Get out your Hello Kitty date book or iPhone calendar - it’s a busy week for people who care about good music and this is going to require some serious scheduling. Extra credit: shows that didn’t make it onto this list but are still worth seeing include DeVotchka at The Bootleg, The Low Anthem at the Troubadour, The Rapture at The Music Box and Black Star at the House of Blues. Isn’t it nice to have options, LA?
Tuesday, October 4Locksley @ The BootlegLocksley is a four-man band from Madison, Wisconsin, which is where I went to college, so go badgers! The group’s doo wop power pop style is as catchy as it is raucous. Boys, I’m willing to bet that there will be girls at this show, and that they will want to dance. Go get ‘em. 10:00pm, $10The Bootleg, 2220 Beverly Boulevard, at Roselake Avenue, (213-389-3856 or bootlegtheatre.org)
Wednesday, October 5Peter, Bjorn and John @ The El ReySweden’s Peter, Bjorn and John round out a week-long LA club sweep that started at The Troubadour, went to The Smell, moved to The Echo and ends with this hump day show at The El Rey that is probably selling out you read this -- so move fast for tickets people. LA garage rock bon vivant Hanni El Khatib opens. 8:00pm, $25The El Rey, 5515 Wilshire Boulevard, at South Dunsmuir Avenue, (323-936-6400 or theelrey.com)
Thursday, October 6Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue @ The El ReyI once wandered into a bar in New Orleans looking for a beer. Three hours and several shots of whiskey later, I stumbled back into the street sweaty and thrilled, for Trombone Shorty had just blown my mind with the most alive display of brass band jazz I had ever experienced. Shorty (Troy Andrews) has been playing the trombone and trumpet since he was six years old, (so for roughly twenty years now), and has jammed with the Neville brothers, Kid Rock and Lenny Kravitz. Definitely go to this show, especially if you didn’t get tickets for Little Dragon’s sold out gig at the Avalon. 8:00pm, $20The El Rey, 5515 Wilshire Boulevard, at South Dunsmuir Avenue, (323-936-6400 or theelrey.com)
Friday, October 7YACHT @ The EchoplexDid you see YACHT at FYF Fest last month? With the clever Powerpoint presentations, B-52-inspired electro-rock dance jams and the mad charisma of lead singer Claire Evans (who I’ve developed a substantial girl crush on), it was the best damn show of the festival. This Friday’s gig, which is part of the four day Culture Collide Festival, is stacked with openers including Hands, The Gift and Denmark’s Asteroids Galaxy Tour.7:00pm, $20The Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Boulevard, at Park Avenue, (213-413-8200 or attheecho.com)
Saturday, October 8Miguel Migs @ Dim Mak StudiosDJ/producer Miguel Migs has mixed for artists including Britney Spears and Lionel Richie, and his latest album Outside the Skyline features vocalists including Meshell Ndegeocello and Bebel Gilberto. This party at Dim Mak Studios, (you may know it as Cinespace), celebrates the album’s release with a crew of performers including Evelyn “Champagne” King and Julius Papp. Migs’ super-chill brand of house is good for both dancing and for nodding your head while making sexy eyes at the babe across the room. Just saying.10:00pm, $20Dim Mak Studios (formerly Cinespace), 6356 Hollywood Boulevard, at Ivar Avenue, (323-8173456 or cinespace.info)
Sunday, October 9Chad VanGaalen @ The EchoCalgary’s Chad Vangaalen has been kicking around the indie folk rock scene for years, dropping pretty, haunting, under the radar albums that I always dig when they came up on my shuffle. VanGaalen’s latest release is called Diaper Island , and although this is a questionable name for an album, (or for anything at all), the LP is full of pleasing, lo-fi guitar jams that will likely sound lovely when VanGaalen performs as part of the Culture Collide Festival.8:00pm, $20The Echo, 1822 West Sunset Boulevard, at Lemoyne Street, (213-413-8200 or attheecho.com)
Monday, October 10Ryan Adams @ The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood ForeverThis last minute addition to the Hollywood Forever schedule goes down on the eve of the release of Adams’ latest album Ashes and Fire, which was produced by music industry legend Glyn Johns. The album features backing vocals from Norah Jones and Adams’ wife Mandy Moore, and with any luck, the show will too.8:00pm, $40Hollywood Forever, 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard, at Gordon Street, (323-469-1181 or hollywoodforever.com)
