Re-Discovering the Sunset Strip: Viper Room, Trip Two (Part 2 of 3)
Second trip to the Sunset Strip. Viper Room.
Re-Experience. This is part two of the Sunset Strip re-experience.
Off to See: Tommy Peacock, Automatique, The Mulhollands, The Shakers.
For Super Bowl Sunday I hung out with some friends. Most of us were cheering for the New Orleans Saints. I’m a Pittsburgh Steelers fan so I wasn’t cheering for the Saints because I was all happy to see them win the Super Bowl. Obviously, I’d so much rather see the Steelers winning the Super Bowl. But there is a reason why I decided to cheer for the Saints: Drew Brees. (Yes, it has nothing to do with Hurricane Katrina.) Earlier in the season, the Steelers were playing the Chargers and after the game I noticed all these anti-Steelers comments up on Facebook being made by all my friends who are San Diego fans. Now the Steelers and San Diego have a bit of a rivalry, having met in the play-offs a number of times throughout the years. Drew Brees used to play for San Diego. In his last season there, he got injured during the last drive of the season and soon thereafter San Diego decided to ditch him in favor of Philip Rivers. What can I say; I wanted a knife to go into the backs of all those San Diego fans. Many, I’m sure, had to wonder if San Diego should have stuck with Drew Brees.
Parking. Sunday nights equals free parking on the Sunset Strip – at least until the City of Los Angeles decides they need more money and make the meters 24-7.
Missing Friends. I was talking with one of my friends at the Viper Room. We don’t see each other that often. We lamented the demise of one of our favorite local bands, Automatic Music Explosion. She mentioned how she hadn’t seen some of us for six months. The world of the local music scene: we form friendships with fans of various bands and then a band breaks up and our ties with each other are stretched. I had a similar conversation with someone else while hanging out at Club Moscow. I wouldn’t necessarily call her a friend, more of an acquaintance. I would see her around once a month or so at various Automatic Music Explosion sets. She came over to me during a break at Club Moscow and said, “It’s been so long since I last saw you.”
The Viper Room was rather empty when I first got there. Folks missed a good band called Vas Defrans. I have to admit I only caught their last two songs. I don’t believe they sang during those songs, just went on a long jam session. Next up was Tommy Peacock (pictured left). At this point, the Viper Room started to fill up. (more…)
Part 1: Looking for the Music Scene in Vancouver
Vancouver. I’ve always wanted to go to Vancouver. I have some Canadian friends who insist that Vancouver ranks as the most beautiful city in the world. So recently, I decided that instead of just thinking about it, it was time to just do it. I needed a vacation. And so off I went by myself.
One of my goals while in Vancouver was to check out the local music scene so that I could write a column for TRAffIK. The search started on a Friday afternoon at a Burbank Barnes and Nobles. I went to the travel section and started to scan through a couple of the Vancouver books. Two music venues caught my attention: The Brickyard and Sonar. On a Sunday night, I mapped out the two locations.
I got to Vancouver Monday afternoon and decided that evening to see if there was anything happening at these two locations. Now I couldn’t help but transfer some of my Los Angeles based knowledge over to Vancouver. You can find some decent stuff on Monday nights in Los Angeles. You have free shows at Spaceland and Silverlake Lounge. The Key Club has Steel Panther (Metal Skool) and every so often some of my favorite local bands play that night. So I couldn’t help thinking that perhaps Vancouver had some Monday night shows, as well.
Both locations were within a kilometer or two of where I was staying so I headed off on foot towards these two locations. I got to Sonar first. It was closed and actually it wasn’t called Sonar anymore. I then headed off in the direction of The Brickyard. I soon found myself passing by groups of people who didn’t look all that well. I soon realized I was walking through Vancouver’s version of Skid Row. This wasn’t exactly where I wanted to be, but then I was close enough to The Brickyard so I headed over there. There was no Brickyard. The building was getting remodeled. A total strike out. A lesson learned: don’t trust those travel books.
I headed back towards the Sonar – walking on the road part of the way to avoid certain folks of questionable emotional stability. There was a pub right next door to the Sonar. I walked up to the door guy and asked him, “Is there a local music scene around here? You know, local bands.” The door guy responded, “I don’t know, but maybe John [made up name] might know. Hey, John, this guy wants to know where the local music scene is.” John came over, “What are you looking for?” I replied, “I’m looking for the local music scene – local rock bands.” He answered, “I’m not sure. I’m a DJ in the area. You can try out Honey. They’re doing 50’s/60’s music.” His girlfriend (or female companion) jumped into the conversation, “There is something going on at Richard’s on Richards tonight. M83 is playing.” She said it with a conviction that this was a well known band. Perhaps I should feel ashamed to admit that I hadn’t heard of this band. Anyways, John gave me some basic directions and off I went.
