Residency Preview: Saint Motel's September Spaceland Residency

Saint Motel plays for free at Spaceland every Monday in September. I recommend coming out for their first show this coming Monday so you get to see The Jakes (and because Mondays are at a premium this month considering the dueling Leslie & The Badgers residency at the Echo).

Here are two SM videos to whet your appetite:






And a little promo ad they did for the residency:

Gangi at Spaceland (5/11/2009)

The second of Gangi's May residency at Spaceland. I went to this show expecting good things from Saint Motel and to be mildly fascinated by Gangi. My experience was almost exactly the opposite.

I was unimpressed with Saint Motel. I like their recorded output, but their live show didn't bring anything to the table. After their set I expected to stay for a couple Gangi songs and leave early.

Gangi, though, was a delight to see. They're simply a "cool" band. I really liked how they began most of their songs with various samples and then dove into more traditional indie rock territory, while the samples continued to loop. They played new tracks and old tracks, and I'm looking forward to hearing the new songs and seeing them perform again in the future.

My only regret: that I didn't see Gangi the Monday before, when Head Like a Kite opened.

W2G2 (What 2 Go 2): May 11 - 15

Not a bad week last week: intrigued (somewhat) by Edward Sharpe, invigorated by Local Natives, and engrossed (most of the time) by Iron & Wine.

So let's get to it.

Monday: Gangi residency at Spaceland. Gangi should be cool, but I'm mostly going so I can see Saint Motel.

Tuesday: Avi Buffalo residency at The Echo. I didn't make it to this last week, but I heard very good reviews.

Wednesday: I'll be in Chicago for work, which means I'll be very sad to miss the "Reggae Meets Africa" show at the Echoplex and Echo, featuring Fool's Gold. It sounds like a lot of fun:

• Upstairs in the Echo there will be 2 acts, Fools Gold—local Afrobeat heroes, and Extra Golden, Thrill Jockey recording artists who fuse a unique blend of Kenyan Benga music with American Rock. Downstairs in the Echoplex, the opening act will be Youssoupha Sidibe, a traditionally trained Kora player from Senegal whose music is a hybrid of African and Dub sounds, and the headliner will be Reggae legends The Meditations, one of the premier harmony trio vocal groups in roots music, who are still going strong with all original members. The audience will be able to walk between the 2 rooms all night, the Dub Club DJs will be spinning and it should make for a very memorable evening of music and culture. Description from the Echo's page.

• For a more traditional (albeit exceptional) local indie rock night, Downtown/Union, Seasons, and The Hectors play at Mr. T's Bowl in Highland Park. Excellent lineup.
  

Thursday: I'll be landing back at LAX at 9pm, so unless I get in early I'm not going anywhere. But . . .

• Afternoons, The Happy Hollows, and Warpaint play the Troubadour.
  

• Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros conclude their residency at The Regent. We Are the World opens. We Are the World are unquestionably something to see -- it's a very visual performance (visit their myspace page). But I would advise against seeing them at The Regent, where there appears to be no lighting besides plain white light. It's very possible that We Are the World will make sure that their visual needs are met, but I'm skeptical.

Friday: Amateurs EP Release Show at Spaceland with The World Record and Death to Anders. The Amateurs songs on their myspace are great and I love The World Record. This one's a must must see. CER Show of the Week.