Tickets

Win Tickets to See The Postal Service at The Greek Theatre LA on July 23rd

 

Summer is truly upon us. That means it’s time for another ticket giveaway at one of my favorite venues,  The Greek Theatre!

The Postal Service is playing two shows at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles this month: July 23rd and 24th.

One lucky Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend reader will win a pair of tickets to see The Postal Service at The Greek Theatre LA  on Tuesday July 23rd.  Here’s what you need to know to enter:

  • The contest begins now and ends at 12:00am ET July 18, 2013 (9:00pm PT July 17th)
  • 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 July 18, 2013.  Winner will have 24 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
  • Transportation and accommodations not included

About The Postal Service:

The Postal Service 2013 anniversary tour is quite possibly the single most hotly anticipated reunion of the year, selling out theaters, clubs, amphitheaters and arenas the world over, including the Greek Theater in Berkeley and New York’s Barclays Center where second dates have been added by popular demand. Other upcoming dates that have completely sold out in advance now include Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver, London, Manchester, Detroit, Atlanta, Boise, Orlando, Kansas City, Columbus, and more sure to come.

The 10th anniversary dates reunite Postal Service principals Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello with Jenny Lewis, who appeared on the original 2003 album and tour. Lewis also sings on the two new songs on Give Up (Deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition). Laura Burhenn (Mynabirds, Bright Eyes) rounds out the 2013 touring lineup. Give Up was certified platinum last year just shy of 10 years from its original February 9, 2003 release. Led by the single ”Such Great Heights,” the landmark album is, after Nirvana’s Bleach, the second-biggest selling album in Sub Pop’s 25-year history.

About The Greek Theatre:

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 show, click here.

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

Thank you!

Colette

Win Tickets to See Andrew Bird and Sharon Van Etten at The Greek Theatre LA

Get Tickets Now!

In Los Angeles the weather doesn’t change much with the seasons. So how do we know when it’s summertime?  It’s concert season at The Greek Theatre.  Time for another ticket giveaway at one of my favorite venues.

One lucky Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend reader will win a pair of tickets to see Andrew Bird and Sharon Van Etten, at The Greek Theatre LA , Sunday August 12.  Here’s what you need to know to enter:

  • The contest begins now and ends at 11:59pm EST August 7, 2012
  • 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 August 8, 2012.  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
  • Transportation and accommodations not included

About Andrew Bird:

Andrew Bird

Andrew Bird (photo by: Cameron Wittig)

Chicago-based film score composer, multi-instrumentalist and lyricist Andrew Bird picked up his first violin at the age of four and spent his formative years soaking up classical repertoire completely by ear. As a teen Bird became interested in a variety of styles including early jazz, country blues and gypsy music, synthesizing them into his unique brand of pop. Since beginning his recording career in 1997 he has released 11 albums, his first solo record Weather Systems coming in 2003. Bird has gone on to record with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and perform at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Most recently Bird composed his first ever film score for the movie Norman (hailed as “a probing, thoughtful score” by The New York Times; available now on Mom + Pop), contributed to the soundtrack of The Muppets and collaborated with inventor Ian Schneller on Sonic Arboretum, an installation at New York’s Guggenheim Museum and Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art.

Bird is touring in support of his latest album, Break It Yourself. Produced by Bird, Break It Yourself was recorded at his barn in Western Illinois near the banks of the Mississippi River.

About Sharon Van Etten:

Sharon Van Etten

Sharon Van Etten

Over the course of releasing three full-length albums celebrated by fans and critics, alike – Because I Was In Love (Language of Stone; 2009), epic (Ba Da Bing; 2010), and now Tramp (Jagjaguwar, Feb. 2011), the Jersey-bred/Brooklyn-based Sharon Van Etten has affected a multitude of hearts and minds over the past couple of years. Tramp, a stunning album nuanced in a language of striking rock, minimal beauty, and pious strength, showcases an artist in full control of her powers. Over the last several years, Van Etten has opened the Pitchfork Music Festival, played Bonnaroo, Sasquatch, The Hollywood Bowl, Radio City Music Hall, sung on new albums by Beirut and Ed Askew, collaborated with Justin Vernon and Megafaun.

