Box Office Review: American Teens Are Morons
They Might Be Giants @ Royce Hall 11/14/09
Gossip, Men @ the Henry Fonda Theater 10/26/09
Will This Go to Trial and Move to L.A., too? BART Cop Smashes Drunk Guy's Head through Window
Silversun Pickups @ Gibson Amphitheatre 11/03/09
The supergroup that is Monsters of Folk are playing the Greek Theatre this Sunday, when the weather is predicted to be clear and in the high 70s. And that's good news when Jim James from My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes and M. Ward of She & Him take the stage. The band formed in 2004, but it was just last month when they released their first eponymously-named album.
To celebrate the band's album release, we're giving away three pairs of tickets (if you need tickets stat, you can also buy tickets here). To enter, comment below, sharing your favorite music concert memory from the summer (if you didn't have one, then just dream one up). Full details of the contest are below.
- Enter the contest by making a comment on this post. Comments must fit the criteria, stated below.
- The criteria of the comment is that you share a favorite music concert memory from this past summer (and if you didn't see any concerts, make one up!).
- Only one entry per person allowed.
- Comments will be accepted through Thursday, October 15th, 11:59:59 p.m.
- A qualifying comment will be chosen at random and that winner will be notified via the e-mail connected to their LAist.com login. The winner must confirm the receipt of the e-mail by 12:00:00 p.m., Friday, October 16th, 2009 or the tickets will be released to another winner.
- A pair of tickets will either be held at will call
Good luck and enjoy the show!
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Favorite concert memory from this summer would have to be OZZY at the Sunset Strip Music Fest. The streets were blocked off and the stage was set up right there where there's usually a constant onslaught of soulless traffic, we had just got in for free from a friend who was working the door, we had just left a pool party at a hotel down the street, we were buzzed, Korn had just played, the sun had just set, we walked out of the Roxy where we were enjoying these insane 2 for 1 cocktails watching Nico Vega (Love Her! close second), as we walked up our friends who were at the beer garden saw us and joined up as we joined the mob of squealing/ screeching / frolicking people rushing in to watch Ozzy sing his first song, he was on fire and surprisingly agile and downright jumpy, we pushed further in the entire crowd was singing "crazy train" in unison. I thought I'd died and gone to Poquíto Mas.
went to a madonna concert a few years back at the forum but only remember the 1st few seconds of the opening number as she's on roller blades... the rest is a blur thanks to a little too much jack daniels. less is more sometimes :)
The YeahYeahYeahs at the Greek. The lights, the costumes, the music. WOW!
I didn't get to go to many shows this summer because I lost my job in May. I did get a chance to see Cryptacize play at the Echo Curio back in June. I've been a huge fan of their singer, Nedelle, for years. I had a chance to introduce myself about a year ago at The Smell, but didn't think she would remember me. She, however, noticed me and remembered my name! She is just the greatest person ever. The show was great too! The Echo Curio was packed and the band seemed to have definitely grown since the last time as I saw.
BONUS CONCERT MEMORY FROM YEARS AGO: Seeing Sonic Youth play 'Catholic Block' at a secret show @ Little Radio. GOOD TIMES.
U2 at FedEx Field in DC. Biggest stage EVER. Bono was amazing and had numerous shoutouts to politicians and various VIPs in attendance.
Flight of the Conchords at the Greek. At some point 2 middle aged Mexican Men came out on stage and Jermaine said, "These are us in Mexico" and all 4 of them broke into a bilingual version of Buisness Time.
blink 182 at verizon! haha tix were free, but my favorite part of the show is "nobody likes you when your 23(im 24)" i heard that phrase when i was like 16. ive never been a big fan of blink but i was always scared to truly say that one day :(
The "intermission" at the Pet Shop Boys at the Greek concert. :)
I saw death cab for cutie with tegan and Sarah and the new pornographers at the Hollywood bowl in July. The best part was at the end death cab had fireworks going while rocking out. It was pretty special and the first time they had played at the Hollywood bowl... They played with te la Phil too.
Favorite concert (so far) this year has got to be the Mayer Hawthorne and The County's record release party at The Roxy about a month ago. There’s not a lot I can say about the show to give it its due, besides that he completely swooned me and swept me off my feet. It was an astounding performance you rarely ever see live, and if I had the money, I would fly to see them wherever they are.
