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

February 12, 2026 by Leave a Comment

Say She She - The BelascoBy Josh Herwitt //

Say She She with Katzù Oso //
The Belasco – Los Angeles
February 5th, 2026 //

No matter how we feel about each of our own lives right now, it’s becoming increasingly easier to feel more disheartened about the direction of this country. If you pay attention to the news or at least read headlines on your phone, you probably know what we mean.

Because let’s face it — as democracy continues to die a slow death in the U.S. at the hands of a corrupt and autocratic administration led by one of history’s worst human beings, it can be challenging to remain optimistic about the future.

There’s no time to give up hope, though. If there’s one thing we know, it’s that live music can serve as a powerful tool to bring people together in these anxious and rather uncertain times. It has in the past and we have no reason to believe that won’t continue into the future. Nevertheless, we can’t think of a better up-and-coming act currently to carry that torch than Say She She.

The “discodelic soul” group formed by classically trained singers Piya Malik, Sabrina Cunningham and Nya Brown has the sound and spirit that should appeal to a wide demographic. Just listen to their music for a couple of minutes and its funky, feel-good vibe immediately comes through with the ability to uplift you even on a bad day.

Galactic have always been one of those bands for me, and while Say She She haven’t long been linked to the jam scene like the New Orleans funk outfit has, they fit into the same category from an emotional standpoint. I don’t know anyone — and frankly I’m not sure I would want to — who could have a strong negative reaction to what they have been doing since forming somewhat unexpectedly in 2021.

One evening in Harlem was all it took Malik, Cunningham and Brown to find lightning in a bottle when they joined forces at a house party for a spontaneous rooftop singing session. Malik and Cunningham, in fact, had already been friends for a few years who began collaborating after meeting as neighbors in the same apartment building and overhearing each other practicing their craft. But it wasn’t until Brown came into the picture that Say She She were officially born.

Say She She - The Belasco

Connecting over a shared love for Nile Rodgers’ music, the trio started writing music and subsequently landed on the name Say She She as a tribute to 70’s disco and funk pioneers Chic before working with other musicians who were pursuing a similar sonic path in bands such as Orgone, The Dap-Kings, The Shacks and Chicano Batman. Malik, Cunningham and Brown would ultimately enlist Orgone members Dan Hastie (keyboards), Sam Halterman (drums), Dale Jennings (bass) and Sergio Rios (guitar) to be their backing band and within a stretch of 12 months were receiving critical acclaim.

Say She She’s debut LP Prism might have put them on the map in the midst of a global pandemic, but 2023’s follow-up Silver is what opened the most eyes (and ears) when public radio gave album opener “Reeling” as well as “Forget Me Not” the airtime they both deserve. With venerable stations like KCRW, KEXP and WXPN heaping praise, they would go on to be named in several “Best of” lists — including our own (see our picks here) — by year’s end and grace some of the biggest stages in the world from Glastonbury Festival to the iconic Hollywood Bowl.

The release of Say She She’s third full length Cut & Rewind back in October, meanwhile, has produced another career milestone for the Brooklyn product in the form of its first major headlining tour. Spanning 24 cities across North America with a pitstop in LA at The Belasco, we made sure to attend at least one of the five California dates. Because what remains undeniable about Say She She is the sheer joy that emanates from not only the music they make, but also the entire unit during live performances. It’s easy to tell all seven members are genuinely enjoying themselves up there, and that kind of infectious energy onstage ends up quickly extending to the crowd.

This wasn’t my first time seeing Say She She in the flesh, however. On a whim last summer I actually caught their free show at the Skirball Cultural Center that seemed to draw both young to old under the stars. Whatever age they were was inconsequential because everyone appeared to be getting down to everything the septet served up over the course of its 90-minute set.

Considering that the Orgone crew has called LA home since the 90’s, it’s certainly a little extra special to see Say She She perform in the City of Angels. In addition to nailing a number of tunes off Cut & Rewind that seamlessly coincided with their older material, they know how to work in a fun cover or two for good measure whether it’s opening with James Gang’s “Collage” or keeping Talking Heads’ “Slippery People” permanently on the setlist (you won’t hear us complain if they do).

Many of the divisions we face today are greater than they ever have been, yet in spite of that, Say She She are shining a bright light in quite a dark world as a microcosm of our current society. If closing the night with “Do All Things With Love” was any indication of where Malik, Cunningham and Brown stand with their message to anyone willing to listen, there’s no doubt they have the right charisma and recipe to bridge even our largest social gaps. Maybe it’s because they give us something to hope for when it can feel like there’s not, and that’s something a lot of folks could use at the moment.

Setlist:
Collage (James Gang cover)
Forget Me Not
Disco Life
Prism
Take It All
Under the Sun
Reeling
Cut & Rewind
Miracles
Chapters
Questions
Shop Boy
Slippery People (Talking Heads cover)
Messages From the Stars (The RAH Band cover)
Astral Plane
She Who Dares

Encore:
C’est si bon
Do All Things With Love

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

From covers of Black Sabbath & King Crimson to surprise guests Bill Burr, Matt Stone & half of Tool, Primus wow at LA’s Greek Theatre

August 11, 2025 by 3 Comments

Primus - Les ClaypoolBy Josh Herwitt //

Primus with Ty Segall //
Greek Theatre – Los Angeles
August 6th, 2025 //

If you are a fan of live music and have been following the current rock landscape lately, you probably already know the last few months have been a rough time for drummers.

