LA Concert Listings: 8/29/11 - 9/4/11

UPDATES/EARLIER OMISSIONS ARE IN RED

Here's a scaled back version of my weekly picks. Not the greatest week overall (I think the FYF Fest is sucking up all the good bands), but some quality stuff every night.

Monday 8/29/11
[Pick of the Night]  Tapes 'n Tapes / Stone Darling / Willoughby @ The Satellite ($13) - Maybe the final Sunset Junction makeup show.
[Recommended] Unknown Mortal Orchestra / The Submarines / The newno2 @ Bardot (Free w/ RSVP)  - I saw Unknown Mortal Orchestra recently at the Satellite and they were pretty decent.
[Recommended]  Frank Fairfield @ Redwood 
Active Child / Man Miracle / Hot As Sun / Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground @ The Echo (Free)
The Ross Sea Party / The Smiles / The Hectors / La Font @ Silverlake Lounge (Free)

Tuesday 8/30/11
[Pick of the Night]  JJAMZ / The Damn Sons / Army Navy @ The Satellite ($10)- JJAMZ features members of Maroon 5, The Like, Rilo Kiley and Phantom Planet.
The Allah-Las / TRC / Big Search @ The Echo (Free)
Puddin' Tang / The Mouthbreathers @ The Smell($5)
Phillip Glass: Powaqqatsi @ Hollywood Bowl ($2 - $140) 
Tycho / Shigeto @ Echoplex ($12)
Fiction Family / Pawn Shop Kings / The Howls @ The Bootleg ($15)
Young Jeezy / Freddie Gibbs @ House of Blues Sunset ($35)- I do like Freddie Gibbs.

Wednesday 8/31/11
[Pick of the Night] Low End Theory: Free The Robots / Salva @ Airliner ($10) 
Hall of Fame / Russian Bones / The Ghost Pill @ The Satellite ($5)  
George Benson / DMS (George Duke / Marcus Miller / David Sanborn) @ Hollywood Bowl ($2 - $141) 
John Doe @ The Grammy Museum ($20)

Thursday 9/1/11
[Pick of the Night] Dawes / Sonny & the Sunsets @ Santa Monica Pier (Free) 
[Recommended] Geronimo Getty / Adeline & the Philistines @ Taix (Free)  - Geronimo Getty is Aaron Kyle's (from Le Switch) new band.
Janet Jackson @ Greek Theatre ($50 - $250) 
Young L / Mr. Muthafuckin Exquire / Skeme / The 87 Stick Up Kids @ The Echo ($8)

Friday 9/2/11
[Pick of the Night] Handsome Furs / Suuns / Talkdemonic @ The Echoplex ($17)
Glass Candy / Chromatics @ Los Globos ($12) - Interested to see if they start doing more shows at Club Los Globos. I heard the owners of El Cid bought it.  
You Am I / Terraplane Sun @ The Echo ($14)
Diego Garcia (of Elefant) @ Largo ($20)
The Human League / B-52's / The Fixx / Berlin @ Hollywood Bowl ($25 - $105) 
Men Without Hats / Gram Rabbit @ The Viper Room ($20)
Touche Amore / Dangers / Joyce Manor @ The Smell ($5)

Saturday 9/3/11
[Pick of the Week] FYF Fest: Descendents / Death From Above 1979 / Broken Social Scene / Explosions in the Sky / Guided By Voices / Cold War Kids / Girls / The Dead Milkmen / Cass McCombs / Olivia Tremor Control / Smith Westerns / Cults / Off! / Japandroids / No Age / Avi Buffalo / Twin Sister / Fool's Gold and more @ Los Angeles State Historic Park ($40)- Great lineup this year.
[Recommended] The Soft Pack / Bass Drum of Death / Youth Lagoon @ Bordello ($5) - Late show at 11:30 PM
[Recommended] City Stock: Geronimo Getty / Black Crystal Wolf Kids / Whiskey Saints / The Sexies @ Undisclosed Backyard in the Valley (Free w/ RSVP)

