I have never been to a massive rave Los Angeles, and I tend to stay away from overbooked and overhyped events like the ones held by Giant, Insomniac, or Spundae. But when I heard that The Chemical Brothers was headlining the Nocturnal Wonderland, I was eager to check it out. And even though I get easily clusterphobic in large crowds, especially in an environment full of loud music and wandering e-heads, I wanted to give this event a shot; and when you love electronic music, like I do, it's just something you have to deal with.

First of all the entrance process to the event was confusing and disorganized. Everyone was funnelled like rats through various gates and waiting areas, where we were constantly being placed in never-ending lines by clueless yellow jackets. Although it was a little nippy outside, the parking structure, which was used as the entry point, was hotter than hell. It was hot, sweaty, smelly, and dreary. The ground was littered with club flyers that were being distributed outside the venue, and there were no porto potties nearby as you waited in line. It was not a good way to welcome your guests to a venue that is supposed to be a party

I brought my DSLR camera to the event with the hopes of taking photographs for LAist, and even though their web site said that still cameras were welcome in the venue, I was turned away because my camera was deemed "too professional". Since when did having a nice camera become a basis for discrimination? I didn't really understand that policy, and tried to argue my case with their supervisor, but after awhile I realized he wasn't going to give in, my camera was just too good for this damn festival, so I went back to my car and dropped off my camera.

When I finally got in, it was a sea of people, music, and food, it was full sensory overload, but not in a good way. There was not a lot of space to sit down, so everyone pretty much had to sit on the ground if they wanted to get off their feet. Because the event was an 18+ event, we were allowed to drink in designated alcohol areas only. And after forking out $13 for a drink we were not allowed to walk around with it, now that sucks! Every 14-year old with a fake ID was there; which made it really creepy in a Chris-Hanson-Dateline-NBC kinda way.

The annual Street (Not so much anymore) Scene down in San Diego went of last weekend, boasting an impressive lineup of , The Killers, Muse, Arctic Monkeys, Spoon, TI, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Infected Mushroom and many many more. Lots and Lots and Lots O Pics...

I showed up late and left early, but tried to get at least 20+ pictures while i was there. Mission accomplished. After the jump check out the mini-photo essay on The Neighborhood Festival.

The last time I saw DC punk icons Bad Brains play live was in a big hall somewhere in Long Beach or Pedro circa 1987. HR still plays solo projects, and sometimes they come around billed as Soul Brains, playing mostly reggae. Wednesday night was a rare opportunity to see the original lineup play their punk rock catalog.

Their new record, Build a Nation, produced by Adam Yauch, is definitely reminiscent of their early stuff. Bad Brains play punk and they play reggae. They don't mix punk and reggae into a melange of ska-dance hits as many OC bands did in the 90s. The songs are either punk or they are reggae, and they are pure. The punk songs on Build a Nation have the same relentlessness, the same chugging rhythms and familiar 8-note patterns that we have come to expect from the genre. Frequently Bad Brain's bass and guitar play the same notes, with the drummer hitting one beat per note, so the entire band achieves a unison of sound. The reggae on the new album explores a little more dub, but keeps to the Bad Brain's slow, steady reggae beat.

Wednesday night's show at the House of Blues was a good mix of oldies, with just a few songs from the new album. They dipped heavily into Rock for Light and I against I, which is exactly what I was hoping for. There was also a high punk to reggae ratio. They came out strong with I Against I, and then just stayed with the fast and mid-tempo (creepy-crawl slamming tempo) songs for much longer than most bands would (or could).

Brandon Schott’s CD release party at Bordello in downtown Los Angeles last Saturday night was like something out of Moulin Rouge! Backed by a string quartet and 11 other musicians, Schott—a singer and multi-instrumentalist—performed his new CD, Golden State, in its entirety and threw in a few surprises as well.

And did I mention there were belly dancers?

