Saying What I’m Seeing – Rhett Miller

Stepping into the Pico Union Project space in Los Angeles, CA is like walking into a church, where pews for seats are flanked by stained-glass windows, and the long, large metal pipes of the organ in the gallery loom over the small stage. Originally built as a synagogue in 1909, the space was maintained by the Welsh Presbyterian Church until 2011, when it was passed on to the Jewish Historical Society. In 2013, it was founded by Craig Taubman as a multicultural center and house of faith.  On the night of Thursday,  March 14, 2019, the faithful fans of Rhett

Saturday Night’s Alright – Elton John

One living legend. A bucket list experience. A space bursting with love. A visual feast. What more can I say about the experience of seeing Elton John perform at the Forum in Los Angeles, California? The reality surpassed my imagination. Elton John is traveling around the world on his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour, supposedly his last tour, though I imagine he’ll still play some live events here and there. He’s brought with him some of his faithful backing-band members, his catalog of hits, a wardrobe of sparkling outfits, and a giant screen which smoothly switches between pre-recorded videos and

You May See the Meaning of Within – Jon Brion

  Jon Brion at Largo at the Coronet on September 29, 2017. The show was opened by comedian Kumail Nanjiani who was trying out his monologue in advance of appearing on Saturday Night Live. There’s a nice round-up and link to the video of his monologue here courtesy of Vanity Fair. View this post on Instagram #KumailNanjiani opened for #JonBrion tonight! He's hosting SNL in a couple of weeks! Be sure to catch him then! ? 9/29/17 A post shared by Largo (@largolosangeles) on Sep 29, 2017 at 11:23pm PDT When Jon appeared on stage he noted “I’m going this

Change Your Heart, Look Around You – Jon Brion

August 25, 2017 — Another Friday at the end of the month, must be time for Jon Brion‘s show at Largo at the Coronet. Owner Mark Flanagan came on stage and greeted the audience, remarking “It does feel like when you’re in this room…fuck everything else! Everything’s gonna be alright.” Then he introduced special guest Zach Galifianakis to open the show with a set of stand-up comedy. Stand-up is not my area of expertise, but Zach had me laughing with his down-played, nervous-looking delivery and exaggerated life commentary and observations (at one moment opening the door to the Largo alley

Sweeter Each Season – Toad the Wet Sprocket

For my summer vacation I decided to follow two of my favorite bands around California. I’ve been loving Toad the Wet Sprocket since the early 1990s and their opening band Beta Play for the past three years, since I first saw them open for Toad at an unforgettable show in Fresno under their former band name Tommy and the High Pilots. This post covers four shows that I attended and will be a little more personal than my usual posts — part travelogue, part recap. The first show I saw on this road trip was at the Crest Theatre in