Erin BroadleyI've never welcomed a Monday with more relief. Over the weekend, pre-Emmy parties on Friday and Saturday crowded Hollywood, while the actual ceremony on Sunday at the Nokia made living downtown a pain the ass for anyone like me who wasn't glued to a television. Plus, we got a shock Saturday morning when news broke of Travis Barker and Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein's tragic Learjet crash that left the two in critical condition and killed four others. Los Angeles was a mess this weekend; it's a surprise Angelenos wanted to leave the house at all. But the L.A. Weekly did, and here's what went down.
Man Man’s Taco Fiesta at Echoplex
Philadelphia’s Man Man performed the Echoplex on Friday night, but not before treating the audience to a belly-bomb, taco fiesta. Oh yeah, and some Fidel Castro-looking folk singer threw a fit and tossed his guitar across stage, but you’ll have to read Liz Ohanesian’s review for that story.
Beck at Hollywood Bowl
The yin and yang of Beck was in full view Saturday night at the Hollywood Bowl, where he dropped beat-heavy rockers and electro-bashers before sliding into a second set with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra Strings to get mellow and sad with the sold out crowd. Dipping from all over his ever-expanding catalog, the show provided evidence that the iconic Los Angeles songwriter is as versatile as he is inspired. He dropped dance-heavy gems – “Nausea” and “Mixed Business” (from his underrated classic, Midnight Vultures) – that liquefied the crowd, covered Bob Dylan’s “Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat” and, with his four-piece band in tow, stood at the front of the stage with five beat-boxes for a funky breakdown of “Hell Yess” and “Black Tambourine.” The second half of the gig, which featured Beck’s father David Campbell conducting the Bowl Orchestra's string section, was highlighted by huge renditions of, among others, “Missing,” “Paper Tiger” and “Lonesome Tears.” By Randall Roberts
If you weren't lucky enough to catch Beck at the Bowl on Saturday night like, check out this slideshow and read Randall Roberts' full review.
Gram Parsons Memorial in Joshua Tree
On the 35th anniversary of Gram Parsons' death from a drug overdose, local performers and devoted fans gathered at the Joshua Tree Inn for a weekend of music to celebrate his life. Check out the slideshow of Parsons shrines.
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