The Stone Foxes at The Viper Room

November 16, 2011
Los Angeles, CA

The Stone Foxes

The Stone Foxes

I like it when, upon finishing a conversation with a band, I realize I can’t actually write a thing they said.  Not that they said anything “taboo” – The Stone Foxes talk about what bands should talk about: music, playing shows, catching up on sleep in vans. . .  and drinking.

They’re not trying to sell you their latest “viral video” or a million dollar iPhone App that looks like it’s important, but means nothing.  They’re not trying to sell you anything.  The Stone Foxes are more interested in ordering pizza and reminiscing about last night’s sold-out show at The Independent.

I initially experienced The Stone Foxes this summer, at Outside Lands music festival.  As we entered the festival grounds that day, the energy radiating from the stage they were playing sucked us in.  We dropped plans to meet up with friends and stayed to watch The Stone Foxes instead.

Aaron Mort

Aaron Mort

Their show at The Viper Room tonight encapsulated everything I love about them.  They’ve obviously watched bands they admire perform.  They understand what it takes to move a crowd and they consider that.  They don’t come across as “expecting” anything.  They work for it.

Between songs The Stone Foxes may veer into lighthearted banter.  They’ll have what, on the surface, appear to be harmless, let-your-mind-relax-you’re-here-to-have-fun conversations.  Then, just when you fall for it, when you’re relaxed and laughing along – they’ll look up at you and start rocking. For real.

They’re not trying to “be” anything.  They’re a band, playing music, enjoying their time on stage.  They’re not trying to look too “pretty.”  I don’t get the sense they’re trying to prove anything.  It’s simply about the music. It’s refreshing.  It makes me trust them. The audience is authentic too.   “Are those real lighters??? You’re using real lighters! Those aren’t lighter Apps. . . That’s old school,” The Stone Foxes observed of their fans, with appreciation.

The Stone Foxes

The Stone Foxes

They’re “in it” for the right reasons – they love playing music.  They feel the weight of the long drive, but they’re not complaining.  Instead, they’re talking about being on stage, playing a great show, pushing through to a heightened level of energy, inspired by the crowd on the other side of the curtain.

Like their stage banter, The Stone Foxes’ music is serious, yet whimsical.  They’re seriously playing, but they do it so you can too.  It’s bluesy rock music you can bounce around to.  It’s rock and it’s fun.  It makes you feel like you can have it all.

It’s endearing watching Shannon Koehler play drums, with a big smile. . .  until you realize that, like a child, that smile is indicative of something noisy heading your way.  That epiphany hits you at the precise moment Koehler kicks it up ten notches.  You return the smile as if to say, “you fucker. . .  that was good.”

They seem happy.  Lately, so many musicians appear to be so pissed off.  Yeah, it’s hard.  And, you may never make a cent doing it.  People “less-talented” than you are climbing faster.  But do you love playing music or not? The Stone Foxes, setting out to prove nothing, made me believe that they love music, that they appreciate having the opportunity to be on stage, playing for us, and that they’re having fun doing it.

By the way, check out The Stone Foxes’ website, http://thestonefoxes.com. It does everything I want a band’s website to do. I can find everything I’m looking for, without having to search.  That’s what I like about their shows as well.

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Win Tickets to See The Stone Foxes at The Viper Room

November 12, 2011

The Stone Foxes

The Stone Foxes (photo by Rochelle Mort)

I used to discover a lot of great bands at music festivals.  Lately it seems they’re booking more mainstream, established bands, which is understandable because it helps deliver ticket sales.  Yet, I’ve really missed the days of discovering my new favorite bands at music festivals. Thankfully, one band changed that, with their appearance at Outside Lands Festival this year: The Stone Foxes.

We entered the festival on the afternoon of the second day, walking quickly to meet up with some friends.  The Stone Foxes stopped us in our tracks with their great songs, energetic and authentic performance.  We texted our friends the new meeting location: “The Stone Foxes at the Sutro stage.”  We’ve been talking about that show since August.

