The Postal Service at the Greek Theatre Night 2 (7/24/13)

Check out my photos of The Postal Service at the Greek Theatre over at Stereogum.

The Postal Service at the Greek Theatre Night 1 (7/23/13)

Check out my photos of The Postal Service at the Greek Theatre over at OC Weekly.

Metric at the Greek Theater

Check out my photos of Metric at the Greek Theatre over at Stereogum.

New Order at the Greek Theater

Check out my photos of New Order at the Greek Theater over at Stereogum.

Beirut at the Greek Theatre

Check out my photos of Beirut at the Greek Theatre over at Stereogum.

Fleet Foxes at the Greek Theatre

Check out my photos of Fleet Foxes at the Greek Theatre over at Stereogum.

Death Cab for Cutie at the Greek Theatre

After catching Death Cab for Cutie down in San Diego, I opted to catch their second night Greek Theatre in hopes they would mix up their setlist and potentially dust off some old favorites. Of course, Death Cab For Cutie came through to deliver a sparkling high energy set.

Frightened Rabbit







Rising among the likes of such great Scottish bands as Mogwai, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Teenage Fanclub, Frightened Rabbit will win you over with their heart on a sleeve lyrics and clever melodies. Touring tirelessly behind their latest release The Winter of Mixed Drinks, Frightened Rabbit are known for winning over fans with their compelling live show.

Opening their set with "The Modern Leper", Scott Hutchison strummed his Fender guitar as his brother Grant Hutchison started to form the percussive backbone of the song with his steady drumming. The guitars would really rumble during the opening of "Nothing Like You" as Scott's Scottish accent adds extra charm to the song.

Scott apologized to the crowd implying he had a rough night of drinking the evening prior but it didn't seem to impede his performance on stage. The propelling riff of "Head Rolls Off" continued to ensnare the attention of the fans in the audience as it was difficult to deny their embracing tunes. "Keep Yourself Warm" was a perfect set closer and left the fans wanting more. I'm sure Frightened Rabbit will be headlining bigger venues with their next album.

Death Cab For Cutie






A dimly lit stage awash in red lights set the mood for the ominous opening bass line of "I Will Possess Your Heart". Ben Gibbard sporadically used an E-Bow on his G&L telecaster guitar adorned with a Seattle Mariners logo to build the feedback swells at the beginning of the song.

Gibbard would quickly drop his guitar to run over to the keyboards while the band were tightly interlocked in the rhythm of the song. "Crooked Teeth" presented a shift in mood and lighting as the four LCD screens vividly lit up and a full on rock show commenced.

The irony of "Why Would You Want to Live Here?" was addressed later in the set as Gibbard admitted that since he has lived in Los Angeles for three years that he can complain about the city he inhabits. Shifting gears to their latest album Codes and Keys, "Doors Unlocked and Open" had Chris Walla focus his energy on his Korg MS-20 for the haunting synthesizer bass line.

"Long Division" sounded noisier than the recorded version with a shoegazey breakdown. Chris Walla added some Rhodes like keyboards to "Grapevine Fires". A deep bending sustained guitar line was played by bassist Nick Harmer for "Codes and Keys" supported by Gibbard's uplifting vocals.

Gibbard took center stage for a solo haunting acoustic version of "I Will Follow You Into The Dark". The hits just kept coming as the band effortlessly worked through "Soul Meets Body", "A Movie Script Ending" and "The Sound of Settling". The encores for the evening included my personal favorite "405" and the epic closer of "Transatlanticism".

Death Cab For Cutie will return on October 14th to play the Fox Theater in Pomona with Release The Sunbird and October 15th with Explosions In The Sky at the Santa Barbara Bowl. Odds are I will be attending both.

Florence and the Machine at the Greek Theater

Check out my photos of Florence and the Machine at the Greek Theater over at OC Weekly.

My Morning Jacket at the Greek Theater

Check out my photos of My Morning Jacket and Avi Buffalo at the Greek Theater over at OC Weekly.