Just before The Strange Boys took stage, or should I say took room, I got a whopping taste of Texan hospitality. Some dude, who couldn't have been of legal drinking age, goes into the back room, opens the fridge, and comes back into the adjacent room to hand out free beer to the rest of the kids. Mmm, my first Lone Star. It's no Shiner Bock and it clearly tastes like Budweiser, but I try my hardest not to let my friends know that. Never rip on state-wide beers. They carry some sort of iconic reign over Texas.

There's not a person in attendance over the age of twenty five and the small room is about as half-packed as it's going to get. Lead singer Ryan Sambo begins playfully singing, occasionally shouting, nonsensical jabber into the microphone. Words can't describe how ecstatic I am to be in the middle of nowhere watching my favorite unsigned band of the year. Nothing excites me more than a venue that is so hard to locate (the entrance is literally in a dark alley way behind a revivalist center) that it virtually operates sub rosa.

The Strange Boys - "Drugs Igby Drugs"

By now everyone knows who and what Dave Grohl does and has done. There are very few artists in the world of Rock and Roll that are as capable and as adaptable as he is with the art form and not to mention as skilled as he is. From drumming in one of the world’s biggest rock bands ever to becoming the frontman of one of the most consistent and strongest rock outfits in the world, Grohl has always not only been a consummate artist but a performer as well. Monday night's "secret/special/exclusive" record release show in celebration of the just released and most excellent Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace showed the power of Grohl and Co.

Kicking it off was the hard hitting "Let it Die," and from there the band never let up, seamlessly segueing between songs and cruising into "D.O.A." and a chill-inducing version of "Everlong" that started with a virtuoso Grohl, and joined by the rest of the band for the climax of the song. At some point Grohl decided to throw out the set list and completely wing it. Some surprises included awesome covers of the Prince joint, "Darling Nikki," the Dead Kennedy's classic "Holiday In Cambodia" and were even joined by new running mate Lemmy of Motorhead on a song. The two-hour set concluded with the anthem-ic "Best of You".

Last week The Donnas held their record release party at the Viper Room to celebrate their new collection of rock, Bitchin', the first release on their own label, Purple Feather.

Opening the mostly all-female Viper Room lineup was Girl in a Coma, followed by our new loves, The Randies. But the night belonged to The Donnas who were all charged up and ready to rock - perhaps more than the audience - and demanded that the glowing crowd rocked out along with them, something that eventually happened.

Playing a set with healthy doses of new material, singer Brett Anderson (they've ditched their Donnas names in favor of their given names) got right into the faces of the sold out clubgoers as her band - Maya Ford on bass, Allison Robertson on guitar and especially Torry Castellano on drums - rocked out as if the hair metal 80s days had never left the Sunset Strip.

Thanking the crowd for busting their Viper Room cherry, Anderson revealed that the band have all now become Los Angelenos, after growing up and spending most of their life in and around Palo Alto.

LOUD. Epic. Bombastic. Brooding. Inspiring. Powerful. Political. Rocking. Pounding. Confrontational. Theatrical. Captivating. Dynamic. High Tech.

Simply Amazing.

Did I mention Loud already?

Full review (with 25% less hyperbole) and pics after the jump....

I want to patch my soul on your brain

Despite the ominous weather, slight drizzle and wet seats, devoted AIR fans clogged the serpentine Vermont Avenue up into Griffith Park for a show that gained the band an all around standing ovation, which in turn rewarded the audience with the usual encore.

In general, the French band only played the most popular songs, leaving the edgier tunes and more experimental solos to their albums and small out-of-town venues (such as at the Hard Rock Cafe in Vegas last Spring). Still, while not going all out on "Don't Be Light" where in the past they have rocked it with major guitar solo action, AIR made up for it with their last song, "La Femme d'Argent." Some say listening to AIR is like getting high -- well they reached some kind of higher limits with mind-tripping aural sensations, leaving the audience thrilled and ready to experience, without hesitation and without care, the down pour of rain that was about to begin.

