Live Music Options: 1/25/10 - 1/31/10

Citay Play the Echoplex on Thursday (with the Fruit Bats!)

Monday 1/25/10
[Pick of the Night] The French Semester / Team Abraham / Le Switch / Wonderground @ The Echo (Free) – The French Semester are doing the free Monday night residency in January. Get there by 10 PM to see Le Switch (one of my favorite local bands). They’re now a bit more rockin’ as a quartet.
[Recommended] Girls @ Detroit Bar ($12) – Great chance to see one of the Coachella bands in a more intimate setting (if you’re willing to make the drive to Costa Mesa).
[Recommended] Year Long Disaster / Dirty Sweet / Karma to Burn / Dead Meat @ Spaceland (Free) – Hard rock takes over Spaceland as Year Long Disaster is doing this month’s Monday night residency. The band features Daniel Davies (son of Dave Davies from the Kinks). The last night of the residency.
[Recommended] Frank Fairfield @ Redwood Bar
[Recommended] The Pee-wee Herman Show @ Club Nokia ($30 - $125)
[Recommended] Sarah Silverman / Aziz Ansari @ Largo (Sold Out) – Benefit for Haiti
The Northstar Session / Whispering Pines / Sally Jaye @ Bootleg (Free)
The Steelwells / Dusty Rhodes and the River Band / Mississippi Man / Eugene and the 1914 @ Silverlake Lounge (Free)
Talibam! / Vaginals / David Scott Stone @ Echo Curio
Warm Streams / Cockwind / Stress Ape / Hot Topic / Kill Kill Kill @ Pehrspace
Oren Lavie @ Hotel Café

Tuesday 1/26/10
[Pick of the Night] Olin and the Moon / The Henry Clay People @ The Echo (Free) – Can’t beat a free chance to see The Henry Clay People. The last night of Olin and the Moon’s Tuesday night residency.
[Recommended] Jenny Lewis and Friends Benefit for Haiti @ Largo ($40) – Azure Ray, Jonathan Rice, Morgan Nagler, Becky Stark and Jason Boesel are some of the friends.
[Recommended] The Pee-wee Herman Show @ Club Nokia ($30 - $125)
Summer Darling / By Sunlight / Vanaprasta / Shiloe @ Spaceland ($7)
The Union Line / Voxhaul Broadcast / We Barbarians @ Bootleg ($10)
The Cribs / Jemina Pearl @ The Glass House ($15)
Giant Ships / Cydney Robinson @ Silverlake Lounge ($7)
Mateo @ Hotel Café
Guns N’ Broses / Stress Ape / I.E. @ The Smell ($5)
Nick Jonas & the Administration / Diane Birch @ the Wiltern ($40 - $50)

Wednesday 1/27/10
[Pick of the Night] Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band / The Donkeys @ The Echo ($10) – Catch Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band before they head out on the Warped Tour this summer. I like some of the Donkeys stuff I’ve heard. MP3: The Donkey’s “Walk Through a Cloud”
[Recommended] The Pee-wee Herman Show @ Club Nokia ($30 - $125)
Sisu / Asbury / Twilight Sleep @ Spaceland ($5)
The Airborne Toxic Event / Aushua @ Troubadour (Sold Out) -
Nick Jonas & the Administration / Diane Birch @ the Wiltern ($40 - $50)
Kissing Cousins / By Sunlight / Ryan Harrison / Daniel Ahearn @ Echo Curio
Low End Theory Club: Nalepa Dub Orchestra / Virtual Boy / St. Andrew / Fuzz @ Airliner ($10)
Silent Star / The Wallburds / Hotel St. George @ Silverlake Lounge ($8)
Michael Runion / Jason Boesel / Z Berg / JJamz @ Bootleg ($10)
Lucy Schwartz / Chris Pureka @ Hotel Café
Royal Crown Revue @ the Mint ($15)

