The Ettes, Sade, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Benefit for Nick Curran

Davie Allan & the Arrows

PHOTO BY JOSEPHCULTICE.COM

Kim Lenz performs at the Benefit for Nick Curran: See Friday.

Davie Allan & the Arrows: See Saturday.

Location Info

Map

Staples Center

1111 S. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA 90015

Category: Community Venues

Region: Out of Town

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Music Box Cocktail

13114 Downey Ave.
Paramount, CA 90723-2413

Category: Bars and Clubs

Region: Southeastern Cities

Weber's Place

19312 Vanowen St.
Reseda, CA 91335

Category: Bars and Clubs

Region: San Fernando Valley

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Hollywood Bowl

2301 N. Highland Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90068

Category: Music Venues

Region: Out of Town

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Roxy Theatre

9009 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069

Category: Bars and Clubs

Region: West Hollywood

Photos

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More About

• Mikael Wood
• Nick Curran
• Paul Rogers
• Hip-Hop and Rap
• Arts, Entertainment, and Media

JAMMIN' JERSEY MUSIC

In the mid-1960s, most guitarists were playing guitars that had clean, tinny tones, and they picked out crude, simple solos that sound laughably stiff and wimpy today. Davie Allan was just one of a zillion local surf guitarists with a similarly polite sound when he decided one day to crank up the distortion and max out his fuzz pedal, bringing a Link Wray power to the iconic instrumental "Blues' Theme," from the soundtrack of Roger Corman's 1966 biker film The Wild Angels. At the time, such a fuzz-saturated guitar sound was unique, and Allan went on to become a literal link between Link and the hard-rock and metal guitarists of the late '60s and early '70s. The San Fernando Valley homeboy comes full circle with an early-afternoon set at this Northridge music store. —Falling James

Rock the Bells

SAN MANUEL AMPHITHEATER

In its new incarnation as a four-city minitour, this hip-hop fan's nirvana again kicks off its summer run in San Bernardino, thankfully trading in last year's parking lot for an amphitheater. The emphasis remains on full-length renditions of '90s classics; the only change is a decade time shift. Instead of Snoop and Tribe, we've got Black Star and Common. The unquestionable draw is Nas, in full-on street-poet mentality, for his groundbreaking debut, Illmatic. The ladies also drop by: Lauryn Hill again shimmies to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (let's hope a year has improved her chops) and the Queen of Neo-Soul, Erykah Badu, will swoon to Baduizm. It's not all old-school: NOLA's Curren$y and UGK-bred Southern spitter Big K.R.I.T, best classified under "Hip- Hop's New Hope," help carry the torch. —Dan Hyman

Mad Decent Block Party

PREMIERE EVENTS CENTER

Diplo has been making some mainstream moves this year, producing "Beat of My Drum" by Nicola Roberts of Girls Aloud and scoring a writing credit (alongside The-Dream) on Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)." For his label Mad Decent's roving Block Party, though, he's keeping things pretty fringe-y, especially here in L.A.: In addition to a headlining set by Major Lazer, Diplo's digital-dance-hall duo with Switch, we'll get appearances by electro-garage guy Bosco Delrey, in-house Mad Decent knob-twirler Derek Allen and Sacramento-based punk-rap crew Death Grips, among others. Still, shit's free, and given Diplo's rapidly expanding Rolodex, you never know who else might show up. —Mikael Wood

Semi Precious Weapons, Sabrosa Purr

THE ROXY

The flailing onstage antics of beyond-camp frontman Justin Tranter and bassist Cole Whittle are both the best and the worst things about Semi Precious Weapons. While their relentless gyrations have helped make SPW an act few wish to follow (though Lady Gaga was happy to on her recent Monster Ball Tour), they also can almost obscure the band's fearsome musicianship, natty knack for glam-pop hooks and Tranter's deliciously indignant timbre. Local foursome Sabrosa Purr also are about more than just songwriting. But in their case, it's Prince versus Jane's Addiction groove and mood that massage their message. With a slinky new rhythm section aboard, this is as good as it's gotten for the Purr. —Paul Rogers

Also playing:

BRAINFEEDER SHOWCASE at Levitt Pavillion; PHRANC, PETER CASE at California Plaza; BLACK ELEPHANT at the Smell; AMOS LEE, CALEXICO at Orpheum Theatre; CEREBELLION at Cobalt Café (Canoga Park); JAMES PANTS at Skybar; JIM KWESKIN at McCabe's.

sun 8/21

The Punk Rock BBQ

LIQUID KITTY

The Punk Rock BBQ is really so much more than just a punk rock barbecue. Sure, there will be plenty of searching and destroying from the Raw Power Rangers — in which mild-mannered Insect Surfers guitarist Dave Arnson suddenly morphs into one of the wildest Iggy clones ever — and amped-up bands, like the Ingrates and the Double Negatives. But you also get glamorously rocking power pop from Three Way (with former Celebrity Skin guitarist Jason Shapiro) and the unique, poetic, snake-charmed jazz-punk soothsayers Saccharine Trust. But for my money, which is nothing, since this show has no cover, the most ragingly, rockingly, explosively ramblingest group of the day is the longtime local trio Backbiter. These guys have the technical ability to passionately re-create the entire Tommy album note for note, are deeply punk-informed by such idols as the Dead Boys and the Dictators, and yet their own songs sound like lost freedom-rock classics. Yes, classics. —Falling James

Also playing:

GEOFF GEIS, HEROES AND HEROINES, SNACKTIME, THE BURNING OF ROME at 5 Star Bar; JIM WARD, LUSITANIA at the Satellite.

mon 8/22

Katy B

BARDOT

Anyone who found James Blake a rather sedate "Face of Dubstep" contender should cotton to Katy B: On her Mercury Prize–nominated debut, On a Mission, this fresh-faced Londoner describes her boy troubles with a round-the-way sass that shares as much with U.K. girl groups, like the Sugababes, as it does with any hipster-approved dance act. That's not to suggest that Katy B's beats don't hit hard; "Perfect Stranger," her Magnetic Man collab, has all the wobble you could want. But it's Katy's personality that may enable a connection with Rihanna fans. The singer performs here as part of a peculiar School Night! bill that also includes quirk-folk veteran Rickie Lee Jones. —Mikael Wood