Legendary bands like The Who, Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters have all experienced changes behind the drum kit recently while well-established mainstays in the jam scene such as Umphrey’s McGee and Goose have also had to find new blood on the skins.

But another rock-leaning act that saw its timekeeper step off the stage — and rather abruptly — was Primus, the 90’s alt-metal group led by bassist, vocalist and founding member Les Claypool that has cycled through its share of drummers since first forming under the name Primate more than 40 years ago in the Bay Area.

Whether it has been Vince Parker, Mark Edgar, Peter Libby, Robbie Bean, Tim “Curveball” Wright, Jay “Jayski” Lane, Bryan “Brain” Mantia or Tim “Herb” Alexander laying it down, Claypool and guitarist Larry “Ler” LaLonde have seen the drum throne become a revolving door for the majority of their careers. So with Alexander leaving the band unexpectedly for a third time in October and revealing that he “lost his passion for playing,” Claypool and LaLonde were once again faced with the unfortunate reality the two close friends would become accustomed to after leaving their former band Blind Illusion and reforming Primus at the end of 1988.

Rather than going back to the well or only accepting referrals for the role, they decided to open up the process to anyone and everyone in their search for “the greatest drummer on Earth.” What came as a result was at least 6,200 submissions followed by a multi-week audition process at Claypool’s studio in Northern California that the band would coin the “Primus Interstellar Drum Derby.” The competition was stiff, with an All-Star cast that included Thomas Pridgen, Nikki Glaspie and Thomas Lang in the mix, but the honor ultimately went to John Hoffman, a relatively unknown from Shreveport, La., whose style and impeccable chops blended perfectly with what Claypool and LaLonde like to cook up when they plug in.

Primus are one of those rare bands that can bring jam fans and metalheads together into the same space. As we have said before after witnessing his Fearless Frog Brigade mark their first tour in two decades with a sold-out gig at The Wiltern a couple years ago (see more photos from the show here), Claypool remains among rare company as a one-of-a-kind musician who has made his living at the intersection of the alt-metal and jam scenes. When you hear a song by Primus, you can tell almost immediately it’s them. Much of that has to do with Claypool’s unmistakable spoken-word vocals of course, though the way he continues to captivate listeners with his innovative bass playing still has Primus sounding like nothing else out there to this day.

It has been nearly eight years since Primus have dropped an album, and there’s a sense with Hoffman officially in the fold now that new material can be expected at some point. But the first order of business for Claypool and LaLonde had to be getting back on the road with their new comrade since performing Rush’s A Tribute to Kings in 46 North American cities on their last headlining tour.

Ty Segall


Ty Segall

That’s not to say Primus haven’t been active. We have actually caught them each of the last two years, first at the Hollywood Bowl with Puscifer and A Perfect Circle for Sessanta (read our show review here) and then at Acrisure Arena out in the desert for Sessanta V2.0 (read our show review here).

With the “Onward & Upward” tour this summer providing 25 more opportunities for Claypool, LaLonde and Hoffman to continue building their chemistry onstage, we can tell that Primus are beginning to hit their stride as they introduce fans to “Hoffer.” On a weeknight at LA’s charming Greek Theatre, things began with an onslaught of noise from prolific garage rocker Ty Segall, whose 45-minute opening set was highlighted by a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Interstellar Overdrive”. The singer-songwriter from Laguna Beach put out his 17th studio album Possession in May and his penchant for honoring the greats, from Bob Dylan to T. Rex, is no secret to those who are familiar with his music. While his overall energy this time didn’t quite match what we remember being impressed by back in 2016 at the Teragram Ballroom (read our show review here), Segall’s ability to shred at a moment’s notice is always evident when he takes the stage. Coincidentally enough, his hometown friends were actually sitting beside me and they were definitely feeling it as enough chunky riffs filled our earholes to make us wish that “Sloppo” would tour with San Jose stoner/doom metal duo Sleep in the future.

The sonic similarities between Segall and Primus remain few and far between, but that didn’t take away from what proved to be a magical evening under the stars … and there were plenty of them at the Greek in addition to Claypool, LaLonde and Hoffman. The three-piece opened with two tracks off 1997’s Brown Album, and although this wouldn’t be the same sort of exhibition Primus staged last month at Red Rocks Amphitheatre when seven songs from it were performed, the surprises that ensued could give any fan of 90’s music instant FOMO.

It had come to my attention last spring when I attended Queens of the Stone Age leader Josh Homme’s benefit show that comedian Bill Burr can hold his own on the drums, and even after noticing him outside the venue before entering, it somehow didn’t dawn on me that he was anything other than a spectator. A colleague had mentioned to some of us between sets that he spotted Tool drummer Danny Carey, who had previously filled in for Alexander, and as soon as I saw two kits set up on the stage, I knew we were in for something special. So when Burr walked out with Tool bassist Justin Chancellor after “Bob’s Party Time Lounge” and broke into “Too Many Puppies” on Frizzle Fry, the crowd essentially lost its collective mind and we would have as well if we weren’t busy trying to capture it from behind the camera. What’s more is that Burr totally nailed his part, locking in from the start while Chancellor came equipped with a gift that just so happened to be one of Claypool’s beautiful Pachyderm bass guitars.

Surprises as such are often reserved for the encore, yet considering this was only the third song and we were in one of the biggest entertainment capitals in the world, more were likely in store. The details were certainly unknown, but my Black Sabbath Vol. 4 T-shirt did draw a comment from one of the band’s crew members, which made me believe that a cover might be forthcoming after seeing on social media that Primus uncorked “N.I.B.” in New Orleans with Puddles Pity Party offering his best Ozzy impersonation. My inclination would eventually be proven true after Primus dove into some Oysterhead before crushing King Crimson staple “Thela Hun Ginjeet” with South Park co-creator Matt Stone on the drums, except this time it was Segall manning the mic and sending the place into an absolute frenzy as the Prince of Darkness’ maniacal face was projected on the video screen.