Thursday 1/28/10
[Pick of the Week] Fruit Bats / Citay / Extra Classic @ Echoplex ($15) – I’m really into both the Fruit Bats (MP3: The Ruminant Band) and Citay (MP3: Careful with That Hat)
[Recommended] The Parson Red Heads / The Chapin Sisters / Social Studies / All Spots to Black @ The Echo ($7) – Good lineup.
[Recommended] The Pee-wee Herman Show @ Club Nokia ($30 - $125) – Good night to go see the return of Pee-wee.
Mos Def @ the Key Club ($20) – The Key Club is opening back up.
Wayne Hancock @ Amoeba (Fre) – 6:30 PM
The Mother Hips / Travel By Sea @ Hotel Café
Abe Vigoda / Silk Flowers / Bronze / Tearist @ The Smell ($5)
Fishtank Ensemble / Diego’s Umbrella / Jessica Fichot @ Spaceland ($7)
Broken Lizard Live @ El Rey ($17) – An early and a late show
Nick Jonas & the Administration / Diane Birch @ the Wiltern ($40 - $50)
Chris Thile and Friends @ Largo ($25)
Mick Fleetwood Blues Band featuring Rick Vito @ House of Blues Sunset (call)
Jason Webley / Eliza Rickman @ Echo Curio
Jason Diaz / Wade Ryff / Zmed Brothers / Peppermint Wolf @ Silverlake Lounge ($8)
Death Kit / Yours Til Death / The Half-Hearted @ Bordello ($5)
Wayne “The Train” Hancock @ The Mint ($15)
Four Year Strong @ Troubadour ($15)
HoneyHoney @ Viper Room ($10)

Friday 1/29/10
[Pick of the Night] The Pee-wee Herman Show @ Club Nokia ($30 - $125) – Most people are really enjoying the show (especially fans of the TV show).
LL Cool J @ Key Club ($30)
Chris Cornell @ Troubadour (Sold Out)
Timbaland Presents Shock Value II Tour with The Fray & The Honor Society @ House of Blues Sunset ($37.50)
Nick Jonas & the Administration / Diane Birch @ the Wiltern ($40 - $50)
John Doe & the Sadies / CC Adcock / Jace Everett @ Echoplex ($12)
Polysics / Sabrosa Purr @ The Roxy ($15)
The Tender Box / Satellite Crush @ The Echo ($5)
VV Brown / Reni Lane / Love Grenades / Scott Simons @ Spaceland ($10)
Greg Proops Chat Show @ Largo ($25) – With Chris Thile and Kathleen Madigan
Andy Clockwise / Nneka @ Hotel Café
The Adolescents / Riverboat Gamblers / John Doe @ Alex’s Bar ($15)
GPKISM / Seileen @ Bootleg ($20)
Herb Alpert and Lani Hall @ Walt Disney Concert Hall ($38 - $99)
Bowling for Soup @ El Rey ($20)
Boomsnake / Slang Chicken / Superhumanoid @ Echo Curio
Janiva Magness @ McCabe’s ($15)
Figurine / Psychic Powers / Suzanne Kraft @ Pehrspace
My Name Is Dalloway / Magic Fingers @ The Smell ($5)
Tim Reynolds & TR3 @ the Mint ($20)
Thee Makeout Party / Brendan Daniel & the Chics @ Redwood Bar
Pink Floyd Experience @ Orpheum ($32 - $40)
Eddie Izzard @ Nokia Theatre

