Friday, November 27, 2009

Pablove Benefit at the Avalon

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It was an emotionally charged night as Jeff Castelaz celebrated the end of his 3,000 mile bicycle journey across the United States to raise awareness for the Pablove Foundation. The Pablove foundation was instituted in remembrance of Jeff's son Pablo who tragically passed away due to Wilm's disease which is a rare form of cancer. The Pablove foundation helps raise awareness of how cancer can affect everyone regardless of age. The evening was superbly hosted by Justin Meldal-Johnsen.


Jarrod Gorbel
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Jarrod Gorbel had played his last show with The Honorary Title the night before in New York and flew to L.A. to kick off his solo career with an acoustic 3 song set.

Sea Wolf
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I loved the first Sea Wolf album and still haven't had a chance to pick up the new release White Water, White Bloom. After a pristine version of "You're A Wolf", Sea Wolf unveiled their lastest single "Wicked Blood". It immediately reminded me that I need to see a full set of Sea Wolf. It just so happens they will be at the Roxy on December 17th for a KROQ locals only show.


Shirley Manson
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The crowd was definitely buzzing when the alluring Shirley Manson hit the stage bringing in producer/drummer extraordinaire Butch Vig and Tom Gabel from Against Me! After dedicating a song to Pablo, she did a heart wrenching cover of "Life On Mars?" by David Bowie. It was one of the many emotional moments of the evening

Butch Walker
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Butch Walker (formerly of Marvelous 3) was flanked by Chapin Sisters for a handful of acoustic songs. Butch told a story of how he had reached out to talk to Jeff out of the blue after hearing about Pablo and that they quickly had become friends.

Rooney
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Rooney were the surprise guests of the evening. Another emotional moment was when they altered the lyrics of song "If It Were Up To Me" to include Pablo's name.

Tom Gabel
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Tom Gabel from Against Me! was full of fire and brimstone as he ripped through "High Pressure Low" and "White Crosses". Butch Vig and Justin also came out to accompany him on a tune. It was another short but sweet set.

Josh Rifkind
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The levity of the night came in the form of Josh Rifkind who is the driving force behind Songs for Kids. Josh pulled a rabbit out of his magic hat to make the crowd sing along to "The Wheels On The Bus". You had to be there to experience it.


Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
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It has been awhile since I last caught up with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. They sounded great backed by a new drummer as they used a duel acoustic guitar attack on "Shuffle Your Feet", "666 Conducer" and "Ain't No Easy Way". They recently released Live on Vagrant records and I am anxiously awaiting any news of a new album.

I regrettably had to leave prior to Tom Morello and Band of Horses but heard they were both exceptional. It would have been interesting to see Tom pull off "Guerilla Radio" live with an acoustic guitar. The evening seemed to go by in seconds as the short sets and quick changeovers didn't leave much downtime. If you missed this amazing night, you can still make a contribution to the Pablove Foundation to show your support.

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