When I got to Richard’s the door guys there told me it was $20 Canadian. I did have some Canadian dollars that I’d gotten at the LAX airport – what a rip-off by the way, but I felt like I needed some Canadian currency should I find myself in a situation where only cash was accepted. I walked up to the ticket gal who then said, “$30.” Now that was all my Canadian money. I’m a cautious person. Giving away all my money just doesn’t sit well with me in general. I have this penchant for always wanting to carry some cash around with me and that feeling only grew stronger while in Canada. I had to pass. I regret that I did. I later found out that after Richard’s M83 was going on tour with Depeche Mode in Europe. (Note: I’ve read – in doing some post-Vancouver vacation research — that Richard’s on Richards might be closing down to make way for a condo project. (more…)
Great Northern
Let’s talk sports briefly. If you enjoy sports, you’ve experienced your favorite team suffering through more than its share of blow out losses. This is what you go through as a fan, but it particularly hurts when that type of loss ends a post-season run. For example, the Boston Celtics blowing out the LA Lakers last season. That one hurt. And so it happened again on a still too recent Thursday night when one of my favorite teams, the Duke Blue Devils, fell victim to a blow-out loss in March Madness. The Villanova Wildcats just took them apart. It was a game that if played during the regular season, I would have turned off the television (perfect example being the Duke v. Clemson game). But since it was March Madness, I felt compelled to watch the full game. For some tortured reason, I felt that by watching the game I was showing my support for their over-all successful season.
What does this have to do with the local music scene? Well . . . after the game ended, I headed off to The Roxy to catch Great Northern. (Yes, the two events’ only connection is in the fact that one followed the other.) I felt a tad miserable driving the streets of Los Angeles that night. Driving down Sunset, I kept thinking, “How is it possible that Duke couldn’t find an open shot all game long? How could Villanova contest every single shot the whole night?”
When I arrived at the Roxy all those thoughts faded. I last saw Great Northern play back at the 2006 Eagle Rock Music Festival. I rank that year as a highlight year for the Eagle Rock Music Festival. I saw both Great Northern and Monsters are Waiting that year. Even though I loved them, I never caught Great Northern again. (Since that time, I have seen Monsters are Waiting a number of times.) So after two plus years, I had some pent up desire to see them again.
Side bar. I know I mentioned in one of my “What I’m Listening To” lists that Great Northern was playing Silverlake Lounge in mid-March and this represented a can’t miss night. Well, I missed it. I had worries about getting a ticket as I noticed that the online tickets had sold out. Also, a friend mentioned that she saw Great Northern listed on The Roxy Calendar. Even though The Roxy is further away from where I live than the Silverlake Lounge, it is also a larger venue which means having a better view. (Nothing against Silverlake Lounge as I’ve been there plenty of times, but sometimes you’re stuck in the back and you can’t see a thing.)
I got to The Roxy at 10-ish and learned that two other bands had already gone on stage. I need to remember that The Roxy has earlier start times than other music venues on the Strip. At the Roxy, the first band goes on before 9 p.m. I already knew this beforehand based on prior visits, but I always seem to forget this fact.
Boring desk cleaning items. I got there slightly before some friends that I convinced to come out for the night. I’m writing the following to bore you with random text messages sent to me between 10:00 p.m. and 10:15 p.m.
Friend S: Ok cool. Looking for parking.
Friend S: We re here!
Friend C: I’m near the food counter
Anyways, those messages sent me roaming around the crowded floor of The Roxy, gathering my various friends in one location. I ran into Friend S and J first, said hello and then stated that I needed to locate Friend C.
Great Northern. When the clock hit 11 p.m. a beat started up from behind the curtains. The curtains rose and there stood Great Northern on stage. Two years since I last saw this band and I knew as soon as the curtains rose that I still loved them.
It is hard to explain any transformations that a band goes through when a two year gap between seeing them occurs so I’ll quote one of my friends: They got rid of their bassist – a real cutie. (My input: They found a new keyboardist who no doubt turns heads.) The band now focuses on experimental rock versus a previous pop sound. Their set included only one oldie.
My take: This band exudes a major cool factor. I swear, just a stroll across the stage is done in such a matter that speaks coolness.
A Great Northern story told from the stage. The lead singer complained about getting poison ivy on her wrist from SXSW.
Back to sports. I left soon after Great Northern ended their set. (A couple friends actually left before the Great Northern’s final two songs due to car meter issues. They swore later that they loved Great Northern, but had to compare their love of the music to the cost of a parking ticket.) I got into my car and my thoughts immediately turned back to the Duke basketball game. “How could they not find a single open shot all night long?”
Lemon Sun. I did get the opportunity to catch the band prior to Great Northern. They reminded me of another local band called New Fidelity (New Fidelity happens to be one of my editor’s favorite local bands so this plug is for you, Siria). They brought up a tap dancer for one song. They had a microphone right next to a small wood box they had for her. The tapping came out crystal clear. During the set, a kid who looked no older than twelve danced with joy during one song. If I ever have kid(s), I hope I remember that moment. I hope that I take my kid(s) out past their bedtime on occasion to catch some awesome local bands.