One lucky Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend reader will win a pair of tickets to see The Stone Foxes at The Viper Room in Los Angeles on November 16, 2011. Here’s what you need to know to enter:

  • The contest begins now and ends at 11:59pm EST November 15, 2011
  • TO ENTER: Visit Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend on Facebook
  • You will see there are several ways you can enter and you can get additional entries for each thing you choose to do. You can follow us, tweet about us, like us on Facebook, and more. ENTER NOW
  • Winner (1) will be selected by random.org and notified via email on the morning of November 16, 2011. Winner will have 5 hours to respond before a new winner is selected
  • Your tickets will be available for pick up at Will Call at The Viper Room on the evening of the show. Please bring photo ID.
  • You must be 21+ to attend this event
  • Transportation and accommodations not included

About The Stone Foxes:
Here’s an excerpt from their official bio: It’s not just great song writing, warm guitars, a nut-tight rhythm section, and the occasional blues harp riffs that make The Stone Foxes’ second album, Bears and Bulls, so good; the Bay Area band  consisting of brothers Shannon and Spence Koehler and  Aaron Mort have captured something else that makes the whole thing huge, and very, very cool.

 There’s a genuineness here that’s rare and refreshing, and it’s something that can’t be achieved simply by grabbing a couple of vintage axes and plugging into a stack of tube amps. Because while The Stone Foxes may be influenced by the greats of the late 60s and early 70s like The Band, Bob Dylan, and Led Zeppelin, they never sound like they’re trying to be anything but exactly who they are.  What makes the  The Stone Foxes so unique is their approach to making music.

 “We’ll never be a traditional studio band,” says Aaron. That makes perfect sense to anyone that’s been to one of their shows: it’s clear the Foxes care far more about performing their music for living, breathing human beings than an empty room filled with microphones.

The band has been on the road winning over audiences all over the west coast including a opening for the  Black Keys in Phoenix, and will continue on tour doing club and festival dates, including Wakarusa, Outside Lands, Deluna Fest, Jazz Aspen Snowmass Summer Series and The New Orleans Voodoo Experience. The band is writing and recording to support the upcoming summer dates on which fellow Bay Area musician, Elliot Peltzman is lending a hand on keys for the recording and tour.

The Stone Foxes’ new video for their song, “Psycho”, is comprised of fan-submitted footage, cut and edited by the band:

http://www.thestonefoxes.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thestonefoxes
https://twitter.com/#!/thestonefoxes

About The Viper Room:

The Viper Room

I have many fond memories of shows at The Viper Room, as well as some foggy ones (thanks to their strong drinks).

The Viper Room is a real rock venue. It’s located on The Sunset Strip, you can still chew gum there, it’s dark, the floor is sometimes sticky (quit spilling your drinks, people), the music is loud, and I’m certain I already mentioned the drinks are strong.

When you want to see a rock show in LA, The Viper Room is your venue.

What Now?

Well, if you haven’t already done so, ENTER TO WIN TICKETS NOW.

For more info about this show or The Viper Room click here.

If you have questions or comments, please leave them for me below.

Thank you!

Colette

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Filed under Ticket Giveaways, Tickets, Viper Room

The Dillinger Escape Plan: Get Ready To Lose Your Shit

November 1, 2011
The Wiltern, Los Angeles

Disclaimer: This Means Nothing to The Dillinger Escape Plan

The first time I saw The Dillinger Escape Plan play live was during Nine Inch Nails‘ set at Bonnaroo, June 2009.  If you’re going to share the stage with Nine Inch Nails, you need to know how to make people lose their shit.  That doesn’t mean jumping around maniacally and screaming, merely to put on a show.  While they do tear around the stage violently, The Dillinger Escape Plan knows that in order to make people “lose their shit,” you need to genuinely connect with them.  It doesn’t matter how much the band moves if they can’t move the crowd.

The next time I saw The Dillinger Escape Plan was during Nine Inch Nails’ final show, September 10, 2009, at The Wiltern.  Here’s the brilliance of The Dillinger Escape Plan: I remember them from those two shows and made it a priority to see them again.  I hadn’t experienced the band previously, I had no vested interest in them, I wasn’t a “fan”.  They more than held their own on stage with NIN.  The Dillinger Escape Plan added something to those shows.  Nine Inch Nails is arguably one of the best live bands ever.  It takes a lot to be additive to a Nine Inch Nails show, especially the final Nine Inch Nails shows.

2 years and hundreds of live show experiences later, I found myself at The Wiltern, once again seeing The Dillinger Escape Plan. This time, it was their set; they were playing their songs.  They didn’t have to win over potentially skeptical NIN fans.  They were playing to their fans and those of Mastodon, the band they were opening for.