Never a tedious moment and always hidden behind vocoder speak (except at one point when they said "thank you very much" softly), the elusive JB and Nicolas, clad in white, owned that audience for a short period of time, transforming us to somewhere else (who knows, who cares) that was wonderful. Next time AIR comes to Los Angeles, don't be shy, don't be light.

After the jump, the set list.

LAist had a chance to see the Chemical Brothers at the debut of their US tour at the sold-out Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC last night. It's their first headlining appearance in the US in over 5 years and they brought it, full on. They will be headlining the Nocturnal Festival a week from today and there's plenty of other folks to see there as well, but really, the Brothers alone justify attendance.

Here's a photo essay for your ass, vid clips too:

The video's choppy but bear with it, it was hoppin':

[More pics and vids after the jump...]

Yes, that's right, I have a Donnas album. That damn song "Take It Off" was so stuck in my head and the lyrics were so funny that I ended up just buying Spend The Night, even though the girls had clearly changed a bit from the straight Ramones sound they had when I heard them years ago on the ubiquitous Rodney on the Roq. I got invited by friends to catch their show with The Dollyrots at Alex's Bar in Long Beach, and was further surprised to see how much more AC/DC or hell, Poison, The Donnas are than punk rock. Guitarist Allison Robertson even kind of looks like Bret Michaels to me, with her long messy blond hair, cut-off sleeves, and big bottom lip. She is amazing though, and capable of some staggering shredding, in a way that I've gotta say I couldn't hear on that last album, or in the new tracks on their myspace. (Except a little on "Don't Wait Up For Me". But there isn't much of their energy in their recordings, this time or on Spend The Night. Everything I've heard is pretty tame.) They put on a great live show though, almost as cocky and obnoxious a bunch of rock stars as any 80s hair band, (which is totally fun to see in girls that are still so damn young and petite), so that's a shame it doesn't come across on the albums.

Singer Brett Anderson had a lot of generic-sounding lines for the crowd, (you know, the old "How's everybody doing tonight?"), but she did make me laugh out loud when she mentioned it was Saturday and threw in, "Of course every day is Saturday for us." It was so casually bratty, it was kind of brilliant. ...It also kinda stung.

The Dollyrots were pretty fun, although singer Kelly Ogden has such a smug, baby voice live that it's kinda grating after awhile. And the single "Because I'm Awesome", with lines like "I'm naturally deodorized", just made me feel old. Like I needed a big pink bow with a Paul Frank skull in it, and it wasn't about to happen.

Photo by Zloz via The Donnas myspace

"Your chopped up in boxes / My topics are gothic / Morbitity / You can't get rid of me / The reason there's humidity: you spit to me / So kill yourself and write a note / Before the noose wraps tight around your throat / your windpipe is choked" -Necro

Necro is a psycho who degrades women, abuses drugs, raps about violence & porn, and who sold out the Knitting Factory on a Wednesday night. Collectively we were more of a demolition crew than an audience, loving every evil bloody misogynistic beer-soaked minute. Death Rap, Bitches.

After a long wait of people chanting his name Necro exploded on deck, and had his Goon Squad crew hanging out behind him and torturing the girls they lured onto the stage while he spit rhymes. Two songs deep and the girls on stage had their tops removed, and were being mercilessly groped, only to finally be thrown into the crowd. It resembled a fluffy bunny being fed to a pack of wolves. My buddy and i looked at eachother eyes bugged out like, "did that just happen?" We appreciate Necro, but not the onstage violence against women.

One of the girls slapped Necro in the face during of one of his songs. "Go girl!" This all confirmed to me that keeping my girlfriend safe at home away from these maniacs was a wise move.

Despite wondering if we should call the cops, and worrying for those poor girls' safety, Necro's show was awesome. I have never seen a crowd go that ape-shit for anyone. Nobody was "too cool" to freak out, scream, mosh, or to just go generally insane. A good time was had by all; even the girls with no tops on stage appeared to enjoy the forced stage dives, and kept coming back for more.