Saturday 1/30/10
[Pick of the Night] Bowerbirds / Julie Doiron @ The Echo ($12) – Early show at 5:00 PM; Bowerbirds are the third Dead Oceans band I’ve recommended this week. MP3: Northern Lights
[Recommended] Farmer Dave Scher / Lithuanian Prince / Greater California @ The Prospector – This is listed on the venue’s site, but not Farmer’s. Make sure to call ahead.
[Recommended] The Pee-wee Herman Show @ Club Nokia ($30 - $125)
[Recommended] Riverboat Gamblers / Throw Rag / Mike Watt & the Secondmen @ Alex’s Bar ($15)
Daijobu @ Troubadour ($10)
Nico Stai / Chief / Yikes! A Lion / Fences @ Spaceland ($8)
The Residents @ the Fonda ($25)
Moving Units / Rumspringa / Casxio @ The Glass House ($20)
Lelia Broussard / One Trick Pony @ Hotel Cafe
Strung Out @ El Rey ($19)
John Nolan / Mansions @ Bootleg ($10)
The Music of Led Zeppelin @ The Wiltern
I See Hawks in LA / Old Californio @ Redwood Bar
The Paul F. Tompkins Show @ Largo ($25) – Kaitlin Olson and Mary Lynn Rajskub will appear
How I Wrote That Song featuring Common, Zak Brown, Sebastian Krys and Colbie Caillat @ House of Blues Sunset ($15) – Early event at 1:00 PM
Asura / Sequins and Skeletons / Ana Carvelle / Anenon @ Echo Curio
David Lindley @ McCabe’s ($22.50)
Kill Kill Kill / Manhattan Murder Mystery / Meredith Meyer @ Pehrpsace
Tim Reynolds & TR3 @ the Mint ($20)
Pink Floyd Experience @ Orpheum ($32 - $40)
Eddie Izzard @ Nokia Theatre

Sunday 1/31/10
[Pick of the Night] Crash some Grammy parties
Neil Hamburger / J.P. Incorporated / Brendon Walsh @ Spaceland ($8)
Digable Planets @ Key Club ($20)
David Lindley @ McCabe’s ($22.50)
Ivan and Alyosha / Brown Sugar Sinks / Greg Jong @ Bootleg
The Lucky Stars @ Redwood Bar

Ticket Giveaway: The Fruit Bats at Spaceland

The Fruit Bats are one of those bands that still hasn't fully found its audience yet. They're not obscure (they're signed to Sub Pop and frontman Eric Johnson is also in the Shins and Vetiver) but you ask a lot of music lovers and they still don't know much about them. When you see them live, they really connect with their audience; fans sing along and arguments erupt about their best album. So it just feels like they've barely scratched the surface of their potential fanbase...

I've got some tickets to give away for their show this Wednesday at Spaceland. So if you're not going to M.I.A. or Deerhunter or Dungen or The Dead Weather or Cake or Music Go Music do yourself a favor and check these guys out. You won't regret it. Opening the show are Death Vessel and AB & the Sea.

To win these tickets, email me [dukeufo at gmail] with the name of your favorite Fruit Bats' song. Please put your first and last name in the email and "Fruit Bats" in the subject line. The contest closes Wednesday at 2:00 PM.

MP3: The Ruminant Band
MP3: Lives of Crime

10 Observations About the Fruit Bats Show at the Echo

I neglected to bring my camera (as usual) but had a good time at the Fruit Bats show last night at the Echo. Unfortunately I'm way too busy to write a real review, but here are some observations/facts. I apologize ahead of time for engaging in gossip about who attended the show....

1) Eric Johnson is now a hippie - he grew his hair out way past his shoulders.
2) If you stand in the front row at a show and spend the entire time staring at your phone and texting people, you're an asshole.
3) The new Fruit Bats songs reflect Eric Johnson's new found hippiedom. The songs were less poppy and many featured prominent pedal steel. I approve and can't wait to hear the recorded versions.
4) The old Fruit Bats songs have gotten completely new arrangements for this tour. I'm not sure I completely approve, but it was fun to hear.
5) Eric Johnson has moved to Los Angeles - two days ago to be exact.
6) Eric Johnson is (still) tight with James Mercer of the Shins Mercer. Mercer joined the band on stage for a pretty enjoyable cover of Neil Young's "Helpless."
7) The Fruit Bats covered Dylan's "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" - using the Byrds arrangement.
8) The Grammys are happening this week and Radiohead is in town to perform (members of their entourage were in attendance at last night's show).
9) Brian Joseph Burton (aka Danger Mouse) and James Mercer apparently know each other and spent a lot of time chatting at last night's show. Which begs the question - what might a Shins/Danger Mouse collaboration sound like?
10) If you're a smaller touring artist who wants to sell merch, sell the shirts for a reasonable price (the Fruit Bats were selling them for $10), make a tour exclusive CD and put in some face/autograph time after the show.