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Goldenvoice cooks up another batch of Coachella sideshows in 2026

February 18, 2026 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

As you might recall, Goldenvoice surprised many of us several months ago when it decided to release the 2026 lineup for Coachella well ahead of schedule.

The renowned promoter’s signature event in the California desert is celebrating 25 years this April after all, and though the shocking announcement back in September marked its earliest lineup drop yet, this is typically the time when Paul Tollett and company divulge their Coachella sideshows in support of the three-day, two-weekend festival.

With more than a decade under its belt now, that annual tradition will continue in 2026 and offer anyone who isn’t heading out to Indio — and even those who are — the chance to hear what music is coming to the Empire Polo Club in less than two months.

Southern Californians will have the most options to choose from, but just like the 2025 sideshows, this year’s “Goldenvoice Presents April” concert series will include the Bay Area as well. A total of 30 dates will span across Los Angeles County while also reaching Santa Barbara and San Diego in comparison to the 14 that will take place up north and extend into the month of May.

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Getting to experience some of the acts performing at Coachella in an intimate setting has always been one of the biggest selling points for these sideshows. However, many of the venues selected shouldn’t be overlooked either. Not only is the majestic Santa Barbara Bowl back in the equation for instance, but so are The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park and Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay down south after both were included for the first time in 2024.

Many of the venues owned and operated by Goldenvoice in and around LA will once again be used too, from The Roxy and Fonda Theatre to The Glass House and Fox Theater Pomona out east where Tollett got his start. Though the Bay Area will officially kick off the festivities in March, the SoCal sideshows get underway a month later when Disclosure grace the stage for not one but two nights. And if we are going by past numbers, the 44 sideshows in 2026 is nearly identical to what we saw last year after significantly less in 2024 and 2023 (the record remains 62 in 2017 according to our count).

Below is the list of “Goldenvoice Presents April” sideshows in SoCal:

• Disclosure: April 7th (TUE) & April 8th (WED) @ Santa Barbara Bowl
• French Police: April 9th (THU) @ The Fonda Theatre
• RØZ with Cachirula & Loojan: April 9th (THU) @ The Glass House
• FKA twigs: April 9th (THU) @ The Sound (San Diego)
• Adam Beyer: April 10th (FRI) @ Sound Nightclub (21+)
• Groove Armada: April 11th (SAT) @ Sound Nightclub (21+)
• Royel Otis: April 13th (MON) @ The Sound (San Diego)
• David Byrne: April 14th (TUE) @ Santa Barbara Bowl
• Lykke Li: April 14th (TUE) @ The Fonda Theatre
• Subtronics: April 14th (TUE) @ The Fonda Theatre
• Los Retros with Carolina Durante: April 14th (TUE) @ The Glass House
• Ethel Cain: April 14th (TUE) @ The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park (San Diego)
• COBRAH: April 14th (TUE) @ The Sound (San Diego)
• Röyksopp (DJ Set) & LE YORA: April 14th (TUE) @ Sound Nightclub (21+)
• Fleshwater with Febuary: April 14th (TUE) @ The Roxy Theatre
• Noga Erez: April 15th (WED) @ El Rey Theatre
• Joost Klein: April 15th (WED) @ The Fonda Theatre
• Swae Lee: April 15th (WED) @ The Novo
• The Two Lips: April 15th (WED) @ The Roxy Theatre
• Wet Leg: April 15th (WED) @ Fox Theater Pomona
• DEVO: April 15th (WED) @ Humphreys Concerts by the Bay (San Diego)
• Prospa & Riordan: April 15th (WED) @ Sound Nightclub (21+)
• Mind Enterprises: April 16th (THU) @ The Roxy Theatre
• 54 Ultra with WHATMORE: April 16th (THU) @ The Glass House
• Dimension: April 16th (THU) @ Sound Nightclub (21+)
• Tomora: April 16th (THU) @ El Rey Theatre
• Suicidal Tendencies with Ceremony: April 16th (THU) @ Fox Theater Pomona
• &friends: April 17th (FRI) @ Sound Nightclub (21+)
• Joezi: April 18th (SAT) @ Sound Nightclub (21+)

Ready to get out there and see some live music? Tickets for the SoCal sideshows will go on sale here this Friday, February 20th or next Friday, February 27th at Noon PT. Most of the Bay Area shows have already gone on sale with the remaining ones available this Friday, February 20th. Fans can win a pair of Weekend 2 passes to Coachella as well, plus a Golden ticket to every “Goldenvoice Presents April” show in SoCal or NorCal (there are separate contests at the aforementioned link). It’s free to enter so don’t forget … fingers crossed!

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: &friends, 54 Ultra, Adam Beyer, Cachirula, Carolina Durante, Ceramony, Ceremony, Coachella, Coachella 2026, Coachella 2026 sideshows, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2026, Coachella sideshows, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2026, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2026, COBRAH, David Byrne, Devo, Dimension, Disclosure, El Rey Theatre, Ethel Cain, Febuary, FKA twigs, Fleshwater, Fox Theater Pomona, French Police, Groove Armada, Humphreys Concerts by the bay, JADALAREIGN, Joezi, Joost Klein, LE YORA, Loojan, Los Retros, Lykke LI, Mind Enterprises, Noga Erez, Prospa, Prospa & Riordan, Rady Shell, Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, RØZ, Riordan, Royel Otis, Royksopp, Santa Barbara Bowl, Sound Nightclub, Subtronics, Suicidal Tendencies, Swae Lee, The Fonda Theatre, The Fox Theater Pomona, The Glass House, The Novo, The Novo DTLA, The Rady Shell, The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, The Roxy, The Roxy Theatre, The Sound, The Two Lips, Tomora, Wet Leg, WHATMORE

Goldenvoice fills up the rest of April with 2025 Coachella sideshows

February 13, 2025 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

Ah, it’s that time of the year again … you know, when February showers bring April flowers?

We know that’s not exactly how the idiom goes of course, but with heavy storms this week bringing floods and mudslides to Southern California only a month after wildfires wreaked havoc all over Los Angeles, getting even a sliver of positive news is always nice to help uplift our spirits.

So as Coachella approaches after catching a lot of us off guard by revealing its 2025 lineup quite a bit earlier than usual, Goldenvoice has once again filled up the spring concert calendar with another list of sideshows in support of the famed music festival.

This is usually the week that Paul Tollett and company unveils those plans, and for those of you who aren’t interested in making the trek out to the desert for three days in the hot, scorching sun or quite understandably just don’t have the budget to make that happen right now, fans of live music can still have a taste — or multiple tastes if they are inclined — of Coachella all while not having to ever leave the confines of LA County.

Much like the 2024 sideshows, this year’s will be extending north to the Bay Area. After booking almost a dozen “Goldenvoice Presents April” dates in and around SF a year ago, the renowned promoter has continued the trend with 15 performances scheduled over a two-week stretch from Friday, April 4th to Saturday, April 19th during what we used to call Fauxchella before officially joining this annual series a year ago that began in 2012.

Also different from last April is the fact that not many sideshows will be taking place down south in San Diego after the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park and Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, among others, played host for the first time. Mostly venues owned and operated by Goldenvoice in and around LA will be used this time, with some of the farthest ones like The Glass House and Fox Theater Pomona extending east into Tollett’s old stomping grounds. Unfortunately if you enjoy a good gig out in Pioneertown at Pappy & Harriet’s (read our First Times coverage here), you will have to find another time to visit the famous biker haunt with it no longer being in the equation … at least for now.

Along with Blonde Redhead at the Belly Up in Solana Beach, kicking off the SoCal festivities on April 9th will be The Dare and Kumo 99 at The Glass House while The Go-Go’s rock The Roxy and Thee Sacred Souls headline the Fox Theater Pomona. But what really stands out right away is Basement Jaxx (Live) at The Fonda Theatre as well as Portishead lead singer Beth Gibbons at the Orpheum Theatre on what appears to be a busy April 17th. And sure, seeing Miike Snow play an 800-person room like The Glass House wouldn’t be too bad either. If we just go by past numbers, the amount of sideshows is back up to 45 in total between LA and the Bay after scheduling 35 in 2024 and 32 in 2023 (by our count, the record is still 62 in 2017) and that’s certainly a good sign for all parties involved.

Below is the list of “Goldenvoice Presents April” sideshows in SoCal:

• Blonde Redhead: April 9th (WED) @ Belly Up (San Diego)
• The Dare with Kumo 99: April 9th (WED) @ The Glass House
• The Go-Go’s: April 9th (WED) @ The Roxy Theatre
• Thee Sacred Souls with Los Yesterdays: April 9th (WED) @ Fox Theater Pomona
• Eyedress: April 10th (THU) @ El Rey Theatre
• Jimmy Eat World with Glixen: April 10th (THU) @ Fox Theater Pomona
• Alok presents Something Else: April 11th (FRI) @ Sound Nightclub
• Sparrow & Barbossa: April 12th (SAT) @ Sound Nightclub
• Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 + Los Mirlos: April 14th (MON) @ The Roxy Theatre
• Still Woozy: April 14th (MON) @ The Glass House
• Together Pangea with Prison Affair: April 14th (MON) @ El Rey Theatre
• Afrojack presents Kapuchon: April 15th (TUE) @ Sound Nightclub
• Djo with Post Animal: April 15th (TUE) @ Fox Theater Pomona
• GloRilla with Real Boston Richy: April 15th (TUE) @ The Novo
• Lola Young with Bob Vylan: April 15th (TUE) @ The Fonda Theatre
• Miike Snow: April 15th (TUE) @ The Glass House
• Speed with HiTech: April 15th (TUE) @ The Roxy Theatre
• Djo: April 16th (WED) @ The Sound (San Diego)
• DIXON + Jimi Jules + Yulia Niko: April 16th (WED) @ Sound Nightclub
• Hope Tala: April 16th (WED) @ Music Box (San Diego)
• julie + Fcukers: April 16th (WED) @ The Glass House
• Maribou State with Shermanology: April 16th (WED) @ The Roxy Theatre
• Parcels with Ginger Root: April 16th (WED) @ Fox Theater Pomona
• SAINt JHN: April 16th (WED) @ The Novo
• Basement Jaxx (Live): April 17th (THU) @ The Fonda Theatre
• beabadoobee with Pretty Sick + Keni Titus: April 17th (THU) @ Fox Theater Pomona
• Beth Gibbons with Bill Ryder Jones: April 17th (THU) @ Orpheum Theater
• Dennis Cruz + Beltran: April 17th (THU) @ Sound Nightclub
• El Malilla + Judeline: April 17th (THU) @ The Roxy Theatre
• Kneecap with Soft Play: April 17th (THU) @ The Glass House
• Medium Build: April 17th (THU) @ El Rey Theatre
• Underscores: April 17th (THU) @ Music Box (San Diego)
• Eli Brown: April 18th (FRI) @ Sound Nightclub

