx, they killed it and they sounded so fresh.  They had a new X in the background that was 3 dimensional and was made out of plexiglass.  After they went off stage to do the encore, they filled up the X with white smoke.  Groovy.  After the encore, people stuck around and wanted more.  They thought they where gonna come back, but that was it.  What a GREAT show and what a GREAT band.  

\m/ - AWESUM!

Friends.(L!VE) @the.Echo

Friends.2012

@the.Echo.(Los Angeles, CA)

Tuesday.June.26.2012

It's been a tough week, but going through it very slowly.  I know that my little man is in pain and soon he will be up and running.  It just makes me sad to see him this way.  Get well little boy.  Love you.

I was going to go see 2:54 at the Troubadour tonight, but decided to give my ticket away.  I was not crazy about their album, 2:54.  So, I decided to see Friends instead.  Another band that is getting a lot of press as well.  I hope I made the right decision.

I walked in and this band called, "Splash", was up on the stage and there was no splash of any  kind. The band  was very cheesy and so where their outfits.  Samantha Urbani (Lead Singer of Friends) went up on stage to sing with Splash on there last song.  Was that Thomas Dolby and Jake Spears?

Friends went on and they where good.  Samantha would go into the crowd and personally dance with some people.  She would do that 80's dance where you swing your arms back and forth.  Samantha reminded me a little bit of Lisa Lisa and Shenna E.  It was the outfit she was wearing.  She was dressed in white with a shoulder padded jacket.  Groovy.  

The rest of the other band members had there own style.  Lesley Hann (vocal/guitar) was giving us, I am to cool for school look.  It sometimes felt like she didn't want to be there.  Maybe it was just for show.  The drummer decided to take his shirt off after the third song to show off his skinny rip body.  Yea baby!   

\m/ - ROCK ON!

BRETON.(L!VE) @the.Echo.(Los Angeles, CA)

Breton.2012

@the.Echo.(Los Angeles, CA)

Wednesday.May.9th

After Coachella, I was wiped out for awhile.  I missed a couple of bands (Chairlift, EXITMUSIC and Tanlines).  I never heard of Breton until I opened my weekly newsletter by NME.  They picked Breton album, Other People's Problems as a best of 2012 so far.  So I had to check out there music and liked what I was hearing.  Think of Foals gone electro-rock, but in a more abstract way.  I went to their website and they happen to be coming to Los Angeles at The Echo.  Perfect.  
I entered The Echo around 9:15pm and you may say, around twenty people where here tonight.   There was maybe 50 more after 10pm.   I was looking around to see the people and I happen to bump in to Zowie.  I always see her at almost every show I go to.  If you get a chance, checkout her radio show on Moheak.com on Tuesday's at 5pm. She plays the best in underground Indie music.  

More people started to show up after 10pm.  Give or take, 50 more.  Not bad.

Breton went on and they, K!LLED !T.  I just found my second BEST band of 2012 (TRUST is first).  They blew me away and they had great energy on stage.  I happen to met the tour manager.  She came up to me and asked "How did you hear about Breton?".  I told her, "on NME".   I told her, "what about you?".  "I am their tour manager" she said.  How cool was that?!  I was hoping she would invite me to the after party (that's if they had one) or something.  
Thirty minutes into the show, I was glued.  They sounded GREAT and had great chemistry with each other.  Every member in the band was interesting to watch.  They all had there own personality.  My eyes where bouncing around from member to member.  After the last song, I wanted more.  I am definitely going to see them again!  I went to the shirt stand and they had NO SHIRTS!!!  What?!?!?!?!    DAM!

\m/ - ROCK ON!!!

HOWLER (L!VE) @the.Echo.....

Howler.2012

@the.Echo.(Los Angeles, CA)

Friday.March.23rd

Before I stepped into the venue, I looked over to the band schedule and Howler does not go on until 11:30p.  FCVK.  It's 10:15pm and I can count, 50 people in here.  From all the rave reviews on NME, you would think this place would be packed and sold out.

First band was on when I came in and they where....The second band, I never heard before, The Static Jacks.  They kicked a$$.  So far from what I know about them, they are from New Jersey.  They had great chemistry and it looked like they where having the time of there life.  Did they say, they are gonna be in tour with The Wombats?  CONGRATs!!!  

I hope Howler does better because The Static Jacks pulled a great show.  Before I forget, I liked there stage set up.  They handmade some artwork that they painted over cardboard.  They where laid out on stage, leaning on PA's and other band equipments.  I really LIKED them.

