Saturday, February 5, 2011

Remarkable Times



I'm so excited about the local and regional bands that have been getting breaks, playing big shows at major venues, sometimes on a nationwide scale, like The Belle Brigade opening for Grace Potter and the Nocturnals at El Rey last Friday night and Breathe Owl Breathe (at right), opening for Vann Tiersen at The Fonda in March.

Had to get a ticket for Fleet Foxes at Hollywood Palladium in May, in spite of the fact that the venues are getting bigger and bigger since I saw them at The Echo and Spaceland. And, for all the redecoration, I still think the Palladium sounds like a big barn. Especially if you get stuck on the outskirts where the over amped bass totally distorts the sound (see: Grizzly Bear) Actually this will be my fifth time seeing them, and for that I'm grateful.

I went to see Lord Huron turn another crowd into worshipful fans and I could only stay at The Echo for two songs before I had to hightail it over to Lot 1 Cafe and I got there only to hear the last song by Pageants (Rebecca Coleman's new band since leaving Avi Buffalo. And with ex-Buffalo bass player, Arin Fazio.) But what I heard was incredible, with Rebecca now playing guitar, the song had the wonderful oddball songwriting style of an Avi Buffalo song. And the band has a similar twinkling quality. Both Rebecca, and her mom, and Arin were as thrilled to see me as I was to see them, and we had a nice short chat before they sped off back to Long Beach. Ashley Jex hosted. I'll review this in more depth Thursday over at Radio Free Silver Lake.

It's great to be out and about again.

whrabbit

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