Primavera Sound LA reveals ‘Primavera In The City’ side shows for inaugural 2022 edition with GIVĒON, DARKSIDE, Stereolab & more

Primeravera Sound LA - Primavera In The City - 2022 side shows

Primavera In The City //
LA venues – Los Angeles
September 13th-20th, 2022 //

When Primavera Sound announced in 2019 that it would be coming to LA the following year before the COVID-19 pandemic turned life upside down, it marked the first time one of the world’s most renowned music-festival brands would stretch its wings outside of the small European empire founder Pablo Soler and his team have built since 2001 to finally touch down on U.S. soil.

But if Primavera Sound was looking to make a big splash for its first year in the City of Angels, look no further than the newly announced “Primavera In The City” side shows. Stretching across seven venues from Hollywood to Koreatown and Echo Park to DTLA, the 10 gigs over the course of a week will boast GIVĒON, Drain Gang, DARKSIDE, Stereolab, Little Jesus & Divino Niño, Bad Gyal, Jehnny Beth, CHAI, Tim Hecker and Special Interest.

Highlights from the poster certainly include GIVĒON and DARKSIDE taking the stage at the always-spooky Hollywood Forever Cemetery on back-to-back days, while Stereolab will play The Wiltern the night before their Friday set at the fest. But don’t sleep on also catching Savages singer Jehnny Beth rock Zebulon and Canadian electronic musician Tim Hecker at community center Pico Union Project that’s located in one of the city’s “most diverse and economically challenged neighborhoods.”

Tickets for the Primavera Sound LA side shows go on sale here this Friday, July 29th at 10 a.m. PT, but ticket holders have already been sent a special presale code via email to purchase them in advance so make sure to check your inboxes pronto!


Here is the schedule for the upcoming side shows with links to purchase tickets:

September 13th (TUE): Special Interest at The Echo, 7 p.m., $18, All Ages // BUY TICKETS

September 13th (TUE): Jehnny Beth at Zebulon, 8 p.m., $26.78, 21+ // BUY TICKETS

September 14th (WED): Tim Hecker at Pico Union Project, 8 p.m., $35, All Ages // BUY TICKETS

September 14th (WED): Little Jesus & Divino Niño at Echoplex, 7 p.m., $23, All Ages // BUY TICKETS

September 14th (WED): DARKSIDE at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 8 p.m., $49.50, All Ages // BUY TICKETS

September 15th (THU): Drain Gang at Hollywood Palladium, 7 p.m., $35, All Ages // BUY TICKETS

September 15th (THU): Stereolab at The Wiltern, 7 p.m., $35, All Ages // BUY TICKETS

September 15th (THU): GIVĒON at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 7 p.m., $69.50, All Ages // BUY TICKETS

September 16th (FRI): Bad Gyal at Echoplex, 10 p.m., $25, All Ages // BUY TICKETS

September 20th (TUE): CHAI at The Echo, 7 p.m., $25, All Ages // BUY TICKETS

On a wild Oscars night, Baroness deliver their own brand of theatrics in LA for a sold-out crowd at The Echo

BaronessBy Josh Herwitt //

Baroness //
The Echo – Los Angeles
March 27th, 2022 //

If you didn’t catch it on live television, you probably have heard plenty about it. You know, how that one famous guy slapped the other famous guy in the face during an awards show over a bad joke?

Well, that’s all anyone can seem to talk about now. Even the ongoing war in Ukraine took a back seat to the “slap heard around the world.”

But for those Angelinos who could give a rat’s ass about the Academy Awards or the latest drama that’s surrounding Hollywood, you could find us at The Echo getting slapped in the face by some heavy metal … compliments of Baroness.

The alt-prog-sludge band with roots in Virginia but originally from Savannah, Ga., has been winning over metalheads dating back to the mid-2000’s with a sound reminiscent of former desert rockers Kyuss, and its fan base has only continued to grow in that time with a Grammy nomination five years ago.

Founding member John Baizley (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, percussion) has been working with Nick Jost (bass, keyboards, backing vocals) and Sebastian Thomson (drums) for nearly a decade, and Gina Gleason (lead guitar, backing vocals) has proven that she can shred with the very best since replacing Baroness’ other founding member Peter Adams in 2017.

Baroness

While the four-piece has yet to follow up 2019’s Gold & Grey with another studio album, Baizley and company have been powering through the ups and downs of the COVID-19 pandemic on their “Your Baroness Tour” after having to cancel and reschedule last year’s shows in Boise, Salt Lake City and Denver, as well as subsequently postpone its second leg from January-February to March-April.