It would have been the Beastie Boys at the Bowl but seeing John Fogerty rock on a baseball bat guitar at the Bowl was pretty fun.
My concert memory from Summer 2009 was Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band at Sunset Junction. By far, the best act on the Bates Stage and the one the fans came out to hear.
I loved the guest spot from Jenny Lewis and so did the crowd.
You know an artist is compelling when he can keep the attention of a crowd wasted on beer and weed (yes there were weed smokers standing right next to me) with just his voice and a guitar. Oberst is the real deal.
Recently (October 3) I had the pleasure of seeing Gustavo Dudamel's "¡Bienvenido Gustavo!" concert at the Hollywood Bowl. This was a fantastic way to welcome him and welcome a whole new audience to classical music (myself included).
The concert finale was Beethoven's 9th symphony (Ode to Joy) by the LA Phil, LA Master Chorale, and several guest opera vocalists. It was a masterpiece! I'm not a huge fan of opera or classical music at all, but it was phenomenal. Check it out for yourself on PBS later this month, or check out the LA Times review here:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/10/dudamel-bows-with-beethoven-for-all-the-ages-.html
I saw some solid shows this summer, but I think my favorite moment came from an artist that (at the time) I could care less about. My wife took me to see Jenny Lewis/Ray LaMontagne at the Bowl. Now, a night at the Bowl is always great, but let us be honest here, it's more about being seen then seeing one (folks often prefer to eat/chat instead of enjoy music). However, during her wonderful 45 minute set, with the sheer power of her voice, Jenny Lewis managed to hush the entire crowd with a beautiful version of her song Acid Tongue. She won me (and many others) over that night, with the power of a truly amazing song. Ray and openers Blitzen Trapper were not too shabby either.
My favorite concert this year was definitely the Bon Iver sunrise show at the Hollywood Forever Cemetary. The fog, the headstones, the Planet Earth screenings, the creepy dj sets, the blessing by Buddhist Monks, and of course watching Bon Iver making the sun come up was truly a once in a lifetime experience. A perfect way to end the summer:)
All of the Castledoor residency shows at Spaceland in June were awesome. They passed out glowsticks, covered Bob Dylan, and invited a really excitable and hilariously fey fan onstage during Fifth Tambourine. I've seen them almost 10 times now and it's still not enough!
also - to Kika Davis above -- Mayer Hawthorne is playing at Sainte Rock in Hermosa Beach this Saturday night...
Bebel Gilberto and Seu Jorge at the Bowl with the LA Phil... such a sexy night! I will never forget the heat from the stage and the warmth of the music.
I must say, however, my favorite concert this summer was a house show in Santa Monica. My best friend was in town from Berkeley to start her summer tour with her band. They kicked it off with a parlour show at her bandmates' parents' home in Santa Monica, and many old friends came. A new guy came, too, who had just moved to LA from NY. He played a comic insightful set, and sat next to me while my friends began to set up. I got to go through all the people in the room and explain to him how we knew each other, taking me from east coast to west coast, covering a span of fifteen years in about five minutes. Then my friend played, and she ended the set with a song she wrote years ago that we all know. Impromptu sing-along with silly dancing.
And my friends' Mom made snacks. I'm too old for something like this to happen, but it made me feel like I was half my age again. In fact, I'm not too old... I want shows like this all the time!
Best concert memory from this summer in Los Angeles was Phoenix at the Wiltern in June. Being in the front row and having Thomas Mars directly in front of me while I'm singing and dancing along to songs from one of the best albums of this year was a fantastic experience. I've been going to shows on a regular basis at the Wiltern for over six years now and have never seen a crowd up on their feet and dance as much as they did that night.
But if I'm going to count my best concert memory ever from this year it'll have to be Alex Kapranos from Franz Ferdinand falling on me while trying to stage dive from a show in Rhode Island in May. That was legendary.
Bat for Lashes at El Rey...whimsical!
My favorite concert of the summer (and all time) was No Doubt at Irvine Amphitheater! It was my first time seeing the beautiful Gwen Stefani with my own two eyes, and it was amazing. I've been a hardcore No Doubt fan since they first started out, I know every lyric of every song, and I used to be obsessed with Gwen in high school. Anyways, you can imagine my excitement. Before they came onto the stage, their silhouette's were projected on a giant screen, and I nearly lost my mind. When they actually came out, and opened with Spiderwebs is when I literally lost my mind! They played everything from the old to the new, and there were a few points where I almost cried. (I cry easily.) It was such a high energy performance, and the concert ended too soon. Oh, did I mention my (male) friend and I were both like Gwen Stefani? Ha ha ha! Yes, we are nerds.