If you’ve got the itch to see some live music now, tickets for the SoCal sideshows will go on sale here next Friday, February 21st or Friday, February 28th at Noon PT. All of the Bay Area shows, meanwhile, have already gone on sale. Fans can also win a pair of Weekend 2 passes to Coachella as well as two Golden tickets that gives access to every “Goldenvoice Presents April” show in SoCal or NorCal (there are separate contests at the aforementioned link). Wishing you all the best of luck!

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 1015 Folsom, Afrojack, Afrojack Presents, Afrojack Presents Kapuchon, Alok, Alok Presents, Alok Presents Something Else, Basement Jaxx, beabadoobee, Belly Up, Belly Up Tavern, Beltran, Beth Gibbons, Bill Ryder Jones, Blonde Redhead, Bob Vylan, Coachella, Coachella 2025, Coachella 2025 sideshows, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2025, Coachella sideshows, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2025, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2025, de Young Museum, Dennis Cruz, Dixon, Dixon x Jimi Jules, Djo, El Malilla, El Rey, El Rey Theatre, Eli Brown, EYEDRESS, Fauxchella, Fauxchella 2025, Fcukers, Fonda Theatre, Fox Theater Pomona, Frank Ogawa Plaza, Ginger Root, Glixen, GloRilla, Goldenvoice, Goldenvoice Presents April, Goldenvoice Presents April 2025, Great American Music Hall, HiTech, Hope Tala, Humphreys, Humphreys Concerts by the bay, Jimi Jules, Jimmy Eat World, Judeline, julie, KNEECAP, Kumo 99, Lola Young, Los Mirlos, Los Yesterdays, Maribou State, Medium Build, Miike Snow, Music Box, Orpheum Theatre, Parcels, Portishead, Post Animal, Prison Affair, Rady Shell, Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, Real Boston Richy, SAINt JHN, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Shermanology, SOFT PLAY, Sound Nightclub, Sparrow & Barbossa, SPEED, Still Woozy, The Dare, The Fonda Theatre, The Fox Theater Pomona, The Glass House, the Go-Go's, The Midway, The Midway SF, The Novo, The Novo DTLA, The Orpheum Theatre, The Regency, The Regency Ballroom, The Roxy, The Roxy Theatre, The Sound, The Warfield, Thee Sacred Souls, Together Pangea, Underscores, Yulia Niko

Galactic bring the funk back to LA with Jelly Joseph & special guests making for a groovy night at The Bellwether

August 19, 2024 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

By Josh Herwitt //

Galactic featuring Jelly Joseph with Joy Guerilla //
The Bellwether – Los Angeles
August 15th, 2024 //

If I told you that it has been 30 years since Galactic formed after childhood friends Jeff Raines and Robert Mercurio moved to New Orleans for college, you might not believe it … or want to believe it.

But the truth is, the fivesome has been going strong ever since it all came together in 1994 with Raines (guitar) and Mercurio (bass) leaving their hometown of Chevy Chase, Md., to attend Tulane University before eventually teaming up with Richard Vogel (Hammond organ), Stanton Moore (drums) and Ben Ellman (saxophone, harmonica).

The group’s affinity for local legends like The Meters, Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Professor Longhair as well as the influence that they have played in Galactic’s music remains self-evident to this day, and despite rotating through a handful of singers over the years — whether it has been Cyril Neville, Living Colour’s Corey Glover, Maggie Koerner or Erica Falls — since the late Theryl “House Man” DeClouet’s departure in 2004, it has continued to tour relentlessly and put out new material consistently.

Their most recent studio effort, a six-track EP entitled Tchompitoulas that arrived at the beginning of 2023, features multiple vocalists, including Florida rapper Eric Biddines, Grammy-nominated Cuban singer-songwriter Cimafunk and NOLA’s own Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph.

Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph

Of course, Galactic have been incorporating a variety of voices ever since they ventured into hip-hop via their 2007 album From the Corner to the Block, which saw collaborations with Lyrics Born, Mr. Lif, Gift of Gab, Chali 2na, Boots Riley, Juvenile, Trombone Shorty and Lateef the Truthspeaker to name more than just a few.

The last few years, though, have given Joseph a chance to shine with the quintet since they released the single “Float Up” in 2020, and we quickly learned how powerful her delivery was within minutes of taking the stage last Thursday as Galactic brought the funk back to LA for the band’s first show at The Bellwether, which only opened a little more than a year ago now (read our venue review here) but has already established itself as one of the better music venues in a city with no shortage of them. Though we must say, it was cool to catch Galactic somewhere else besides at the El Rey Theatre — where we have covered them before (read our show review here) — or Fonda Theatre after both spaces owned and operated by Goldenvoice had become the band’s unofficial home for its annual visit to the City of Angels year after year.

While the night belonged to Joseph considering the charisma she exuded onstage for more than a hour and a half, Galactic made sure to also sprinkle in covers from heroes such as Dr. John, Allen Toussaint and Aretha Franklin in addition to guest appearances from Alex Wasily of Dumpstaphunk on trombone, Will Blades on organ and Shira Elias on vocals that kept the programming feeling fresh throughout and was certainly a nice surprise after San Diego native Karl Denson showed up the evening prior for their gig at the Belly Up in Solana Beach.

I have always loved the spirit and culture of New Orleans, and even though it had been several years since the last time I saw Galactic in the flesh, it always feels like I’m hanging out on Frenchmen Street again when I do. After all, the joy their music has brought to the lives of so many can’t be understated and is something we are still grateful for three decades later.

Setlist:
You Don’t Know
Making It Better
Domino
Cineramascope
Right On
Heart of Steel
Qualified (Dr. John cover)
Lickety Split (The Dirty Dozen Brass Band cover) (with Alex Wasily)
Clap Your Hands
Compared to What (Gene McDaniels cover)
Twitchie Feet (with Will Blades)
Lady Liberty
People
Yes We Can Can (Allen Toussaint cover) (with Shira Elias)
Dolla Diva

Encore:
Baker’s Dozen (with Alex Wasily)
Rock Steady (Aretha Franklin cover) (with Shira Elias)

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Photos Tagged With: Alex Wasily, Allen Toussaint, Anjelika "Jelly" Joseph, Aretha Franklin, Belly Up, Belly Up Tavern, Boots Riley, Chali 2na, Cimafunk, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Dr. John, Dumpstaphunk, El Rey Theatre, Eric Biddines, Fonda Theatre, Galactic, Gene McDaniels, Gift of Gab, Goldenvoice, Jelly Joseph, Joy Guerilla, Juvenile, Lateef the Truthspeaker, Lyrics Born, Mr. Lif, Professor Longhair, Shira Elias, The Bellwether, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The Fonda Theatre, The Meters, Trombone Shorty, Will Blades

Goldenvoice shares latest round of Coachella sideshows this April after Weekend 1 tickets for festival’s 2024 edition finally sell out

February 21, 2024 by Josh Herwitt 3 Comments

Is it spring yet? With all of the stormy weather California has experienced over the past few weeks, some sunnier and warmer days would certainly be welcomed right about now.

Of course, it’s around this time on the calendar when Goldenvoice starts turning our attention toward April for its biggest event of the year, but with Coachella’s announcement of its 2024 lineup coming a week behind schedule and tickets selling at a much slower pace than in prior years with Weekend 1 taking more than a day and almost a month longer than usual to sell out last week, it has seemingly been more of a challenge for the California concert and music festival promoter to convince folks to make the trek out to the desert.

Much of it has to do with the current, less-than-ideal economic conditions many people are facing at the moment, and with Lana Del Rey, Tyler, the Creator and Doja Cat set to make their headlining debuts in 2024, it’s far from the best the three-day, two-weekend music festival has had to offer in its 23 years on the scene.

But for those of you in the Golden State who might be living on a tighter budget than usual and can’t afford Coachella or just simply aren’t interested in spending thousands of dollars on a weekend out at the Empire Polo Club, the latest installment of sideshows in both Southern and Northern California can serve as a more economical option that still presents enough opportunities for everyone to catch some great live music soon.

Goldenvoice Presents April 2024 🦋 get up close and personal with the artists on this year’s Coachella lineup at venues near(ish) you.

learn more & enter to win a pair of Coachella passes and tickets to EVERY show in your market at https://t.co/qI1Jxhm8Y4 pic.twitter.com/DJ8VFYbsIW

— goldenvoice (@goldenvoice) February 21, 2024

After taking a look at the posters above and below, you might notice right away that there a significant number of more shows scheduled in SoCal versus NorCal, but the action will begin in the bay a week before Coachella’s first weekend gets underway when Belgian DJ/record producer Charlotte de Witte headlines the Cow Palace on Friday, April 5th. Other notable performances taking place in SF include Oneohtrix Point Never at The Regency Ballroom, Young Fathers at Great American Music Hall, Steve Angello at The Midway and Yoasobi at The Warfield.