Join us psychos and start rocking Necro's music. It's hardcore death rap, and makes Eminem look like something on the Disney Chanel.

Photo By John Maioriello

As a big fan of music, the outdoors and people walking around with purple wine mustaches, I’m not pleased to report that this was my first trip to the Hollywood Bowl all year. I don’t know what happened – I’ve seen some of my favorite bands there and sometimes even go just to whoop it up in the cheap seats regardless of who’s playing for an excuse to eat too much cheese and hang out with my friends under the stars. For some reason this year the summer got away from me and I only made it once, but at least it was fancy. The nice people at the Bowl gave me box seats that were up close and even came with their own fold out, airplane-like tables. I had no idea. It was awesome, like dining in a really comfy veal pen. Due to the fact that we were sitting in the section where people who buy season tickets to the symphony sit, and that Pink Martini is many things, none of which are either rock or roll, we were surrounded by a much more….mature audience than I’m used to there. A 50th birthday party was happening to our left and everyone in the box next to us was wearing a hearing aid, but they raged right up there with the best of them – nary a table was without several bottles of wine and I watched the guy in front of me put away at least four, very large, very pink, martinis. Ah, the Bowl, how I’ve missed it.

I am loving this ATP-inspired idea of playing entire albums from beginning to end. Tonight we hit the Music Box to see The Melvins play Houdini and Mudhoney play Superfuzz Big Muff plus Early Singles. Sadly, we missed Flipper. We were late because I fell down the back steps as we rushed out the door. Bob wanted me to stay home and ice my foot, but no way was I missing this gig! We hopped into the car, and I broke into our emergency preparedness pack to patch up my bloody arm (It is preparedness month!). But I don't understand what to do with just a square of white gauze (there is never any of that white tape in the first aid kits), so I stuck it on with band-aids, and off we went. The thing that annoyed me the most was that when I fell down the steps, I landed in the rosemary bush. So I smelled like a hippie all night.

The Music Box, aka, the Henry Fonda is kind of aggro. They even take your gum. I sat on a couch in a big sitting area, and an usher said, "I'm sorry, ma'am, you can't sit there." I asked "It's reserved?." He said, "No. We have to keep this area clear." So there were places to sit; there was just no sitting allowed. It was all really strict until it seemed like the club hit a point where they just gave up, and then all hell broke loose. I think they over-booked the venue. Soon people were crawling all over those forbidden couches and going crazy.

We saw Dave Markey, Jennifer Schwartz, et al on the roof patio. And we hung out with some of Bob's old bandmates from Clawhammer. We also ran into Keith Morris, the original singer of Black Flag. He said the Fuck Yeah! Fest was a rousing success. Then I went downstairs to push my way to the front of the stage.

Thursday night's Watkins Family Hour performance at Largo was a humdinger. At one point, they must have broken some kind of a Largo record, because they fit NINE people on that tiny platform. Throughout the three-hour set, eight additional performers joined Sean and Sara Watkins on the stage. The lineup included Fiona Apple, Benmont Tench, Glen Phillips, Greg Leisz, Mike Elizondo, Willie Watson, Jay Bellerose and Dave Rawlings.

They performed more than 20 songs ranging from Nickel Creek to Bob Dylan to Patsy Cline material—in addition to “Happy Birthday” as sung by the audience in celebration of Fiona Apple’s 30th. Not bad for a $15 cover charge and the cost of dinner!

More after the jump...