But when they arrived in the City of Angels last Sunday for their first appearance since headlining The Wiltern with Deafheaven, there was a capacity crowd waiting for them. And judging by the line outside the venue, I wasn’t quite sure The Echo could even fit everyone inside. The 350-person room did, but there certainly wasn’t a lot of space to maneuver once we got through its front doors.

What was different and unique about this tour, though, was that Baroness were giving ticket holders the opportunity to request songs each night, with the top 10 being included in the performance’s setlist. LA’s own “by-request evening” began like many of them have as “Ogeechee Hymnal” paved the way for lead single “Take My Bones Away” off 2012’s Yellow & Green — and a whole lot of headbanging as Baizley’s and Gleason’s guitars intertwined with ferocity and regularity for the next two-plus hours.

By the end of it all, no one could argue Baroness had shortchanged anyone. Unleashing a 22-song set that covered all five of their full lengths and concluded with “Swollen and Halo” on 2009’s Blue Record, they even had something a little special saved for the encore as they gave us the option of hearing the first recorded track “Tower Falls” from their aptly titled debut EP First instead of fan favorite Red Album track “Isak”, which has often assumed the position of show closer lately.

Would it have been better if they had uncorked both to completely melt our faces? Of course, but with Baizley seemingly in high spirits due to the sold-out audience’s response, you can count on Baroness’ next visit to Tinseltown being even bigger, better and bolder than their last.

Setlist:
Ogeechee Hymnal
Take My Bones Away
Rays on Pinion
Kerosene
Tourniquet
March to the Sea
Green Theme
A Horse Called Golgotha
Shock Me
Chlorine & Wine
The Gnashing
Cold-Blooded Angels (Acoustic)
I’d Do Anything (Acoustic)
Can Oscura
Little Things
Borderlines
If I Have to Wake Up (Would You Stop the Rain?) / Fugue
The Sweetest Curse
The Birthing
Cocainium
Eula
Swollen and Halo

Encore:
Tower Falls

*Editor’s Note: “Isak” was written on the setlist as the encore, but fans were given the option to choose.

The Bam Team’s 5 Favorite Shows, Albums & Songs of 2019

Kali Uchis at Smokin Grooves Fest - Rochelle Shipman


Kali Uchis at Smokin Grooves Fest // Showbams’ Photo of the Year, by Rochelle Shipman

Um, that’s it? Another year in the rear-view mirror? Where the hell did the last 12 months go? Time sure does seem to fly when there’s so much good new music out there to enjoy.

With that said, it’s once again time for us to share our annual “Best of” lists like we have done the past few years (see our 2018 picks here). From new emerging artists to reunion tours to the return of rock ‘n’ roll, this year had a little bit of everything for both the casual and passionate music fan. And even if you didn’t have the time to listen to every album that came out (neither did we), that’s why we’re here: to help point you in the right direction whenever you do finally get the chance to dig in.

So, without further ado, Showbams presents The Bam Team’s five favorite shows, albums and songs from 2019.

See our favorite performances from 2019 here.

Listen to The Bam Team’s favorite songs of 2019:


The Chemical Brothers at Shrine Expo Hall - Josh Herwitt


The Chemical Brothers at Shrine Expo Hall // Photo by Josh Herwitt

Josh Herwitt // Los Angeles

Top 5 Shows of 2019
1. Tool at Staples Center – Los Angeles, CA – October 20th & 21st
Unlike the delay on Tool’s fifth album Fear Inoculum, I thankfully didn’t have to wait 13 years to see my favorite band perform live. It was only a couple of years ago when I caught the boys at The Gorge, earning top honors as my favorite show in 2017, and subsequently a week later at Glen Helen Amphitheater for an all-day affair with Primus, Clutch, Fantômas, Melvins and The Crystal Method. Perhaps my tastes haven’t changed all that much since then, but even in a year that saw me attend half as many concerts as I usually do, Tool are still finding new and innovative ways to enhance their live show. Whether it’s tinkering with their stage production to incorporate a see-through curtain at times or adding surround sound throughout the arena, a Tool performance has evolved into a spiritual, meditative and almost out-of-body experience over the last decade. It’s no wonder why scoring tickets remains a trial of good fortune.

