WIN WIN AT THE BOOTLEG
by Vivian Hope
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WIN WIN (comprised of Producer XXXChange, DJ Devlin, and Visual Artist Ghostdad –whose associations include producing for Kele, The Kills, Spank Rock and re-mixing tunes by Thom Yorke and Bjork ) stopped at the Bootleg last Tuesday (May 17th) to promote their latest self-titled release (out on Vice Music). Their sounds are coupled with stunning visual performances. Video clips of pop culture references are spliced together and edited to go along with the music (check out the video below for a sample). If the funky beats didn’t get the listeners dancing, the pulsating video clips left the rest in a higher state of mind. This show was just what the doctor ordered for a Tuesday night.
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(listen to Vivian Hope and Anita Milton every other Thursday night at 8pm on intraffikradio.com via their show ‘The Galactic Traveler’)
OUT TO SEE: AGESANDAGES AND LAKE AT THE BOOTLEG THEATRE
TRAffIK had looked forward to April 16th for some time now. as this was the night that AgesandAges and Lake were sharing the stage at the Bootleg Theatre. Lake first crossed our paths back in November 2009 when they played a set at The Smell while AgesandAges came by the inTRAffiKradio studio this past January for an interview an live performance prior to their L.A. show at the Satellite. While we’d been fans of AgesandAges’ frontman Tim Perry’s previous musical project Pseudosix (which led us to the discovery of the existence of AgesandAges), coming across Lake was a total accident.
I was there with a group of friends to see another band. Lake came on and just stole the night for me. So for the past year plus, I’ve visited their website on a regular basis– seeing when they might be coming out to Los Angeles again. Serendipitously enough, via news from Ages and Ages during their inTRAffIKradio interview, would you know it, we learned that the two bands were planning a tour together. Making one stop in L.A. during a weekend filled with Coachella Madness to play the Bootleg Theatre, along with a third band Boris Smile. Being fans of both of the touring comrades with every stop we made at the Bootleg for the past month or so, we’d point out the AgesandAges and Lake upcoming show poster and would tell friends we were with that if they were in town on that Saturday night, this was not a show to miss.
Finally, the Saturday night of the show came around. One has to give it up to the opening band on the bill, Boris Smile. You add a tuba, trumpet and a trombone in a band (and let’s not forget the clarinet) and out comes this awesome brass band/indie pop mix. In between the Boris Smile and Ages and Ages set, I got into a conversation with a guy from New Zealand. (I’ve recently gotten back from an Auckland, New Zealand vacation so you’ll be reading about it here soon.) We had a brief conversation about Auckland venues and New Zealand musicians. It wasn’t long into AgesandAges when he leaned over and said, “Notice the back-up singer. He is so passionate. Just look at that passion.” Yep, it was an energy filled set. The Bootleg proved to be the perfect venue for these two bands, showcasing the 7-part harmonies of AgesandAges. As AgesandAges left the stage, my New Zealand friend said, “I’m here tonight because of Lake.” I hope Lake met Timothy Blackman from New Zealand (and here’s a written “shout-out” link to his website, as he is a musician). He wasn’t at the Bootleg just randomly checking out the Los Angeles music scene. He was there specifically to see Lake. I’m betting no one else came that far to see Lake. Though Timothy might be considered fan number one on this specific night, that didn’t mean that the rest of us weren’t extremely happy to see both AgesandAges and Lake on a Los Angeles stage together. Appreciative applause broke out after each song.
The touring companions had a brief stay in L.A. as the next morning they were scheduled to play a pool party in Coachella. With both bands being from the Northwest, one can only hope that they survived the hot dry weather of the hipster-filled desert.
For those who anxious to catch Lake and AgesandAges you still have plenty of time to do so as their L.A. stop was only Day Four of their month long tour. To find out if they’re playing a city near you please visit their respective websites at AgesandAges.com and Laketheband.com.
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BORIS SMILE
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AGESANDAGES
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LAKE
Honey, Honey: Re-Discovering the Sunset Strip – Viper Room, Trip One
Re-Experience. Here’s a brief quote about me in the intraffik.com contributors section: “. . . you’ll occasionally see him at music venues across Los Angeles – from Mr. T’s to The Key Club and various in between locations.” It occurred to me that I’ve given a lot of love to North-East Los Angeles recently. Now this is mainly driven by the fact that I live near the music venues in this area and so it is just easier for me to see bands at Spaceland versus say The Key Club. To provide some proof, here’s my column “What I Listened to in February” with venues assigned:
Seamonsters: Silverlake Lounge
Venus Illuminato: Silverlake Lounge
The Muddy Reds: Silverlake Lounge
Rich Podgur: Kibitz – the farthest west of the bunch
Open Hand: Spaceland
Year Long Disaster: Spaceland
Obi Best: Spaceland
Eastern Conference Champions: Spaceland
Asa Ransom: Spaceland
Hockey: Spaceland
My January list has a broader music venue scope, but it also has a high focus on bands playing in North-East Los Angeles. Kibitz was once again the farthest west I got. There was also Club Moscow at Boardners (Hollywood) and Fox and Hounds (Studio City), but then North-East Los Angeles popped up with regularity: Spaceland, El Cid, Echo Curio and the Bootleg Theatre.
Do you see where I’m going? It was time to head to the Sunset Strip.
Three years ago, I was heading to the Sunset Strip on a monthly basis. Those trips started to dwindle over the years, but recently I found myself there three times in a period of a week.
First Trip to the Sunset Strip. Viper Room
Off to see Honey Honey. (more…)
NOTES FROM VIVACE – WHAT I LISTENED TO IN JANUARY…
The Mo-odds: “Bop Shu Bop”
Matt Kollar and the Angry Mob: “Cartwheels”
High Life Cavaliers: ” No Dead Set Plans Yet” (more…)