Heart Broken

I tried as best I could to get to see Arcade Fire in their secret show at the Ukrainian Culture Center of Los Angeles, but it was pretty hopeless, as work leaked last night and lines of overnight ticket-seekers camped out on Thursday night at the three locations announced. After assurances that the announcement would not be made until 9 AM Friday morning, it was a little disappointing.

The El Rey was one of the locations selling tickets and, as it is close by work, I dashed over around 11:40 AM, as an early lunch hour, to get in line, which was not too long. But after waiting 30 minutes it became clear that there was no hope, as they had wrist-banded as many people as they thought could get tickets and I was well behind that. Dejected, I returned to work.

I would have felt worse if I hadn't even tried, so to those lucky bastards I say, "enjoy your god-damned Arcade Fire concert". This band is, literally, on fire! I'd watch them on the Grammys on Sunday, except that after three minutes of that show I'm ready to throw up.

Got home later and found my DeVotchKa at The Fonda ticket in the mail, so that's some compensation. Also looking forward to this month's Red Cortez residency at The Satellite on Monday nights, especially the two with Everest. And rejoice, because Jack Gibson is returning to town and is going to play our Radio Free Silver Lake Free Tuesday at LaBrie's next Tuesday, February 15. He'll be fronting a new side project band called Disaster Speaks. We've seen him as Tenlons Fort for years, and it's always pretty special.

I had planned to try to see Alpine Decline tonight at Pehrspace, but I was wiped from the work week and the up/down of Arcade Fire (when I got in line at El Rey I actually thought there was a chance) so I didn't. I love the Alpine Decline album they sent me, both vinyl and CD (which I play all the time, great on the bus) and I wanted to see them live again before I write about it, but, another time. They were on the first bill of our LaBrie's series with The Californian on November 2, 2010 and I wish I'd been more familiar with their music then.

whrabbit