Sunday 9/4/11
[Pick of the Night]  The Sweet Hurt / Ry Cuming / Daniel Ahearn @ The Satellite ($8)
[Co-Pick of the Night]  The Dead Milkmen / Tijuana Panthers / Audacity @ Alex's Bar ($12) - Big Lizard In My Backyard was my jam in 7th Grade.
Death From Above 1979 / Funeral Party @ The Music Box ($23) - Tickets on sale Wednesday at Noon 
Mike Peters of the Alarm @ El Rey ($22)

Sunset Junction - Is It Happening or Not?

I apologize for the lack of posts. Things have been too crazy lately to focus on live music. One thing I've been trying to follow is the Sunset Junction saga. On Monday, Buzz Bands reported that the permits were denied. But today, the LA Times is reporting that the money has been found, and the show may go on.

This year's lineup is strong. I'd definitely like to see Charles Bradley, the Ladies of Motown, Butthole Surfers, 400 Blows, The Soft Pack, Buddy and Bobby Womack.

One thing you can't deny is that the (once) small neighborhood festival has become a huge source of controversy. And one thing that would probably clear up all the controversy is if the festival organizers opened up their books. That prospect seems unlikely, so we're left with speculation and back of the envelope calculations - so let's give it a shot (if anybody has any real figures they want to share, please add them to the comments)....

VERY ROUGH ESTIMATES  [If you think I'm way off base, please comment, but make it thoughtful - or at least funny]

Attendance: 40,000 per day x 2 days = 80,000 (source - Echo Park Patch - estimate range 30 - 50k per day); assume only 80% pay = 64,000 @ $20 average cost per person = $1,280,000
Booth Revenue: 200 booths with average cost of $650 (source - Sunset Junction application) = $130,000
Corporate Sponsorships: $150,000 (no source, but if they're not getting that much out of Miller, Rocco's, Chrysler, Monster Energy, KROQ, Jack FM, Sierra Mist, etc. then they should hire a Business Development person)
Alcohol/Drink Sales: A lot of people sneak drinks in, but you've got to assume with 80,000 people there, you should be able to get an average ticket of at least $5 = $400,000
Carnival Tickets/Sales/Games: I couldn't even begin to guess what this is, let's be conservative and say they pay $40,000 to be there and operate all the games/rides
Total Revenues: $2,000,000

Production Costs (stages/sound): Five stages @ $50,000 each = $250,000 [I haven't put on a live event since 1996, so I'm not really sure]
Talent Fees (bands): 6 @ $15,000 + 15 @ $5,000 + 25 @ $1,000 + 40 @ $250 = $200,000 [no clue - I tried to look at the stature of all the bands on the bill and estimate what they might get paid]
Labor: Security (the police roaming police are covered in city fees)  / Door / Sound guys / Stage hands = 5 stages @ 10 people @ $300 + 200 door/roamers/beer sales people @ $300 = $75,000
Marketing: A lot seems to be media sponsors, but posters, PR firms cost money = $50,000
Insurance: $100,000 [I honestly have no clue - the carnival operator and each of the booths has its own insurance]
Portable Restrooms/Fence: $100,000
Lawyers/Professional Fees: $25,000
City Fees: $141,000
Alcohol Costs: $100,000 (Sponsors likely give them a break, so a 25% cost seems possible)
Total Costs: $1,041,000

Total amount available for community projects: $959,000

Did you follow my logic? Am I waaaay off base? Did I forget something? Let me know. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Live Music Options: 8/8/11 - 8/14/11

Deerhunter Play the Wiltern on Tuesday



A few good shows this week.

