This is a recap covers Jon Brion’s show at Largo on October 30, 2015. It was the day before Halloween and Jon noted that the iconic helmet that sits on top of the piano originally came from the Halloween costume of a guy who used to work at the door of Largo. As often happens, Jon started off at the piano. He played a song recorded by Billie Holiday in the 1930s called “I Must Have That Man!” He followed this by playing and singing David Bowie’s “Lady Stardust” from the album Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. He
Category: Concert Journal
This is How I Want to Be Remembered
I was thrilled to be able to attend Beta Play‘s EP release show on October 17, 2015 at Blind Tiger in Santa Barbara, CA. I first became familiar with the band when they were known as Tommy and the High Pilots and opened for the band Toad the Wet Sprocket in May 2014. They were fantastic. Bought their most recent album that night and had all the band members sign it and met four of the nicest, friendliest guys. The band is made up of phenomenal, charismatic lead singer and guitarist, Tom Cantillon; keyboardist, synthesizer/laptop master, and sometimes guitar player,
Put Down the Laptop and Get Outta That House
Some musicians are so much fun you have to see them more than once. Bass player, jazz scatting pro, and former American Idol contestant Casey Abrams is one of those guys. It just so happens that I was also already familiar with the two gentlemen opening for him on the night of October 7, 2015 at Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach, CA. First on stage for the night was alt-country singer Danny Hamilton. I’d seen Danny a few months earlier at the same venue opening for Dana Fuchs and picked up one of his self-recorded albums. I like the quality
My Oh My, What a Wonderful Day We’re Having (Part 2, BGS)
Review of the mainstage acts for the Bluegrass Situation Festival 2015, including: Jonny Fritz, Della Mae, Gregory Alan Isakov, The Lone Bellow, Punch Brothers, and Dawes.
Would You Stop and Hear What I Would Say? (Part 1, BGS)
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I agreed to attend The Bluegrass Situation Festival at the Greek Theater on October 3, 2015 (follow the link for a thorough summary of the event on their web site, with gorgeous professional photos). My main goal for attending was to see the Punch Brothers, those incredible musicians and innovators of progressive bluegrass, and secondarily to see Dawes, an L.A.-based band that all my concert-going friends seems to know about, but I just discovered this year. The concert was really one of two halves — the first, which this blog entry covers, was
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