2. The Raconteurs at Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA – July 27th
3. The Chemical Brothers at Shrine Expo Hall – Los Angeles, CA – May 15th
4. Jim James & The Claypool Lennon Delirium at The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA – July 3rd
5. FOALS at Shrine Expo Hall – Los Angeles, CA – March 24th

Top 5 Albums of 2019
1. Tool – Fear Inoculum
When a three-time Grammy-winning band takes more than a decade to release its next album, it’s only natural for expectations to go through the roof. And I’ll be the first to admit that there was a small seed of doubt in my mind when it came to just how epic Tool’s latest sonic voyage in the studio could and would be. But upon first listen, any uncertainty I had about the merits of Fear Inoculum was quickly dispelled. The title track lures you in from the onset, building to a higher place as Maynard James Keenan (vocals) and company — Adam Jones (guitar), Justin Chancellor (bass) and Danny Carey (drums, percussion) — take listeners on an 80-minute rite of passage that holds up as some of the quartet’s best material in its entire catalog. I just hope they got at least one more LP in them, even if it takes another 13 years to make.

2. The Raconteurs – Help Us Stranger
3. FOALS – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1
4. The Chemical Brothers – No Geography
5. Black Pumas – Black Pumas

Top 5 Songs of 2019
1. Tool – “Descending”
If you’re still reading, you’ve probably gotten the hint by now that I’m a big fan of Tool. After all, it only seemed fitting that my top song in 2019 should also come from my No. 1 album of the year by my favorite band over the last two decades. I have seen Tool perform a shortened version of “Descending” several times since 2014, before it ever had an official title, so when Fear Inoculum arrived back in August, there was no track I anticipated hearing more. In fact, at more than 13 minutes long, it’s one that requires your full, undivided attention, which can be a significant amount of time to dedicate in a world of three-minute pop songs and endless distractions now. But for prog-rock enthusiasts like myself who are more than willing to take the ride, “Descending” delivers a total rush of blood to the head that ultimately leads to pure unadulterated euphoria.

2. Bon Iver – “Hey, Ma”
3. Hot Chip – “Hungry Child”
4. FOALS – “On the Luna”
5. Karen O and Danger Mouse – “Turn the Light”


Cate Le Bon - Reward

Kevin Quandt // San Francisco

Top 5 Shows of 2019
1. Stereolab at Primavera Sound – Barcelona, Spain – June 1st
Primavera Sound has always had a knack for booking reunions (i.e. Pulp, The Avalanches and Pavement) to its “musical mecca” on the Balearic Sea. 2019’s iteration featured the first proper show in nearly a decade from the anti-capitalist art-pop darlings Stereolab. “Come and Play in the Milky Night” on 1999’s Cobra and Phases Group Play Voltage in the Milky Night would open the evening to the international consortium of aging music nerds who undoubtedly knew that they were about to be treated to a “best of” set from the English-French outfit. Better yet, their politically themed lyrical content seemed more relevant in 2019 than it was around the time of their creation a quarter-century ago.

2. Mike Dillon’s New Orleans Punk Rock Percussion Consortium at The Music Box Village – New Orleans, LA – April 26th
3. BLACK MIDI at Rickshaw Stop – San Francisco, CA – November 21st
4. Amen Dunes at August Hall – San Francisco, CA – January 10th
5. Ween at Desert Daze – Perris, CA – October 12th

Top 5 Albums of 2019
1. Cate Le Bon – Reward
What a banner year for the Welsh artist as she created her most highly acclaimed LP to date. Le Bon has truly honed her craft over the last decade as she has collaborated with a laundry list of indie-music royalty before writing the whimsical and austere Reward that employs an array of fresh sounds swirling around her haunting, pixie vocals. 2020 will see Cate jump on tour alongside Kurt Vile in a solo capacity, but we can’t wait to see what she produces next.

2. Wand – Laughing Matter
3. (Sandy) Alex G – House of Sugar
4. The Murder Capital – When I Have Fears
5. Omni – Networker

Top 5 Songs of 2019
1. FOALS – “Sunday”
As FOALS teeter on the edge of being rock’s next big headliner, the British group semi-quietly unleashed a pair of albums entitled Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1 and Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 2. While their style continues to hover around math, dance and indie rock, they dig into a deeper realm of sonic atmosphere as frontman Yannis Philippakis questions, even laments, the state of our current times. “Sunday” tends to borrow a tad from the grandiose nature of their fellow Brits in Coldplay before dropping into a four-on-the-floor section that was rather well-received during their March stop at the Fox Theater in Oakland.

