Rilo Kiley, June 18 at the Greek Theater

I had just seen Rilo Kiley at Coachella but I had to see them again when the opportunity presented itself. They were so amazingly perfect and glorious at the festival, I had to see them with a full show. Of course, that could lead to a problem: What if they weren't as good the second time, would that tarnish the memory I so recently had of them? As it turns out, I needn't have worried. Though their set had been more concise at Coachella and this time didn't have the newness of being the first time I had seem them (except for the truly first time I saw them, opening for the Breeders in '01 on their first album, making me a lifelong fan) but it was a great set. And speaking of the set, interestingly, they played a lot of the best, really good songs off their new album early in the set ("Money Maker," the first single from their new album second, and "Breakin' Up," the best song off the album, fourth) and then got to some of their more obscure but fan-favorite songs later on, making it seem like the set-list was backwards. It's not like they've had any true hits; they're a band that survives on just having good songs on really good albums, more than having recognizable tracks from the radio or in movies. I would guess that the dedicated audience should now be just as familiar with the new album (out for almost a year now) as they are with the rest of their catalog, you'd think the bandmembers would have the confidence to order their set so they build up to their best stuff. Then again, I was obsessed with Under the Blacklight and that's what I most wanted to hear; while I love their entire catalog, I really most wanted to hear the new stuff (usually the opposite of what the audience wants). Not that I have any complaints about what they played (though a run-through of "Go Ahead" would have been welcome), just that I'm used to a climax in a show and this show peaked early and leveled-out, and after hearing my favorite songs within the first 20 minutes, I was looking forward to them topping that but they merely matched it. One odd thing was that the place was only about 4/5 full (if that). I don't think it had anything to do with Rilo Kiley being good -- or even great -- enough to fill such a place, they're just not as big a name as a group needs to be to sell it out. The Cure, R.E.M., and the White Stripes have played the Greek on recent tours. But nearly any show at the Greek is a beautiful thing, being a mid-size (5,000 seats) venue surrounded by trees and a gorgeous early-summer evening. It's so nice, even the performers comment about it, and they're from L.A.(in the case of Rilo Kiley). Lavender Diamond opened the show and they/she didn't move me so much but I remember the singer's voice was lovely.

Rilo Kiley's set-list:
"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"

Tom Petty, June 25 at the Hollywood Bowl

You might think that Tom Petty would play all the hits for an entire show. But when you've been making music for over 30 years like a legend like Petty has, you fairly well have free-reign to play what you like, to say nothing of the fact that you're probably sick of playing "Break Down" for the last three decades. Playing a big space like the Hollywood Bowl (on June 25) is a double-edged sword for expectations: for a crowd like that, they're going to expect a lot of hits but Petty is not likely to play a smaller place so he doesn't have to please such a big crowd and can just play what he wants, not necessarily the big hits. But that night he opened and closed with enough hits and everything rocked so well that so I doubt the crowd was terribly disappointed. At least one song he played only because he had to, being "Free Fallin'" which the band obligatorily played with clearly no passion and within the first 20 minutes of the show. He gets the award for playing quite possibly the most obscure song from any career from any show I've ever seen by playing "Sweet William," according to him a song from a Europe-only E.P. from 10 years ago. The middle of the show started to drag, especially when they brought out opener Steve Winwood to play two of his own songs and Petty stood in the back as just a guitar-player. Vanessa (who got the tickets) and I got there late so I could avoid Winwood and then they brought him out, which was clearly for the benefit of the band rather than the crowd. Tom Petty has made a resurgence in recent years, Steve Winwood hasn't. The songs shortly after that didn't do much to get anyone going, especially "Honey Bee," which had the only thing going for it being that it's really old. "A Face in the Crowd," a rarely-played track from Full Moon Fever, and a mostly acoustic "Learning to Fly" got some lovely airings but I was losing interest. Finally the show took off again toward the end of "Don't Come Around Here No More" and carried strongly through "Refugee" then that was the end of the main set. Luckily, the momentum went through the encore of "Runnin' Down a Dream," a rousing cover of "Gloria," and ending with -- predictably -- "American Girl." The end of the show finally matched the rollicking SuperBowl performance but by that time it was over. Looking back at the show, Petty played 20 songs over almost two hours, which doesn't seem right since all of the cuts in their original form were radio-length, but in concert the band stretched out the end of the songs with a mini-jam that would have been fine if it didn't happen for nearly every single tune. It should have gone on another hour but there's only so much you can do. What was good was great but the rest was just another show that this road-weary warrior has played a thousand times before, unfortunately. I planned to see Petty again at Outside Lands two months later and to be honest, I wouldn't have gotten these tickets if I'd known that I would be going to that show, but I didn't mind at the time (though I did later, when he played nearly identical sets at both shows). Petty is one of those artists who has integrity as an entertainer enough to not sleep-walk through a show but that doesn't stop him from playing the same set every night. But he doesn't have the same crowd every night so give it to him on a technicality. And because he's, you know, Tom friggin' Petty.