And if that wasn’t enough, Primus gifted us a “DMV” tease prior to launching into “The Ol’ Diamondback Sturgeon (Fisherman’s Chronicles, Part 3)” and followed it up with “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver” that received a roar of applause. Not every Primus setlist will feature the lead singles on 1991’s Sailing the Seas of Cheese and 1993’s Pork Soda, but this rendition of “My Name Is Mud” was extra dirty — in a good way — with Carey finally taking his place stage right to Hoffman and unleashing a dual drum solo that had Claypool slapping his strings in unison, creating a double-bass effect that you could feel in your chest and down to your bones.

How could a Primus show be complete without a bass solo or better yet, a bass off? From solely our perspective, it really couldn’t be. So after a brief encore break, Claypool did what only a bass master would do and brought out MonoNeon, who’s well-known for his work with Prince, for Tales from the Punchbowl single “Southbound Pachyderm” and one of our personal favorites. As the two low-end wizards traded licks down the finish line, it wasn’t very hard to consider this one of the best Primus shows I have ever caught and there have been many. Their recipe of swamp funk mixed with metal might not be everyone’s cup of tea. For us as well as anyone in attendance who found themselves chanting the band’s paradoxical inside joke “Primus Sucks!” — because if you know, you know — however, it never seems to get old no matter what age any of us are.

PRIMUS

Setlist:
Restin’ Bones
Bob’s Party Time Lounge
Too Many Puppies (with Bill Burr) (and Justin Chancellor)
Dirty Drowning Man
Groundhog’s Day (>)
Polka Dot Rose (Oysterhead cover) (partial) (> “Groundhog’s Day” reprise)
Thela Hun Ginjeet (King Crimson cover) (with Matt Stone) (with “Dueling Banjos” tease)
Over the Falls
John the Fisherman
N.I.B. (Black Sabbath cover) (with Ty Segall) (with “Bassically” intro)
The Ol’ Diamondback Sturgeon (Fisherman’s Chronicles, Part 3) (preceded by “DMV” tease)
Jerry Was a Race Car Driver
Welcome to This World (>)
My Name Is Mud (with Danny Carey)

Encore:
Southbound Pachyderm (with MonoNeon)

Editors’ Note: “Amos Moses” and “Mrs. Blaileen” were on the written setlist, but “John the Fisherman” and “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver” were played instead.

TY SEGALL

Setlist:
Void
Interstellar Overdrive (Pink Floyd cover)
Candy Sam
Buildings
Possession
Feel
Wave Goodbye (Ty Segall Band song)
Love Fuzz (slowed down)

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The Bam Team’s 5 Favorite Shows, Albums & Songs of 2023

December 30, 2023 by 4 Comments

Best of 2023

It’s hard to believe that 2023 marked the first time since Earth was rocked by a global pandemic three years ago that COVID-19 was no longer a public health emergency. After everything we have endured since 2020, we could finally breathe (no pun intended) a sigh of relief. And over the last 12 months, the live music industry continued its recovery, with fans packing stadiums, arenas, amphitheaters, theaters, bars and clubs all around the world to experience one of life’s great pleasures.

Seeing people come together to celebrate music — no matter where it is — is always a beautiful thing to witness, and we feel fortunate to have been there for some stellar moments in live music this year while also sharing many in this space. There was a three-hour marathon by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, the long-awaited return of Mr. Bungle and Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade to the road (and stage), Goose winning over new fans and Run the Jewels commemorating their 10th anniversary with a star-studded residency tour to name only a few of them.

But with coronavirus in the rearview mirror and 2024 arriving soon, it’s time for us to uncork our annual “Best of” lists as we have done since this blog first started (see our 2022 picks here). As we always say, we will be the first to admit we didn’t attend every show or hear all of the albums released in 2023, but recapping the year that was can be still a fun and yet challenging exercise, too.

So, without further ado, Showbams presents The Bam Team’s five favorite shows, albums and songs from 2023.

Listen to The Bam Team’s favorite songs of 2023:

My Morning Jacket - Red Rocks Amphitheatre


My Morning Jacket with M. Ward at Red Rocks Amphitheatre // Photo by Josh Herwitt

Josh Herwitt // Los Angeles

Top 5 Shows of 2023
1. My Morning Jacket at Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO – August 25th-26th
Picking the same band at the same music venue around the same time on the calendar for the second straight year might not seem all that interesting to those who happen to be reading this. But having the opportunity to photograph one of my favorite bands at one of the world’s best places to catch a concert was too special not to highlight here. From Jim James showing up early to play with M. Ward during his opening sets to the latter sitting in with the Louisville-bred outfit both nights, MMJ shows at Red Rocks just hit a little bit different and 2023 was no exception. Friday’s performance marked the first of several dates to honor the 20th anniversary of It Still Moves, while Saturday’s was particularly memorable this year with a cover of Traffic’s “Feelin’ Alright?” featuring a guest appearance by Nathaniel Rateliff and a four-part “Cobra” sandwich during the encore that reminded us how magical taking in a concert can be at “the birth canal of the universe” as James calls it.

