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
Tag: Glen Phillips
Feelin’ Good Again
The Watkins Family Hour has been doing an excellent job lately at drawing some compelling guests to play at their shows. I was eager to attend their show at Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles, on June 13, 2017, after learning that my favorite singer Glen Phillips, as well as astute songwriter Langhorne Slim, and L.A. “SoCal country” favorite, Sam Outlaw, were on the bill. We were advised to “let your laughs go” as comedian Tom Papa took the stage to kick off the evening. He was practicing for his performance on Conan (routine available at the link) for
One Chapter Opens as Another Ends
My first concert of the new year was at Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles (surprise, surprise) where I traveled to see the Watkins Family Hour plus special guests on January 11, 2017. Sean Watkins took to the stage with his guitar and wished the audience a “Happy New Year,” while Sara picked up her ukulele and wondered how late into January it was appropriate to remark on the new year. The first song, played as a duo, was one written by Bobby Darin and Woody Harris, “Early in the Morning.” Upon finishing they introduced the talented Tristan Clarridge,
Down on Cahuenga
I was at Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles, CA on October 27, 2016 to see Jonathan Kingham and Glen Phillips. The show was scheduled for 7pm, but didn’t start on time, giving a chance for the crowd to build and allowing some time for socializing. This was a pretty low-key show put on by two easy-going singer-songwriters for an attentive Thursday night crowd. Jonathan took to the stage and announced, “I’m kind of the appetizer. This song is about food, more about fried chicken, hot chicken.” I don’t know if those guys didn’t eat before the show or maybe they
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,