The Dillinger Escape Plan gives you more than your money’s worth. You feel rewarded for buying the ticket, paying the exorbitant 60% service fees per ticket, standing in line, paying $5 for a 50-cent bottle of water.  Even if you don’t like their music, what The Dillinger Escape Plan does from start to finish is make people lose their shit.  There’s no ramp up to the show.  They come out full force and do not stop until they leave the stage.  Their entire set is performed at the energetic level of an encore.  At the end of the show, feeling like the band “paid” me, I bought a sweatshirt. That’s what you want – as an artist and a fan. The money, sure, but getting people to give a shit and therefore getting them to DO something – that’s the real pay off.

The Dillinger Escape Plan is raw.  Real. Authentic. In the moment. Rock climbing, skiing, mountain biking on the edge of cliffs – all things I’ve done – force you to be present.  When you’re truly experiencing life on the edge, anything other than what’s right in front of you disappears.  You are fully immersed in what’s happening, to the point where “beginning” and “end” dissipate. The only  remaining setting is “ON!”  That’s how The Dillinger Escape Plan plays.

Access to the pit at The Wiltern is generally GA, first-come, first-serve.  You exchange your ticket for a wristband and you’re in.  Once the pit hits capacity, you can stand on any one of several tiered levels (assuming you have a floor ticket).  The first tier crowd, above the pit, was going insane.  ”How come you guys aren’t down here?” Greg Puciato asked them.  ”Because of the tickets you have?? That’s ok, I’ll come to you.”

The Dillinger Escape Plan knows how to express their appreciation to their fans. Yes, it includes jumping over walls, walking on heads, and screaming in the faces of fans, but that’s what they came for.  And when the fans couldn’t get close enough, the band came to them.  ”I would stay out there the whole time – I just can’t do it,” Puciato added as he jumped off the hands and shoulders of fans, over the wheelchair access ramp and wall dividing the pit, returning to the stage.  When you see the videos below, you’ll understand why it’s not sustainable to play the entire show, balancing on a ledge, crowd surfing, and head walking.

That said, if they weren’t climbing in  the crowd, they were scaling the amps or somehow levitating above it all.  As ticket sales across the board continue to decline, it’s bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan who will endure.  They know how to connect with their fans. They know how to make people lose their shit.

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Win An Autographed Rise Against “Endgame” Promo CD

Rise Against

November 1, 2011

Two lucky Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend readers will win an Endgame promo CD, autographed by Rise Against!

Here’s what you need to know to enter:

  • The contest begins now and ends at 11:59pm EST November 7, 2011
  • TO ENTER: Visit Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend on Facebook
  • You will see there are several ways you can enter and you can get additional entries for each thing you choose to do. You can follow us, tweet about us, like us on Facebook, and more. ENTER NOW
  • You can get additional entries by Tweeting about the giveaway each day. Be sure to Tweet from within the giveaway form so that your entries are counted!
  • Winners (2) will be selected by random.org and notified via email on the morning of November 8, 2011. Winners will each have 24 hours to respond before a new winner is selected
  • Your autographed Rise Against CD will be shipped to you directly from Universal Music

About Rise Against:

Rise Against End Game

Rise Against: End Game

If you read the band’s bio, you will find that Tim McIlrath, bassist Joe Principe, drummer Brandon Barnes and guitarist Zach Blair infuse much care into the themes and messages in their music.

“It’s about a dangerous time in civilization, the end of life,” says vocalist/guitarist Tim McIlrath about Endgame, the band’s sixt full-length studio album. “What if the life that we’re living right now is this unsustainable bubble that cannot go on and perhaps does not deserve to go on? What if the world we created is a place that is so unnatural and ugly that it is a world that needs to come to an end, so that we could have a world that is better for everybody? It sounds very utopian, but it’s not about a perfect place, but maybe some of these things we’re doing, they need to come to an end.”

Rise Against are currently on tour in the UK, heading back to the US in early December.   The band has also scheduled some stops at local record stores so they can meet more fans:

Houston, TX
Saturday, December 3rd @ 5pm
Cactus Records
2110 Portsmouth
Houston, TX

Las Vegas, NV
Thursday, December 8th @ 5pm
Zia Records
4225 S. Eastern Ave
Las Vegas, NV

What Now?

Well, if you haven’t already done so, ENTER TO WIN NOW.

For more info about Rise Against click here.
http://itunes.com/riseagainst
http://www.facebook.com/riseagainst
http://twitter.com/riseagainst

If you have questions or comments, please leave them for me below.

