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.

To See How Far We’ve Come

Hotel Cafe announced a benefit for an employee battling cancer just a couple weeks before the date of the show, August 12, 2016, which would feature members of Dawes playing solo acoustic.  The musicians waived their fees and the bar staff donated all their tips for the fundraiser. While not just being a rare opportunity to see some great songwriters in an intimate setting, it also was a night of feeling the love and support for another person as everyone involved in organizing the night showed their generosity and caring for one lady. Opening the night, Joe Purdy summed it

I’m In a Los Angeles Cathedral

After seeing The Lone Bellow at the Bluegrass Situation Festival last October, it was exciting to attend another one of their shows, this time as they opened for The National at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California on July 28, 2016. It was a little disheartening to see so many seats still open at a sold out show as the band took the stage, but early start times at the Greek compounded with L.A. traffic seem to make this a regular occurrence at this venue. Nevertheless, the band played as if every seat was full. The Greek also has

There’s No Derailing Destiny

On Sunday, June 5, 2016 I was back at my favorite venue, Largo at the Coronet, to finally see Robyn Hitchcock in concert. I just missed out on seeing him at a 21+ venue that was down the street from where I lived, right before I turned 21. The last few times he has played at Largo I have had conflicts or the tickets sold out before I purchased one. Not this time though and I was ready for a night of music and strangeness that only Robyn could provide. Everything about Robyn is distinctive: from the immediately recognizable tone of

From Fisher Road to Hollywood

One of my most anticipated concerts of this spring was The Milk Carton Kids and The Avett Brothers  at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 29, 2016. I’ve seen both these bands within the last couple years, so I already had an idea of what to expect. Having purchased a pit ticket I arrived early and was able to secure a place front and ever-so-slightly off center, which is exactly where I like to be for a show. It was great to be in the pit to be close to the performers. The Milk Carton Kids