Howler went on and they where good.  I mean, REALLY GOOD.  They did out shine The Static Jacks.  They had the crowd going, moving and boping.  I started to noticed  more people after The Static Jacks (I thought for a second, it was going to be a Viva Brother show).  Beside the couples around me making out non-stop during the show, one of the guy's had nasty BO.  Feel sorry for that girl that has to sleep with that.

Howler didn't have an encore and to me, they sounded better live then the album.  I have to take another listen to their debut album, America Give Up.  But over all, THEY ROCKED!!!

\m/ - Groovy.

Kaiser.Chiefs.(L!VE) @Solana.Beach...

Kaiser.Chiefs.2012

@Belly.Up.(Solana.Beach, SD)

Monday.March.20th

I think it was the 4th or 5th song into the set, they played, "Modern Way", (my favorite song from them).  I was ready to leave after that (just kidding).  It's been 7 years since the last time I saw at the Avalon.  Right after there debut release of Employment album and what a show it was.  I think they played Coachella the following year and I missed that show because of another band I wanted to see.  I bought tickets to see them last year, but something went wrong that they canceled ALL the shows in America.  

Kaiser Chiefs opened up with, "Every Day I Love You Less and Less"  (PERFECT) and after that,  it was hit after hit, "Ruby", "The Angry Mob", "Never Miss a Beat",  "I Predict a Riot",  "Na Na Na Na Naa", "Good Days and Bad Days" and so on.   Of course, Ricky Wilson (Lead Singer) was pure entertainment.  He was at the back of the venue singing, taking a shot and grabbing a drink to bring back on stage from the bar.  When ever you go see them live, you need to keep your eye on Ricky, because you will never know what he is gonna do.  

With all the great chemistry within the band...made this show, K!CK A$$!  I loved that they picked a Stone Roses song (just like Beady Eye last year) and it was, "I Am the Resurrection"!!!  Awesum!!!  I hope they come to America towards the end of the year or in the beginning of 2013,  or have them play Coachella in that same year.   I recently have been playing The Roses self titled album, The Stone Roses on a loop lately.  FCVK, the last time I saw them was in 1995 at the Hollywood Palladium.  

Ricky Wilson noticed a person in the crowd had pages on the band from Wikipedia.  What press person does that?  Someone fell asleep and not do the research earlier.  You can tell that Ricky Wilson did not like that.  He grabbed the papers, looked at them and shared it with the rest of the band.  They laughed at some of the stuff in there (guessing some stuff is not true).  He handed it back to the press person and called him a FCVK!  Perfect.

An hour and twenty minutes felt fast and short, but what a show.  Thanks Dianna (close friend) for coming with me to this show and I hope its not gonna take another 7 years to see them.

\m/ - K!CK A$$!!!

Balam.Arab.(L!V3) @le.poisson.rouge.(NYCity)

Balam.Acab.2011

@le.poisson.rouge.(NYCity)

Thursday.November.18.2011

le.poisson.rouge is a REALLY COOL place.  I always wanted to come here and now I have the opportunity.   

Once I stepped in, they where playing Depeche.Mode's Black Celebration album in it's entirety (this place just won my heart even more) and I saw some kids singing along and dancing.  Groovy.

le.poisson.rouge is by NYU on the famous Bleeker St.  It made me fill I was at some hip and edgy joint in Brooklyn.  There are still cool places in the city still, Awesome! 
The first band, True.Womanhood where really good.  They are a synth/rock band form DC.  At first I was not to crazy about them, but after the second song, they had me tapping my feet to some cool dance beats. 
The second band, Trust was really GOOD!  They had this really cool sound that threw me back to early industrial music when it was minimal and fresh.  Only two members in the band, a girl (synth) and a guy (vocals and programming).  Towards the end of there set, the girl decided to show some personality.  She had a cute little dance, but she stopped it very quickly.  Once I came home I looked them up and there was not much information about them.  All I know, they are from Canada.  

So far, LOVE what I am hearing tonight and lets see what Balam.Acab has in store because it's already 1:00am.
Balam.Acab went on, but they had just a little problem with the second song.  They are two members in the band and it's the same lineup as Trust, but a little different.  The girl is the singer and the guy programs and also sings, but...BOY, are they young!  They look 15 years old.   

Balam.Arab went on around 1:30am and after a couple of songs I was pretty much done.  They bored me.  I wanted to get wowed after two good bands, but I wasn't.  This is a Cold.Wave.  I am glad I came or I would never would of heard of True.Womanhood and Trust.

\m/  \m/  \m/  - Good