So I went to see Band of Horses and Dinosaur Jr. a week ago at The Wiltern, mostly to see the former because they have become one of my all time favorite bands, Everything All The Time certainly one of my desert island albums. But I was also excited to see Dinosaur Jr., because, although I have to admit I never heard much of their music, "Feel The Pain" is actually one of my all time favorite songs. It's one of those songs (one of the better ones) that call to mind all the times I spent sitting in the back of the car on the way to and from high school, amid the endless repetition of songs deemed acceptable by KROQ. I saw Band of Horses the first time at The Echo last year, and it was such an amazing show that I was totally hyped up for this one. All week, just as psyched as I could possibly be. But I have to say, although The Wiltern show was certainly not bad, it nowhere near lived up to that first show. Maybe it was the recent story about Ben Bridwell going off at a fan for filming during one of their shows for her YouTube account, or the explanation in his defense on Pitchfork which gave me the suspicion that all is not quite right in Bridwell-land at the moment.

At The Echo, he was enthusiastic and funny, calling us "dudes" and making fun of himself for forgetting the lyrics. The band was intense and the crowd was totally into it; I was squished somewhere in the middle but I still had a decent view and the sound was great. But at The Wiltern, not only was the band a lot more low-key, but Bridwell himself was somber and hidden behind his new child-molester beard (why do good-looking guys do that?). He looked thinner and a little worn-down; the whole band seemed a bit stiff. Now I certainly understand that everyone has good nights and bad nights, but I wonder how much of it had to do with the YouTube incident. Bridwell's beef about fans only wanting to hear "Funeral" is a little silly, considering it is not only the single, but also one of the best songs on the album. As a musician, he really should accept the fact that at every show they ever play, until the end of the band's existence, there will always be at least one person in the crowd who has only heard the single. I don't think I've ever been to a show where people didn't cheer the loudest for the song that made it to radio, regardless of the genre. So just forget about it! Come on, smile, we love you, neck tattoos and all.

With a ton of much-deserved hype, Calvin Harris descended on the Echo on Friday night. His debut album has been an official repeater in my studio for the last three weeks. I remember my third or fourth listen one night. I heard a song that I really loved, finished the album, and then went back to find the track, but the entire album was so good that I couldn't find that one track. To say that is rare in the electronic world, and frankly the music world, is a gross understatement.

Needless to say, when I found out that Mr. Harris would be gracing the Echo with his presence, I had to be on the set. I got there at 9:30 and there were about 50 people in the area. By the time Calvin went on, the Echo was as packed as I have ever seen it. With all of the mediocrity out there these days, a jammed Calvin Harris gig in LA in September 2007 is not just heartening; it actually bolsters my faith in humanity.

With all of the ill shit on the record, I was prepared to see a dude singing over a laptop or a CD. But oh no. Calvin Harris represented to the fullest with a full, tight band that put on one of the better electronic shows I have seen.

Last night the Cinematic Orchestra played to a sold out El Rey crowd of instrumental enthusiasts, like myself. If you haven't heard any of their music then you have no idea what you're missing out on. With nearly eight years under their belt, the UK based outfit, led by Jason Swinscoe, has produced some of the finest jazz infused electronica I've ever heard. However, seeing them live is a whole other experience.

The Cinematic Orchestra opened their powerful set with the extensive twelve minute "Burn Out". The crowd was comprised of mostly older jazz-appreciating folk, who probably heard the hype on KCRW the morning prior, and die-hards, who shouted "Evolutiooooon" every other song. However, they were one of the most responsive crowds I've come into contact with, when it comes to instrumental shows at least. People actually applauded at appropriate times, which is a rarity nowadays. You always get some asshole who's going to try and ruin the song for you by screaming at the top of his lungs during a short, tranquil moment. Well, not last night. Everything was in it's proper place, including the crowd response.

I'll never do it again.

I've fallen into traps like this in times past. It generally occurs when I find out that my favorite electronica artist is playing at this obscure venue that virtually no one has ever heard of. See, it entails a whole lot of mystique and that's how I get sucked in initially. Anyways, I'm brimming with so much excitement when I hear that Bonobo is actually playing somewhere on the west coast. You can imagine the plethora of thoughts: "Oh my god. Could this actually be happening? I wonder if he's going to play any of his own material. I wonder if he'll slip in any surprises."