Tom Petty's set-list:
"You Wreck Me"
"Listen to Her Heart"
"I Won't Back Down"
"Even the Losers"
"Free Fallin'"
"Mary Jane's Last Dance"
"Sweet William"
"End of the Line" (Traveling Wilburys cover)
"Can't Find My Way Home" (Blind Faith cover) (with Steve Winwood)
"Gimme Some Lovin'" (The Spencer Davis Group cover) (with Steve Winwood)
"Saving Grace"
"Honey Bee"
"A Face in the Crowd"
"You Don't Know How It Feels"
"Learning to Fly"
"Don't Come Around Here No More"
"Refugee"

"Runnin' Down a Dream"
"Gloria" (Them cover)
"American Girl"

The Cure, May 31 at the Hollywood Bowl

If you're a Cure fan, they're one of the best bands ever to see in concert. They normally play for at least two hours, usually closer to three, and that included their show at the Hollywood Bowl. They play a variety of their stuff, from hits to deep album cuts, probably some B-sides on some nights, and they were playing stuff from their new album (4:13 Dream, not one of their best), which wasn't out yet, but they limited that number to less than a half-dozen, which were received well anyway. Their set changes every night and even their most popular songs they might or might not play. If you're hoping to hear one particular song you may or may not hear it but you're also more likely to hear an obscure track. They still play a lot of the hits, even early in the set, knowing that there are still other hits to play later on. They play a tight show, with not a lot of on-stage banter (no one else in the band besides Bob Smith has a mic and no one can understand his mumbling anyway). The band look exactly as they have for the past 30 years (though Bob has noticeably gained some weight) except for the guitarist, who would have been too goth-punk for Marilyn Manson's band. Seriously, a creepy-looking dude (and probably old) but a good musician (though Bob plays a lot of the lead guitar parts himself). Bob even seemed like he wanted to keep playing that night but it was already getting close to 11:30 and there are curfews. I'm not sure if their live set will convert anyone but you know if you're a fan or not already. If you're not a Cure fan, hopefully you were someone's date or the alcohol is cheap because you're in for a long haul. This was the show rescheduled from the previous October, which had tickets going on sale in the early summer so I'd had mine for almost a year. I made the mistake of buying two tickets without having someone readily available to go with me and everyone I knew was busy that night and the eBay auction had no takers (even with the starting price at half what I paid for it) but I put a listing on Craigslist and had someone contact me about it within a few minutes of posting it who met me before the show and paid full face value ($67). It was a sold-out show but you know there's always someone trying to get rid of a ticket.

I love the idea of riding a tram to the Hollywood Bowl but I live within walking distance of the subway and it's only two stops to get there. The parking at the Bowl is horrendous, though I've parked a few lots down, where it wasn't stacked but cost $25. Public transportation only rarely works in Los Angeles but when it does it's great. Especially in Hollywood, where lot-owners know they can gouge people who own cars, I don't want to go to shows sometimes when I know I'll be paying more for parking than the cost of a ticket. There are a few places that are within range of the subway but you also run the risk of not getting the last train, which runs at midnight, if the show runs late (and I've certainly been to some that do). Luckily, at big shows like at the Bowl, they know that their usually-older guests have to be up early the next morning (as I had to be, though it doesn't mean I'm old).

The Cure's set-list:
"Underneath The Stars"
"Prayers For Rain"
"A Night Like This"
"The Walk"
"The End Of The World"
"Love Song"
"Sleep When I'm Dead"
"To Wish Impossible Things"
"Pictures Of You"
"Lullaby"
"From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea"
"The Perfect Boy"
"Hot Hot Hot!!!"
"The Only One"
"Push"
"Friday I'm In Love"
"In Between Days"
"Just Like Heaven"
"A Letter To Elise"
"Never Enough"
"Wrong Number"
"One Hundred Years"
"It's Over"

"If Only Tonight We Could Sleep"
"The Kiss"

"At Night"
"M"
"Play For Today"
"A Forest"

"The Lovecats"
"Let's Go To Bed"
"Freakshow"
"Close To Me"
"Why Can't I Be You?"

