"It's like a Spaceland lineup from 2007," quipped The Airborne Toxic Event frontman Mikel Jollett in October the week before CMJ at Northern Lights in Clifton Park, about 20 minutes north of Albany. "Short of being at Spaceland in LA a few years ago, I'm pleasantly shocked that I'm getting to see a lineup like that," observed the East Coast-based indie music blog Between Love and Like. The Airborne Toxic Event was in the midst of their second cross-country tour -- their first since signing with major label Island Def Jam -- with openers The Henry Clay People and Red Cortez, but for that night, they were joined by The Parson Red Heads, who were coincidentally in New York for their first-ever East Coast tour.
Dispatch: The Airborne Toxic Event, The Henry Clay People, Red Cortez & The Parson Red Heads in New York
Meet Mikel Jollett, Lead Singer of The Airborne Toxic Event
Los Angeles' local heroes, The Airborne Toxic Event, are coming back to town for a giant homecoming show at the Henry Fonda on Thursday. Over the past year this band has launched itself into the musical stratosphere with their self-titled album which has earned constant rotation on the now deceased Indie 103 and KROQ radio stations. Mikel Jollett founded the band after one hell of a week. In one week his mother fell ill with pancreatic cancer, then he was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and then the relationship he was in fell apart. While his mother was in recovery, Jollett found himself playing the guitar and writing songs to help him cope. A few months later he formed the Airborne Toxic Event and the band been rocketing to glory ever since. Mikel Jollett was kind enough to talk to us earlier this week.
My Little Underground w/ Evan Way, Sarah Negahdari, Timothy James, Andrew Spitser & Mikel Jollett @ Bordello, 7/8/08
Last night, the frontpeople for five of the best bands in the local indie music scene, Evan Way from The Parson Redheads (MySpace), Sarah Negahdari from The Happy Hollows (MySpace), Timothy James from The Movies (MySpace), Andrew Spitser from Radars To The Sky (MySpace), and Mikel Jollett from The Airborne Toxic Event (MySpace), participated in the inaugural edition of My Little Underground at Bordello (MySpace) in Downtown LA.
Soundcheck: The Airborne Toxic Event, The Deadly Syndrome & The Henry Clay People @ Spaceland, 6/17/08
Last month, local band The Airborne Toxic Event (MySpace) returned to Spaceland (MySpace) in Silver Lake to headline a show that included The Deadly Syndrome (MySpace), and The Henry Clay People (MySpace) with support from I Make This Sound (MySpace) and Le Switch (MySpace). As aptly described by Mouse from Classical Geek Theatre, "Before a mixed-crowd of longtime fans and recent, true-believing converts, The Airborne Toxic Event rewarded ticket holders with a near flawless-set that could have just as easily been played at The Hollywood Bowl, The Kodak Theatre, or Coachella. There was no melodrama, very little hype, and nobody on stage had to prove anything. It was just the band and their songs; naked, raw, hard-boiled."
Summer Camp w/ The Parson Redheads, The Henry Clay People & Film School @ Little Radio, 7/6/08
Yesterday, Little Radio's Summer Camp series Downtown continued with performances from local bands The Parson Redheads (MySpace), The Henry Clay People (MySpace), and Film School (MySpace).