Meanwhile, things pick up down south the following week as English rockers Blur stop by the Fox Theater in Pomona on Wednesday, April 10th for their first show on American soil since 2015 and another UK product in Jungle get set to play the 1,750-person venue the ensuing day. One change particularly noteworthy this year is the number of sideshows happening in San Diego, including the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park hosting Thai-funk trio Khruangbin with Latin instrumental duo Hermanos Gutiérrez and Alabama Shakes leader Brittany Howard performing at the world-famous Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay. Back up north in the City of Angels, there’s once again a TBA act on the poster after boygenius earned the honor last year and that’s something we will be sure to keep our eyes on with the expectation that more details will emerge next month about who will visit the El Rey Theatre.

Nonetheless, it’s also worth mentioning after comparing previous iterations that Goldenvoice has dialed back on the number of sideshows over the years, peaking at 62 in 2017 before 52 in 2018, 34 in 2019, 44 in 2022 and 32 in 2023. With only 24 in SoCal this time around, having 11 in NorCal does help pad the number back to 35 and we imagine it will continue to hover around this amount in the future based on the way things have been trending.

Ready to catch some live music? Tickets for the sideshows in Southern California go on sale here this Friday, February 23rd at Noon PT over the next two weeks, while admission to the Northern California dates is already available. Fans can also win a pair of Weekend 2 passes to Coachella as well as two Golden tickets that gives access to every “Goldenvoice Presents April” show in SoCal or NorCal (there are separate contests at the aforementioned link). So, with that we say … good luck, friends!

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 1015 Folsom, Adam Ten, bar italia, Barry Can't Swim, Blur, Boy Harsher, boygenius, Brittany Howard, Charlotte de Witte, Coachella, Coachella 2024, Coachella 2024 sideshows, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2024, Coachella sideshows, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2024, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2024, Cow Palace, Depresión Sonora, Eartheater, El Rey Theatre, Faye Webster, feeble little horse, Folamour, Fonda Theatre, Fox Theater Pomona, Goldenvoice, Goldenvoice Presents April, Goldenvoice Presents April 2024, Great American Music Hall, Hatsune Miku, Hermanos Gutierrez, Humphreys, Humphreys Concerts by the bay, Innellea, Jacobs Park, Jockstrap, JOPLYN, June McDoom, Jungle, Kenya Grace, Khruangbin, late night drive home, Lovejoy, Miss Grit, Miss Monique, Mita Gami, Mita Gami x Adam Ten, Music Box, Oneohtrix Point Never, Palace, Purple Disco Machine, Rady Shell, Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, Reinier Zonneveld, Shrine Auditorium, Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall, Shrine Expo Hall, Sound Nightclub, Steve Angello, Taking Back Sunday, The Fonda Theatre, The Glass House, the Last Dinner Party, The Midway, The Regency Ballroom, The Sound, The Warfield, Tyla, Upchuck, Yoasobi, Young Fathers

Goldenvoice shares 2023 Coachella sideshows

February 22, 2023 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

Love is in the air as it always is during the month of February, and even if you didn’t have someone special to spend Valentine’s Day with — no big deal! — this year, there’s still plenty of live music in California to gush over less than two months from now. Well, that’s because Goldenvoice has once again revealed Coachella’s annual sideshows throughout the greater Los Angeles area.

The three-day, two-weekend music festival will welcome Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK and Frank Ocean as headliners for its 22nd edition this April, and the concert promoter has lined up a good amount of gigs in a span of less than two weeks. Most of the venues hosting will be the same as in years past, but Sound Nightclub will feature the most — a total of seven — this time with The Roxy Theatre, The Novo and the Fox Theater Pomona right behind that count at five each.

While the festivities across SoCal will officially kick off with a surprise when a TBA act takes the stage in Pomona on April 12th, the following acts will also perform inside LA County:

The Breeders (with The Linda Lindas), Momma, Pi’erre Bourne (with AG Club), Remi Wolf (with Lava La Rue), Kyle Watson, Dennis Cruz and Chris Stussy, Bakar, Benee, FKJ, Cannons, Destroy Boys (with Soul Glo and The Murder Capital), Gabriels, Hiatus Kaiyote (with a DJ set by El Michels Affair), Vintage Culture + Colyn, Angèle, Blondie (with The Linda Lindas), Christine and the Queens (with Lewis OfMan), Ethel Cain, Monolink (DJ set), Mura Masa, Overmono, Willow and Yves Tumor, 2ManyDJs (DJ set), Big Wild + Elderbrook, Bratty + Los Bitchos (with Conexión Divina), Donovan’s Yard and Uncle Waffles, Mathame + Cassian, MUNA, Yaeji (with LP Giobbi), John Digweed and Nora En Pure. See the full list of sideshows in the poster above.

Goldenvoice Presents April 2023 🕺 get down desert-style all month long with intimate performances by artists on this year’s Coachella lineup. learn more & enter to win a pair of Coachella passes & tickets to EVERY Goldenvoice Presents April show: https://t.co/qI1Jxhm8Y4 🌵 pic.twitter.com/Hsv4pryPjM

— goldenvoice (@goldenvoice) February 22, 2023

Once again, there will be no special showcase at the Palm Springs Air Museum like there was back in 2017, though this year will see the Greek Theatre get in on the action for the first time when the historic LA amphitheater welcomes Blondie with The Linda Lindas also on the bill. It’s also worth noting that the famed desert music venue Pappy and Harriet’s will not be in the equation for a change after playing a key role previously.

For more than a decade now, Goldenvoice CEO Paul Tollett and his sidekicks have been cashing in off of Coachella more and more with the inclusion of these sideshows. A peak of 62 came in 2017 after 52 were in announced in 2018, and since then the number has dropped considerably with 32 slated for this year, 44 in 2022 and 34 in 2019. It’s safe to say that there’s always an eclectic assortment of both talent and genres, and 2023 will follow suit as the El Rey Theatre welcomes an evening of punk rock courtesy of Destroy Boys that boasts support from Soul Glo and The Murder Capital followed two nights later by Latin-flavored acts Bratty and Los Bitchos.

Other sideshows that deserved to be mentioned include FKJ at the Fox Theater Pomona, Cannons at The Roxy, Hiatus Kaiyote with El Michels Affair (DJ set) at The Novo, 2ManyDJs (DJ set) at The Fonda Theatre and the legendary John Digweed at Sound Nightclub. Meanwhile, the Santa Barbara Bowl will have a couple of top-notch dates of their own not pictured above that includes The Chemical Brothers with Overmono (DJ set) on April 16th and FKJ on April 19th.

Tickets for the sideshows go on sale here this Friday, February 24th at Noon PT over the next three weeks, and fans can also win a pair of Weekend 2 passes to Coachella plus two Golden tickets that grant access to every “Goldenvoice Presents April” show this year. Wishing you all the best of luck!

UPDATE (March 31): Goldenvoice has unveiled who the TBA act will be for Wednesday, April 12th at the Fox Pomona Theater, and it’s none other than boygenius. The indie-rock supergroup comprised of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus will give fans a taste of their new debut LP The Record, which was released today, before heading to the Empire Polo Club for their Saturday sets at Coachella. Tickets to the show can be purchased here, but you will want to grab them fast before they’re all gone!

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 2ManyDJs, AG Club, Angèle, Bakar, BENEE, Big Wild, Big Wild + Elderbrook, Blondie, boygenius, BRATTY, BRATTY + Los Bitchos, Cannons, Cassian, Chris Stussy, Christine and the Queens, Coachella, Coachella 2023, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2023, Coachella sideshows, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2023, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2023, Colyn, Conexión Divina, Dennis Cruz, Dennis Cruz + Chris Stussy, Destroy Boys, Donavan's Yard, El Michels Affair, El Rey, El Rey Theatre, Elderbrook, Ethel Cain, FKJ, Fox Theater Pomona, Gabriels, Goldenvoice Presents April, Goldenvoice Presents April 2023, Greek Theatre, Hiatus Kaiyote, John Digweed, Julien Baker, Kyle Watson, Lava La Rue, Lewis OfMan, Los Bitchos, LP Giobbi, Lucy Dacus, Mathame, Mathame + Cassian, Momma, Monolink, MUNA, Mura Masa, Nora En Pure, Overmono, Pappy & Harriet's, Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace, Pappy and Harriet's, Pappy and Harriet's Pioneertown Palace, Phoebe Bridgers, Pi'erre Bourne, Remi Wolf, Santa Barbara Bowl, Soul Glo, Sound Nightclub, The Breeders, The Chemical Brothers, The Fonda Theatre, The Glass House, The Linda Lindas, The Murder Capital, The Novo, The Novo DTLA, The Roxy, The Roxy Theatre, Uncle Waffles, Vintage Culture, Willow, Yaeji, Yves Tumor

Goldenvoice brings back Coachella sideshows for 2022

February 14, 2022 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

It’s Valentine’s Day once again, and Goldenvoice is honoring its long-running tradition now of unveiling Coachella’s sideshows in and around the greater Los Angeles area.

With the three-day, two-weekend music festival returning to the desert this April for the first time after a three-year layoff due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the concert promoter has lined up a slew of gigs over a stretch of more than two weeks. And although most of the venues hosting will be the same as before outside of the newly added Sound Nightclub, two in Pomona — the Fox Theater and The Glass House — will be the home for a good chunk of them starting April 12th with King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard.

