
This is where it is believed to be at.
I don’t know why, but LA’s concert schedule always seems to suck in the summer, warm up in September and peak somewhere in October/November and again in March/April.
Warped Tour is playing tomorrow (August 25th) at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Ca, and there used to be four or five bands you’d want to see, but this year’s a stinko. The only band worth seeing, Flogging Molly, is not worth $32.75, and the ones that might interest you are ten years past their prime (Bad Religion, Throwdown, etc.). And let it be known: any concert with A Static Lullaby, Coheed and Cambria, Hawthorne Heights and Poison the Well is not a concert worth seeing, no matter the cost.
Can you imagine if all four of those bands were playing on each of the stages at the same time? The world would say, “OK, that’s it, I’ve had enough,” and collapse into itself.
As for concerts worth seeing, the good bands are coming, the great bands are on their way.
August 26th, Real McKenzies are at El Rey.
September 10th, 11th and 12th, Spoon is playing at the Fonda. (Warming up!)
Sept. 18, Animal Collective is playing at the Fonda, which is good, because most indie idiots will be at …
Sept 18-20th, Clap Your Hands, Say Ya at the Troubadour. (All three shows are sold out already, which doesn’t make much sense because, honestly, who listens to them?)
Sept. 21st, High on Fire at El Rey.
Sept. 26th, Klaxons at the Fonda. (Fonda seems to be getting a lot of decent shows next month.)
Oct. 2nd, Atmosphere with Grayskul at the Fonda. (Goddamn you, Henry Fonda!).
Oct. 9th, Justice at the Fonda. (Sounds good, so long as no one tries to convert me to Christianity.)
Then we get into the really good concerts.
Oct. 11th and 12th, Horse the Band plays the Showcase Theater in (gulp) Corona, Ca. Since Horse is the kind of band worth seeing every time and they just came out with a new CD, I may actually drive the hour and a half out there just to see them. Or maybe I can stay with my cousins in San Diego (they play at Soma on the 13th). This band is a must-see.
Oct. 30th, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists at El Rey. If you’ve never seen Ted Leo, you should probably see him once. He’s a great performer, very active on stage and a consummate professional.
Nov. 5th, Do Make Say Think at the Echoplex. I’ve never seen this band live, but if they’re half as good in concert as they are on CD, then it’s going to be an awesome show.
More as they happen, but this is everything as it is right now.