About The Greek Theatre:

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 show, click here.

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

Thank you!

Colette

Win Tickets to See Nikka Costa at The Luckman Fine Arts Complex

I’m so happy to be working with The Luckman Fine Arts Complex to bring more ticket giveaways your way! I saw India Arie at Luckman Fine Arts Complex last year and the experience was amazing.  It’s a beautiful venue with great sound, every seat is a good seat, and there are wonderful indoor and outdoor areas to gather and drink wine (or water) before the show.

Five lucky Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend readers will each win a pair of tickets to see Nikka Costa, at The Luckman Fine Arts Complex  on Saturday, May 12th.  Here’s what you need to know to enter:

  • The contest begins now and ends at 11:59pm EST May 9, 2012
  • 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 (5) will be selected by random.org and notified via email on May 10, 2012.  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 Luckman Fine Arts Complex on the evening of the show
  • Transportation and accommodations not included

About Nikka Costa:

Influenced by classic Motown artists, Nikka Costa has been at the forefront of the jazz, funk, and soul revivals. With roots in Japan, Australia, and Los Angeles, Nikka Costa combines jazz and blues melodies with her ferocious rock & roll vocal style. With a career spanning 30 years, Nikka Costa has collaborated with some of the best in the business including Mark Ronson, Adam Lambert, and Eric Clapton. With these collaborations, among many others, Costa has furthered her synthesis of funk, soul, and contemporary R&B. Costa will grace the Luckman stage and perform songs from her current release PRO*WHOA! along with hits including “Like a Feather” and “Push & Pull.”

Website: http://www.nikkacosta.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/officialnikka
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/officialnikka

About The Luckman Fine Arts Complex:

The Luckman Fine Arts Complex delivers cutting edge music, dance, and visual arts from around the world to the Los Angeles community. A professional arts entity on the campus of California State University, Los Angeles, located just five miles east of downtown.

Website: http://www.luckmanarts.org/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/luckmanfinearts
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/luckmanarts

What Now?

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

For more info and to buy tickets to this show or any other show at The Luckman Fine Arts Complex, click here.

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

Thank you!

Colette

Win Tickets To See Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros at The Greek Theatre (LA)

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros at Greek Theatre

I’m excited to kick off another series of ticket giveaways and fun Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend promotions with one of my favorite venues, The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.

One lucky Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend reader will each win a pair of tickets to see Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, at The Greek Theatre LA , this Friday, May 4th.  Here’s what you need to know to enter:

  • The contest begins now and ends at 11:59pm EST May 2, 2012
  • 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 May 3, 2012.  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
  • Transportation and accommodations not included

About Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros:

Contrary to the rumored explanations that abound like urban myths about one Los Angeles collective’s peculiar name, there is no ‘Edward Sharpe.’ Frontman Alex Ebert insists that the moniker is not an alter ego, that he’s not playing a character. So it is Alex Ebert leading the Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros concerts which are more aptly described as musical love-ins- rapturous, theatrical affairs where it is sometimes hard to discern between the musicians on stage (there are, give or take, 13 of them) and the fans in the crowd, all swaying and singing in a state of joyous euphoria. And it all revolves around impossibly magnetic lead singer Ebert, a madcap rock ‘n roll shaman leading his exuberant troupe through their beatific, intricately embellished psych-folk anthems.

Ebert quashes the rumors that Edward Sharpe is a role he plays by explaining that when it came time to name his new band- a collective of multi-talented musicians culled from his network of friends and acquaintances in LA- his own name, Alex Ebert, felt as though it had become lost. Though Ebert’s life and career had progressed, his own name was still mired in his past. It weighed him down with its associations to things from another life, among them his old band, dance-punk act Ima Robot. According to Ebert, choosing to adopt the new name was actually an avenue back toward himself, rather than an effort to become someone else.

