OUT TO SEE: A YEAR IN PHOTOS (LOCAL MUSIC EDITION PART 3: JULY – SEPTEMBER)
JULY
Row 1: Nico Vega, Sweethead, The Shakers
Row 2: Pu$$y Cow, Pu$$y Cow, Dead Country
Row 3: Rob Z Program/Z/Schnee and the Bleeding Livers, Stab City, Walking Sleep
Row 4: Spider Problem, Spider Problem, Kissing Cousins
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AUGUST
Row 1: Eastern Conference Champions, Pollyn, Thee Hundred Days
Row 2: Tomorrow’s Tulips, The Dollyrots, The Dollyrots
Row 3: Captain Danger, Lucy Schwartz, Lucy Schwartz (Mona Tavakoli and Lucy’s Father as support band)
Row 4: Vanaprasta, Gliss, Red Cortez
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SEPTEMBER
Row 1: Pity Party
Row 2: Best Coast, The Mo Odds, The Slow Death
Row 3: Don Juan y Los Blancos, Local Natives, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Row 4: Amanda Jones and the Sugartits 3, Eastern Conference Champions (ECC), ECC
Row 5: Warpaint, Mad Planet, Mad Planet
SUMMER IS DEFINITELY OVER…
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I hope you all had a wonderful 2010 summer of music. I certainly did.
Nico Vega/Sweethead.
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It was off to see Nico Vega at the Troubadour. I arrived in time to catch the back half of Scarlet Grey. The place was packed. I wasn’t allowed to stay inside the Troubadour for very long; however. A security guard came in after me and motioned me to come back outside. They wanted to check my camera bag and pat me down. When I initially arrived at the Troubadour one individual checked my ticket, the next my driver’s license and the other just let me through. I was wondering why they weren’t checking my camera bag. I guess they were wondering the same thing and decided to chase me down.
The crowd was totally pumped for Nico Vega and it was absolutely thrilling.
Highlights: Aja, lead singer of Nico Vega, going over to the drums and joining in on the beat. For their last song, Aja went swinging around like a crazy woman, her body gyrating in all directions. The crowd was going nuts. And then a g-string ended up next to her. I heard someone next to me ask, “Did she just remove her g-string?” I believed it for a moment, but on afterthought I do believe someone tossed it up on stage. What a crazy set.
As soon as Nico Vega left the stage an awkward moment occurred — in my opinion — more than half the audience left. Why awkward? Because the headlining act, Sweethead, was up next.
I couldn’t help but wonder if Sweethead went on stage irritated that the majority of the crowd had taken off. If so, it didn’t show as they put on a show – though they did have some problems at the beginning. The lead singer’s wireless microphone blew up on her. She had to go with the standard microphone, which didn’t sit well with her. She kept grabbing the cord and swinging it around like a whip. “I am a dog on a leash. I need my wireless. I am chained, tethered.” She was finally able to get her wireless back and off she went to dance with folks in the audience.
Serrina, the lead singer, loves to toss things. She tossed her wireless against the floor after it broke down on her. She tossed some stage equipment. She tossed some water bottles. She tossed a glass of alcohol — after she drank it. She was very careful with the glass of alcohol. Someone brought her a drink and put it on the stage. I was wondering if she’d knock it over, but she was always careful around it. A couple times I saw her looking down at it to make sure she didn’t knock it over. She later took a drink, thanked the guy who gave it to her and then after the set she smashed it. Wild set. Why did folks leave?
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Eastern Conference Champions.
A friend of mine asked me to pick a music night. He wanted to see a band. These sorts of requests make me nervous. I always want to make sure I pick a band that someone is most likely to enjoy. I decided to go with Eastern Conference Champions, who happened to be playing at a place called Spaces 15 Twenty. Now I learned something interesting that night. My friend did some research on the band and saw that they came from Pennsylvania. He then saw a posting from one of his friends in Pennsylvania and decided on a whim to see if his friend had heard of Eastern Conference Champions. And would you know it the guy in Pennsylvania knew the lead singer personally.
Anyways, if anyone doesn’t know, Spaces 15 Twenty is off of Cahuenga. There is an outdoor courtyard and on occasion they showcase bands. They’ve had some good bands there. I had a brief encounter with IO Echo one night while heading off to Hotel Café. I really wish I’d known about that set ahead of time as they’re one of my favorite local bands.
The lead singer of Eastern Conference Champions made a couple of references to the police as helicopters were flying over. Did Spaces 15 Twenty mention to them that sometimes the police come over to shut things down?
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NOTES FROM VIVACE: WHAT I LISTENED TO IN JUNE
Twilight Sleep - “Don’t Fire Your Guns”
Chasing Kings – “The Current State of Our Future”
Joe Greene and the Heavy Steppers - “Garden”
Whispertown 2000 – “Restless” (more…)