Jonathan Larson's celebrated rock musical, Rent, is currently running at a secret warehouse location in Mission Junction. Perfectly contextualized in an atmospheric, industrial setting, this production of Rent features hearty, resonant voices, emotionally charged performances, live musical accompaniment, and appreciable direction by Kate Sullivan and Caitlin Hart that remains true to the 1996 Broadway original. more ›

“Do you like my little tweets?” Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl asked the crowd after playing through the band’s new album at the Dragonfly on Friday night. The show was the second “secret show” in as many weeks that Grohl teased to fans on Twitter leading up to the announcement of the location/time of the tiny club gig. “Up until last year I had no idea what Twitter was. My 72 year old mother, who can barely use the VCR, told me about it.” Yet another lesson in why you should be following your favorite band on Twitter. Granted they aren’t all going to up and surprise you at a tiny club in Los Angeles, but hell you never know! Now as Grohl says, “If I want to do a super sneaky club gig all I gotta do is tweet that ass.” You’ve been warned! more ›

When will secret shows actually be secret and not announced? But we digress. For Spoon fans, here's some good news, via The Scenester's Twitter: "Spoon (@SpoonTheBand) will be playing a "secret show" at El Cid on Monday! Tickets on sale today. Details: http://tinyurl.com/SpoonElCid". Tickets go on sale at noon today. Also: The Coachella line-up is expected to be announced on KROQ's Kevin & Bean show on Tuesday morning. more ›

Last Wednesday, local band The Airborne Toxic Event (MySpace) performed at Becker Amphitheatre on the campus of Cal State Fullerton. more ›

First Amoeba Music scored a "secret show" featuring Paul McCartney, and now Ringo Starr is coming to town. Amoeba announced tonight that Starr and Dave Stewart will play an exclusive short set at the House of Blues this Friday to promote the release of Liverpool 8, Starr's new album. In order to be guaranteed entry, you must be one of the first people in line to purchase the new CD at Amoeba Music on Tuesday morning. The only other way to reserve a place is to win a pair via a KLOS on-air giveaway. All others must wait in line at the HoB beginning at 9 a.m. Friday morning. more ›

Beck, looking oddly like David Spade, played a not-so-secret show last night at the Echoplex. (Or should I say Beck-o-plex?) The “only North American date of the tour” was to give his new band a chance to get their live feet wet before heading out for some bigger shows in South America. A lucky crowd of about 700 people crammed into the club and were treated to a set comprised of mostly greatest hits... more ›

Concert review of Beirut at The Avalon. more ›

Photo essay from the Swerve Festival at Barnsdall Park. more ›

We didn't know how lucky we had it when the White Stripes came to Hollywood last month and took over the location formerly known as Tower Sunset and turned it into Icky Thump Records. OK, yes we did. But we had no idea how much more White Stripes love we were going to get compared to the other parts of North America in regards to these "secret shows". For example on their tour across... more ›

Spoon @ Little Radio - "Everything Hits At Once" Spooooooooooooon! The battle cry of The Tick. Spooooooooooooon! The only utensil you really need. Spooooooooooooon! The band with the least secret show in the history of secret shows. All the indie annas and uber fans came out in their Monday best for last night’s Dewars-sponsored “secret show” at Little Radio. Singer/Songwriter, John “The Slice” Vanderslice, soothed the eager crowd with his styled and reflective indie... more ›

LAist has been a little Spoon crazy lately, but there is lots to go Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga over. Their once secret show for Monday night is no longer secret and the special golden ticket you could get through buying their album at Amoeba are now going on sale. So if you want to get down to Little Radio on Monday night for the Spoon show, click here and see them before they... more ›

It's been a busy week in the world of Spoon. The biggest news, of course, is that they released their new album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga on Tuesday. Then next Monday, the band will perform an intimate show for the first 150 or so people who purchased their new CD at Amoeba Hollywood. According to a Little Radio myspace bulletin sent last week, it appears their venue will be hosting the exclusive event:... more ›

Amoeba Music announced this week that the first 150 people to purchase Spoon's new release, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, on July 10 will receive admission to a "secret show" by the band on July 16. Though it's hard to imagine the show being much of a secret after the attention Amoeba Hollywood has received since last week's free Paul McCartney show, it continues to cement their reputation as one of the coolest record... more ›