Toss up between to Greek shows. Flight of the Conchords singing "too many di#$s on the dance floor" or DMB show with a steady flow of glow bands hailing down from Sec C. Good times at the Greek.
God, there are so many, but I can only narrow it down to two:
September 2nd, waiting from 12:00 in the afternoon to 7:30 outside the palladium for Nine Inch Nails, landing a great spot on the floor, and then the rush of adrenaline me and everyone else got as Mr. Self Destruct chimed the start of The Downward Spiral in its entirety. By the end of that night I was so soaked in sweat It was like I'd gone swimming, and I loved it.
and
September 17th, Yeah Yeah Yeahs at the Greek Theater, during Cheated Hearts, Karen O went around the rail and let everybody on the front line hum the song into the microphone. I was on the rail. She looked at me, with a gigantic smile on her face and the microphone in mine,for a good three seconds. I melted.
Watching The Killers and Psychedelic Furs sing Pretty In Pink together at the Hollywood Bowl.
June 12th Neko Case (Greek Theatre): The first time I'd ever seen her live. It was a long time coming. I knew every song, but it didn't matter. Hearing her voice live was just about paralyzing. The drinks were crisp. The seats were satisfyingly close. The weather was perfect. The right friends came. For me, there was no better this summer. I shall never forget.
Driving up to San Francisco from Newport Beach for Outside Lands.
6 hour drive after work on Friday listening to Via Audio, Van She, Looptroop Rockers, The Silent Years, and many others. Add conversations about the meaning of life... Greeted with open arms by amazing friends... with beer!!
Saturday: Caught full sets from Mastodon, Black Eyed Peas, and Mars Volta.
Sunday: Caught full sets from Atmosphere, The Dead Weather, MIA, and part of the Tenacious D set.
Left San Fran on Sunday night at 11:30pm, rolled into the office parking lot at 5:30am, caught 2 and a half hours of sleep and went to work at 8am!!
It was a weekend I won't soon forget, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Great friends, great music, and a great story: everything I love about live music.
Well, I was planning on the best concert of the summer memories being from seeing the Beastie Boys at the Hollywood Bowl- but I guess those memories will have to wait to be made until next summer.
Traveled all the way to NYC to see the Marilyn Manson only to realize I left my tickets in L.A! Ended up getting ripped off by a scalper.
it was late in the summer, but a surprise Stevie Wonder appearance with Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea and Lenny White on September 2nd at the Hollywood Bowl was unbelievably amazing!
Going to see Lucero play at Alex's Bar in Long Beach and finding out about Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears in the process. Or seeing Jason Isbell play at Spaceland and seeing Justin Townes Earle open. It's nice when the opening band is just as good as the headliner, especially in a smaller venue.
I went to see Nirvana and Butthole Surfers at the Forum this summer. It didnt matter that my seat was in the loge. I crowd surfed all the way down to the pit. while in the pit the acid started to peak and as the visuals for the Butthole Surfers painted the air, I listened and found myself for a second. The intermission was spent trying to find some friends I thought I went with. When Nirvana took the stage I was sweating through my flannel and the whole crowd was pulsing. It was a special moment when I looked to my left and saw Courtney Love picking up a half smoked cigarette butt and light it with what seemed lazer fingers. I guess she had just shot up cause i saw blood coming out of a little hole in her arm and it was crystalizing midair and broke into a million shiny pieces when it hit the ground.
What a summer, after the show I wandered Inglewood and met these nice young men from a neighborhood militia. Oh what a summer.
Thanks for reading.
Bon Iver at the Wiltern! He's so charming (aka hot) and I loved his little guitarist. Skinny Love live was possibly the best thing my ears have ever heard.
Travis last weekend. An acoustic set at Largo w/ Fran and Andy with a powerpoint show chronicling the first song written to the last. sooooo good!
Best show of the summer for me was Coldplay at the Home Depot Center. It was my first time seeing them and I was seated towards the back and was surprised when they appeared a few feet away from me to play a few songs for those of us at the other end of the stadium. Great show and the band was quite engaging with the crowd. Looking forward to the Monsters of Folk show!