People often say that Los Angeles isn't a great audience to play to. Everyone kinda stands back, detached. I've seen it happen, but I don't believe in it. And the Underworld show on Sunday night is just the kind of night Los Angeles isn't known for. And I'm pleased to say that I was a part of it.

But before we continue, a public service announcement: Do not park at the dirt parking lot next to the church. It has no sign with the price on it (so they'll screw you), it's stack parking (unlike the church lot) and, after the show when you've waited 45 minutes for the rude assholes who are blocking 20 people in to show up, there's no one to be found.

All right! Back to the goodness. I've been to a few shows at the Hollywood Bowl, and usually they're pretty solid -- people stand up for the hits and sit down for new stuff. But this Underworld show, not only was the band completely, mind blowingly, amazing, but the audience was on their feet the entire time, dancing, waving glow-y things and dancing in the aisles. The audience and the band connected and threw off sparks, each feeding off the other in a crazy, twisting dance that culminated in a mushroom cloud of mutual admiration, with lots of yelling, crazy white people dancing and Karl Hyde's sparkley shoe/shirt combo. It was the best show I've seen in a long time.

It was an odd pairing of acts at the Creative Commons benefit presented by Wired Magazine with indie darlings Spoon headlining the first of three nights at the Fonda and underground hip hop legend Dr. Octagon aka Kool Keith opening. Billed as the kick off event for this weekends Wired NextFest, the show was dynamic and entertaining.

Last night Spoon played alongside Kool Keith at the Henry Fonda Theatre. Need I say more?
Oh and it was for a great cause! Both artists rocked out to raise money for the non-profit organization Creative Commons. This was the third time they've held a CC Benefit. Prior CC Benefits featured David Byrne, Gilberto Gil, Girl Talk, Diplo, and Peeping Tom. I had no idea who was opening this special event until I arrived at the venue and words can't even describe the face I made when I found out that Dr. Octagon, a.k.a. Kool Keith, was opening. It's definitely a weird pairing, but they're both legends in their own right.

In conjunction with the Wired Magazine sponsorship, Kyoto born robot Keepon made an appearance in the lobby as well as in between sets. If you haven't already seen this yellow snowball looking creature, then I suggest you check out youtube sensation Keepon dancing to Spoon's "Don't You Evah". The video was shot in Tokyo while Spoon was on tour and it features costar Hideki Kozima, the man who designed this cute little furry guy.

Keepon was originally created for clinical research with autistic children and it's easy to see why. I'd spend hours upon hours watching his hypnotic bop. He's like the new furby or tickle me elmo, except way more socially acceptable. He serves the greater good in a similar manner as Creative Commons. Also, he gets major points in my book for dancing more than most did for Dr. Octagon.

Last Labor Day weekend I desperately needed to escape the disagreeable, torturous heatwave. So I made a last minute decision to fly to Seattle and bumbershoot. As luck would have it, my spontaneity provided for a much more temperate and rainless 70 degree haven.

The Bumbershoot Festival has been running 37 years strong and every year it seems to progress into a bigger and better animal. Situated within the spacious Seattle Center amidst the Experience Music Project and the Space Needle, Bumbershoot attracts nearly everyone within the Seattle area and even a few festival nuts like myself who make spontaneous decisions to travel out of state. Between seven music stages and nearly one hundred and fifteen artists to choose from, I certainly got my music fix for Labor Day weekend.

The first time I heard Clipse was on the Neptunes 2003 release "The Neptunes Present... Clones". Ever since, I've been hooked by their undoubtedly catchy rhymes and complex lyrics. It took them a while to create a follow up from their first album Lord WIllin', due to problems with their record label, however they came out with their newest release, Hell Hath No Fury, in November 2006. Finally, Tuesday night I was lucky enough to catch the Virginia duo as they performed songs from their latest album, as well as some old favorites.

