One of saddest things about the Happy Dog at the Euclid Tavern closing was possibly losing the Headspace parties happening in the basement. However, after a short hiatus, they found a new west-side home in the upstairs of Battery Park Pub. The night was really well attended (!) and the space was pretty great. My only complaint: many of the people were there to talk as much as dance, which competed with the sound. Let’s work on that people.
Magnolia has been offering up free tickets to their shows (first 50 only), and it’s a chance to get on a dance floor. I’m usually mildly disappointed in the music - but I’ll take any (free) chance to hit a dancefloor (esp. when I’m off work the next day). BRKLYN fit that bill.
Lala Lala has been making the rounds on the music media lately, and for good reason. They embody emo indie rock at it’s finest. Some dense jams, interwoven with bright electric guitar/bass lines. I understand they’re a fixture of the Chicago music scene, and they’re lucky to have them - thought I’m sure they’re spending a lot of time on the road these days. In fact, they’ll be coming back here, opening for Better Oblivion Community Center at the Beachland (3/25)!! More on that show later. Check out some stuff below, including the Perfume Genius cover in the video!
Sen Morimoto is unique. He’s one of Lala Lala’s friends from Chicago. He plays a combo of R&B, rap and some art-jazz using a synth, saxophone and a drummer. Pretty unique and varied stuff. Something my more musically intelligent friends would probably understand/appreciate better than I.
Opening was Port Lucian. I’d been checking out her stuff before the show and really liked it. She has a smoky voice, and smoky pop sound really. I was surprised it was just her on stage. She presented some great guitar work.
Chemical Brothers release a new “visual” for their single MAH, showing a concert I’d love to be at. Chaka Khan has been working with Major Lazer’s Switch and Sarah Ruba Taylor on her new album Hello Happiness, also the name of her new single. Crystal Fighters have an (expectedly) funky video for their new single, All My Love.
Bonus: FIDLAR has a captivating and quirky new video for By Myself
I wasn’t even sure if this show was going to happen. We were right in the middle of a major winter storm warning and snow had been blowing all day. I opted for a walking / busing adventure to the Grog Shop instead of driving. I made a pit stop for dinner, but realized the next bus was going to get me there any quicker than if I walked the rest of the way - so I did. While there were more people at the Grog Shop than I was expecting, there were way less than there should have been. Understandable.
Vacationer were the perfect antithesis to what was going on outside, as their name would imply. While hailing from the East coast, these guys feel like they just stepped off a California beach. They were charming, fun, and really appreciative we were all there. These guys have me wishing for Spring, especially as I was about to push back out into the winter weather to get home.
There were 2 openers. Monster Rally and p.stoops. Monster Rally was pretty good, but I’m still team p.stoops - who took the stage first.
I didn’t catch any video of Monster Rally, but he’s a photo.
There’s something appealing about writing about all live music experiences, even if they aren’t planned. I like the idea of exposing live music performances, in whatever shape or place they happen. This past Friday night, these performances were pretty varied.
With no plans of seeing live music, we randomly stumbled on this bar in Parma called The Grovewood Grille. I was immediately charmed by the layout of the place. I saw a stage (about to be active), a functional arcade bowling machine, and a boisterous crowd. Turns out they were about to turn out a Neil Young cover band. I really wish I would have caught (remembered) the name of the band. While I didn’t catch much on video - these guys were definitely Rockin’ in the Free World.
After that, a friend told us about an EDM dance party at Stella’s Music Club. It was sorta on the way home, so what the hell (and it would be the second time at Stella’s in a week!). The music wasn’t half bad when we arrived, but when it got to what you’ll hear in this video - we left. :-)
After scoring some tickets for this show, I was charmed by Twisted Pine’s cover of Blondie’s Heart of Glass. That was enough to get me excited to see what this all strings band would bring to the Beachland Tavern stage. Unfortunately, it was only the covers that kept me engaged. Heart of Glass was played again, as was Scissor Sisters’ I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’ (check the video!). The novelty of those songs were fun, but there wasn’t much else that kept my attention during the set.
Opening was The Morning Bird, our own newly forming americana band. These guys were a lot of fun and have some great potential. I really enjoyed the songs. I’ll look forward to seeing these guys again.
I’m not sure how this show on my radar, but I’ve been enjoying what I’ve been hearing by Vacationer. Check out their description on AllMusic:
"Vacationer blends the escapist dream pop of Beach House with the quasi-mystical electropop of Animal Collective. Rhythmic, heady, and hypnotic yet peppered with heartfelt lyrics and genuine emotion, Vacationer released its debut EP in 2011, followed by the full-length Gone in 2012; both were put out by Downtown Records. In 2018, they delivered their third studio album, the Daniel Schlett-produced Mindset."
That sounds about right. Opening are our own p.stoops and Monster Rally - though MR looks like they’re out of California these days. "Monster Rally is the project of Ted Feighan who crafts tracks from his record collection, combining his interests in Hip-hop, Exotica, and Tropicalia.” (via FaceBook) and p.stoops I’ve covered here several times.
Check out the scenic Vacationer videos below. Looks like it’s going to be a great party with the snow coming down outside!
I’m thrilled to be announcing my 8th house concert! My last show with Mike Edel in May was so good, I was actually nervous about hosting another one that could match that experience. As soon as I saw Oliver Hazard opening for Mt. Joy at the Beachland Ballroom, I knew these could be the guys. I chatted with them after the show and they seemed amenable, but they also have a lot of things coming up for them. Luckily, we were able to work this out!
Please RSVP on my FaceBook Event. (If you don’t have FB, please email me at thezenderagenda@gmail.com)
I have limited seating, so reservations are necessary! I couldn’t be more excited to be hosting these guys, and I hope you can come!
Get to know the band!
Some press:
"‘We got so much acclaim from people at the bar that it made us think maybe we were playing good music,’ says Belazis, who returned to California and stayed there for most of 2017. 'We have played one special show about every three months, but it worked out because we haven't burned out our fanbase and we have seen measurable growth.’"
(Via Waterville's Oliver Hazard Turning Heads With Its Twangy Tunes | Scene and Heard: Scene's News Blog.)
"The three friends, who together make up the indie/folk band Oliver Hazard, announced in January they were put on the bill to play this summer’s annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, a three-day event that had more than 90 acts including Eminem, The Killers, Paramore, Bon Iver, and Khalid at a 700-acre Tennessee farm.
The gig was the biggest show Oliver Hazard has ever played. Yet, when the band walked on stage at 9:30 p.m., the trio had played no more than 20 shows as a band."
(Via Notes from Bonnaroo: Oliver Hazard celebrates biggest gig so far | Toledo Blade.)
Troye Sivan indulges in a beach romance in his sexy new video for Lucky Strike. Sharon Van Etten has released a new video for Seventeen off her new album coming out (this Friday!). Monarchy has a new video for their single Back to the Start, which it kinda feels like for them.
Bonus: Computer Magic just released a cover of Suspicious Minds, with a new video shot entirely on an iPhone.