The festivities, meanwhile, will officially kick off a few days earlier on April 9th when Rina Sawayama performs at The Fonda Theatre. In addition to the Japanese-born singer-songwriter, the following acts will also take the stage inside and outside of LA County:

Epik High, Chicano Batman, Denzel Curry, Pabllo Vittar, Role Model, 100 gecs, Molchat Doma, Honey Dijon, Arooj Aftab, BADBADNOTGOOD (with Freddie Gibbs and Madlib aka MadGibbs), Beach Bunny, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Masego, MEUTE, Wallows (with The Regrettes), Amber Mark, beabadoobee, Chelsea Cutler, L’Impératrice (with Inner Wave), Purple Disco Machine, Still Woozy, Code Orange, Crumb, Damian Lazarus, Måneskin, Mika, Spiritualized, Viagra Boys, Ed Maverick, girl in red (with Holly Humberstone), Hot Chip (with Ela Minus), Koffee (with Mariah the Scientist), Michael Bibi, Nathy Peluso, Nilüfer Yanya and Altın Gün, PUP (with Skegss), The Marías, Dixon, Yard Act, Fred again.. and Omar Apollo. See the full list of sideshows in the poster above.

From the polo fields to you 👉 Goldenvoice Presents April 2022 🌴 visit https://t.co/qI1JxhDc04 to learn more & be entered to win a pair of Coachella passes + Golden tickets that grant you access to every show ✨ Tickets on sale starting Friday 2.18 pic.twitter.com/ZvSiH72CN7

— goldenvoice (@goldenvoice) February 14, 2022

Unlike in previous years, no TBA dates are listed this time or a special showcase like there was back in 2017 at the Palm Springs Air Museum the night before Coachella’s first weekend.

Since 2012, Goldenvoice CEO Paul Tollett and company have made a point of monetizing off Coachella more and more by adding these sideshows to its portfolio and despite the number of them falling to 34 in 2019 after scheduling as many as 53 in 2018 and 62 in 2017, this year’s slate has climbed to 44 in total even with an average of 160,000 new coronavirus cases being recorded in the U.S. each day. But while Goldenvoice may have finally found a “sweet spot” when it comes to how many sideshows to book each spring, it has always showcased an eclectic array of genres and 2022 will be no different with a Brazilian drag queen (Pabllo Vittar) and a self-described “techno marching band” (MEUTE) on the bill.

Other highlights worth sharing include LA four-piece Chicano Batman at the Fox Theater Pomona, two nights of Canadian instrumental trio BADBADNOTGOOD with Freddie Gibbs and Madlib at The Novo in downtown LA, 28-year-old R&B singer-songwriter Amber Mark at the El Rey Theatre and London-based producer Fred again.. at The Fonda Theatre.

Tickets for the sideshows go on sale here this Friday, February 18th at Noon PT with the rest of them available on Friday, February 25th at Noon PT or Friday, March 4th at Noon PT.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 100 gecs, Altın Gün, Amber Mark, Arooj Aftab, BADBADNOTGOOD, beabadoobee, Beach Bunny, Chelsea Cutler, Chicano Batman, Coachella, Coachella 2022, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2022, Coachella sideshows, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2022, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2022, Code Orange, Crumb, Damian Lazarus, Denzel Curry, Dixon, Ed Maverick, El Rey, El Rey Theatre, ela minus, Epik High, Fox Theater Pomona, Fred again.., Freddie Gibbs, Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, girl in red, Goldenvoice Presents April, Goldenvoice Presents April 2022, Holly Humberstone, Honey Dijon, Hot Chip, Inner Wave, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Koffee, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, L'Impératrice, MadGibbs, Madlib, Mariah the Scientist, Masego, Måneskin, MEUTE, Michael Bibi, MIKA, Molchat Doma, Nathy Peluso, Nilüfer Yanya, Omar Apollo, Pabllo Vittar, Pappy & Harriet's, Pup, Purple Disco Machine, Rina Sawayama, Role Model, Skegss, Sound Nightclub, Spiritualized, Still Woozy, The Fonda Theatre, The Fox Theater Pomona, The Glass House, The Marías, The Mayan, The Novo, The Novo DTLA, The Regrettes, The Roxy Theatre, Viagra Boys, Wallows, Yard Act, Zebulon

Goldenvoice unveils 2019 Coachella sideshows

February 14, 2019 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

Valentine’s Day is back, and even if you don’t have someone special to celebrate the occasion with this year, Goldenvoice is still giving you a reason to love live music in 2019.

As the 20th anniversary of Coachella approaches in less than two months, the famed concert promoter has once again revealed its latest list of April sideshows that will take place across the greater Los Angeles landscape, including some in Orange County, Santa Barbara County and the desert. There are even a few new venues — both big and small — that are hosting for the first time: Zebulon in the gentrifying LA neighborhood commonly known as “Frogtown,” La Santa Modern Cantina (or “La Santa” as locals call it) as well as the Yost Theater in Santa Ana, Chain Reaction in Anaheim and The Forum in Inglewood.

California punk rockers The Frights kick off the festivities with their headlining performance at The Glass House in Pomona on Saturday, April 6th before the action really ramps up just a few days later. That’s when the following acts will take the stage either inside or just outside of LA County:

Mac DeMarco, Tame Impala, Clairo, Blood Orange, Dennis Lloyd, Pusha T, Iceage & Shame, Yellow Days, Hop Along & Soccer Mommy (with Las Robertas), Smino, FKJ (with Ross From Friends), Jaden Smith (with SG Lewis), SALES, Mr Eazi, Charlotte Gainsbourg (with Steady Holiday), Playboi Carti, Bob Moses, Ross From Friends (billed, in this case, as the headliner), Ella Mai, The Messthetics, The Garden, BLACKPINK, HYUKOH, Turnover (with Turnstile), PARCELS (with Cola Boyy), KAYTRANADA, CHVRCHES, Mon Laferte, Khruangbin (with The Marías & Steady Holiday), Superorganism and Perfume. See the full list of sideshows in the poster above.

Much like last year’s sideshows, there won’t be a special showcase at the Palm Springs Air Museum the night before Coachella’s first weekend as there was back in 2017. Nonetheless, there are still two TBA gigs scheduled for April 10th and 17th at The Roxy that we’ll have to await further word on.

Since 2012, Goldenvoice has made a point of capitalizing off its signature event by putting on more shows in and around Coachella — though the volume has started to drop more recently, with the number of sideshows this year down to 34 in comparison to 53 in 2018 and 62 in 2017. With 19 less in 2019, we can only surmise that Goldenvoice is still trying to find a “sweet spot” when it comes to the amount it organizes and promotes in support of the world-famous three-day, two-weekend music festival.

That said, Paul Tollett and company have still managed to give Southern California an eclectic roster that offers a little bit of everything, from lo-fi and indie rock to hip-hop and even K-pop. In fact, at first glance, here are the 2019 sideshows that stick out the most to us: Mac DeMarco at The Echo, Tame Impala at the Fox Theater Pomona, Blood Orange at The Roxy, Pusha T at The Novo, Hop Along & Soccer Mommy (with Las Robertas) at the El Rey Theatre, Bob Moses at The Glass House, PARCELS (with Cola Boyy) at The Fonda Theatre, Khruangbin (with The Marías and Steady Holiday) at Pappy and Harriet’s, and Superorganism at The Roxy, which will have a show practically every night during the eight-day run.

Tickets for most of the sideshows go on sale here this Friday, February 15th at Noon PT with the rest of them available on Friday, February 22nd at Noon PT or Friday, March 1st at Noon PT.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: BLACKPINK, Blood Orange, Bob Moses, Chain Reaction, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Chvrches, Clairo, Coachella, Coachella 2019, Coachella 2019 sideshows, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2019, Coachella sideshows, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2019, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2019, Cola Boyy, Dennis Lloyd, El Rey Theatre, Ella Mai, FKJ, Fox Theater Pomona, Goldenvoice Presents April, Goldenvoice Presents April 2019, Hop Along, HYUKOH, Iceage, Jaden Smith, Kaytranada, Khruangbin, La Santa, La Santa Modern Cantina, Las Robertas, Mac Demarco, Mon Laferte, Mr Eazi, Pappy & Harriet's, Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace, Pappy and Harriet's, Pappy and Harriet's Pioneertown Palace, Parcels, Perfume, Playboi Carti, Pusha T, Ross From Friends, SALES, SG Lewis, Shame, Shrine Expo Hall, Smino, Soccer Mommy, Steady Holiday, Superorganism, Tame Impala, The Echo, The Fonda Theatre, The Forum, The Garden, The Glass House, The Marías, The Messthetics, The Roxy Theatre, The Theatre at Ace Hotel, The Yost Theater, Turnover, Turnstile, Yellow Days, Yost Theater, Zebulon

Goldenvoice announces 2018 Coachella sideshows

February 14, 2018 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

It’s Valentine’s Day, so what could be a better way to celebrate love — or least your love for live music — than with a whole slew of newly announced shows?

Well, with Coachella’s 19th edition just a couple of months away, Goldenvoice has done it again, assembling another massive list of April sideshows at various venues all across the greater Los Angeles landscape, including some in Orange County (at The Observatory and Constellation Room), Santa Barbara County (at the Santa Barbara Bowl and The Arlington Theatre) and the desert (at Pappy and Harriet’s).

Sister trio HAIM kick off the festivities with their headlining performance at arguably our favorite Southern California venue, the Santa Barbara Bowl, on Saturday, April 7th before things ramp up the ensuing week with Kali Uchis, Chromeo, Tyler, the Creator, St. Vincent, Portugal. The Man (with Cherry Glazerr), Perfume Genius (with Big Thief), Princess Nokia, PVRIS, Marian Hill, Fleet Foxes, Carpenter Brut, Tash Sultana, The Drums & Alvvays (with Fazerdaze), alt-J (with BØRNS), Migos, The Bronx, Greta Van Fleet, A Perfect Circle, Yaeji, Angel Olsen, Jessie Ware, BROCKHAMPTON, First Aid Kit, Japanese Breakfast (with Snail Mail), Kelela, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Buscabulla (with The Marías), Priests, MØ, Jorja Smith & Tom Misch, ODESZA, Miguel, Boogarins (with B Boys & Señor Kino), Ron Gallo, Moon Boots (Live), The War on Drugs, Jungle, Soulwax, Petit Biscuit, 6lack, Aurora, Motor City Drum Ensemble (with Talaboman), Los Ángeles Azules, The Drums, Hayley Kiyoko and Elohim all playing — some even more than once — inside and/or outside of LA’s city limits.