2. Crumb – “Ghostride”
3. Vampire Weekend – “Sunflower” feat. Steve Lacy
4. Oh Sees – “Henchlock”
5. Allah-Las – “In the Air”


Rochelle Shipman // Los Angeles

Top 5 Shows of 2019
1. slowthai at Lodge Room – Los Angeles, CA – September 4th
Shortly after releasing his debut album Nothing Great About Britain in May, Tyron Frampton played a few intimate U.S. shows several months later. My guess is that those were probably the last ones he’ll do if the UK rapper out of Northampton continues to rise and deliver, just like he did for much of 2019. Part Johnny Knoxville-type grime smart ass, part brilliant gritty-crust punk, slowthai shook the roof off LA’s Lodge Room, which turned out to be a warm-up show before he returned to play Camp Flog Gnaw in November. Frampton certainly came to please, setting the energy level at 11 and even performing his rowdy hit “Doorman” twice in the set. He could’ve run through it 15 times and the crowd would’ve left just as satisfied.

2. Little Simz at The Echo – Los Angeles, CA – June 13th
3. Taking Back Sunday at Hollywood Palladium – Los Angeles, CA – April 11th
4. Night Moves at The Echo – Los Angeles, CA – September 21st
5. Usher at Smokin Grooves Fest – Long Beach, CA – June 15th

Top 5 Albums of 2019
1. Little Simz – GREY Area
The production. The flow. The bars. The BALLS. Little Simz absolutely brings it on GREY Area, leaving no space for second-guessing, sexist bullshit or honestly anyone else at all. This latest studio album from the British emcee is all her, and you can feel it with every breath she takes. We should all be so lucky to come into our confidence the way that she did on this record, but most of all, we should just be grateful “Simbi” trusts us to keep her deepest secrets — and that they sound so, so good.

2. slowthai – Nothing Great About Britain
3. Shura – forevher
4. Ari Lennox – Shea Butter Baby
5. White Reaper – You Deserve Love

Top 5 Songs of 2019
1. slowthai – “Doorman” (with Mura Masa)
This song technically dropped in 2018, but its spotlight was shone even wider with slowthai releasing his debut LP this year. The Mura Masa-assisted cut pulses with adrenaline, carries the air of a movie soundtrack in only three minutes and has a beat that will take you all the way to the moon and back. In the words of Lizzo, it’s a whole damn meal!

2. Kari Faux – “Latch Key”
3. Billie Eilish – “bury a friend”
4. Little Simz – “Venom”
5. Smino – “Trina”


Tool - Fear Inoculum

Andrew Pohl // San Francisco

Top 5 Shows of 2019
1. IDLES – Fillmore – San Francisco, CA – October 10th
After putting out one of my favorite albums from 2018 and missing their show earlier this year, I was thrilled to finally catch IDLES live. To say that these English punk rockers put on a good performance would be a true understatement. They had the energy of an out-of-control freight train but were able to contain it while proving to be an incredibly fun act to see live. Frontman Joe Talbot engaged with the audience in a very authentic way, talking and singing to fans, not just at them. There were crowd-surfing guitarists, mosh pits and sing-a-longs … it was wild.

2. Punk Rock Bowling 2019 – Las Vegas, NV – May 23rd-27th
3. Judas Priest at The Warfield – San Francisco, CA – June 24th
4. Van’s Warped Tour 2019 at Shoreline Amphitheater – Mountain View, CA – July 20th-21st
5. ITCHY-O at Cornerstone – Berkeley, CA – November 23rd

Top 5 Albums of 2019
1. Tool – Fear Inoculum
Well, after all of the waiting and speculation, Tool have done it again, in a really big way. Fear Inoculum is everything that I was hoping it would be, and then some. HUGE-sounding drums, guitars and bass wrap your head in a warm prog blanket while Maynard does what he always has so well. It takes the best parts of their previous albums and combines them to showcase a band that has clearly not missed a step in the 13 years since 10,000 Days.

2. Bad Religion – Age of Unreason
3. Brittany Howard – Jaime
4. Catbite – Catbite
5. Plague Vendor – By Night

Top 5 Songs of 2019
1. The Hammerbombs – “I Hate Cars”
The Hammerbombs are an undersung Bay Area pop-punk group that have written some of the catchiest and fun songs I have heard from the East Bay scene in a long time. Their 2019 release Goodbye, Dreamboat made my top 10, and this track is the hands-down standout on an album chock-full of toe-tappers. It’s a heartfelt song written by singer and bassist Jen Louie, who has a knack for crafting some really fantastic tunes. The chorus is saccharine sweet, and you can’t help but sing along.