Led by a newly motivated Ebert, he collective of musicians that would become Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros came together in a remarkably organic way- everyone seemed to coincidentally know one another or to be separated by only a few degrees. That natural dynamic quickly propelled them into a year-and-a-half long recording endeavor that bore the band’s breakout debut “Up From Below,” in which nearly all the current members participated. The recording session took place in the Laurel Canyon home studio of Nico Agliette, an old friend of Ebert’s who now plays guitar in the band and helmed production on the album (along with bassist Aaron Older and Ebert himself.) The communal writing and recording process, in stark contrast to Ebert’s prior M.O. of writing and recording demos while isolated in his apartment, had a profound, bonding effect on the group.

Three months into the recording session, the band took the stage at The Troubadour in their hometown of Los Angeles to play their first show. Something special happened during that virgin performance, and Ebert recalls feeling like the band was definitely on to something. Sure enough, just a few short years later, the initial buzz about Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros has risen to a fever pitch, carrying along with it the adoration of fans from around the world, and a steady showering of accolades from the press.

About The Greek Theatre:

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

Benefit Concert Thursday Feb 23: Telstar, Wires In The Walls, Little Red Lung, Kevin Bronson (Buzz Bands LA)

February 15, 2012
Los Angeles, CA

Please join Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend, Telstar, Wires In The Walls, Little Red Lung and Kevin Bronson, for a special benefit concert to support LA’s homeless population, Thursday, February 23rd at The Mint. All proceeds from the door will be donated to PATH (People Assisting The Homeless).

GET TICKETS NOW: http://www.themintla.com/show/detail/56568

Doors: 8:00pm
DJ Kevin Bronson (Buzz Bands LA): 8:00pm
Little Red Lung: 9:00pm
Wires In The Walls: 10:00pm
Telstar: 11:00pm

The Mint: 6010 WEST PICO BLVD. LOS ANGELES, CA 90035

The Inspiration: 
I was on a conference call while driving to a show in downtown Los Angeles, during an unseasonably cold December night. The show was taking place at a venue that was new to me, so I enlisted the help of my vehicle’s GPS to navigate.  “Turn left onto South Boyle” the GPS instructed. “Left onto Whittier Blvd” the digital voice continued.   “Guys – I’ve gotta go!” I interrupted our conference call and hung up abruptly. My GPS routed me directly through Los Angeles’s Skid Row, one of the largest populations of homeless people in the United States. It’s estimated that more than 4,000 people sleep on the streets of LA’s Skid Row every night.

I didn’t hang up the phone out of fear. I’ve walked through the area at night previously. I hung up the phone out of respect.  The content of the phone call was business. It was important.  Yet, my mind could not handle the juxtaposition of what I was seeing on the streets with the discussions about business ringing in my ears.  There was a van in front of me, driving exceptionally slow.  I watched people set up their tents. They have a system. People seem to be well aware of their individual role in the community.  During my drive, I witnessed how LA’s homeless population works together as a means to survive.  The slow-moving van in my path forced me to take it all in.  “Look at what’s happening here. . . This happens every night. . . You need to do something,” thoughts raced through my head. By the time I made my way through the area, I had witnessed a small city being built before my eyes.

Skid Row map

“What can I do, beyond what I’m already doing?” I pondered as I continued to make my way toward the venue.  I felt so blessed. . . and so responsible.  My life is exceptional. Everything and everyone I’m grateful for sparked in my mind, rapid-fire. I couldn’t keep up with my thoughts.  “I just turned up the heat in my car, on my way to a show, to have drinks with friends, and enjoy an amazing night of live music. I need to do something. . . ” So I called upon some of the friends who popped into my mind as I was giving thanks for all that I have and the people who contribute so greatly to my life.  “What do you think about doing a benefit concert, in support of LA’s homeless?” I asked.  One-by-one, and without hesitation, they agreed.

Also among those I gave thanks for that night is YOU.  We’ve shared live music experiences, anecdotes, and #overheard humor here, on Twitter, and YouTube.  Many of us have met in person and cultivated friendships that extend well beyond a “like” button. I would love to share this evening with you, my community, as we lend much-needed support to LA’s homeless community. Details about the artists, charity, and venue are below.  Tickets are available here:  http://www.themintla.com/show/detail/56568 Please share with your friends, invite them to join us. Thank you!