Unlike last year’s sideshows, which included a special showcase at the Palm Springs Air Museum the night before Coachella’s first weekend featuring several artists from British independent record label Young Turks, Goldenvoice has opted not to go down that route again. The two gigs that mirror that mini festival the closest both take place on Thursday, April 19th, as Motor City Drum Ensemble performs at the Palm Springs Air Museum with Talaboman and Los Ángeles Azules invades the Riverside County Fairgrounds with Cuco, Helado Negro and Ocho Ojos just one day before Coachella Weekend 2 commences at the Empire Polo Club. Check out the full list of sideshows in the poster above.

Year after year, Goldenvoice seemingly continues to outdo itself with more and more shows in and around Coachella, and this April the renowned concert promoter has done its best to give music fans in Southern California a little bit of everything, from electro funk and indie folk to hip-hop and alternative R&B. But at first glance, the 2018 sideshows that stick out the most to us include the following: Chromeo at the El Rey Theatre, St. Vincent at The Orpheum Theatre, Perfume Genius (with Big Thief) at the Mayan, Fleet Foxes at the Warner Grand Theater, Tash Sultana at the Fox Theater Pomona, The Drums & Alvvays co-headlining (with Fazerdaze) at Pappy and Harriet’s, alt-J (with BØRNS) at the Santa Barbara Bowl, Migos at The Observatory, A Perfect Circle at The Arlington Theatre, Japanese Breakfast (with Snail Mail) at The Roxy, The War on Drugs at the Fox Theater Pomona, Jungle at Pappy and Harriet’s, Soulwax at The Fonda Theatre, 6lack at The Novo and Portugal. The Man (with Chicano Batman and Deap Vally) at the Santa Barbara Bowl.

Tickets for most of the sideshows go on sale here this Friday, February 16th at Noon PT with the rest of them available on Friday, February 23rd at Noon PT or Friday, March 2nd at Noon PT.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: 6lack, A Perfect Circle, Alt-J, Alvvays, Angel Olsen, AURORA, B Boys, BØRNS, Big Thief, Boogarins, Brockhampton, Buscabulla, Carpenter Brut, Cherry Glazerr, Chicano Batman, Chromeo, Coachella, Coachella 2018, Coachella 2018 sideshows, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2018, Coachella sideshows, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2018, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2018, Constellation Room, Cuco, Deap Vally, El Rey Theatre, Fazerdaze, First Aid Kit, Fleet Foxes, Fox Theater Pomona, Goldenvoice, Goldenvoice Presents April, Goldenvoice Presents April 2018, Greta Van Fleet, Helado Negro, Japanese Breakfast, Jessie Ware, John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, Jorja Smith, Jungle, Kali Uchis, Kelela, Los Angeles Azules, Marian Hill, Mayan Theater, Migos, Miguel, MO, Moon Boots, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Ocho Ojos, Odesza, Palm Springs Air Museum, Pappy & Harriet's, Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace, Pappy and Harriet's, Pappy and Harriet's Pioneertown Palace, Perfume Genius, Petit Biscuit, Portugal. The Man, Priests, Princess Nokia, PVRIS, Riverside County Fairgrounds, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Ron Gallo, Santa Barbara Bowl, Shrine Expo Hall, Sigrid, Snail Mail, Soulwax, St. Vincent, Talaboman, Tash Sultana, The Arlington Theatre, The Bronx, the Creator, The Drums, The Echo, The Fonda Theatre, The Glass House, The Marías, The Mayan, The Novo, The Novo DTLA, The Observatory, The Orpheum Theatre, The Regent Theater, The Roxy Theatre, The Theatre at Ace Hotel, The War on Drugs, Tom Misch, Tyler, Warner Grand Theater, Yaeji

Goldenvoice reveals 2017 Coachella sideshows

February 13, 2017 by Josh Herwitt 4 Comments

We’re already six weeks into 2017, and for many music fans residing in California, that means Coachella isn’t all that far away. But while much of the talk around this year’s lineup has been centered on Beyoncé’s debut and more recently her pregnant-with-twins news (the jury is still out on whether it will put a wrench in her plans to perform both weekends), Goldenvoice has turned a good portion of April into a long stretch of top-notch shows, similar to what Red Bull Sound Select has done in November with its month-long “30 Days in LA” series that last year included artists like Nick Murphy (formerly Chet Faker), YG, Jhené Aiko, AlunaGeorge, Pusha T and Isaiah Rashad (look back at our coverage here).

Much like in 2016, Goldenvoice has once again released a list of sideshows that will take place at venues in the greater Los Angeles area, with a select few extending into Orange County (at The Observatory and Constellation Room), Santa Barbara County (at the Santa Barbara Bowl) and the desert (at Pappy and Harriet’s).

Florida emcee Denzel Curry will kick off the festivities on Friday, April 7th at The Glass House before LA outfit Chicano Batman close things out at the same venue on Saturday, April 29th. In between those gigs, Sampha, Banks, Jack Garratt, Crystal Castles, Francis and the Lights, Bishop Briggs, SOHN, Oh Wonder, Future Islands, Little Dragon (with Sophie Tukker), The Head and the Heart, Joseph, Kaytranada, Banks & Steelz, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Nicolas Jaar, Car Seat Headrest (with Preoccupations), Bonobo, Mura Masa (with Kamaiyah), DJ Shadow, Breakbot, Blossoms, New Order (with Poliça), Hinds (with Twin Peaks), Bonobo, Galantis, Local Natives (with Tennis), S U R V I V E, The Avalanches, Glass Animals (with Little Dragon and/or Jagwar Ma), Empire of the Sun (with Broods), Tacocat, Bastille, Roisin Murphy, Whitney, Lil Uzi Vert, Mitski, Röyksopp, Future Islands, Pond (with Ezra Furman), Moderat, Swet Shop Boyz, Floating Points (Live), HONNE (with Arkells), Daphini, Jai Wolf, Guided by Voices and Phantogram will all perform — some even more than once — inside and/or outside of LA’s city limits.

Furthermore, British independent record label Young Turks will host a special showcase for its roster of artists with performances by Ben UFO, Four Tet, Francis and the Lights, Jamie xx, Kamaiyah, Sampha and special guest PNL in Palm Springs on Thursday, April 13th. Check out the full list of sideshows in the poster above.

It’s hard to believe that Goldenvoice has found a way to top their efforts from a year ago, but the renowned concert promoter has managed to do just that. This year’s Coachella sideshows are jam-packed with alternative-electronic and indie-rock acts, with Nicolas Jaar’s headlining performance at Pappy and Harriet’s alongside Floating Points (Live) and Pond as well as Future Islands’ date at The Glass House featuring support from Car Seat Headrest as two of the bigger highlights — and no doubt there are plenty on this bill. Yet, one of the most enticing pairings has to be the Glass Animals-Little Dragon-Jagwar Ma one that’s slated to take over the Santa Barbara Bowl, arguably our favorite venue in Southern California, on Saturday, April 23rd.

Tickets for most of the sideshows go on sale here this Friday, February 17th at Noon PT with the rest of them available Friday, February 24th at Noon PT or Friday, March 3rd at Noon PT.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: Arkells, BAILEN, Banks & Steelz, Bastille, Ben UFO, Bishop Briggs, Blossoms, Bonobo, Breakbot, Broods, Car Seat Headrest, Coachella, Coachella 2017, Coachella 2017 sideshows, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2017, Coachella sideshows, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2017, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2017, Constellation Room, Crystal Castles, Daphini, Dent May, DJ Shadow, Echoplex, El Rey Theatre, Empire of the Sun, Ezra Furman, Floating Points, Four Tet, Fox Theater Pomona, Francis and the Lights, Future Islands, Galantis, Glass Animals, Goldenvoice, Goldenvoice Presents April, Goldenvoice Presents April 2017, Goldlink, Guided by Voices, Hinds, Honey Dijon, HONNE, Jack Garratt, Jagwar Ma, Jai Wolf, Jamie xx, Joseph, Julie Byrne, Kamaiyah, Kaytranada, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Lil Uzi Vert, Little Dragon, Local Natives, Lot 613, M. Geddes Gengras, Mitski, Moderat, Mura Masa, New Order, Nicolas Jaar, Nylo, Oh Wonder, Palm Springs Air Museum, Pappy & Harriet's, Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace, Pappy and Harriet's, Pappy and Harriet's Pioneertown Palace, Phantogram, PNL, Poliça, Pond, Preoccupations, Roisin Murphy, S U R V I V E, Sam Gellaitry, Sampha, Santa Barbara Bowl, SHAED, Shrine Expo Hall, SOHN, Sophie Tukker, Springtime Carnivore, SSLEEPERHOLD, Steady Holiday, Swet Shop Boyz, Tacocat, Tennis, The Avalanches, The Echo, The Fonda Theatre, The Glass House, The Head and The Heart, The Mayan, The Novo DTLA, The Observatory, The Regent Theater, The Roxy Theatre, The Theatre at Ace Hotel, Twin Peaks, Whitney, William Doyle, Young Turks

Bag Raiders turn the El Rey into a pseudo dance club

April 4, 2016 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

By Josh Herwitt //

Bag Raiders with Plastic Plates //
El Rey Theatre – Los Angeles
April 1st, 2016 //

Long after meeting in the Cranbrook School orchestra practice room, Australian disco-pop outfit Bag Raiders found commercial success with their 2009 hit “Shooting Stars”. The radio-friendly song reached as high as No. 62 on the ARIA Singles Chart in the duo’s home country, propelling their self-titled debut album all the way to No. 7 on the ARIA Albums Chart and earning a nomination for Album of the Year at the J Awards.