Best concert experience of the summer was Bonnaroo... let me count the ways. Best concert experience of the summer here in LA was Flaming Lips at the Greek. Great show. I'd seen them before but they had a whole new stage show! Not to suck up or anything but the Greek is the best venue in the city... if only you could bring food/drink like the bowl. Rain Machine at the Getty a couple weeks ago was also awesome!
jason mraz @ the hollywood bowl! went with 7 close friends, sat in the boxes, danced all night.
I spent the summer working nights in an ant-infested lot in Studio City. And despite my consistently disheveled appearance and unwashed hoodie, I actually managed to make one nice, bearded friend. We connected over our recent obsession with Philly band Dr. Dog, both agreeing that they would be at the top of the list, if we could choose to join any current band. So last week, we finished our insect-ridden jobs and celebrated with Dr. Dog tickets and a flask full of whiskey.
Once on the floor, there was some awkward I-want-to-dance-but-I-don't-know-you-that-well footwork. And then his hand was on my hip pulling me out of the way as a wasted young man was carried out through the crowd, fireman style. A hilarious scene that brought us together in traditional Schadenfreude. We danced free and unafraid of ridicule for the rest of the show.
I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
It was a great summer at the usual outdoor venues, but I'm going to pick Ted Leo & The Pharmacists at The Echo towards the end of August. The show was packed and they held off starting because the line to get in still wrapped around the block when show time rolled around. The show wasn't without technical mishaps, but the well practiced ease the band handled them with just showed off what pros they are, even performing 4 feet from people shouting out pizza orders at the bar.
Andrew Bird at the Greek. He is genius, the venue and weather were spectacular. Perfect summer concert and can never get enough whistling!
I saw kings of leon at the Viejas Arena in San Diego with some friends, had a great time, amazing show.
hmm...my favorite concert moment of the summer was probably getting to hang out backstage at warped tour. i'm not really into most of the bands that play anymore, but i had a friend who was running the sound on the skull candy stage. it was awesome getting to hang out with a bunch of old friends from college! however- my worst summer concert moment was waiting outside spaceland for the free fun. show and not getting in! my friends and i were maybe 30 people away from getting in...and i was so upset. i couldn't even get to see them on their tour, either, because they didn't play in LA!
Show of the summer for me was seeing Neko Case at the Greek this past June. It was a beautifully balmy night, and while the show wasn't sold out (the empty seats all over section A surprised me), the level of awe and respect the crowd had for her was lovely. She played my favorite song off her new album after myself and another person requested it - i.e., yelled out like banshees. I had an amazing time and am waiting (quite impatiently) for her to come back to LA again.
I loved watching The Noisettes freak out at Spaceland. They were so full of energy and had perfect moves. I want to see Monsters of Folk!
While everyone was the Hollywood Bowl for Jenny Lewis this summer, I was at Spaceland catching Loch Lomond who became my new It band for the summer. Super intimate crowd and wonderful band banter.
Though Bon Iver at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery will be my most memorable concert from summer 2009.
I have TWO favorites, so I hope that will be ok.
One of my favorite albums of the year is Mayer Hawthorne's "A Strange Arrangement," so I was DYING to see him live. I went to the Record Release party at The Roxy, got hooked up with VIP tickets. I got to bring along my best friend, and we perched on top of the booth in the back and watched Mayer tear down the house. His band was absolutely incredible too.
I have also been loving the debut from Dawes, who had a residency at The Echo a couple months ago. I was habitually busy every Wednesday night, but finally made it out to the final one. Even though it was a free show, it was a great performance! And when the show wrapped, I went to my bike shop in Silver Lake, and picked up my new motorcycle... at 1am!
Both nights were incredible.
I went to go see this small band Touche Amore at the Nomad Art Gallery. It was amazing. The energy was cascading off of everyone in a fashion I have never experienced in my life. It wasn't just a show, but it really summed up these guys' lives. They put it all into their performance- everything- and the crowd returned it gratefully. The music was amazing and really, it is one of those moment that gave me a different perspective on life... really.