Thank you!

Colette

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Fiona Apple at Largo

October 28, 2011
Los Angeles, CA

Largo

“I didn’t want it to end. I could have watched her for another 5 hours”

“It’s like being a fly on the wall”

“I’ve been to thousands of concerts in my lifetime and that was definitely among my Top 10″

“I’m going to need therapy to overcome this! I don’t know if I can ever feel this good again!”

The sounds of people expressing their appreciation as they filed out of the beautiful venue that is Largo echoed the voices in my head. Three of the top 5 shows I’ve seen this year have been Fiona Apple playing at Largo, on three different occasions.

As I experienced Fiona’s brilliant performance again tonight, I began to wonder: “Maybe those old-school record label execs are smarter than we’re giving them credit for – maybe they’re paying Fiona Apple to keep a low profile, so that she doesn’t raise the bar beyond their reach.”  That would be an intelligent strategy because Fiona Apple truly does just that.

Not only is her voice impeccable, her presence engaging, and her performance magnificent, she also seems to have a visible, direct connection to. . .  if you don’t believe in God, you will.  Throughout the show, Fiona seemed to be precisely responding to silent prayers of audience requests, having telepathic conversations with the musicians on stage, answering unspoken questions, and connecting with everyone individually, on a unique and profound level.  Calling it a “performance” does a great disservice as well because that insinuates it’s “put on.”   As it happens, Fiona Apple doesn’t “put on” a performance. She is the song.  They’re inseparable beings.

There’s something about Fiona Apple’s perspective, the way she engages with everyone and everything, that shows you the undeniable connection between everyone and everything.  As the drum she played was carefully carried off-stage, Fiona gently placed the drumsticks on the head of the drum, smiled, and gave them a little pat.  She didn’t say “thank you,” but that’s what was expressed.  Little distinction is made between sentient and non-sentient beings.  The common denominator is vibration: the language of music.

I know there’s more you want to know – all those questions you’ve had all these years, but this is all you need to know.

I dare you to see Fiona Apple at Largo.  It will spoil you.

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Win Tickets to See The Felice Brothers at The Satellite

October 24, 2011

One lucky Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend reader will win a pair of tickets to see The Felice Brothers at The Satellite in Los Angeles on October 28, 2011. Here’s what you need to know to enter:

  • The contest begins now and ends at 11:59pm EST October 27, 2011
  • TO ENTER: Visit Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend on Facebook
  • You will see there are several ways you can enter and you can get additional entries for each thing you choose to do. You can follow us, tweet about us, like us on Facebook, and more. ENTER NOW
  • Winner (1) will be selected by random.org and notified via email on the morning of October 28, 2011. Winner will have 5 hours to respond before a new winner is selected
  • Your tickets will be available for pick up at Will Call at The Satellite on the evening of the show. Please bring photo ID.
  • You must be 21+ to attend this event
  • Transportation and accommodations not included

About The Felice Brothers:

The Felice Brothers

“…what separates The Felices’ mud-stomping folk from that of their peers is their no-winking honesty – the sense that these songs and the places and people they’re singing about aren’t literary devices but actual people doing their damnedest to rage against the growing darkness.” – Filter Good Music Guide, 2009

Here’s what’s already known about The Felice Brothers: they are a close-knit band of two brothers and three longtime friends, all in their twenties.  They are self-taught, not one of them played an instrument prior to the band’s inception in 2006 when they started busking in New York City subway stations.  The Felice Brothers have released three full-length albums; their last, Yonder Is The Clock, on Team Love Records (2009).  The majority of their work was recorded in a converted chicken coop in upstate New York near their hometown of Palenville.  Esquire, Filter, The New York Times, NPR, Spin, Time Out New York, Uncut, and Under The Radar have praised them, among others.  They are on virtually constant tour in the States and overseas, and have performed at festivals including Bonnaroo, All Points West, Outside Lands, Langerado, and the Philadelphia Folk Festival.  Recognized for their live show, The Felice Brothers will play for their audience come hell or high water; the foremost example is their transcendent performance at the 2008 Newport Folk Festival, where they soldiered on, unplugged, in the rain, and barefoot in the mud after a lightning bolt shorted their stage’s power supply.