2. Queens of the Stone Age at The Forum – Inglewood, CA – December 16th
3. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard at Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles, CA – June 21st
4. Jack White at The Belasco – Los Angeles, CA – January 13th
5. Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade at The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA – July 14th

Top 5 Albums of 2023
1. Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman…
The last few years have been filled with a tidal wave of emotional pain for Josh Homme. From his public divorce and custody battle to the deaths of friends and colleagues, it’s not surprising that the lead single on Queens of the Stone Age’s eighth studio album was entitled “Emotion Sickness”. But the fact that the 10-track LP didn’t make the cut for any year-end consideration by most of the major music media outlets is almost unconscionable to me. Regardless of what they think, In Times New Roman… to us is another masterpiece with Homme showcasing more vulnerability than we have ever seen from him before. Plus, after 25 years we can’t imagine finding a better cast of sidekicks in modern rock than what Queens have with Troy Van Leeuwen (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Michael Shuman (bass, keyboards, backing vocals), Dean Fertita (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals) and Jon Theodore (drums, percussion). There are only a few great rock bands out there that are still innovating and pushing boundaries, and In Times New Roman… proved QOTSA are once again unquestionably one of them.

2. Gorillaz – Cracker Island
3. Royal Blood – Back to the Water Below
4. Say She She – Silver
5. Slowdive – everything is alive

Top 5 Songs of 2023
1. Queens of the Stone Age – “Paper Machete”
As much as I liked the first two singles that were released off In Times New Roman…, it was the third hit that became an instant earworm for me this past summer. “Paper Machete” is the album’s shortest track at slightly more than three minutes, but it has that old-school QOTSA sound from Homme’s early days in the stoner-rock group Kyuss and a killer guitar solo by Van Leeuwen we would be remiss not to mention. And though some might consider it to be a diss track if there ever was one in rock ‘n’ roll, we will say that the lyrics beautifully paint a picture of “pain and misery” — as Homme sings toward the song’s finish line — in a metaphorical sense. Who said you need a lot of time to make a statement? Not Homme (or us).

2. Gorillaz – “Cracker Island” feat. Thundercat
3. Royal Blood – “Tell Me When It’s Too Late”
4. The Chemical Brothers – “No Reason”
5. Explosions in the Sky – “Moving On”

Samiam - Stowaway

Andrew Pohl // San Francisco

Top 5 Shows of 2023
1. Botch at The Regency Ballroom – San Francisco, CA – December 12th
Holy hell, this show left me with zero face…. like, my face was not present afterwards. Both opener Kowloon Walled City and Botch dished out massive sets of music that thankfully sounded crisp, even given the Regency’s typical boomy nature. This was Botch’s last show of their reunion tour, and they showed zero signs of wear, delivering an incredible performance. Fun point of the night was Botch bassist Brian Cook calling out members of the crowd who claim to have attended their shows at Gilman Street and The Stork Club back in the day, saying “you’re lying because NO ONE was there.” Can you imagine that?

2. Sunny Day Real Estate at The Regency Ballroom – San Francisco, CA – April 8th
3. Hammered Hulls at The Ivy Room – Albany, CA – May 5th
4. The Postal Service & Death Cab for Cutie at The Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA – October 10th
5. High Vis at Neck of the Woods – San Francisco, CA – July 30th

Top 5 Albums of 2023
1. Samiam – Stowaway
I knew that Samiam were going to be releasing new music this year, and I was already really hyped to hear it. Stowaway sees the band picking up right where they left off, with catchy, singalong choruses and a masterclass in post-hardcore musicality. It’s a tremendous effort from a band that already has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that it knows how to create incredible LPs.

2. Paint It Black – Famine
3. Flying Raccoon Suit – Moonflower
4. Snooper – Super Sn​õ​õ​per
5. Black Pumas – Chronicles of a Diamond

Top 5 Songs of 2023
1. Militarie Gun – “Very High”
2023 was a huge year for Militarie Gun. Their new album is a monster and made my Top 10, but this track may have been the one that stuck with me the most over the last 12 months. It’s got a killer hook and has that always welcome “all killer, no filler” quality to it. The chorus captures a bit of a Stone Roses essence without sounding like they are aping that sound at all. Overall, my feel good hit of the summer — and entire year.

2. Samiam – “Crystalized”
3. Fat Heaven – “Quarter Life Crisis”
4. The Blackburns – “Chill City Population You”
5. Cory Hanson – “Wings”

Tierra Whack - The Broad


Tierra Whack at The Broad // Photo by Joseph Gray

Rochelle Shipman // Los Angeles

Top 5 Shows of 2023
1. Ron Gallo at Gold-Diggers – Los Angeles, CA – September 21st
I caught about 60 seconds of Gallo’s set at South by Southwest in a rush to a different stage, and those few seconds played on a loop in my mind for weeks. Six months later, I finally got a chance to see the Philadelphia garage-rock star up close, and he blew what little was left of my mind with some relatable hard truths and a blazing performance. It was somehow both perfectly measured and chaotic; he even shredded using a barstool as his guitar pick at one point.

2. Little Simz at The Novo – Los Angeles, CA – October 3rd
3. Kari Faux at The Echo – Los Angeles, CA – November 7th
4. Tierra Whack at The Broad – Los Angeles, CA – August 26th
5. The Cure at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre – Chula Vista, CA – May 20th

Top 5 Albums of 2023
1. Little Simz – NO THANK YOU
Technically a mid-December surprise release in 2022, this album got cheated out of inclusion on any year-end list so I’m making it right. It’s an absolute fireball follow-up to 2022’s Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, and if it wasn’t crystal clear before, Little Simz is here to stay. Fingers crossed that she will have mercy on us and keep rolling out some of the other bangers in the vault she has been hoarding.