But more than five years have passed since Bag Raiders released their lone LP on Sydney label Modular Records, which also reps such Australian groups as Tame Impala, Cut Copy and The Presets. And while Jack Glass and Chris Stracey haven’t necessarily put out a new full-length record since then, dropping only a handful of singles and EPs over the past two years, their return to LA last Friday was met with an overwhelming amount of enthusiasm.

After selling out The Independent up in San Francisco earlier in the week, Glass and Stracey managed to do the same thing in a larger venue 300-some miles away. The 80-year-old El Rey Theatre, which holds almost 300 more people than The Indy, was packed with fans who were invigorated and ready to dance their way into the weekend.

Meanwhile, joining Glass and Stracey onstage to play drums was Sydney-born/now LA-based songwriter, producer and DJ Felix Bloxsom, who also opened the show under his solo project Plastic Plates. Layering electronic beats with his array of live percussion, he warmed up the sold-out crowd up with a steady groove before Bag Raiders’ ensuing hour-long performance.

Although it hadn’t been that long since Glass and Stracey last played in LA, having headlined The Echo in September, it’s only been a month since they dropped their single “Checkmate”, which they played at the El Rey toward the end of their 15-song, “fuck encores” set along with newer tracks “Waterfalls”, “Vapour Trails”, “Friend Inside” and lastly “Nairobi”. If that recent output is any indication, there might be some more fresh material on the horizon from these two Aussies soon.

Setlist:
Waterfalls
Vapour Trails
So Demanding
Friend Inside
Golden Wings
Not Over
Snake Charmer
Nairobi
Way Back Home
Checkmate
Footprints
Sunlight
Wonderland (“fuck encores”)
Fun Punch
Shooting Stars

Filed Under: Featured, Photos Tagged With: Bag Raiders, El Rey Theatre, Plastic Plates

Goldenvoice announces 2016 Coachella sideshows

January 25, 2016 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

Each and every April, Goldenvoice puts on a number of sideshows all around Southern California in support of the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

2016 will be no different, and the renowned concert promoter has unveiled its list of shows that will take place at various venues in and out of the greater Los Angeles area, one of which includes the rustic, Westernized Pappy & Harriet’s in little-ole Pioneertown near Joshua Tree.

The sideshows will kick off on Friday, March 25th in LA at the El Rey Theatre, where London electronic music producer Sophie will take the stage, and will continue through Monday, April 25th with Years & Years headlining The Fonda Theatre. In between those, Goldenvoice will welcome performances by Goldroom, Courtney Barnett, Silversun Pickups (with FOALS), Mbongwana Star, Bob Moses, Savages, AlunaGeorge, The Kills (with The Big Pink), Skepta, Rhye (with Ibeyi), AlunaGeorge, M83, The Arcs, Rancid, The 1975, James Bay, Beach House, Museum of Love, Christine and the Queens, Death Grips, Miike Snow, The Heavy, The Front Bottoms, The Last Shadow Puppets, Deerhunter (with Unknown Mortal Orchestra), Matt & Kim, Of Monsters and Men, Lapsley, St. Germain, Ex Hex, Snakehips, Grimes, The Damned, Nosaj Thing, BADBADNOTGOOD, Parov Stelar and more. Check out the full list of sideshows in the poster above.

As in past years, these sideshows will extend outside of LA’s city limits, with The Glass House and The Fox Theater in Pomona once again playing host to quite a few of them in addition to the aforementioned Pappy & Harriet’s. April 14th’s pairing of Silversun Pickups and FOALS on the night before Coachella Weekend 1, for example, looks particularly appealing, while The Kills’ April 18th date at the Mayan Theater with The Big Pink and LA Witch stands out as one of our other must-see shows on Goldenvoice’s lineup. Of course, there’s also Miike Snow at The Fonda Theatre on April 20th and BADBADNOTGOOD, one of our favorites from FYF Fest (read our review here) last year, hitting The Roxy Theatre on April 22nd. Much like Coachella and its own lineup, there’s a lot to choose from here, though that’s not exactly a bad problem to have if you’re a live music fan in Southern California.

Tickets for most of the sideshows go on sale here this Friday, January 29th at Noon PT or next Friday, February 5th at Noon PT.

Filed Under: Featured, Festivals Tagged With: AlunaGeorge, BADBADNOTGOOD, Beach House, Bob Moses, Christine and the Queens, Coachella, Coachella 2016, Coachella 2016 sideshows, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2016, Coachella sideshows, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2016, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2016, Courtney Barnett, Death Grips, Deerhunter, El Rey Theatre, Ex Hex, FOALS, Goldenvoice, Goldenvoice Presents April, Goldenvoice Presents April 2016, Goldroom, Grimes, Ibeyi, James Bay, Lapsley, M83, Matt & Kim, Mbongwana Star, Miike Snow, Museum of Love, Nosaj Thing, Of Monsters and Men, Pappy & Harriet's, Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace, Pappy and Harriet's, Pappy and Harriet's Pioneertown Palace, Parov Stelar, Rancid, Rhye, Savages, Silversun Pickups, Skepta, snakehips, St. Germain, The 1975, The Arcs, The Big Pink, The Damned, The Fonda Theatre, The Front Bottoms, The Heavy, The Kills, The Last Shadow Puppets, Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Django Django are still their own kind of weird

August 11, 2015 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

By Josh Herwitt //

Django Django with Beat Connection //
El Rey Theatre – Los Angeles
August 6th, 2015 //

What is it about Django Django that makes them such an intriguing band to see live? Is it their hand-clapping melodies or their strange, unconventional way of writing songs?

Those were the questions I was left pondering as I walked out of the El Rey Theatre just before midnight last Thursday following an exhilarating performance by the London four-piece and a feel-good opening set from Seattle electropop outfit Beat Connection (read our interview with the band here). On a night when a large percentage of LA music fans could be found at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery to see Australian neo-pysch rockers Tame Impala play the first of two sold-out shows, the boys in Django Django were winning over fans with their own brand of neo-psychedelia less than four miles away.

Formed at Edinburgh College of Art in 2009, Django Django have captivated U.S. audiences in a relatively short amount of time, but more interestingly is the way they’ve done it. The band, for all intents and purposes, is really led by drummer and producer David Maclean, who is the brother of musician and director John Maclean (formerly of The Beta Band) and the cousin of singer/keyboardist Lindsey Leven (member of the Scottish band Gulp). While lead singer and guitarist Vincent Neff may be the face that fans most often connect with due to his onstage charisma, it’s Maclean who has served as the leading force and backbone of the artsy band, producing its self-titled debut album, which was nominated for a Mercury Prize in 2012.

Fast forward to 2015, and Django Django were finally back in LA for their first appearance in more than two years, this time touring in support of their sophomore LP Born Under Saturn. The album, with five of its 13 tracks becoming singles, reached No. 15 on the UK Albums Chart this past May, ultimately serving as a strong follow-up for Maclean, Neff, bassist Jimmy Dixon and synthesizer operator Tommy Grace, who also spent several songs behind Maclean’s drum kit assisting with the band’s percussion.

It’s no secret, after all, that Django Django are a heavily percussive act, with a large number of shakers, scrapers, cowbells and other hand percussion instruments in their arsenal. Maclean, meanwhile, had essentially two drum setups on stage, with one being a wooden box — almost reminiscent of a cajón — that he played during acoustic versions of “Love’s Dart” and “Slow West”, a track the band wrote for the indie Western film that came out earlier this year. A few minutes before, the crowd had let out a collective roar as it heard the opening notes of “First Light”, the initial single from Born Under Saturn, and the energy returned to peak level when it was time to hear “Default”, still arguably the group’s most popular song to date and maybe no better indicator of the weirdness that Django Django exhibits sonically both in a recording studio and in a live setting.

With the last six songs of their set coming from Django Django, the band walked off stage for a brief moment, only to return for a two-song encore that was quite unique after a closer look. Wrapping up with the final tracks from both of their albums, Django Django left the crowd yearning for more, even if there wasn’t a whole lot remaining in their catalog to play at that point. While they’re not expected to perform in California again anytime soon, especially with the band members in the next phase of their lives after declining an appearance at Coachella this year, it may be a while before Django Django are back performing in The Golden State. And if so, it certainly felt good to at least catch them this time around.

Setlist:
Introduction
Hail Bop
Storm
Shake and Tremble
First Light
Reflections
Love’s Dart (acoustic)
Slow West (acoustic)
Firewater
Waveforms
Skies Over Cairo
Default
Life’s a Beach
WOR

Encore:
4000 Years
Silver Rays

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Beat Connection, Coachella, Coachella 2015, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival 2015, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2015, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2015, Django Django, El Rey Theatre

Beat Connection are embracing their next challenge

August 4, 2015 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

Beat Connection (from left to right): Tom Eddy, Mark Hunter, Reed Juenger and Jarred Katz.

Photo by Avi Loud // Written by Josh Herwitt //

Reed Juenger isn’t one to shy away from a challenge.

Ever since he started Beat Connection with his fellow dormmate Jordan Koplowitz at the University of Washington, it has been one challenge after another to keep the musical project alive, let alone see it blossom into what it has become today.

“It’s certainly gone through quite a few changes,” says Juenger, who also oversees the graphic design and marketing for Capitol Hill Block Party, a three-day summer music festival over in Seattle’s hip Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Juenger was born and grew up in the greater Boston area before his parents moved cross-country to Washington when he was 12 years old. But it wasn’t until college, when he met Koplowitz on the first day of school and the two eventually began DJing house parties, that he considered making music for a living.