Under the moniker, Sacred Fools, Hanson played a secret show at the Hotel Café on Friday to promote their upcoming record, The Walk (July 24 / 3CG). More than a handsome-band gimmick and no longer the teeny mmmboppers of the late 90's, the brothers H have grown into confident and relaxed professionals, blessedly talented musicians, and gifted vocalists with three-part harmonies that borderline on supernatural. Zac, in dark tight Levis, Taylor with a flowing,... more ›

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OG mop-top, Sir Paul McCartney, will be playing a “secret” show at Amoeba Records on Wednesday June 27th at 7:30pm. That's tomorrow to you and me, kids. According to an LAist live-eye account, the camp out session began last night and has taken over the entire block. Sir Beatle is on the road in support of his new album, Memory Almost Full (Hear Music), proving once and for all that he did not in fact... more ›

Juliette Lewis and her band of handsome young bearded men stormed into Spaceland for a secret show that started at 9pm to accommodate the crowd of industry insiders and professionals. She promptly reminded them what rock and roll was all about. Coming off an almost endless European tour, mostly in arenas or at festivals, the Licks' fury and power were overwhelming and wonderful in the small Silver Lake club. Juliette is a star and... more ›

You have exactly one week to bid farewell to Spaceland. Because next Monday night Juliette and the Licks are gonna blow that mother's face out. According to her website Myspace blog, the LA native best known for her acting, but totally loved for her rocking, Juliette Lewis will be playing a secret show at the hip Silver Lake club at 9pm on June 11. This is quite a departure for the band who has... more ›

Everyone's favorite trainwreck is climbing back on the stage after a long haitus to lipsync for you, America, and inspire high school halftime routines once again. Just like we sorta told y'all. Despite rumors and misunderstandings that her previously-canceled Forty Duece secret show had anything to do with her three House of Blues appearances this weekend, San Diego's NBC affiliate, 7/39 is reporting that a woman who matches the description of the former Mrs.... more ›

The Jesus and Mary Chain got the band back together last night at the "Coachella Secret Show" in front of a capacity crowd at the Glass House in Pomona. This was their first live show since they broke up at the end of their infamous appearance at the (aptly named) House of Blues on the Sunset Strip in 1998. Last night the Reid Brothers started off rocky, kept it slow, and seemed generally disinterested... more ›

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For over twenty years the funky white boys from Fairfax High have been delivering the goods with their band the Red Hot Chili Peppers and last night at the Roxy for a super secret show to launch Microsoft's Zune media player, it's almost as if they were playing to each other. In fact, before one tune they improvised at all the bands that they had seen over the years at the Roxy. Typically the... more ›

Secret shows are as prevalent in LA as burger joints and taco trucks. But unlike those gourmet dining choices, if you aren't on The List for the show, or have a rare ticket, you don't get in. Perhaps you've heard chatter of a secret show starring the Red Hot Chili Peppers for an upcoming official Zune launch party. Zune is Microsoft's latest iPod competitor, and yes, Los Angeles, the Red Hots are going to... more ›

Under no circumstances should you assume that LAist are Fall Out Boy fans. However, they aren't as annoying as they could be, so we tolerate them. Which is saying something because we don't tolerate a lot. Last week they played a secret show at the Snakes on a Plane soundtrack party at the Key Club. A lot of the bands were there who were on the soundtrack, and not that we dare define what... more ›

Beirut Gulag Orkestar (Bada Bing) – Beirut is a 19 year-old kid from Albuquerque who has the full attention of the blogosphere and other tastemakers. He worked with Jeremy Barnes from Neutral Milk Hotel so the comparisons to that band are prevalent but ultimately unfair. There aren’t any guitars on the record but there are glockenspiels, ukuleles and clarinets. Download “from Italy” more ›

On any other night this week, Felicity Huffman would be showcasing why she won a Golden Globe in Transamerica at the Vista Theatre but, last night, Jenny Lewis took over the stage performing songs from her newly released solo debut, Rabbit Fur Coat. more ›

We don't have confirmation on this but LAist was just told that 1650 Schrader, home to Marques Wyatt's DEEP on Sunday nights and a Beck secret show recently, has filed for bankruptcy and permanently closed its doors. more ›