2. Ron Gallo – FOREGROUND MUSIC
3. Islands – And That’s Why Dolphins Lost Their Legs
4. Avey Tare – 7s
5. Noname – Sundial

Top 5 Songs of 2023
1. Tele Novella – “Hard-Hearted Way”
There’s something about the magic in Natalie Ribbons’ voice that makes you feel like the main character in the newest Wes Anderson movie. It’s whimsical and romantic, bringing a sweetness to a song that’s named after being anything but. Not a single track is worth a skip on the Texas duo’s newest LP Poet’s Tooth, but this one remains a strong and emotional standout.

2. Little Simz – “Gorilla”
3. Ron Gallo – “AT LEAST I’M DANCING”
4. Lando Chill – “Believe Me Lonely”
5. slowthai – “Never Again”

Showbams

Filed Under: Best of, Best of 2023, Editor's Picks, Featured Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Bellwether offers LA’s music scene a breath of fresh air

November 3, 2023 by 3 Comments

The BellwetherBy Josh Herwitt //

Whether you’re born and raised, a transplant or just visiting from out of town, Los Angeles has a music scene that not many other cities around the world can rival.

Sure, it’s true that New York City and Las Vegas have also been tagged with the “Entertainment Capital of the World” label, but when it comes to live music, there’s something for everyone in LA. From arenas and amphitheaters to clubs and theaters, LA County remains home to more than 50 music venues that are currently in operation. There’s the iconic Hollywood Bowl (read our past coverage here), legendary Troubadour and the state-of-the-art YouTube Theater, although we would be remiss to not mention the Greek, Orpheum, Roxy and Wiltern, too.

But with mega promoters AEG and Live Nation maintaining a stranglehold on the marketplace, is there really room for another music venue in LA and one that’s actually independent?

Michael Swier and Gregg Perloff believe so. That’s why three years after signing the lease on a 45,000-square-foot property west of the 110 Freeway and adjacent to downtown LA, the two business partners opened The Bellwether in July as one of the city’s newest nightlife destinations and have already seen acts like Carly Rae Jepsen, HAIM, Phantogram, Silversun Pickups, Slowdive and Wilco grace its stage.

Baroness at The Bellwether


Baroness at The Bellwether

Swier is no stranger to the live entertainment business. He cut his teeth running music venues in the Big Apple, turning Bowery Ballroom and Mercury Lounge into Manhattan mainstays on the Lower East Side before taking that success cross country to LA where he owns and operates the Teragram Ballroom and Moroccan Lounge. Perloff, similarly, has a wealth of knowledge and experience after working alongside renowned promoter Bill Graham and putting on shows for a couple of decades as the CEO of Bay Area company Another Planet Entertainment, which has organized the annual Outside Lands Music Festival (read our past coverage here) since 2008. So with both Swier and Perloff at the helm, it should be safe to say that The Bellwether rests in good hands.

The space itself, meanwhile, is gorgeous despite its immediate surroundings externally. While the City West and Westlake neighborhoods are some of the remaining few in LA that have yet to gentrify at all, inside the vibe feels like a completely different world than what lies right outside its front doors. The big horseshoe bar in the foyer greets guests as they come in, and if you get there early enough, you might have some time to check out the outdoor lounge that offers a 270-degree view of the downtown skyline or go VIP with an upgraded ticket to the Looking Glass Lounge.

Before we go any further, there’s some pretty cool history about the building that we can’t help but share here as well. In the 80’s, it was a trendy, “New York-style” nightclub for the elite known as Vertigo where entry was often based upon appearance — that’s LA for you — even if you had your name on the guest list. That was all before Prince bought the place in the early 90’s and turned into his own purple-shaded Grand Slam palace complete with carpeted walls, naked bodies on columns and a dance floor featuring an embedding of his ankh-styled “Love Symbol.” But after less than three years, it would change hands again and mostly be used for private events. At one point later it was called the Tatou Supper Club and then 333 Live/The Gold Room at 333 Live prior to becoming a home for the queer disco party series A Club Called Rhonda, yet nothing at 333 South Boylston St. has survived for very long, let alone has as much promise as The Bellwether does.

Much like The Regent Theater (read our venue review here) only over a mile away and Lodge Room in Highland Park, there’s a restaurant component to The Bellwether named The Virginian that serves small bites, pizza by the slice, specialty cocktails and other nourishment one hour before doors open. It might not have a menu that’s as gourmet as Checker Hall‘s — there’s no whipped feta with burnt honey butter and Urfa chili — but the options are a step up from what you would find at an AEG or Live Nation venue. After all, who doesn’t want a $19 poke bowl before a full helping of live music?

Baroness at The Bellwether


Baroness at The Bellwether

At a capacity of 1,600, the multifaceted destination fits nicely into LA’s music venue ecosystem. Many of the popular spots for artists and bands to perform are either well under and over that number, with next-door DTLA neighbors The Belasco (1,500) and the Mayan (1,700) two of the closest in size. The main room gets its character from the dance floor’s parquet pattern and an expansive mezzanine, accessible via staircases on either side, that provides excellent sightlines of the stage. Once the show begins, bars on the first floor and balcony of the ballroom make it so that you don’t have to walk very far to get a drink and miss any of the action. Swier’s brother Brian was tasked with overseeing the design and interior of The Bellwether, and after an initial encounter recently, we can’t say we aren’t impressed by his aesthetic and execution.