Silversun Pickups at the Greek Theater

Check out my photos of the Silversun Pickups at the Greek Theater over at Stereogum.

Monsters of Folk at the Greek Theatre

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Phoenix and Metric at the Greek Theater

Check out my photos of Phoenix and Metric at the Greek Theater over at Stereogum.

Neko Case at the Greek Theatre

Check out my photos of Neko Case and Jason Lytle at the Greek Theatre over at Stereogum.

Flight of the Conchords at the Greek Theatre

Check out my photos of the Flight of The Conchords at the Greek Theatre over at Stereogum.

The Raconteurs at the Greek Theatre

Check out my review of the Raconteurs for OC Weekly here. The pictorial slideshow is here.

Rilo Kiley at the Greek Theatre

It was a picturesque night for a rock show at the Greek Theatre as Rilo Kiley played to a warm home crowd. I haven't seen Rilo Kiley live since I saw them open for Coldplay in Las Vegas a few years ago. Jenny Lewis (Vocals/Guitars/Bass) had the crowd in the palm of her hand by the end of the night with her honey soaked vocals.

Benji Hughes




A slick blues guitar riff did not properly prepare me for Benji Hughes. Benji's guitarist was wailing away on his Fender Telecaster with a Fulltone Tube Tape Echo fluttering away before Benji hit the stage. The mood changed considerably when Benji unveiled his lounge singing style replete with tongue in cheek lyrics. Benji did his best impression of a crooning Morrissey with "All You Gotta Do Is Fall In Love". Some of Benji's song titles include "Tight Tee Shirt", "Waiting For An Invitation" and "You Stood Me Up" to give you a better idea of where he is coming from. Benji really needs to be seen live in order to gain a better understanding of his songs. A Little Extreme is Benji's five song EP that you can download from itunes.

Lavender Diamond



What is so funny about peace, love and understanding? Nothing according to Becky Stark (Vocals) from Lavender Diamond. Becky usually greets audiences asking for world peace and general good natured comments about preserving the environment. In the song department, Lavender Diamond is a folk leaning quiet outfit led by the wide ranging operatic vocals from Becky. Imagine Our Love is their latest release on Matador records. In one of the many diatribes by Becky throughout the night, she mentioned she met Jenny Lewis the third day she moved to Los Angeles. It pays to make friends in this city.

Rilo Kiley






The subtle country twang of "Close Call" kicked off the evening in high spirits as Jenny Lewis and company took to the stage. Jenny was channeling her twang through a weathered Fender Telecaster Deluxe as Blake Sennett (Guitars/Vocals) was complimenting her sound with a Fender Telecaster. A sultry bass line and retro flavored funky guitar riff tipped off the audience as Rilo Kiley shaked out "The Moneymaker". Vocal harmonies came out in full force as "Dreamworld" sounded flawless. The Greek Theatre when mixed correctly is probably one of the best sounding venues in Los Angeles. This night was no exception as the combination of dialed in sound with perfect weather made a stunning hometown welcoming for Rilo Kiley as they closed out their tour in support of Under The Blacklight.

Blake did a knock out version of "Ripchord" that sounded full on his electric guitar. I was impressed by Blake's guitar playing throughout the night in that in he was filling all the right spaces in the songs. Jenny wandered across the front of the stage during "The Absence of God" with the spotlight quickly following her every move as were most of the males in the audience. "It's A Hit" was performed with a sense of vigor and urgency. "Silver Lining" was highlighted by a large number of inflatable balloons tossed out into the crowd with silver confetti stored inside. Jason Boesel (Drums) got involved in the action as he popped one of the balloons to the crowd's delight. "Portions For Foxes" closed out the night with jangly guitars surrounding Jenny's wispy vocals. It is hard to believe that this would be their last show in awhile, but I wouldn't mind hearing the new Postal Service album.

