by Brad RobertsThis is the week of Make Music Pasadena, and that would suck all the air out of a quiet week, which this is not. There are so many highlights at the largest free festival in California on Saturday with main attractions as Surfer Blood, Yuna, Saint Motel, Moses Sumney, Run River North, The Janks, Tennis, Eliza Rickman just to name a few, that you could run from stage to stage all day long. This early summer festival always ends up being one of the year's highlights for local music buffs, and this year looks to be the same monumental experience.
Unfortunately Radio Free Silver Lake is not presenting a stage this year at Make Music Pasadena but the next best thing is the program set up at Old Towne Pub by One Question Sessions and De La Vie TV that promises to be a major attraction at the one-day festival. Hosted by one of Los Angeles' best talkers, Scott Schultz, be prepared for some diverting storytelling, and don't be surprised if audience members are pulled on stage to participate. Among the best of L.A.'s indie bands and artists who are playing there are Aaron Embry, So Many Wizards, Dawn of Sequins, yOya, Hobart W. Fink, The Happy Casualties, Winter and so many more. This is the one stage that goes late into the night.
June residencies launch on Monday night with Joel Jerome and Babies On Acid at The Echo, French Style Furs at The Satellite, and Until The Ribbon Breaks at Bootleg HiFi. Seasons play an All Scene Eye event at The Virgil on Tuesday. Aaron Embry is part of the "Desert Nights" events that take place every Wednesday night at The Standard. Another couple of great local bands, LA River Bend and The Brothers Zmed, are at Hotel Cafe on Thursday. This week is packed tight with little gems and good shows.
Monday, June 2
- French Style Furs, Spencer Moody and the Anzalone's, Ghetto Blaster, Strange Vine @ The Satellite
- Joel Jerome and Babies On Acid, Tashaki Miyaki, Globelamp, Los Kinkos @ The Echo
- High Laurie and The Copper Bottom Band @ The Fonda Theatre
- Hudson EP Release Party @ The Viper Room
- Until The Ribbon Breaks, Gallant, Misun. Kilo Virga @ Bootleg HiFi
- "School Night!" w/ The Preatures, Dawn Golden, Empires, The Ruse @ Bardot
- An Intimate Evening with Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues w/ The Troubadour
- Sean Watkins w/ Erin McLaughlin, Rook & The Ravens, The River Monks, Tournament of Hearts @ Hotel Cafe
- Gold Star, Ryan Bonnyman & Friends @ Harvard & Stone
- SOKO, M o t h e r @ El Rey
DECISION:The chance to see Joel Jerome and Babies On Acid (photo at right by Amanda Glover) every Monday night this month at The Echo is very appealing. Having caught a couple of recent Joel Jerome gigs, all I can say is that he's remained one of the most potent musical forces on the scene for a long time and he continues to surprise with Babies On Acid. The kick off the month right with Tashaki Miyaki, Globelamp and Los Kinkos on tap for tonight. "School Night!" is presenting Australian band The Preatures as they bounce through town on a two-night hit tonight at Bardot, and tomorrow night they are at The Echo. An Intimate Evening with Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues is offered up over at The Troubadour, which would be a trip, or Gold Star , a solo project of Marlon Rabenreither of The Sister Ruby Band, would be worth checking out in Hollywood at Harvard & Stone.
Tuesday, June 3
- Bob Mould @ Amoeba Music
- Trans Am, Kid606, David Scott Stone @ The Satellite
- The Preatures, Liphemra @ The Echo
- Tijuana Panthers @ The Roxy
- Johnnyswim, DJ Bryan Davidson @ El Rey
- Bachelors of Fine Arts, The Squids, Bedcrums, The Circus Kids, Fellow Bohemians @ Los Globos
- Bear Attack, Shilo Gold, Dylan Chambers @ The Viper Room
- Electric Wire Hustle, Jeremy Sole, wiseachre @ Bootleg HiFi
- Gabriel Kahane, All Spots To Black, Wayfarer @ Hotel Cafe
- Timber Timbre, Tasseomancy @ The Troubadour
- Seasons, The End of Summer, Dyre, Lam! Lam! @ The Virgil
DECISION:Catch the legend, Bob Mould, celebrating today's release of Beauty & Ruin this evening with a free in-store at Amoeba Music. Seasons play an All Scene Eye presentation at The Virgil with The End of Summer also on the bill. The Preatures are at The Echo before heading over to Boston on their tour through the States, and Tijuana Panthers are in West Hollywood at The Roxy.
Wednesday, June 4
- Bonfire Beach, Actually, HIPS, Trends @ The Satellite
- Doug Gillard, Washing Machines, Rachel Goodrich @ The Echo
- Kelis, Son Little @ El Rey
- MØ, Erik Hassle @ The Troubadour
- Bulletproof Tiger, Yell For Help, Los Angelics, Blunda @ Silver Lake Lounge
- The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers, Jail Weddings, Annie Girl & The Flight, Banta @ Los Globos
- Max Collins of Eve 6, John Craigie, Jordan Klassen @ Hotel Cafe
- "Desert Nights" w/ Aaron Embry, Alaska Reid, Michael Lemmo @ The Standard
DECISION:
"Desert Nights" has been able to attract Aaron Embry (at right) to play at The Standard on the Strip, a preview of his upcoming set at Make Music Pasadena this weekend.