2. Lizzo – “Juice”
3. Bad Religion – “Do The Paranoid Style”
4. Ceremony – “In The Spirit World Now”
5. Lagwagon – “Surviving California”

Showbams_Sticker_Rectangle2

Goldenvoice unveils 2019 Coachella sideshows

Goldenvoice Presents: April 2019

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 & 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.

Goldenvoice

Goldenvoice announces 2018 Coachella sideshows

Goldenvoice Presents: April 2018

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 & 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 & 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 & 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.

Goldenvoice

No matter what their band’s name is, JR JR are still a well-oiled, indie-pop machine

JR JRBy Zach Bourque //

JR JR //
The Echo – Los Angeles
May 25th, 2017 //

The band that at one time went by the name of a retiring NASCAR driver headlined The Echo for an intimate performance in LA last Thursday. Although its genre can be hard to pin down as it floats somewhere between electronic, indie and pop, it’s difficult to dispute JR JR’s shear power of infectious charm, which was on full display inside the packed Echo Park venue.

Formerly known as Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr., Daniel Zott and Joshua Epstein made a name for themselves back in 2011 with their debut full length It’s a Corporate World on Warner Bros. Records. Their fresh sound drew attention from the indie scene and LA public radio station KCRW but never seemed to find the mainstream audience that their music deserved. When it was announced back in 2015 that they had downsized (besides the capital letters) their name to JR JR, a move that coincided with the release of their third album, the Detroit duo managed to crack the charts and gain some radio play on stations like KROQ with its single “Gone”.

The crowd inside The Echo, which was packed to nauseating claustrophobia, was a wonderful melting pot that represented the band’s broad appeal. Hipsters brushed elbows with industry executives as they attempted to make their way to the bar. Closer to the stage, 20-somethings danced and sang along to “Gone” as did a few old-timers who we imagine might have been related to some of the band members.

JR JR

Zott and Epstein are both wonderfully eccentric figures onstage, as Zott’s side ponytail afro jives perfectly with Epstein’s auto-tuned vocals that are performed via a telephone receiver. Plus, the two have no shortage of charming banter in between songs, and you can tell they have been playing music together for quite some time.

While the short set was used to essentially “focus group” new material from their upcoming album, JR JR were able to sneak in a few oldies like “If You Didn’t See Me (Then You Weren’t on the Dancefloor)”. The group also donated a portion of each ticket to a non-profit named JED, which helps bring light to the emotional health of teens and young adults. Epstein had several stories regarding his own struggles with anxiety and depression, but none of them that we heard ever shifted the tone off too far away from the group’s ubiquitous positivity.

It’s hard to imagine JR JR’s momentum letting up anytime soon. It’s been a slow crawl for the group, but it appears that the word is finally out and we anticipate big things from their next LP. And to think that all along, the biggest detriment to the group’s success might have come from Dale Earnhardt himself. Long live JR JR.

Cursive’s Tim Kasher breathes an orchestral breath into his solo music at The Echo

Tim KasherBy Rochelle Shipman //

Tim Kasher //
The Echo – Los Angeles
May 3rd, 2017 //

Tim Kasher stopped by The Echo in LA last Wednesday during his tour behind No Resolution, the latest LP in a string of beautifully bummer solo releases about the realities of growing up and growing old.

The Cursive/Good Life frontman tapped a carefully constructed backing band to breathe an orchestral breath into some cuts from his extensive catalog, including some older songs that don’t normally get the spotlight.

He also announced the release of a feature film he wrote and directed that’s coming later this year, seemingly (fortunately/unfortunately) unrelated to his 2013 studio album Adult Film.

Setlist:
A Raincloud Is a Raincloud
Cold Love
Messes
Runts
No Fireworks
Lay Down Your Weapons
Break Me Open
Night and Day (The Good Life cover)
Monogamy
An Answer for Everything
Into the Fold (Cursive cover)
Bloody Murderer (Cursive cover)
The Prodigal Husband
No Secret

Encore:
From the Hips (Cursive cover)
Truly Freaking Out

Goldenvoice reveals 2017 Coachella sideshows

Goldenvoice Presents: April 2017

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 & 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 & 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.