Here’s what might come as a surprise about The Felice Brothers: their new and fourth LP Celebration, Florida is an exhilarating amalgamation of frightening horn sections, unexpected 808s, ambient synth lines, schoolyard taunts, booming, primitive drum beats, heavy bass lines, piano, violin, accordion, ringing guitars, rave beats, and sinister acid jazz that captivates and mystifies.  Recorded in the gymnasium and theater of Beacon, NY’s old high school, the band explores a multitude of sounds and instrumentation throughout the expansive album.  It’s inspired, imaginative, heady, menacing, passionate, and rollicking.  Most importantly, it’s as steadfastly authentic as ever, expanding upon the dark, woozy undercurrent of ramshackle barroom blues, vaudevillian atmospherics, and surreal storytelling of their previous albums.  Under The Radar wrote in a review of Yonder Is The Clock that The Felice Brothers find “inspiration and freedom rather than constraints in the traditions of folk music.” Celebration, Florida revels in this inventive, outlaw spirit; it’s the sound of a band that knows its roots and knows where it’s growing.  It’s a group who just might expand the definition of Americana music along the way.

Celebration, Florida casts scenes of dreamy characters and stories interwoven like a block of primetime TV.  Among the tales: a young woman who sets off to find a secret paradise; a teenager who enters a boxing gym in Catskill, NY; a late night host recounting his rise to fame to his honeybee while traveling in a private jet; shady degenerates who get lost in a mystery concerning a Honda Civic; a young girl who crimps her hair and spies her dead father driving down the road; a Wall Street scandal hits a little too close to home; and even a trip through space to find long forgotten Hollywood parties and hopefully make it back there in time to walk down the red carpet.

The Felice Brothers are: Ian Felice, James Felice, Christmas, Greg Farley, and David Turbeville.
www.thefelicebrothers.com
www.fatpossum.com

About The Satellite:

The Satellite

The Satellite is one of the premiere music venues in Silverlake, located at: 1717 Silverlake Blvd,  Los Angeles, CA 90026

Pros: 2 bars, great view of the stage no matter where you’re standing, friendly staff, strong drinks. Did I mention 2 bars?

Cons: small.  But that’s not a bad thing if you like intimate shows like I do.  I’ve seen everyone from Zwan (Billy Corgan) to Foo Fighters to The Scissor Sisters here.  Well, actually the venue was called Spaceland at the time, but my point is: this place rocks.

What Now?

Well, if you haven’t already done so, ENTER TO WIN TICKETS NOW.

For more info about this show or The Satellite click here.

If you have questions or comments, please leave them for me below.

Thank you!

Colette

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Filed under The Satellite, Ticket Giveaways, Tickets

Win Tickets to See Beirut at Greek Theatre LA on October 4th

September 30, 2011

Two lucky Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend readers will each win a pair of tickets to see Beirut at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on Tuesday, October 4, 2011.

Here’s what you need to know to enter:

  • The contest begins now and ends at 11:59pm EST Sunday, October 2, 2011
  • TO ENTER: Visit Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend on Facebook
  • You will see there are several ways you can enter and you can get additional entries for each thing you choose to do. You can follow us, tweet about us, like us on Facebook, and more. ENTER NOW
  • Winners (2) will be selected by random.org and notified via email on the night of October 2nd, 2011. Winners will have 12 hours to respond before a new winner is selected
  • Your tickets will be available for pick up at Will Call at The Greek Theatre on the evening of the show. Please bring photo ID.
  • Transportation and accommodations not included

About Beirut:  Beirut is embarking on its first national tour in over four years in support of The Rip Tide, which came out August 30th on Pompeii Records. Beirut will make their Greek Theatre debut on October 4.

Joining Beirut leader Zach Condon (ukulele, trumpet, piano, vocals) on the road is Perrin Cloutier (accordion, piano), Paul Collins (electric bass, upright bass), Ben Lanz (trombone, piano, tuba), Nick Petree (drums), and Kelly Pratt (trumpet, euphonium). A six piece band who has consistently honed their live show throughout the band’s career, Beirut puts on an undeniably solid and confident performance and shows a singular band maturing both on record and in concert.

Few predicted the inward journey Condon has achieved on The Rip Tide. With songs that speak of universal human themes that are less fabricated stories than impressions of life at a quarter century of age, the album exposes a depth of honesty that outstrips the simplified nomadic troubadour image of his past. Hear album track, “East Harlem,” below.

