Let’s See Where the Night Takes Us

Josh Ritter & the Royal City Band headlined the concert at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, California on Tuesday, January 19, 2016, touring behind recent album, Sermon on the Rocks. The opening band was Elephant Revival. Both bands performed soul-lifting music that could elevate the spirits of even the most discouraged individual. The mood of the crowd was excited and buzzing with anticipation from the start. I was completely won over by Elephant Revival, a group of talented musicians that blends folk-style lyrics with luscious, enchanting melodies over groovy, rhythmic beats.  There is a lovely interplay of the voices of

We Can Turn the World Around

A friend invited me to see the Patti Smith concert on Saturday, January 9, 2016 at The Wiltern in Los Angeles, CA. Of course I already know her hit “Because the Night,” but otherwise,  I am not familiar with most of Patti’s music. She’s another one of those artists that rose to prominence in the 1970s and fell through the gap in my music knowledge that spans much of that decade.  I did read her book Just Kids a few years ago as part of my book group. I found that an interesting read as I tend to enjoy reading

We’ll Steal Your Heart Away

The Watkins Family Hour always puts on a good show at Christmas time and this year was no exception. The concert was held on Tuesday, December 22, 2015 at Largo at the Coronet. In the pre-show rundown we were told that this would be the last Watkins Family Hour at Largo until possibly April. Sara and Sean Watkins stepped onto the stage first, wishing us all a “Merry Christmas” and Sean started off the show singing, “There’s a last time for everything.” The band was then invited onstage and consisted of Sebastian Steinberg on bass, Don Heffington on drums, Greg

Someone Really Gets You

Friday, December 18, 2015 found me back at Largo at the Coronet for the last Jon Brion show of the year. Surprise opener was actor and comedian Zach Galifianakis, who delivered a short, yet hilarious, set of new jokes. As usual, Jon started off the show by playing a couple instrumental pieces on the piano. He began slowly with chords alternating between the treble and bass until he created a full sound; it was reminiscent to me of something from a Rachmaninoff concerto.  The second piece felt like it could be the accompaniment to an old-fashioned murder mystery, perhaps a

And Do It All Night Long (Set 2)

For the second (10pm) set by Rhett Miller at McCabe’s in Santa Monica, CA on November 20, 2015, the mood was more loose and relaxed. The audience was a little smaller than the earlier sold out show (recapped at My Name’s Stewart Ransome Miller (Set 1), but clearly made up of dedicated fans. Rhett had changed into a fresh shirt and was just as eager and enthusiastic in his playing as he had been during the earlier set. Because he is so dynamic and powerful in his performance, his voice did sound rougher by the end of the night, but clearly