The rise of Common from the depths of underground hip hop has been a thing too watch. The Chicago emcee has constantly been one of the strongest and most consistantly solid emcees in the game, but was painfully under-listened and under-respected. He has always enjoyed critical success but it was the mainstream success that eluded him, that was until another fellow Chi-Town emcee by the name Kanye West came and swept him from the depths of the underground and brought him along with him on his own meteoric rise to the top of not only hip hop but music as well.

More Photos and Full Review after the jump....

Kamera @ SYNC Nettwerk.

As soon as I walked into SYNC at Nettwerk, I instantly spotted the Swedish Rockers. Slim, attractive, attired in chic black outfits and polite. The night proved that there is more to Swedish music then ABBA.

Toward the end of his Greek Theater appearance on Wednesday, Stevie Wonder called for his daughter – “Aisha!!!” – as a familiar drum/bass line crept out of the background, and the band swung into Isn’t She Lovely, the song written about her some thirty-odd years ago. For a few seconds, the Jumbotron screens were filled with the two of them, Stevie bobbing back and forth intensely, Aisha gazing at him with great love as he began to sing.

Isn’t she lovely, isn’t she wonderful
Isn’t she precious, less than one minute old
I can’t believe what God has done
From us he’s given life to one
Isn’t she lovely, made from love

It was a moment that sounds like it’s being played for corn, and I’m sure they do this every night on tour, but every person there bought it. It was, like so many moments that evening, incredibly moving.

Stevie Wonder’s songs have a way of getting to the heart of the matter. During two and a half hours on stage, he got to the heart of a lot of things. Big stuff. His mother’s death, which he explained during a brief monologue at the opening was the inspiration for this exceedingly rare road trip, and described hearing a spectral voice that said “Boy, you better get your ass out of bed!” Injustice, leading the audience through a chant of “Stop the war! Stop the killing!” during a shockingly powerful rendition of Visions. Enlightenment, bringing the crowd to its feet with that unstoppable clarinet riff that kicks off Higher Ground, all of us pledging to Keep On Tryin’. Love, so many times, so beautifully, never more so than during a sparkling Ribbon In The Sky. And even Fun, celebrating the good old days of doctor-playing in I Wish.

Stevie Wonder never ceases to amaze. He is a true icon, a kind spirit, and funny. The man is really funny and the crowd loves him. I think the concert of the summer has to be Stevie Wonder at the Greek this past Wednesday. I'm not just saying that because I went with a superfan who drove all the way from Colorado to see this show or because everyone seemed to know every word and Stevie hardly let us sit for a few minutes before everyone would be back on their feet singing along with him. The only downside, no cameras allowed! I snuck mine in, of course, but I heard they were kicking people out who took pictures and I simply couldn't bear that thought, so not that many pictures were able to be taken.

The crowd was quite a sight to see. Noticeably different from the majority of the shows at the Greek, the age range was significantly higher than normal. I would call it a big cat show. All the guys with laminates were, well, mature - it wasn't one of the shows were the assistants got any leftover dibs on tickets.

As for my friend and I, considering it was a slightly impromptu trip, we had to craigslist tickets and paid a pretty penny for far back in the C section. I know that sometimes at the Greek being far back can make you feel removed from the show, but not on Wednesday. Everyone had great energy and was making friends with people around them as we all sang along.

Saturday I decided to go for the $130. "Premier Pass" at the Long Beach Blues Festival. It was money well-spent. Not only did it get me into the same area as the $1500 pass package, but I was able to get right up in front of the stage.

They also had free beer, water and sodas. The free food was just OK, but the hot links were pretty good.

I was 2 feet away from Dr John and I even got to touch Buddy Guy.

I tried to get out of his way, but I think I may have bumped him a few times.

photo essay, concert review, video journalism, and even a stealth food review after the jump