Listen to Beirut’s “East Harlem” off of The Rip Tide here: http://soundcloud.com/revolver-usa/beirut-east-harlem

About The Greek Theatre:

Greek Theatre Los Angeles

For “official” information about The Greek Theatre, you can check out their website, but here’s my take: The Greek Theatre is one of my all-time favorite music venues. Start to finish, The Greek Theatre is an EXPERIENCE! You can get there early, picnic, and drink wine. If you don’t mind a walk, you can park on Vermont and enjoy the walk to and from the venue. If you’re reading Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend, chances are you’re not the type to leave the show early, so you can take the easy route and commit to the stacked parking option. The venue is beautiful, outdoors, surrounded by trees. The sound is impeccable. I’ve seen some of my favorite shows at The Greek and I’m very excited to share these opportunities with you.

What Now?

Well, if you haven’t already done so, ENTER TO WIN TICKETS NOW.

For more info about this show or Greek Theatre, click here.

To buy tickets to this or any other show at The Greek Theatre, click here.

If you have questions or comments, please leave them for me below.

Thank you!

Colette

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Filed under Greek Theater, Greek Theater LA, Ticket Giveaways, Tickets

Win Tickets to See Har Mar Superstar at The Satellite

September 22, 2011

One lucky Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend reader will win a pair of tickets to see Har Mar Superstar and IAmBlakeMiller at The Satellite in Los Angeles on September 24, 2011. Here’s what you need to know to enter:

  • The contest begins now and ends at 11:59pm EST September 23, 2011
  • TO ENTER: Visit Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend on Facebook
  • You will see there are several ways you can enter and you can get additional entries for each thing you choose to do. You can follow us, tweet about us, like us on Facebook, and more. ENTER NOW
  • Winner (1) will be selected by random.org and notified via email on the morning of September 24, 2011. Winner will have 5 hours to respond before a new winner is selected
  • Your tickets will be available for pick up at Will Call at The Satellite on the evening of the show. Please bring photo ID.
  • You must be 21+ to attend this event
  • Transportation and accommodations not included

About Har Mar Superstar:

Har Mar Superstar

Like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, Har Mar Superstar returns this fall with Dark Touches, his first album since 2004’s critically acclaimed The Handler. The new Har Mar retains his defiant sexiness and uncanny knack for irresistible R&B hooks, but fans his colorful wings in the spirit of inclusion. “Har Mar has always represented the most out-there and outrageous and in your face aspects of me,” says Sean Tillmann, the Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter and producer behind the Har Mar Superstar moniker. “I’ve gone through phases where there’s been angry Har Mar and different versions of this guy, but lately it’s all been this vibe that everyone’s included and everyone’s part of this thing, and you feel like you added something to it just by being there. It’s about me going out and getting as sweaty as possible, moving around as much as I can, and in a sense glamour-ing everybody for the night and making them feel better about themselves.” More at: http://harmarsuperstar.com/

About IAmBlakeMiller:

IAmBlakeMiller

Indie rocker meets broken robot.
Art weirdo meets disco slut.

Blake Miller has been the voice behind LA’s Moving Units, the brains behind Weird Science (feat Steve Aoki) and the balls behind Lies In Disguise (feat Le Castle Vania).

He’s played Coachella (twice), toured with rock legends (Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, Pixies and Blur) and DJed around the world (including Electric Daisy Carnival).

And, he’s garnered his share of notoriety in print (Rolling Stone, NME, AP and Nylon) and the blogosphere (Big Stereo, Palms Out Sounds, Discodust), to name a few.

His philosophy is simple:
“Life can be weird, complicated and beautiful. Music should be the same. Just dance, scream and fuck until it’s over.”

New Music will soon be on its way direct to fans through iamblakemiller.com and with a Dim Mak single (“Thunderwall”) in early 2012 and a full LP of new tracks to follow, it doesn’t look like he’s scheduled much time for sleep…

About The Satellite:

The Satellite

The Satellite is one of the premiere music venues in Silverlake, located at: 1717 Silverlake Blvd,  Los Angeles, CA 90026

Pros: 2 bars, great view of the stage no matter where you’re standing, friendly staff, strong drinks. Did I mention 2 bars?

Cons: small.  But that’s not a bad thing if you like intimate shows like I do.  I’ve seen everyone from Zwan (Billy Corgan) to Foo Fighters to The Scissor Sisters here.  Well, actually the venue was called Spaceland at the time, but my point is: this place rocks.

What Now?

Well, if you haven’t already done so, ENTER TO WIN TICKETS NOW.