Our introduction to the new kid on the block came on a Saturday night more than four months after its grand opening as alt-prog-sludge four-piece Baroness stopped through on their “Sweet Oblivion Tour” with a bevy of support — Primitive Man, Midwife and Agriculture — following last year’s bone-rattling performance on a wild Oscars night. This time, though, things were a little different for the Savannah-based outfit comprised of John Baizley (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, percussion), Nick Jost (bass, keyboards, backing vocals), Sebastian Thomson (drums) and last but not least, Gina Gleason (lead guitar, backing vocals), after the release of its sixth studio album Stone in September. Compared to what we witnessed at The Echo, there’s no doubt that The Bellwether was the better (and naturally, bigger) setting for the Grammy-nominated rockers who treated us to the tour debut of “Take My Bones Away” toward the end of the evening.

That’s a testament to what Swier, Perloff and their entire crew have accomplished so far at a time when economic trends have been more unpredictable than ever coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. What is most inspiring is their continued belief in what they are doing, especially when everything shut down in 2020, never wavering in their commitment and pouring in millions of dollars without one outside investor. And now, it’s finally paying off for them.

Not only that, but for anyone who thought the City of Angels didn’t need or couldn’t support another new music venue, The Bellwether is quickly proving otherwise and delivering a simple but important reminder to us all at the same time: Don’t underestimate the power of live music.

BARONESS – OCTOBER 28TH, 2023

Setlist:
Last Word
A Horse Called Golgotha
March to the Sea
Beneath the Rose
Under the Wheel
War, Wisdom and Rhyme
Anodyne
Chlorine & Wine
Tourniquet
Shock Me
The Gnashing
Isak

Encore:
Take My Bones Away (tour debut)
The Sweetest Curse

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Show Experience Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

On tour in support of Paramore this summer, FOALS offer their fans at The Belasco the raucous headline club show that we all needed

July 24, 2023 by Leave a Comment

FOALS - The BelascoBy Josh Herwitt //

FOALS with Andy Stavas //
The Belasco – Los Angeles
July 18th, 2023 //

When FOALS rocked the Hollywood Palladium in November (read our show review here) after issuing their seventh LP Life Is Yours several months earlier, it marked the first time in more than three years since they last performed in LA.

But even after signing on as support for the second half of Paramore’s tour across North America this summer, these Brits out of Oxford were not going to let a couple of opening sets at the Kia Forum be their only shows in the City of Angels this year.

With a few days off in between tour dates and founding bassist Walter Gervers rejoining the band in May after a six-year absence, Yannis Philippakis (lead vocals, lead guitar), Jack Bevan (drums, percussion) and Jimmy Smith (rhythm guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, backing vocals) along with touring members Kit Monteith (percussion, sampler) and Joe Price (keyboards, synthesizer, backing vocals) didn’t pass up on the opportunity to make their latest trip to Southern California a little extra special with a raucous headlining performance in downtown LA at The Belasco last Tuesday.

FOALS have been opening their gigs with Life Is Yours lead single “Wake Up Me” following the album’s release more than a year ago now, and from there they stepped on the gas pedal with What Went Down standout “Snake Oil” to kick off a 16-song set that saw them perform Holy Fire deep cut “Providence” for the first time this year as well as its third single “Late Night” that remains a personal favorite and had not been played in LA since 2016 (read our show review here).

FOALS - The Belasco

From a photographer’s perspective, I have always found it cool that FOALS are the only band I have covered with a photo policy of “last three songs.” And I can certainly understand why. Because when Philippakis and his bandmates return from an encore break, things often get turned up a notch as we have seen over the years. This time was no different of course, as they hit us with their recent trifecta consisting of “Mountain at My Gates”, “What Went Down” and “Two Steps, Twice” for a terrific encore that had Philippakis shedding his axe and nearly climbing into the crowd at one point.

What might be even more amazing for the three-time Mercury Prize nominees is that they have had three different bassists in the last 18 months, and you wouldn’t even know it from the way they sound right now. There seemed to be a renewed energy amongst these lads with Gervers back in the saddle, as Smith and him shared backing vocals on the same microphone during some of the evening’s most impassioned moments.

If you’ve seen FOALS a few times like I have, you know that they’re going to bring it every single time they step onstage. The UK outfit remains one of the best rock ‘n’ roll acts to come out of the aughts as far as we are concerned, and in that regard, it shouldn’t be a big surprise that FOALS have managed to build a loyal fan base in a crowded indie scene with honest lyrics and thoughtful musicianship. It’s why they’re on our short list of bands to catch every time they come to town, and with The Belasco serving as host to a couple of other excellent concerts I have witnessed so far this year — from Jack White to Fleet Foxes — it was only fitting for FOALS to also get a chance to unload on the 1,500-person venue.

Given this latest run in the Golden State, it could be a while before FOALS are back in SoCal again. By the time they are, there’s a good chance it will be to promote new music and with a band of this caliber after almost two decades in the game, we can’t say we don’t like the sound of that.

Setlist:
Wake Me Up
Snake Oil
2001
Olympic Airways
2am
In Degrees
My Number
Black Gold
Birch Tree
Spanish Sahara
Red Socks Pugie
Providence
Milk & Black Spiders
Late Night
Black Bull
Inhaler

Encore:
Mountain at My Gates
What Went Down
Two Steps, Twice

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Photos Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

After two decades in the rap game, Talib Kweli is still fighting for what he believes in

January 26, 2017 by Leave a Comment

Talib KweliBy Joseph Gray & Josh Herwitt //

Talib Kweli with Styles P, K’Valentine //
The Belasco – Los Angeles
January 19th, 2017 //

Talib Kweli has a lot to say.