Kevin Bronson of Buzz Bands LA:
Kevin and I initially met several years ago at a Buffalo Tom show at The Troubadour. At the time, Kevin was an editor/writer at Los Angeles Times. He knew more about the music scene in Los Angeles than most people I had encountered up to that point. We  hung out long after the show ended, talking about music and bands including Mercury Rev, The Shins, and Beachwood Sparks. We’ve been friends ever since. Currently, Kevin heads up BUZZBANDS.LA, an independent website focused on music made and played in and around L.A., offering news, reviews, interviews and song downloads. Buzz Bands has become the go-to source for fans seeking what’s new and who’s cool. Kevin also hosts a weekly radio program on KCSN, Sundays 7pm – 8pm (Pacific Time).  If you want to know what’s happening in music before it happens, this is your guy.  It’s an honor to have Kevin DJ this event.

Wires In The Walls:

Wires In The Walls

Wires In The Walls

LA-based quintet Wires in the Walls explores a textured space between Americana, anthemic indie rock, austere post-punk, and pop. Since the band’s formation in 2009, they have played many of LA’s top venues and toured the east and west coasts, with their well-received 2010 EP “Call Signs” receiving local and national college radio play. Wires in the Walls takes a hands-on DIY attitude to their promotion, including the screen printing of all of their own merchandise. The band spent 2011 writing and recording their debut full-length album New Symmetry, released October 25, 2011. Wires in the Walls is: Warren Sroka (vocals/guitar – NYC), Nick Tracz (bass/vocals – upstate NY), Bryan King (drums/horns – Virginia), Dave Irelan (guitar/vocals – Oregon), & Dave Sicher (everything – Illinois).

“We’re really excited to be a part of this show for a such a good cause. Los Angeles as a whole has been super supportive of us and our music throughout our brief life as a band, and so it’s great to be able to give back in some small way to the larger community. Plus the lineup is fantastic, so it’s like a double-whammy of awesomeness.” Bryan King said when asked about Wires In The Walls’ participation in this event.

Telstar:

Telstar

They are among my favorite people in the world. Chris Unck, Eva Gardner, and Stew Heyduk (“Telstar”) have “official bios” and credits that include P!nk, Feist, Mars Volta, Butch Walker, and Veruca Salt. Why do I love Chris, Eva, and Stew? They are amazing, kind, supportive, brilliant artists, not constrained by convention. They have a way of simultaneously existing in the past, present, and future, like a living time machine. The energy and spirit of their live shows has been the highlight of nights full of highlights. They’re playful, funny, and experts in creating, as well as participating in, the party.  Chris and Eva are also talented visual artists and will be displaying some of their work during the event.

I’ve written quite a bit about their music and live shows, some of which lends insight into the people they are, but none of which can substitute for you experiencing Telstar yourself.

The Mint
It was during a show at The Mint in 1999 or 2000 that I decided I wanted to work “in music”. There were only 8 or 9 of us at the venue. As I watched an unknown musician play in a nearly empty room, I had a strong feeling he would go on to be quite successful. “If I could get paid to do this. . . to experience music, help support it, and tell people about it. . . ” I resigned from my movie studio job the following week. As soon as the musician finished his set, I approached the man who booked the venue at the time. “Who was that? You need to book him here again,” I said. “I would love to keep booking him, but he doesn’t draw (an audience),” the man responded. “What’s his name?” I pressed. “Jack Johnson,” he replied.

Needless to say, I have a long history with The Mint. It’s a wonderful venue, with a great team of people behind it.  You can enjoy a clear line of sight to the stage from nearly any point in the venue.  The bar is perfectly situated for optimal efficiency. They have great food.  I’ve seen artists including Frank Black, Ben Harper, Jackson Browne, Joan Osborne, and Tom Morello play The Mint.

What I love most about The Mint is the people who work there and their ongoing commitment to the community as a whole.  There’s a sense of Southern hospitality at The Mint.  If you’re there, you’re family.  As an organization, The Mint is dedicated to giving back to the community.  They’ve hosted numerous fundraisers and are generously opening their doors to us on Thursday, February 23rd as we come together to lend support to the homeless.