For more info about this show or The Satellite click here.

If you have questions or comments, please leave them for me below.

Thank you!

Colette

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Filed under The Satellite, Ticket Giveaways, Tickets

Ben Harper, Jackson Browne, Joan Osborne and Tom Morello, at The Mint for Babette Ho Cancer Relief

September 19, 2011
The Mint, Los Angeles

Ben Harper & Friends Benefit For Babette Ho

Ben Harper played a special benefit show at The Mint in Los Angeles to raise cancer relief funds for Babette Ho, wife of legendary Dogtown and Z-Boys / Zephyr surfboard maker Jeff Ho.  Harper was joined by numerous special guests, including: Jackson Browne, Joan Osborne, Tom Morello, and Tal Wilkenfeld.

It was a brilliant night of music and community; an evening that cannot be summed up in words.  For now, here are some videos from the amazing benefit show last night.  I hope to add more insight later.  Then again, you kind of had to be there:

WATCH THIS:

Huge thanks to The Mint, Ben Harper, all the participating musicians, and the amazing community of fans who were there!

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Feist “Secret Show” at Del Monte Townhouse in Venice

September 2, 2011
The Del Monte Townhouse
Venice, CA

Feist Secret Show

Feist Secret Show

“Welcome people of the Internet! This is what the inside of the Internet looks like. . . ” Feist said pointing at the stage and band surrounding her. Feist knows the truth: there are no secrets on the Internet. As tweets about last night’s “secret show” at The Del Monte Townhouse in Venice began to circulate in the late afternoon, Feist initiated her own tweet: ”Anyone in Los Angeles will probably have a good time tonight if they can find this place by 10pm…”, along with a picture of the venue.

Feist debuted songs from her new album, Metals (available October 4, 2011) at the small venue which served as an illegal  speakeasy during the Prohibition. It doesn’t take long for word to get out on Twitter and by 9:45pm the room was packed, the venue and upstairs bar were at capacity, and a line of fans hoping to get in extended beyond sight.

When you see Feist, you know she’s doing exactly what she’s meant to be doing.  Everyone who was at this show (celebrities included) was a huge fan of Feist.  Many people inside the venue and even more people outside the venue were alerted about the show merely hours beforehand. They cancelled plans, they drove across town, they sat in traffic on a holiday weekend, waited for hours in line or at the bar.  Moreover, they’d waited years to see Feist play again. Inside the venue it was hot.  Not just temperature hot, stuffy hot.  If you were standing beyond 10 rows deep or were under 5’10″, chances are you couldn’t see.  The sound of the DJ upstairs interfered at times with the sound of Feist.  There were a lot of elements to overcome.  What impressed me the most, in addition to the music of course, was Feist’s ability to unify the audience.

Feist literally took the hot, uncomfortable audience on a journey to a place where they forgot about everything but the music. It was done with intention. You could feel it.  She kicked off the set with “A Commotion.”  It made a statement that imbibed: “Yes, it’s true. I’m here. You’re here. This is music. Let’s go.”  Upon bringing the audience to a place of complete presence,  she moved into some more “mellow” songs, joking, “It’s this new punk rock concept called a ballad.” People settled in, the talking in the back of the room began to fade away, we were on our way to another destination.   By the time Feist brought us to “Woe Be,” which offers words of wisdom and caution, with an edge of humor, about people who fall in love with songwriters, we arrived somewhere else.

“We’ve gone through the vortex and entered another dimension. You can feel it,” Feist exclaimed joyously.  The crowd cheered in unison and agreement.  ”Sea Lion Woman” set off a dance party that carried us through the remainder of the set.

“We’re only going to play a couple more songs for you,” Feist said, managing the crowd’s expectations.   “You know what they say about staying in another dimension too long.  Your face may begin to fade from the pictures, like in Back To The Future,” she continued.  ”I don’t want to be responsible for forever changing you,” she added, leading into “Comfort Me.”

Female folk trio, Mountain Man, harmonized and played a variety of instruments that added greater depth of atmosphere and playfulness to the set. They, along with Feist and the entire band, provided the fuel that carried us through the vortex and back.

By the time the show ended, “Feist” was a trending topic on Twitter in LA. Fitting, given her intro, and the fans’ entrance, to the show.

Video cannot replace the live show. It doesn’t replicate it. It simply serves as foreplay so you’re ready for Feist when she tours this fall:

Set list:

Feist set list

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