Goldenvoice

Stormzy shows no fear in his LA debut at The Echo

StormzyPhotos by Brian Doyle // Written by Joseph Gray //

Stormzy with Lizzo, Kauf //
The Echo – Los Angeles
March 23rd, 2016 //

As big-eyed with appreciation as he was when his authoritative voice and frenzied intensity were being applied, Stormzy (born Michael Omari), the towering South London emcee, took his headlining tour to The Echo for its Los Angeles debut last Wednesday night. In a city often defined for its laid-back demeanor, such indifference was absent from the packed room as the budding sensation of grime, UK’s darker fusion of garage, hip-hop and dancehall, performed under the venue’s dim lights after alternative hip-hop artist Lizzo and LA electronic duo Kauf kicked things off.

A fiery congregation chanted lyric after lyric from Stormzy’s catalog before he even took the stage as part of Red Bull’s Sound Select series. Once Stormzy did, wrapped in a grey adidas sweat suit and camera flash, he elevated an energized crew that was full of life, flexing his muscle for hundreds of jumping spectators with thunderous tracks like “Standard” before briefly slowing the tempo during “10 Minutes”, a determined and sharp memo about what sets him apart from his rapping counterparts over the soulful score of The Game’s “100”.

However, that break in tempo would be short-lived, as the fourth quarter of his hour-long set introduced his huge, pulsating freestyle anthems. A now-shirtless Stormzy, fully entrenched in sweat and his element, madly ran through catchy fan favorites like “Know Me From” and “Shut Up”. How can you be better than Stormzy? In roaring unison with his supporters, new and old, he simply told his doubters to “shut up!” — fearless advice from the 22-year-old that is becoming harder to ignore with each one of his successful tour stops across the U.S.

Skipping FYF Fest? You can still see all these shows

2015 FYF sideshows

FYF Fest returns to the LA Sports Arena and Exposition Park this August for its 12th edition with an amalgam of trending indie in tow. It’s also one of our eight music festivals taking place in California that you won’t want to miss before the end of 2015.

But if you’re not keen on catching headliners Frank Ocean and Morrissey yet still want to see sub headliners like Bloc Party or The Jesus and Mary Chain without shelling out $175 for a two-day GA pass (single-day passes have already sold out, by the way), well then, you’re in a bit of luck.

FYF and Goldenvoice have announced a series of sideshows around the festival’s August 22nd-23rd dates, which include performances by Toronto experimental hip-hop/post-bop trio BADBADNOTGOOD, Northeastern legendary alt-rockers Dinosaur Jr. and even NorCal industrial hip-hop group Death Grips, who, if you can remember, broke up not all that long ago, reneging on an opportunity to tour with 90’s rock heavyweights Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden last summer.

The sideshows start later this month, with LA’s own HEALTH kicking things off at The Echo before London-based post-punk revival band Savages finish the run off with a headlining gig at The Roxy on August 26th. It’s worth noting, however, that none of the sideshows will take place over the weekend of FYF, much like what Goldenvoice does in April by booking high-profile shows in and around Coachella’s two weekends.

Tickets for the sideshows go on sale at FYFpresents.com this Friday, July 10th at 10 a.m.


Here is the schedule for the festival’s upcoming sideshows with links to purchase tickets:

July 24th: HEALTH at The Echo // BUY TICKETS

August 19th: The Jesus and Mary Chain with A Place to Bury Strangers at The Fonda Theatre // BUY TICKETS

August 19th: Bloc Party at Glasshouse // BUY TICKETS

August 20th: The Jesus and Mary Chain with A Place to Bury Strangers at The Fonda Theatre // BUY TICKETS

August 20th: Bloc Party at The Roxy Theatre // BUY TICKETS

August 20th: METZ at The Echo // BUY TICKETS

August 21st: BadBadNotGood with Show Me the Body at The Regent Theater // BUY TICKETS

August 21st: NAILS at Echoplex // BUY TICKETS

August 21st: The Drums with Froth at Glasshouse // BUY TICKETS

August 21st: Lower Dens with Empress Of at The Echo // BUY TICKETS

August 21st: Dinosaur Jr. at The Roxy Theatre // BUY TICKETS

August 25th: Death Grips at Glasshouse // BUY TICKETS

August 26th: Savages at The Roxy Theatre // BUY TICKETS

August 26th: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard at The Echo // BUY TICKETS

2015 FYF Fest lineup