Though he has often made headlines by feuding with critics, internet trolls and celebrities (even Kiss’ Gene Simmons of all people) on Twitter, the 41-year-old Brooklyn emcee is fine with governing the inconvenient space. Hell, his social-media presence, ripe with over one million Twitter followers, surely helped him garner an invitation — alongside a host of your favorite rappers — to visit The White House last year and discuss the best ways of reforming the criminal justice system with former President Barack Obama.

Kweli may never ride his social-media notoriety to Billboard‘s Hot 100 mountaintop like the meme-assisted Migos did with “Bad and Boujee” or video craze-pushed Rae Sremmurd with “Black Beatles”, but the veteran technician boasts an impressive rap résumé that has been built on razor-sharp lyricism and politically insightful artsy, both of which have dazzled so many hip-hop purists long before the genre overwhelmingly permeated the mainstream.

The reward for Kweli, despite never producing that big record to lift him to super stardom, is a loyal group of fans. Last Thursday in LA, many of them piled into the Belasco Theater’s lower bowl as part of “The Seven Tour” as Kweli made a point of acknowledging their longstanding love for him and hip-hop, even when it wasn’t the popular thing to do.

Talib Kweli & Anderson .Paak


Talib Kweli with Anderson .Paak

Hitting the stage with plenty of positivity, thought provocation and several surprises, Kweli punctuated a rewind of his classic Black Star work with Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) with “Definition” before raising fists and excitement with “Move Somethin'” and “The Blast”, two organic standouts from Reflection Eternal, the longstanding side project that he formed with Cincinnati rapper/producer Hi-Tek two decades ago. With the diverse crowd at The Belasco digging his collaborative work, Kweli reminded us there was more goodness to come in the form of his forthcoming project with Styles P called The Seven (the only strange part was the fact that the duo didn’t perform any songs together at the show).

Styles P, the well-respected member of The Lox and Kweli’s latest partner in crime, came on just prior to his tourmate’s hour-long set, donning a backpack full of his signature hard and vivid rhymes but missing just one thing: a shot of Rémy Martin. After a number of requests, that too made its way to the stage, much to the delight of the crowd.

Now whole and indebted, Styles P got the party started by climbing over the front barricade into a mob of concertgoers as the self-proclaimed gangster and gentleman also became the people’s champion. He assured us, despite the changing and chaotic political climate, we would prevail (“We Gonna Make It”), get high (“Good Times”), spend money (“B.M.F.”) and remember the same guy who went against hip-hop titans like Diddy and Jay Z and came out without a major chink in his armor (“What Else You Need to Know”).

While Styles P and special guest K’Valentine — the curvy Chicago rapstress who used her gifted flow to speak out against Chi-Raq and her city’s highly publicized problem with gun violence — were well-enjoyed, Kweli turned to some more of his friends for a stronger jolt. Playing to the crowd with a black Lakers cap, he called Naughty By Nature’s Treach up for some feel-good throwback hits before Southern California’s do-it-all wunderkind Anderson .Paak punched the building full of unbridled energy with “Come Down” from his Grammy-nominated album Malibu.

Talib Kweli

While the vibes were free-flowing, Kweli made sure his show would continue to lean left on the eve of Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration. Diverging from his material with some social dialogue, he took his good friend and “Get ‘Em High” collaborator Kanye West, actor and comedian Steve Harvey and others to task for being “crazy” enough to set foot next to President Trump.

“Trump can’t understand the black scholar. We can run the ball but can’t run the office,” he said in response to Trump’s recent meetings with prominent black entertainers like West and athletes such as former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and NFL legend Jim Brown.

With the laid-back atmosphere abruptly being replaced by the reality of continued racial and social issues in the U.S., Kweli walked off the stage. But like much of his career, he isn’t one to shy away from a fight.

Instead, he reappeared after encore chants to Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman” as the backdrop of the famous song led into the determined “Get By”, still Kweli’s biggest hit that felt even larger amid the clapping crowd. On this night, whether it was convenient or not, the man with a lot to say made sure to give us a whole lot to think about.

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

After touring with Sia, AlunaGeorge have never been more well-suited to succeed than now

November 28, 2016 by Leave a Comment

AlunaGeorgeBy Josh Herwitt //

Red Bull Sound Select – 30 Days in LA: AlunaGeorge with Xavier Omär //
The Belasco – Los Angeles
November 22nd, 2016 //

If you haven’t heard of AlunaGeorge, there’s a good chance you’ve probably heard them on the radio and just didn’t know. But it probably wasn’t one of their own songs that you heard. Nope, it was more than likely from another English electronic duo by the name of Disclosure.

For plenty, Disclosure’s 2013 hit “White Noise” off their debut LP Settle was the first exposure they had to the namesake of vocalist/songwriter Aluna Francis and producer/instrumentalist George Reid. And though their very first single “You Know You Like It” reached as high as No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 thanks in part to DJ Snake’s remix for “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” boosting the song’s popularity, AlunaGeorge had yet to have a bonafide pop song in their arsenal until brothers Howard and Guy Lawrence enlisted Francis’ pipes a few years ago.

Since then, Francis and Reid together have released two full-length albums, including most recently I Remember as the follow-up to 2013’s initial offering Body Music. While their latest studio effort sees them expanding horizons with some guest spots — something they didn’t endeavor on Body Music — from New Orleans-born rapper Pell, Chinese-American electronic musician/singer ZHU and Jamaican dancehall emcee Popcaan on lead single “I’m in Control”, the loudest roar from the healthy crowd at LA’s Belasco Theater last Tuesday came when they dropped the popular Disclosure track toward the middle of their hour-long performance.