Other attractive attractions include The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers and Jail Weddings at Los Globos and Doug Gillard, Washing Machines and Rachel Goodrich at The Echo.
Thursday, June 5
- Cut Chemist @ Amoeba Music
- Brownout presents Brown Sabbath @ The Satellite
- Bane, Turnstile, Take Offense, Soul Search @ Echoplex
- Buttertones, Brown & Blue, CMG & We Are The Night, Princess Reason @ The Echo
- Run Run Run, Xander Smith, Nomi Abadi, Russian Wives @ The Viper Room
- Lorelle Meets The Obsolete, Gun Outfit, Laundry @ The Smell
- MAX, Alexz Johnson @ The Troubadour
- Welshly Arms, Liz Longley, Siiga, Brothers Zmed, LA River Bend @ Hotel Cafe
- Honky Tonk Hacienda w/ JD Bender, Andrew Sheppard @ El Cid
- Jezabels, Gold & Youth @ El Rey
- tUnE-yArDs, Sylvan Esso @ The Fonda Theatre
DECISION:
Hotel Cafe continues to attract more and more indie rock fans with the bookings of many more local acts than I recall in many years. Tonight The Brothers Zmed (at right) and LA River Bend play sets following Cleveland's Welshly Arms who go on at 9. Or you could go see tUnE-yArDs at The Fonda Theatre.
Friday, June 6
- First Fridays with Eli & Mary w/ Manhattan Murder Mystery, The Pretty Flowers, Le Cos,Scott Schultz, Madame Headress @ Pehrspace
- Joe Purdy, Brian Wright @ Bootleg HiFi
- Jon Conner, L.A.B. Ent, Identity Crisis, Chazzy, Stevie D @ The Troubadour
- The Faints, Reptar, Darren Keen @ The Roxy
- Meshuggah - 25 Years of Musical Deviance, Between the Buried and Me @ The Wiltern
- Huxlee, Arrica Rose & The ...'s, Danni Rosner w/ Honey County EP Release Show, Strawberry Smog, Emma-Lee, Sarah Walk @ Hotel Cafe
- WOO Flowerglass, Ed Ghost Trucker @ El Cid
- Aoife O'Donovan @ McCabe's
- Megafauna, Death Valley Girls, The Echo and The Sound @ Los Globosi
- Black Label Society, Devil You Know, Butcher Babies @ The Fonda Theatre
- Jungle, Beaty Heart @ El Rey
DECISION:
Spectacular event at First Fridays with Eli & Mary at Pehrspace, the site of so many memorable head-smashing shows for the nearly decade of local shows I have been lucky enough to attend there. And they have they week's best poster (at right). Tonight's line up represents the wild variety available to us at the drop of a hat, any night of the week: Manhattan Murder Mystery, The Pretty Flowers, Le Cos, storyteller Scott Schultz and one of the Eli/Mary alter egos Madame Headress. Also Megafauna and Death Valley Girls at The Echo and The Sound are at Los Globos.
Saturday, June 7
- Make Music Pasadena 2014
- BLack Hi-Lighter, The Breakups, We Are Kings & Queens @ El Cid
- Spirit Animal, Jay Litt, Magic Bronson @ The Satellite
- PUJOL, The Futures League, Adult Books @ The Echo
- The Faints, Reptar, Darren Keen @ The Roxy
- Eric Andersen @ McCabe's - Logic, Quest @ The Wiltern
- Steppe People, Summer Lovers, Post Life @ Pehrspace
- Bastard Noise, Scaphe, To The Point, Cave State @ The Smell
- Down the Rabbit Hole: A Bootleg Benefit Carnival - hosted by John C. Reilly @ Bootleg HiFi
- Kygo, Tropicool @ El Rey
- Uh Huh Her, DJ Kim Ahn @ The Troubadour
- Greg Brown, Little Galaxies, Our ast Summer, Curtis Peoples, Shaena Stabler @ Hotel Cafe
DECISION:
Make Music Pasadena today will be a high point of the Summer. So get out there and enjoy! Old Towne Pub is one of the hottest stages (and it's not even outdoors) running from noon to midnight, or beyond. I'd mention the highlights, except the whole program is highlights so I'll just list the acts in order: The Family Doom, Winter, Bon Rath, Dawn of Sequins (in fantastic photo at right), Bloody Death Skull, Hobart W. Fink, Vanish Valley, GUIDES, yOya, Aaron Embry, So Many Wizards, The Happy Casualties and Shirley Rolls. Good luck to you all!
Sunday, June 8
- Grand Ole Echo w/ Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants, Ivory DeVille, Jeff Crosby, All Spots To Black @ The Echo
- Moonchild, Wilberta, Rudy Love Jr. @ Bootleg HiFi
- The Faints, Reptar, Darren Keen @ The Roxy
- Uh Huh Her, DJ Kim Ahn @ The Troubadour
- Sarah Ault, Edith Crash, Mary Scholz, Penny & Sparrow @ Hotel Cafe
- The Dan West Trio @ The Oyster House
- Charlene Carter @ McCabe's
- Victor Wooten @ El Rey
DECISION:
Those willing to get up after yesterday in Pasadena can grab an afternoon show at the Grand Ole Echo at 5 PM with Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants, Ivory DeVille, Jeff Crosby and All Spots To Black at The Echo. In the evening, Sarah Ault (at right) goes on at 9 and Mary Scholz plays at 10 at Hotel Cafe and The Dan West Trio appear in Studio City at The Oyster House.