This was the Amateurs release show for their new EP, If We Dare Win.
I got to see about half of (now CER endorsed) Death to Anders' opening set, and it was a good one. They played like a band with a lot of experience and they sounded great. It was too bad so few people were at Spaceland early enough. I hope to see them again soon. During their set I was racking my brain to figure out who singer/guitarist Rob Danson's vocal stylings reminded me of, especially when he screamed. It was Goldfinger's John Feldmann. Maybe I'm onto something . . .
The World Record, a CER favorite, was up next. Their set this night did not match their impressive set at Spaceland in April closing for The Henry Clay People. It also seemed like the sound was off a bit, and the crowd wasn't as energized as they are after a THCP set. But it's good to see them playing shows and gaining a following.
The Amateurs played a pretty good set. At bottom, any band with a full time trumpet player is all right by me (especially when it's not a ska band). The band opened with "Chain Reaction" and played both old tracks and the other two tracks on the new EP. Fun, but I got tired and left early.
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 . . .
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.
I had been trying to see a Castledoor set since December, but something always got in the way. I arrived too late for their sets at the Sweater Festival and Check One Twosday, and couldn't get myself out the door for their show at the Echo in March or at Bordello in February. But I got to make up for that by seeing them twice last week in two very different settings: at their Shouting at Mountains record release show on Tuesday at Echoplex and then a last-minute show at Temporary Spaces in Hollywood on Friday. Needless to say, I'm a fan and really looking forward to their June residency at Spaceland.
Record Release Show
This show lined up three of the most likeable bands in LA, if you combined stage presence/personality with the accessibility of their music: Princeton, Castledoor, and the Parson Red Heads.
I arrived at the Echoplex a little later than I wanted to. I was greeted at the door by a surprising list of set times: Castledoor was playing before the Parson Red Heads. I was still there early enough, but I would have expected the reverse. The Echoplex was a nice change of pace after seven straight shows at Spaceland. There was a lot of space and places to sit between sets.
I was able to see about 20 minutes of Princeton's set. I'm a big fan of their EP, which contains the only four songs they've ever released. I'm a bit skeptical of their new songs, though, especially the ones where one of the twins sings in a low monotone. I also wish they would play with their string section more often; of the three times I've seen them, only once have they had strings. The strings sound significantly better than the keyboard replacement.
And then I finally got to see a full Castledoor set. The band came out and I'm guessing most people were surprised that singer Nate Cole had dyed his hair platinum blond. Most of the songs they played were from the new album, but they also threw in "Magnetic Forces" and fan favorite "Dumpster Diving" from their first EP. I stood towards the back of the floor, right in front of the sound booth. But even though I was that far back Castledoor's energetic live performance was still able to reach me, although undoubtedly not as much as if I had been closer. Overall I was impressed with Nate's energy and the emotion with which he sings and performs.
Here's a video of "Across the Border"
And here's a video I found on YouTube of Nate introducing "Fifth Tambourine" by passing out a box with 60 tambourines in it.
The Parson Red Heads closed the show. I like them and they perform really well, but I wasn't too interested that night; I wanted something with a little more edge. I decided it was time to leave when after each song I kept hoping that for the next one they'd break into a World Record song.
Temporary Spaces Show Last Friday Castledoor tweeted about a free show at Temporary Spaces that night in Hollywood. I had no plans, so I decided to check it out.
Temporary Spaces is a cool small club. It's about half to three-quarters the size of the Silverlake Lounge, and was a nice change from the relatively large Echoplex. Castledoor opened with "Fifth Tambourine" and kept me smiling for the duration of their set. I love watching bands who act like they're really happy to be there, and Castledoor fits that description.
Ran into Evan from Steel Train outside Spaceland. They're almost done recording their album and will be on tour after that, with California shows in late May.
Ben Hoste screen printed the HCP residency poster and is selling them at the shows.
I really like The World Record. Besides the songs, I especially liked how they started their midnight set 10 minutes early.
No line this time, but I did get there 45 minutes earlier than last week.
Last night was my 25th show of 2009, not including SXSW. How did that happen.
Saturday: Ra Ra Riot brings along talented openers as they always do. Cut Off Your Heads (from New Zealand) and Telekinesis (recent Merge Records signees) open for them at the El Rey. I haven't listened to enough of either band, but they both sound promising.
To quiet the dimly audible complaints of those Angelenos who have, in choosing locations for themselves, found the ocean so attractive, yet who feel so keenly the lonely distance between themselves and the venues in which we normally perform, the balance of which hunker stubbornly in the cruel East, we offer the following:
AC Indie, Night 1 Sunday, March 1st at The Air-Conditioned Supper Club 625 Lincoln Blvd Venice, CA 90291
Went to the Silverlake Lounge to see the Local Natives on December 8, 2008 and fell into the local LA scene. Started my blog on February 21, 2009 to keep track of it all.
ChanceEncounterRecords@gmail.com
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