Monday 8/8/11

[Pick of the Night] Robert Francis / Papa / Cave Country / Blair @ Bootleg (Free)

[Recommended] Active Child / Touche / Sleeping Bags / The Static Jacks @ The Echo (Free)

[Recommended] Stone Darling / Infantree / Whispering Pines @ The Satellite (Free)

The Ross Sea Party / A House For Lions / Spirit Vine / The Dead Ships @ Silverlake Lounge (Free)

Phish @ Hollywood Bowl

Caught a Ghost / Pollyn @ Bardot (Free w/RSVP)

Tuesday 8/9/11

[Pick of the Week] Deerhunter / Dunes / David Scott Stone @ The Wiltern ($27) – I still love that last album.   

[Recommended] Allah-Las / Farmer Dave Scher / The Tyde / Tomorrow’s Tulips @ The Echo (Free) – Good lineup and the price is definitely right.

Wet and Reckless / Various Cruelties @ The Satellite ($8)

The Wallburds / Loch & Key / Canoneers / Belize / Ansel / Black Kettle @ Echoplex ($8)

Dancing Heals / Saint John and the Revelations / NOW @ Silverlake Lounge ($8)

Matisyahu @ Grove of Anaheim

Wednesday 8/10/11

[Pick of the Night] Vetiver / Waters / CB Brand @ Troubadour ($15)

[Recommended] Blues Night: Robert Cray / Keb’ Mo’ / Mavis Staples @ Hollywood Bowl ($2 - $141) – Mavis Staples at the Satellite was one of the best shows of the year.

Sia @ The Wiltern ($34 - $47)

The Street and Babe Shadow / The Bixby Knolls @ The Satellite ($8)

Big Audio Dynamite / The Chain Gang of 1974 @  Club Nokia ($35 - $49)

Low End Theory: Daedelus @ Airliner ($10)

Jill Scott / Anthony Hamilton / Mint Condition / DJ Jazzy Jeff @ Gibson Amphitheatre ($80 - $201)  

Vans Warped Tour: Sum 41 / Against Me! / Less Than Jake / Relient K @ Cal State Dominguez Hills

Marcia Griffiths @ Echoplex ($10)

Forever Goldrush / Welldigger’s Banquet / Sons of August @ Silverlake Lounge ($8)

Thursday 8/11/11

[Pick of the Night] Incan Abraham / Tennis System / Flora and Fauna @ Bootleg ($7)

[Recommended] Robert Ellis @ Origami (Free) – 5:00 PM

Christina Perri / honeyhoney / Sarah Ault @ Troubadour (Sold Out)

Ellie Goulding / Bag Raiders @ The Wiltern ($34)  

STRFKR / Melted Toys @ El Rey ($18)

LA Font / The Dead Ships / Terraplane Sun @ The Echo ($5)

Noah Lit & Megafauna / Marcus Very Ordinary @ Pershing Square (Free)

Beatnik Jr. / Tapioca and the Flea / Basement Babies / Naked Kids @ Silverlake Lounge ($8)

Halloween Swim Team / Sisu / Morose @ 267 S. Main ($5)

Avi Isenberg / Naïve Thieves / Saint Sea Hat / Not An Airplane @ The Prospector In Long Beach ($5)

Big Audio Dynamite / The Chain Gang of 1974 @ Grove of Anaheim

STS9 @ House of Blues Sunset

Sole and the Skyrider Band / Busdriver @ The Roxy ($12)

Royal Crown Revue / Orgone / Ameera @ Santa Monica Pier (Free)

Friday 8/12/11

[Pick of the Night] The Decemberists / Wye Oak @ Greek Theatre ($33 - $43) – Make sure you get there early for Wye Oak.