PATH (People Assisting The Homeless):
During the last six months of 2011, PATH helped 544 people in need move into permanent housing. PATH’s mission is “To break the cycle of homelessness by empowering people with the tools for self-sufficiency.” They do this by helping homeless individuals and families find work, save money, secure housing, and empower their lives. PATH provides numerous essential services to the homeless including counseling, legal advocacy, housing services, employment and outreach services. All proceeds from the door during our event will be donated to PATH. For more info about PATH, you may check out their fact sheet here: http://www.pathpartners.org/factsheet/files/Fact%20Sheet%20-%20PATH.pdf

Tickets are on-sale now:  http://www.themintla.com/show/detail/56568

I look forward to seeing you at the show!

Colette

[Updated: February 17, 2012]
We are pleased to announce an addition to our line up: Little Red Lung. “Why such high praise? Well, perhaps because vocalist/keyboardist Zoe-Ruth Erwin has seemingly been summoned from the collective wombs of Tori Amos, Amanda Palmer, and Florence Welch with as much artistic depth of her own to gain the type of devoted following each of those women have. Yet there’s something a bit more sinister about the musical magic this band conjures up, a seductive witchery of waltzes that would incite even the most devout crossbearer to do the devil dance. They’re brilliant. The band is releasing free tracks up until the release of their new album through Bandcamp. You need to download them all.”
– la-underground

Win Tickets To See Fitz And The Tantrums at Regency Ballroom [SF]

January 16, 2012

Fitz And The Tantrums

One Rock Is A Girl’s Best Friend reader will win a pair of tickets to see Fitz and The Tantrums at The Regency Ballroom in San Francisco on Thursday, January 26, 2012.

Here’s what you need to know to enter:

  • The contest begins now and ends at 12:01 am  EST January 21, 2012
  • 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 Fitz and The Tantrums on Twitter, tweet about the contest, like us on Facebook, and more. ENTER NOW
  • Winner (1) will be selected by random.org and notified via email on the morning of January 21, 2012. Winner 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 Regency Ballroom on the evening of the show. Photo ID will be required to pick up tickets
  • This is an all-ages event
  • Transportation and accommodations not included

About Fitz and The Tantrums:

In just a year or so, soulsters Fitz & the Tantrums went from the living room to the main stage. The recipe for meteoric success? Six killer musicians, five dapper suits, irresistible songs, some serendipity and one vintage organ.

Since their first show at Hollywood’s Hotel Café in December 2008, Fitz and co. have toured with Maroon 5, played to thousands at Colorado’s world famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre, shared the stage New Year’s Eve with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, and performed on KCRW’s esteemed show, Morning Becomes Eclectic, all this on the strength of their stellar five-song EP, Songs for a Breakup, Vol. 1.

For some bands, it takes a lifetime to build this success, but few performers deliver an unrestrained blast of soul-clapping, get-down-on-the-floor, moneymaker shakers like Fitz and the Tantrums. Now post-release of their debut full length, Pickin’ Up the Pieces, which has since earned them a 3 ½ star album review in ROLLING STONE, the troupe is poised to get down in dancehalls across the universe.

It all began when… [cue flashback sounds]

“I got a call from my ex-girlfriend,” Fitz explains, “And she said, ‘My neighbor is moving out in a hurry and has to sell everything. And, he has this organ…”

Fitz, the Svengali frontman of the crew, describes the find like the discovery of a compass, or that treasure map in Goonies, which undoubtedly leads to adventure. Not one to say no, Fitz called some piano movers, cashed in some favors, and seven hours later, the organ went from the curb to his living room. That night, Fitz stationed himself in front of that vintage instrument and wrote a blue-eyed soul anthem, “Breaking the Chains of Love.”

“Sometimes, the Music Gods just give it to you,” Fitz says.

The overflow of inspiration startled Fitz. He’d spent years in L.A.’s music industry, writing music and working in a studio with Beck producer, Mickey Petralia. But at those 88 keys, just seven hours after that organ dropped into his life, Fitz had finally found his voice.