Rilo Kiley setlist for the Greek Theatre (6/18/08)
"Close Call"
"The Moneymaker"
"Dreamworld"
"Capturing Moods"
"Breakin’ Up"
"Does He Love You?"
"Ripchord"
"The Absence of God"
"With Arms Outstretched"
"Hail to Whatever You Found in the Sunlight That Surrounds You"
"It’s a Hit"
"A Better Son/Daughter"
"Silver Lining"
"I Never"
"Pictures of Success"
"Portions for Foxes/and parts of Spectacular Views"

Crowded House at the Greek Theatre

It was a storybook night for a show at the Greek Theatre. I haven't seen Crowded House since the Womad Festival back in 1993 in San Francisco and forgot how good Crowded House was as a live act.





It is safe to say that music talent lies in the genes as witnessed by Liam Finn's mesmerizing opening act. Clocking in at barely twenty minutes, the crowd let out a measurable sigh when Liam Finn announced it was his last song. Liam was a one man army with his assault on the drums and masterful use of his Line 6 DL4 modeler's sampling function. As if I wasn't sold enough after his barrage on the drum kit while playing over a sampled octave shifted guitar riff, Liam busted out the theremin. When is Liam playing again?




Pete Yorn threw me for a loop when he opened with his Warren Zevon cover "Splendid Isolation". Pete Yorn has been on tour for awhile and the tightness of his band showed. Pete made the remark that he always wanted to play the Greek Theatre and was excited to be there. The setlist was heavy on the first album which was fine by me. Pete mentioned he wrote "Life On A Chain" here in Los Angeles before performing a rollicking version of the song. When I heard the shuffling drum beat intro to "Young Folks", I found myself smiling. Apparently Pete was approached at Bonnaroo by fan requesting that he play the Pete Yorn song "Young Folks". The question is will how will Peter, Bjorn & John react?


Pete Yorn setlist for the Greek Theatre (8/28/07)
"Splendid Isolation" (Warren Zevon)
"Murray"
"Crystal Village"
"The Man"
"For Us"
"Strange Condition"
"Policies"
"Life on a Chain"
"Young Folks" (Peter Bjorn and John)





My second loop (not counting all of Liam's loops) was when Crowded House opened with "Something So Strong" that elicited a large cheer from the audience. Neil Finn (Guitars/Vocals) was smiling and singing with his sparkling Gibson Les Paul Gold top. Liam Finn (Guitars) was on the back of the stage on a riser adding acoustic guitars and background vocals. The band played very loosely and seemed to have permanent smiles on their faces as they played all night. "Say That Again" was next and is a new track off their excellent new album "Time On Earth". It sounded as timeless as all their other tracks and made for a smooth transition to "Don't Stop Now"




Nick Seymour was looking dapper in his white suit coat and plucking away at his Fender Jazz Bass. Matt Sherrod (Drums) was hidden in back providing a solid beat all night. Mark Hart (Guitars,Keyboards) was either handling the keyboards or strumming away on his Gibson guitar. Mark did have his moment in the sun with an impromptu version of "To Paris" that added to the loose feel of the night. Crowded House played the Greek Theatre like it was a small intimate club and had a strong connection with the audience. "Don't Dream It's Over" was worth price of admission alone but the evening was perfectly capped with "Better Be Home Soon". As the festivities closed,I wondered why I didn't hit the San Diego and Santa Barbara shows.




Crowded House setlist for the Greek Theatre (8/28/07)
"Something So Strong"
"Say That Again"
"Don’t Stop Now"
"Fall at You Feet"
"English Trees"
"Message Boy"
"Walked Her Way Down"
"Whispers and Moans"
"Silent House"
"Private Universe"
"To Paris"
"Don’t Dream It’s Over"
"Happy Together"
"Pineapple Head"
"Pour Le Monde"
"Locked Out"
"Distant Sun"
"Weather With You"
"World Where You Live"
"Mean to Me"
"Better Be Home Soon"