Wilco at the Fox Theater in Pomona. My first time seeing Wilco, but certainly not my last (I actually saw them again in LA a couple nights later). But something about the night in Pomona was just magical and special. Great crowd and a beautiful, small venue. A couple kids in the front knew all the songs by heart and Jeff Tweedy let them strum his guitar during one of the songs. They were so happy.
raphael saadiq at the hollywood bowl! even though all the people not paying attention to him made me sad. santigold is so boring compared to him!
my favorite concert memory this summer has got to be seeing local band NO AGE at the FYF Festival. the crowd that night felt like a large, extended family. we were doused in soda foam and didn't mind it one bit. i went home that night covered in a film of sugar, dirt, and taco sauce. i will always remember.
For years, my very good friend had been trying to get me into this band called The Avett Brothers. He made me mixes of their music, but for some reason, they were one of those groups I just didn't get after first (and second, and third) listening. So, when my friend (who lives in a different city) emailed me to say The Avett Brothers were coming to LA this summer, I finally bought a ticket and went to see them live. And holy crap. I fell in love. The concert was amazing, their charisma was charming, and their music came alive. When I got home that night, I couldn't wait to put on the same dusty cds my friend had given me years ago. One of my highschool teachers always said "Don't ever say you hate something -- say you haven't yet had the experience to make you fall in love with it." Well, this was definitely a "green eggs and ham" experience -- I went from fighting my friend's suggestion to telling everyone I knew to listen to The Avett Brothers -- and never to miss them in concert.
The best concert of my summer was seeing Bon Iver and Jenny Lewis (for free!) on the outdoor stage in Salt Lake. It was definitely worth the roadtrip from LA.
I wanted to attend many more concerts this summer than the mere one that I did get to go to, but it was a great one (and it was free!). Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros show at the Abbot Kinney fest was fantastic. The band's energy was contagious and the chemistry between the two main vocalists was adorable. Hope to see them again soon!
I want to enter to win tickets
My favorite concert of the Summer was Grace Jones at Hollywood Bowl. I always like seeing shows at the bol because thealways manage to be very memorable. This show was no exception. A bunch of my friends went and we popped open some wine andddnt really know what to expect. What we ended up seeing was a very magical performance from some being that didnt even seem like she was from this earth.
My favorite summer concert memory was this summer for my birthday at the hollywood bowl. My friend got about 20 of us together and it was in the wayyyyy back but we had some wine, food and amazinnnng show that I would never forget- thanks to grace jones! It was really a magical night! :)
I think my favorite summer concert memory involves a new friend and an old love. On a whim a new co-worker suggested we go see a band that we both loved in High School, Incubus at the Hollywood Bowl. Our seats were way in the back and we discovered that we couldn't take our bottle of wine to our seats once we got there (probably due to all the teens running around). So we got to know each other by laughing over knocking back a bottle of wine in time to catch the show and singing along to songs that reminded us of our teen angst. It was definitely a fun night!
My favorite music concert memory from this past summer was last night at the Palladium. Bob Dylan.
I've been to a lot of shows in my life. I've seen bands like RATM, Iron Maiden, and Motorhead but I had never been as drunk as I was for Adele at the Hollywood Bowl this past summer. It was quite fun. She has a great voice plus shes very charming. The Hollywood Bowl never ceases to amaze me.
I wanna go I wanna go so bad! Wanna take Monique who has taken me to a show at the Greek. Let me know if I am the lucky winner! Thanks guys!
King Khan and the Shrines has to have been the best live show i've seen all year. So much dirty soulful energy!
Well, my husband and I love going to concerts. After we go to a show, I immediately go online to find another concert we're interested in because I need something to look forward to! That being said, the highlight of the summer had to be seeing the Dead Weather at the Wiltern in LA. Besides being at an awesome venue, they were amazing live. I didn't know what to expect because I bought the tickets before even listening to their album but I had no problem grooving along to every song. I always like Jack White's "projects" but I enjoyed this concert more than seeing the White Stripes and the Raconteurs. It reminded me of Detroit garage rock with a lil' funk to it if I had to describe the genre. Walked out of there with a euphoric feeling and think I could experience that same feeling after a MOnsters of Folk concert! *hint*hint :)
oh !
pheonix @ the greek
though if that doesn't count as summer because it was in September i might have to say incubus @ the bowl...even though parking and traffic was so bad that i came in while they were playing stellar
The final NIN show at the Wiltern. He'll be missed but I know he'll be back very soon.
grace jones at the bowl. no doubt.
Wilco's epic show. Second night they played. Their set, pre-encore, was literally 2 hours. And then there were 2 encores.