All This Love is Still Here

Glen Phillips officially released his new album Swallowed By the New last week and is currently touring around the country in support of the album. I was able to catch him playing a free concert at the Levitt Pavilion in Pasadena, California on September 17, 2016.  He played a selection of songs from the new album, mixed in with work from his solo career, and some of the popular tunes from his band Toad the Wet Sprocket. Glen was supported at the concert by Michael Eisenstein on guitar, Abe Rounds on drums, Khäsy Modisette on background vocals, and the album’s producer,

This Is All Happening Right Now

As the full moon rose over the Hollywood Forever Cemetery Masonic Lodge on Friday, September 16, 2016, I eagerly waited in line with a few friends to see Dawes celebrating the album release of We’re All Gonna Die. The show had sold out on the day the tickets went on sale. I thought I was going to miss out on this one, but I managed to score a ticket the week of the show. There were quite a few people attending the show who were on the V.I.P. list and I must admit feeling a little like I was crashing

This Is Where I Belong

August 29, 2016 was Jon Brion‘s monthly show at Largo at the Coronet. I’m going to keep this write up pretty to the point, since Jon has already had another show since this one!  Also, it was one of the more mellow shows of Jon’s lately as he wasn’t feeling well.  Nick Kroll opened with a hit-and-miss stand-up routine, before Jon appeared on stage wearing the turquoise trousers and a pair of red polka dot socks (Jon always has some colorful, patterned socks on). He stumped me with a lot of the instrumental music he played that night. Here’s as

Memories to Hold

In August, I went on vacation to New York City for the first time in my life. I had decided in the spring that I wanted to make visiting that city a priority. There were two time slots I had available to travel during the summer and wouldn’t you know the second one coincided with one of my favorite bands, Toad the Wet Sprocket, playing at City Winery NYC. Of course, by the time I had made my decision to take the trip, there were only VIP experience tickets left, so I sprung for that without hesitation. Within days, the

Beam of Light

Saturday, August 13, 2016 I was at the Troubadour to see Rhett Miller, lead singer of the band Old 97’s, perform a solo show.  Trapper Schoepp was handpicked by Rhett to open the show. Trapper, a self-acknowledged Rhett wannabee, noted half-jokingly, half in vexation at the start of his set that night, “I can’t do all the stage moves I stole from him!”  However, he had the talent to successfully assume the position of Rhett-lite, as well as demonstrate his own charm and talent for laying down some catchy, story songs and clever lyric phrases spun over straightforward chord changes.