As Juenger illuminates, he and Koplowitz at the time were trying to learn how to “write music naïvely and spirited in a way,” an idea that the producer/keyboardist still believes remains paramount to Beat Connection’s identity (the group’s name serves as a direct reference to the LCD Soundsystem song) despite Koplowitz no longer being a part of the equation.

“A large part of Beat Connection is having an attitude of ‘I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing, but I’m going to do it anyway,'” Juenger says. “That has been our guiding force.”

By the time Koplowitz had left the group in early 2013 to pursue other interests, Beat Connection had released 2010 EP Surf Noir and 2012 LP The Palace Garden while expanding to a four-piece band with Tom Eddy on guitar/vocals and Jarred Katz on drums. But Koplowitz’s departure left Juenger, Eddy and Katz with a crucial decision to make: should they continue as Beat Connection in their current iteration or should they start from scratch as a completely new project?

With little doubt in their minds, the three remaining members continued to work on new music while bringing in Mark Hunter, who had performed with Juenger and Koplowitz when Beat Connection was strictly an electronic music duo, to play bass. The shakeup signaled a major turning point for Juenger, but also one that he has no regrets about as he looks toward the future.

“To me, that’s when this band really started, which is counterintuitive because we have this body of work from the past under the same name,” he explains. “It’s a different thing now, and I feel like it’s what it was meant to be the whole time.”

Even with Koplowitz out of the picture, Beat Connection is still very much a college band — not when it comes to describing their sound per say, but simply in tracing their formation. All four members met at the University of Washington, and it’s at least in part why Juenger refers to his bandmates as his “best friends” now.

“Those guys, we’re a team,” he adds. “We are always trying to be the best version of a band that we can be and the best version of us that we can be when creating art.”

But for all the challenges that Juenger has endured since forming Beat Connection in 2010, he can finally breathe a sigh of relief after months of uncertainty regarding the band’s record label status. That’s because the group, despite releasing The Palace Garden through Moshi Moshi imprint Tender Age almost three years ago, had remained independent until late last month when it struck a deal with ANTI- Records, a sister label of Epitaph that will release Beat Connection’s forthcoming album this fall.

In the meantime, the Seattle quartet has already debuted four songs from what will be its second full-length record, including the synthpop-heavy “Illusion” and the funk-flavored “So Good” most recently. The new material has been a long time coming for Beat Connection, which has been writing and recording much of it since 2012. But despite finishing the album in November, there has been no rush by the band to put it out until its 100 percent ready.

“We are trying our best to deliver a work of art to an audience, which sounds pretentious — and it is,” says Juenger, who doesn’t mind calling himself a perfectionist when it comes to the creative process. “But we’re trying our best to make sure we have everything fully in line.”

What excites Juenger just as much as the prospect of releasing a new album, though, is the chance to finally get back on the road. Outside of performing at South by Southwest this past spring, it has been quite a while since Beat Connection has toured, with their last appearance in California coming in October at Culture Collide Festival (read our review of the festival here).

“I can’t believe it has been that long,” Juenger admits.

They’ll end that nearly 10-month drought on Thursday night in Los Angeles when they open for British art rockers Django Django at the El Rey Theatre amid an 11-date tour that saw them play Lollapalooza last weekend and includes upcoming festival appearances at MusicFestNW and Austin City Limits with an ever-important hometown date sandwiched in between.

And with those opportunities in place, the band knows now is the time to seize the moment and take its game to the next level.

“We have everything we need,” Juenger stresses. “There’s always a fear that there’s something better out there, but part of figuring things out is knowing that we are a team and these are my best friends.”

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Interviews, Live Music Previews Tagged With: Beat Connection, El Rey Theatre, LCD Soundsystem

Moving Units celebrate rise of dance-punk in their hometown

December 10, 2014 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

By Josh Herwitt //

Moving Units (10th anniversary show for Dangerous Dreams) //
El Rey Theatre – Los Angeles
December 5th, 2014 //

As the days count down to 2015, it’s sometimes easy to forget that the early 2000s marked a seminal time in the evolution of rock ‘n’ roll. But for fans of dance-punk, a subgenre that fuses punk rock, new wave and disco all into one cohesive sound, there may have been no bigger year than 2004.

A year after the Yeah Yeah Yeahs broke into the scene with their first full-length record, the Grammy-nominated Fever to Tell, dance-punk exploded into mainstream pop culture as young, emerging bands like !!!, Liars and Death from Above 1979 all released albums to predominantly positive reviews.

Yet, that same year, there was another dance-punk outfit — a much-lesser-known one by way of Los Angeles — that was also leaving an imprint on the dance-rock landscape.

Moving Units, a four-piece fronted by lead singer and guitarist Blake Miller, would end up playing a key role in the post-millennium renaissance of dance-punk thanks to their 2004 debut Dangerous Dreams.

The album, which embodies the dance-punk spirit as well as any studio recording to this day, would eventually find its way into more traditional media, including a television spot in 2007 for the deodorant brand Secret. But for those who were already fans of Moving Units, TV commercials weren’t necessary to justify the respect and admiration they had for Dangerous Dreams.

So, when the band announced that it would be celebrating the 10th anniversary of Dangerous Dreams by performing the album in its entirety, there were plenty of Angelenos who knew where they would be on the evening of December 5.

At the El Rey Theatre, Moving Units did exactly what they said they would, playing the 12-track LP from start to finish, as Miller let it all hang out, leaning into the microphone to deliver his lyrics with passion and force. The songs may have been more than a decade old, but you would have never known by how tight the band sounded.

For their encore, Miller and his three sidekicks — bassist Mike Delgado, lead guitarist Boz Bosgieter and drummer Danny Deleon — dipped even deeper into their catalog, going back to the start of it all by playing three songs from Moving Units’ self-titled EP. It was a nice surprise to see, considering the group dropped its third full-length Neurotic Exotic just a little more than a year ago.

Because these days, in this go-go-go world we find ourselves living in, it’s OK for a band to celebrate the past once in a while.

Setlist:
Emancipation, Between Us & Them, Available, Going for Adds, Unpersuaded, Anyone, Scars, Submission, Birds of Prey, Bricks & Mortar, Killer/Lover, Turn Away

Encore:
X and Y, I Am, Melodrama

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: !!!, Death from Above 1979, El Rey Theatre, Liars, Moving Units, Yeah Yeah Yeah's

Galactic unveil a new bag of tricks at El Rey

March 25, 2014 by Josh Herwitt 1 Comment

By Josh Herwitt //

Galactic with Brushy One String //
El Rey Theatre – Los Angeles
March 20th, 2014 //

One of New Orleans’ very best returned to Los Angeles last week, as Galactic paid its annual visit to the El Rey Theatre on Thursday night.

Over the last few years, the band has made a habit of playing the historic art deco venue whenever it comes to LA, but that doesn’t mean Galactic’s recent gigs have lacked energy or enthusiasm. In fact, this year’s performance had just as much as last year’s — if not more.

The only difference was, there was no Corey Glover this time. The frontman for Living Colour started touring with Galactic back in 2010, and it seemed like the quintet might have finally found the perfect replacement for Theryl “House Man” DeClouet, who was forced to leave the band back in 2004 over health concerns.

But with other projects currently on Glover’s plate, Galactic has had to go back to the drawing board in its search for a singer — something they have become quite accustomed to after spending the past decade touring with numerous guest vocalists, including former Meters member Cyril Neville and Rebirth Brass Band trombonist Corey Henry. Through it all though, Galactic has failed to skip a beat.

At the El Rey, the five-piece — guitarist Jeff Raines, bassist Robert Mercurio, drummer Stanton Moore, saxophonist/harmonica player Ben Ellman and organist Richard Vogel — sounded just as tight as they ever have before. They took the stage and opened their two-hour set with a couple of instrumental tunes right off the bat, proving that with or without a vocalist, their sound still holds up after roughly 20 years. And when it came time to honor the opening act — in this case, Jamaica’s Brushy One String — with a guest vocal spot midway through the show, Galactic served as more than just a backing band for the YouTube sensation whose song “Chicken in the Corn” has amassed over four million views by now, believe it or not.

Yet, what proved to be the real eye-opener on this night was the addition of New Orleans-based singer Maggie Koerner, who joined Galactic for its 28-date, bicoastal tour after recently contributing vocals on the band’s single “Dolla Diva” two months ago. While it was no surprise to hear the song amid a setlist that featured other gems like “Shibuya” and “From the Corner to the Block”, it didn’t stand a chance in topping the band’s cover of The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” — thanks largely to Koerner’s unlimited range. At the ripe age of 25, the Louisiana native’s career is only just beginning. Sure, she may not have DeClouet’s on-stage charisma or Glover’s star power yet, but with the way she can hit those high notes, Galactic may have found its next piece to the puzzle.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Corey Glover, El Rey Theatre, Galactic, Living Colour, Rebirth Brass Band

The Crystal Method take over El Rey

January 22, 2014 by Josh Herwitt Leave a Comment

By Josh Herwitt //

The Crystal Method (Live) featuring Richard Fortus, Danny Lohner, Bryan “Brain” Mantia & special guests //
El Rey Theatre – Los Angeles
January 16th, 2014 //

With the release of their new self-titled album just two days prior, electronic music pioneers The Crystal Method took over the El Rey Theatre to celebrate the latest accomplishment in its impressive 20-year run.

Sporting a star-studded band consisting of former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Richard Fortus, former Nine Inch Nails bassist Danny Lohner and former Primus drummer Bryan “Brain” Mantia, Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland made sure to do it up big for their hometown fans — and that meant having a few surprises up their sleeve, too.

