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
Tag: California
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
So Bright For a Night
On August 12, 2016 I headed to Junior High in Hollywood, CA to hear young singer-songwriters Matt Minigell and Annabelle Lord-Patey perform. Matt and Annabelle, who hail from Boston, were on their first ever tour of the West Coast, with Los Angeles being their final destination. Junior High is a non-profit that promotes “artistic pursuits of marginalized voices through events and arts education.” It’s a small space, but provides an opportunity for new musicians to polish their live acts in a supportive place. The space had good sound quality and the audience attending that evening was respectful and quiet. One thing
I’ll Follow You When the Stars Go Blue
On August 5, 2016, Ryan Adams and The Shining played the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. Tickets sold out before I could buy one, but my friend ended up having an extra one that I bought from her. I almost resold it when I discovered he was playing on a Friday night and not a Saturday night as I originally thought, as on Fridays I have to pay for a babysitter on top of the concert ticket. Going to the show, I thought, I hope this is worth it, Ryan Adams! Little did I know. I’ve been listening to