“I’ve always been a singer,” Fitz says, “but with so much music, I felt that I was trying to push a square peg through a round hole. I was being not true to myself, and it never felt right until I wrote that song, and I sang like that. I thought, this feels so real, so natural.”

Fitz shared his vision with long-time friend and saxophonist, James King, who immediately connected with the sound. While the electric guitar drives rock, the saxophone takes center stage in soul, and that’s the way Fitz likes it. “We wanted to find a new vocabulary for the genre, I wanted to make a record without any guitars. Could we make a huge sound with out any guitars?”

A huge sound takes a huge studio–Motown had Studio A in Detroit, Philadelphia International had Sigma Studios, Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound was created in Hollywood’s legendary Gold Star Studios– but when it came time to capture the feeling and the soul of soul, Fitz knew of the perfect studio: his home.

There in the living room, he recorded Songs for a Breakup, Vol. 1, a burst of effervescent swingers and floor-stompers, infused with the energy of long forgotten songs. The infectious, rolling rhythms of “Breaking the Chains of Love,” immediately turns your head and actually get cemented in your brain, like a good pop song should.

The sound is familiar, but distinct. That’s what grabbed the attention of Maroon 5’s Adam Levine. Levine was getting a tattoo in New York when the tattoo artist told him he had to hear this new band he had discovered. After that one encounter, Levine personally invited Fitz and the Tantrums to join their tour.

Like the EP, Fitz recorded the full-length debut back at home, to bottle the lightning that struck in those first jam sessions. He now delves into more acerbic lyrical territory, going on the offensive against gold diggers on the exceptionally funky “MoneyGrabber,” and even gets political on the piano-banging, handclap-driven call to action, “Dear Mr. President.” “L.O.V.” is a jaunt through pop music history embarking with a groovy organ intro, meandering through juicy big band breakdowns and Fitz’s svelte croons, then carrying us away with flute outro. It’s a funk-filled plea to give love a chance. These powerful songs take the band’s energy up a notch, but like their energized performances, they never loose control.

Those blistering performances are now well-chronicled for adequate ubiquity, Last Call With Carson Daly nailing the money shot for “MoneyGrabber” at the band’s sold out show in November at LA’s El Rey Theatre featuring a sea of a thousand pogoing fans and a handful of F.A.T.T. gems rocked along with blue-eyed soul vet, Daryl Hall on the band’s spot on Live From Daryl’s House. Lest we forget, an omnipresent T-Mobile HTC ad that actually namechecks the band that, for the past several months, is impossible not to see if you’re watching even an hour’s worth of television. Oh, and there are the hot spots on Criminal Minds, Desperate Housewives and a great many more, not to mention a ton of success at radio for the aforementioned runaway “MoneyGrabber,” all with the promise of more to come.

In their sound and on the stage, Fitz and the Tantrums are nothing but professionals, and never less than classy. Enter the Tantrums, Fitz’s airtight ensemble keeping it real like it’s 1969. Funky drummer John Wicks is a Motown B-side aficionado and prolific session player, Jeremy Ruzumna manned the keyboards and was musical director for Macy Gray. James King backed De La Soul and bassist Joseph Karnes is a well sought after session player. Then there’s Noelle Scaggs, the powerful voice behind Fitz’s croons. Make no mistake, Scaggs is not just there for “doo-wops” and handclaps. She shimmies and flirts, she stokes the crowd and simmers them down, and she has no qualms about keeping Fitz in check. “She is not just a backup singer,” Fitz says, “We have repartee. Onstage, we’re Ike and Tina.”

There, on the stage, Fitz and the Tantrums are not just a band, they’re an explosion. Scaggs high steps it to the tight-as-hell rhythm section, while Fitz, cooler than cobalt, croons like the aforementioned Mr. Hall for a new generation. It’s obvious that this is no tryst for the band, this is a full-blown, head-over-heels love affair.

Website: http://fitzandthetantrums.com
iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/pickin-up-the-pieces/id410068807

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Thank you!

Colette