With vocalists Dia Frampton, Franky Perez and Ryan Maginn making guest appearances over the course of the night, the two-time Grammy Award nominees pulled out all the stops to keep an older, yet passionate EDM crowd on its toes.

But in the end, there was no bigger surprise than when Filter frontman Richard Patrick stepped on stage for the show’s final song and belted out the lyrics to “Trip Like I Do,” the original version of the song he remixed with The Crystal Method way back in 1997.

Front and center, Josh Herwitt was there to catch all the action from the LA-based duo.

Filed Under: Featured, Photos Tagged With: El Rey Theatre, The Crystal Method

Karl Denson’s boogaloo dance party at the El Rey with Anders Osborne

October 28, 2013 by Pete Mauch 3 Comments

Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe

Photos by Josh Herwitt // Written by Pete Mauch //

Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe with Anders Osborne, Zach Deputy //
El Rey Theatre — Los Angeles
October 24th, 2013 //

Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe rolled into LA on the “Soul Spectacular” tour, covering funked-out staples from the legendary Ray Charles at the El Rey Theatre. This boogaloo dance party featured Zach Deputy on vocals and as Karl D. put it, the crowd got “Deputized”. Deputy started things off with his one-man jam band that he has coined “Island-Infused Drum n’ Bass Gospel Ninja Soul”, and he warmed up the night quite nicely with that tasty concoction.

After getting “Deputized”, the crowd was treated with a rare LA appearance by New Orleans rocker Anders Osborne. Osborne invited guitarist Neal Casal, best known for his work with Ryan Adams and with The Chris Robinson Band, to sit in on his entire set. Recently, Osborne and Casal have been frequent collaborators at Phil Lesh’s venue Terrapin Crossroads, so we can probably thank good ‘ol Phil for this great pairing of guitar slingers.

Anders Osborne

Osborne and his band ripped through a ferocious 90-minute set filled with brand-new songs off his recently released album Peace and old goodies like “Burning on the Inside” and “Love Is Taking Its Toll”. One of the set highlights included the title track off his most recent LP that showcased Osborne’s heart-wrenching lyrics, which he bellows out with reckless abandon. Osborne is truly inspiring with his words, and he’s no slouch on the guitar either. The man just plain rips.

KDTU promised a Ray Charles-inspired boogaloo dance party, and that is exactly what they gave. About halfway through his set, Denson welcomed Deputy on stage to belt out the Ray Charles cuts with near-flawless execution. Hammering through classic songs like “Got Me a Woman” and “Hit the Road Jack”, Denson led his group with blistering sax solos. He even flexed his muscles on the flute.

Denson is no stranger to covering artists. He has played sets covering the Rolling Stones’ album Sticky Fingers, and he even covered the Beastie Boys for a select number of dates in the past. This is the first time, however, Denson has gone on a lengthy tour extensively covering one artist, so I recommend finding a show near you.

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Anders Osborne, El Rey Theatre, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Ray Charles, Zach Deputy

A family affair with Little Feat

September 19, 2012 by Pete Mauch Leave a Comment

By Pete Mauch //

Little Feat //
El Rey Theatre – Los Angeles
September 16th, 2014 //

On a warm Sunday evening in LA, Little Feat took the stage at the El Rey Theatre and played an energetic, diverse set. Little Feat has been on tour supporting their brand-new album Rooster Rag, and the LA-based band closed the tour out on its home turf. You could definitely feel the family vibe in the crowd, and that added to this very special homecoming show.

Little Feat started things off with “Rocket in My Pocket”, which is a song off their 1977 album Time Loves a Hero. It was a perfect fit as the opener because of its groove-oriented jam that seems to build throughout the song. Little Feat wasted no time, playing a new song titled “Just a Fever”, which was written by Little Feat guitarist Paul Barrere. Barrere delivered this song with great passion as he belted out the lyrics with a powerful grit.

The next song showcased the new writing duo of Bill Payne and Robert Hunter, best known as the lyricist for the Grateful Dead. “Rag Top Down” is a nice, bluesy song, and its lyrics invoke the feeling of a long road trip up the coast of California. After the band played two new songs, they treated the crowd with an amazing version of the fan favorite “Fat Man in the Bathtub”. This version was a monster. It incorporated the Captain Beefheart cover “Abba Zaba”, which was sandwiched in between verses, and the song included a very noticeable “Scarlet Begonias” tease, which was most likely a nod to Hunter.

Little Feat then decided to invite the Texicali Horns on stage for a very memorable “Spanish Moon”. This has always been one of my favorite Feat songs, and it did not disappoint, especially with the added horn section. Little Feat then slowed it down and played “One Breath at a Time”. This new song showcased Fred Tackett for the first time of the show. Tackett is a multi-instrumentalist; he plays guitar, mandolin and trumpet for Little Feat. During the song, you could sense the family vibe as Tackett seemed to be serenading his granddaughter in the audience. It was a very touching moment, and it just proves how special a Little Feat show can be.

The next three songs felt like a full-on singalong with a triple-song segue of “Willin” into “Don’t Bogart That Joint” and back to “The Weight”. This was a really fun combo of songs that had guest Jimmy Vivino sitting in on guitar. Sticking to the family vibe, Little Feat then invited Tackett’s son, Miles, from the band Brakestra to the stage to play cello on his dad’s tune “Church Falling Down”.

The band also invited Robben Ford to play guitar. Ford is the uncle of the Little Feat’s new drummer Gabe Ford. Gabe replaced the late great Richie Hayward two years ago after he passed away. Fred Tackett has four songs on the new album, and “Church Falling Down” is my personal favorite. This particular version with Miles Tackett on cello, Robben Ford on guitar and Fred Tackett on mandolin was truly remarkable. The song has a dark feeling to it that makes you think of an old haunted church that is decrepit and ready to fall at any moment, and the cello added to that gloomy feeling.

They ended the set with two powerful songs: the crowd favorite “Dixie Chicken” and “Let It Roll”. Both songs came to life with the horns, and the scene would have given the late Little Feat founder, Lowell George, a smile.

The encore was the icing on the cake. The crowd was treated to a a beautifully wild rendition of “Oh, Atlanta” that capped off a really great night of music. Little Feat played a show full of classic hits, choice covers, fun singalongs and fresh new songs, which proves that they are still pushing the limits after all these years.

Setlist:
Rocket in My Pocket
Just a Fever
Rag Top Down
Fat Man in the Bathtub
Abba Zaba (Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band cover)
Fat Man in the Bathtub
Spanish Moon*
One Breath at a Time*
Willin’
Don’t Bogart That Joint#
The Weight# (The Band cover)
Church Falling Down@
Rooster Rag*#
Way Down Under
Dixie Chicken#*
Let It Roll*

Encore:
Oh Atlanta*

* – with Texicali Horns
# – with Jimmy Vivino (guitar and vocals)
@ – with Miles Tackett (cello)

Filed Under: Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: Bill Payne, El Rey Theatre, Fred Tackett, Little Feat, Paul Barrere

Goldenvoice cooks up another batch of Coachella sideshows in 2026

Goldenvoice fills up the rest of April with 2025 Coachella sideshows

Galactic bring the funk back to LA with Jelly Joseph & special guests making for a groovy night at The Bellwether

Goldenvoice shares latest round of Coachella sideshows this April after Weekend 1 tickets for festival’s 2024 edition finally sell out

Goldenvoice shares 2023 Coachella sideshows

Goldenvoice brings back Coachella sideshows for 2022

Goldenvoice unveils 2019 Coachella sideshows

Goldenvoice announces 2018 Coachella sideshows

Goldenvoice reveals 2017 Coachella sideshows

Bag Raiders turn the El Rey into a pseudo dance club

Goldenvoice announces 2016 Coachella sideshows

Django Django are still their own kind of weird

Beat Connection are embracing their next challenge

Moving Units celebrate rise of dance-punk in their hometown

Galactic unveil a new bag of tricks at El Rey

The Crystal Method take over El Rey

Karl Denson’s boogaloo dance party at the El Rey with Anders Osborne

A family affair with Little Feat

FESTIVALS

Coachella keeps the twists & turns coming with 2026 set times revealing Jack White, Kacey Musgraves as latest surprise guests

After debuting three years ago, Darker Waves Fest returns to unleash 2026 lineup with Morrissey & The Smashing Pumpkins standing atop

Just Like Heaven slides back to summer for sixth year as The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, TV Girl & Chromeo carry festival’s 2026 lineup

Outside Lands follows the trend, unloads 2026 lineup earlier than ever with Charli xcx, RÜFÜS DU SOL, The Strokes, The xx & more

Goldenvoice cooks up another batch of Coachella sideshows in 2026

BeachLife Festival calls on Duran Duran, The Offspring, James Taylor, The Chainsmokers, Slightly Stoopid & more in 2026 for seventh act

SHOW REVIEWS

What the world needs now is more Fcukers & their sold-out show at The Observatory only served as further proof

Silversun Pickups come out swinging with power & precision to kick off their ‘Tenterhooks Tour’ for a sold-out crowd at The Observatory

On their first major headlining tour, Say She She make no secret at The Belasco why the ‘discodelic soul’ group’s music is for everyone

The Mars Volta reaffirm at Pasadena Civic Auditorium that they aren’t resting on their laurels these days & we love them just as much for it

Lord Huron make their hometown fans at Kia Forum see how they’ve gone from burgeoning indie-rock band to newly minted arena act

PHOTOS

Tyler Ramsey & Carl Broemel showcase their beautiful collaboration ‘Celestun’ at Lodge Room just a few weeks after the album’s release

STS9 take over The Bellwether in LA for two nights to celebrate 20 years of ‘Artifact’ & the release of their new album ‘Human Dream’

Grammy winners Portugal. The Man deliver their love letter to Alaska at The Wiltern with Electric Guest, Hanni El Khatib as special guests

THE LATEST

BAMMING

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