[Recommended] Buck 65 / Jel (of Themselves) @ The Satellite ($15)

[Recommended] Robert Ellis @ McCabe’s ($15)

Eels / The Submarines @ El Rey ($30)  

Junip / Beware of Safety @ Bootleg ($20)

Rodrigo y Gabriela / Los Amigos Invisibles @ Hollywood Bowl ($16 - $168)

Natural Child / Liquor Store / The Double Negatives / Johnny O’Donnell @ Blue Star ($10)

Bob Schneider @ Troubadour ($20) -

Pulp Tribute Night: Love Grenades / Fonda @ The Echo ($8)

Nekromantix @ House of Blues Sunset

Saturday 8/13/11

[Pick of the Night] The Get Up Kids / The Henry Clay People @ The Satellite ($23)

Power of the Riff: Pentagram / Eyehategod / Winter / Pelican and many more @ The Echo & Echoplex ($35)

Pacific Festival: Snoop Dogg / Cut Copy / Steve Aoki / Calvin Harris / Ghostland Observatory / !!! / Black Lips / Phantogram / Toro Y Moi / Bag Raiders  and many more @ Oak Canyon Ranch ($75 - $175) – A couple of people I’d like to see in the lineup. I’ve heard Snoop’s pretty horrible about phoning it in these days.

Gipsy Kings @ Greek Theatre ($35 - $121)

Rodrigo y Gabriela / Los Amigos Invisibles @ Hollywood Bowl ($16 - $168)

The Cause / Atomic & the Shallow / Mothership / Shades of Truth @ Troubadour

Gold Soil / Rarebit / Anenon / Rom-Dos @ Bootleg ($10)

The Milk Carton Kids @ McCabe’s ($15)

Sunday 8/14/11

[Pick of the Night] Califone @ The Satellite ($12) – Really good band.

[Recommended] Roots Roadhouse: The Sadies / Old Man Markley / Mike Stinson / Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys / Eilen Jewell / Jesse Sykes & Phil Wandscher / Dawn Landes / Jackshit / Resavrant and many more @ The Echo and Echoplex ($18)

Snoop Dogg / Tank / New Boyz @ Club Nokia ($40 - $60)

Linda Perhacs @ Cinefamily

Gipsy Kings @ Greek Theatre ($35 - $121)

Dav Koz / Bobby Caldwell / Sheila E @ Hollywood Bowl ($16 - $144)

Chris Blackwell @ Grammy Museum ($25)



Recent Concert Announcements

Futurebirds Play the Satellite in September

The Music Box

10/17/11: The Naked and Famous / The Chain Gang of 1974 (now)

11/8/11: Mates of State / Generationals (now)

El Rey

9/4/11: Mike Peters of the Alarm (now)

10/28/11: The Boxer Rebellion / Canon Blue (now)

11/8/11: The Radio Dept. / Memoryhouse (now)

Nokia Theatre LA Live

9/25/11: Dream Theater / Trivium (now)

Fox Theater Pomona

10/16/11: Foster the People / Cults / Reptar (now)

Staples Center

9/24/11: Tony Bennett (Monday at 10 AM)

12/12/11: Jay-z / Kanye West (presale now, Monday at 10 AM)

Gibson Amphitheatre

10/23/11: Airborne Toxic Event (now)

Verizon Wireless

10/22/11: Social Distortion / Avett Brothers / Face to Face (now)

The Wiltern

10/14/11: Colbie Caillat / Andy Grammer (now)

11/12/11: Feist (now)

11/19/11: The Civil Wars / Mile Greene (now)

Troubadour

10/6/11: Kevin Devine / An Horse (Thursday at 1:00 PM)

10/24/11: Devin Townshend (Monday at 1:00 PM)

The Satellite [Ticketfly]

9/1/11: Wang Chung (now)

9/21/11: Futurebirds (now)

10/14/11: Gardens and Villas (now)

The Echo [Ticketweb]

10/9/11: Chad VanGaalen (now)

Echoplex [Ticketweb]

9/16/11: Surfer Blood / Wounded Lion (now)

9/30/11: Rebirth Brass Band (now)

10/13/11: Wild Beasts / Ema (now)

10/15/11: The Hold Steady (now)

10/24/11: Gold Panda (now)

Largo

10/4/11: Why?

107/11 – 10/8/11: Nick Lowe

10/29/11: Patton Oswalt

11/12/11: Jay Farrar

Grammy Museum

8/16/11: Nick Lowe (now)

8/17/11: Christopher Cross (now)