AlunaGeorge

Despite the show being scheduled right before a holiday weekend, it was still billed as one of the premier events for Red Bull Sound Select’s 30 Days in LA series this month and rightfully so. AlunaGeorge, in fact, were coming off their most important string of dates having served as one of two opening acts (the other being Miguel) on the North American leg of Sia’s 2016 arena tour. So, after gracing the stage at the world-famous Hollywood Bowl this fall, Francis and Reid had no reason to be intimidated by the Belasco’s main theater room. If anything, it only gave them the freedom to showcase some of their songs under a new and different light.

As we reached the midway point of their set with back-to-back singles from I Remember (the title track and “My Blood”), AlunaGeorge entered unchartered territory as they welcomed Pell and a three-piece brass band onstage to help them perform “Full Swing” live for the first time. It was a fitting way to wrap up a tour after months and months of both festival dates and club gigs all around the world, stretching the scope of electronic music with merely an element or two of surprise sprinkled into the equation. Because on this night, whether many attendees had heard of them or not, AlunaGeorge did everything they could to help them not forget.

Setlist:
Mediator
Your Drums, Your Love
I’m in Control
Automatic (ZHU cover)
White Noise (Disclosure cover)
My Blood
I Remember
Full Swing (with Pell) (with brass section)
Heartbreak Horizon (with brass section)
Not Above Love (with brass section)
Hold Your Head High
Mean What I Mean
You Know You Like It

Filed Under: Editor's Picks, Featured, Live Music Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

With dignity and grace, Pusha T stays true to himself

November 23, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Pusha TBy Joseph Gray //

Red Bull Sound Select – 30 Days in LA: Pusha T with Boogie //
The Belasco – Los Angeles
November 16th, 2016 //

“Thinking back on it, it really was all a set up. You were setting me up to be the solo artist I never saw myself as.”

This week, G.O.O.D. Music President and rapper Pusha T (born Terrence LeVarr Thornton) graciously reflected on his life of six years ago, when he was summoned to Hawaii for six months as part of label founder Kanye West’s brain trust of inspiration. The outcome of the famed recording sessions and basketball games became My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, West’s fifth studio album that brilliantly pits the Grammy winner’s defiant indestructibility against his haunting burdens as he returned from self-imposed deportation stemming from his infamous acceptance-speech interruption at the MTV Video Music Awards.

A powerful declaration set to wide-ranging and rich stadium sounds while not forgetting hip-hop’s basement essentials, West’s album also served as the perfect opportunity for the younger of the Thornton brothers — who together formed the rap duo Clipse — to share his brash, relentless talents with the world.

This opportunity and eventual partnership has not gone forgotten on Pusha T, who, prior to posting an open letter on Instagram to West (now reportedly in the hospital after cutting his latest tour short) on the six-year anniversary of MBDTF, took the stage at the Belasco Theater last Wednesday night as part of Red Bull Sound Select’s 30 Days in LA series with a similar graciousness as the headlining act he’d never imagined he would be.

“It’s always love when I come to LA. LA was always riding with me,” said Thornton, the veteran Virginia Beach-raised lyricist who unconventionally showed up earlier than we expected. Following Compton emcee Boogie’s warm hometown vibes, Pusha — with his signature braids, ad-libbing snarl, sweat pants and panther-embroidered jean jacket — proceeded to get comfortable and get to it.

Pusha T

There were no illuminated, floating stages to hover above a raucous mosh pit like West exhibited on his Saint Pablo tour. No maniacal dances or broads in Atlanta like rapper Desiigner frequently flaunts. No special guests like you’d often find at Big Sean’s shows. Unlike some of his labelmates, Pusha T opted to deliver us a PSA instead of a surprise, sending a reminder that this is what rappers are supposed to look like.

Not in the vein of the get-off-my-lawn emcees who shun everything that sounds different from their era, Pusha has embraced being a rapper’s rapper, refusing to deviate from the ease that he displays in combining vivid storytelling with a cloak of brazen confidence — an attribute new UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor would likely approve of. The performance proved to be a double-edged sword because while the Pusha T fan in me gladly recited witty rhyme after witty rhyme, the casual fan looking for big thrills may have been underwhelmed.

Fortunately, the larger percentage of concertgoers fell in line with the former, scrunching their faces in approval as President Pusha ran through “Crutches, Crosses, Caskets”, “M.P.A.” and more from his sophomore solo LP King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude. The show’s early highlights came during “Numbers on the Board” and
“Nosetalgia”, the head-nodding, boom-bap standouts from his debut standalone album that showcase Pusha at his very best.

“20-plus years of selling Johnson & Johnson. I started out as a baby-face monster. No wonder there’s diaper rash on my conscience,” rapped Thornton, giving his LA fans the metaphorical opener they had been waiting for. This preceded the all-encompassing highlight when he took time for a brief Clipse homage with the classic “Grindin'” and the Future and Pharrell-assisted “Move That Dope” before turning his attention to the “toast for the douchebags” that changed his life.

While refusing to sing as the recognizable piano keys grew louder, the crowd happily obliged in assuming West’s echoing duties before Pusha joined the party, rapping the standout verse on “Runaway” that he acquired by being as greedy to work as he was thankful. Promising that new albums from him and the rest of label were on the way, Pusha, if anything, made it clear on this night that his appetite for more will not be diminishing anytime soon.

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