"Boys Don't Cry"

Von Bondies, May 23 at Safari Sam's

I saw the Von Bondies at the San Diego Street Scene a few years and suddenly realized that I should have seen them more than that one time. They're a bit of a cross between a few-generations-removed Rolling Stones and the White Stripes, with a slightly gritty, Detroit-rock sound. (And they probably wouldn't care for the White Stripes comparison since their second-biggest claim to fame is that Jack White beat the hell out of their lead singer, Jason Stollsteimer back in '04 but bad publicity is still publicity.) Stollsteimer is smart enough to have hot chicks as his guitarist and bassist (replacing the hot chicks that were his previous guitarist and bassist) but the music is good enough that they're not a necessary distraction. I'm surprised that they were playing a medium-sized club for their L.A. stop, since they're riding on the popularity of "C'Mon C'Mon" which apparently the theme song for Rescue Me, but for whatever reason they're playing there, I went to see them. They only had an album or two worth of material, as well as a new EP, but they played every song you would want them to (if you knew them well enough to want them to play certain songs). They actually didn't have a huge crowd, which I didn't mind, but I hope it doesn't discourage them from continuing to tour (though they came back once, at least). It was the first time I'd gone to Safari Sam's and I fell in love with the place and hoped to go back again but it had closed before I had the chance. The place was clean, with ample parking, good bar-grub, a good lay-out, nice bouncers, and great sound. The kind of place I would open if I could. It was way too good to last.

Another review of the show here.

Eels, April 16 at the El Rey

You never know what you’re going to get at an Eels show, as any fan of their knows. And as their fans know, the Eels is really just E and indeed, at the El Rey, it was just him. He had one other guy helping him on instruments, as well as reading sections from E’s book, and I wouldn’t complain that it was any less of a show even though it wasn’t a full band and the ticket was $40. Apparently, a bit before the show he had fired Butch, the only other constant member of the band since E decided to form a band. The show was mostly acoustic, with a few bits of really loud electric-guitar, including a raved-up version of “Novocain for the Soul”, and a neat drum solo where E took over playing the drums from the other guy, while still playing, not missing a beat, then back again. It’s a shame that the Eels’ music is often thought of as a novelty, as evidenced by the easy, expected laughs during “It’s a Motherfucker,” which begins with those words and is actually a very sad song. The music could be considered quirky but I would never say it’s meant as a joke. As a matter of fact, their second album, Electro-Shock Blues, is on my list of Most Depressing Albums and it’s also often considered their best one by other. It may seem funny on the surface but there’s pain underneath, like a lot of the best music. That night in concert E was a little closer to Beck than They Might Be Giants but whatever form he takes, he puts on a good show.

I don't remember Vanessa being an Eels or E fan but it was her idea to go to the show. We probably drank.

The Gutter Twins, April 2 at Avalon

The show with the Gutter Twins, featuring Greg Dulli of the Afghan Whigs and Twilight Singers, and Mark Lanegan of the Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age, was exactly what I expected: dark, grinding rock that's great to drink to (though I hadn't planned to drink until I got there and ran into a friend from work). They played most of their album and a track or two of Lanegan's solo stuff and, after a satisfying set, left the stage. The crowd cheered and waited for an encore... then the house-lights came up, music came on over the P.A., and the bouncers shuffled everyone out. No encore? Now, a band isn't obligated to play more, especially after they played for a good hour (almost to the minute), but it was disappointing, since we all wanted more and saw no reason why there wouldn't be. Even worse, I'd read a review of some of the other shows they'd played and was really looking forward to some of the stuff they'd play post-set (especially some Twilight Singers stuff and, if I wished hard enough, maybe a 'Whigs track). It was good enough but, right at the end, turned out to be a bit of a let-down. Openers Great Northern were good, very polished, leading me to think they were from other bands but all I could find is that the guitarist used to be in 30 Seconds to Mars. As a warm-up act they were great. This was also the show where I imfamously paid $25 to park across the street from the place (being no street parking in the area, even on a weekday night). Sometimes I want to tell Hollywood that it can fuck itself, even when it has good shows.

Saul Williams, March 25 at the Troubadour

I didn’t know anything about Saul Williams except that Trent Reznor had produced his new album but Andrew, a NIN fan dedicated enough to have an interest in Reznor's other projects, said it would be a great show so I went along, also with Vanessa. And it was. The Troubadour is a great place to see a concerts but the sound can be muddy for voices, which makes it poor for a show where there can be a lot of talking if not rapping, which actually didn’t hurt Saul Williams’ performance as everyone in the crowd was shouting along to his words, including the spoken-word parts. But even if you scored it only on the music it would still be a success, getting big chunks of dance-industrial with the weirdo rap, making for an interesting experiment (and perhaps even better on disc). And the fact that I got street parking made for a great evening as well as being with my friends. And maybe Reznor was in the audience that night? Who knows?

Nada Surf/Sea Wolf, March 19 at the Fonda

Seth got me into Nada Surf a few years ago and Vanessa got tickets for the Fonda show so we checked them out. Their early stuff was scrappy, indie-pop-punk, in the Weezer mold (their first album was even produced by Ric Ocasek) and they were popular for a little while due to a song called, aptly enough, "Popular", which I think was used as the theme for some TV show. I couldn't tolerate the song then and Seth said they'd never played it in all the times he'd seen them in concert but, just my luck, they played it that night at our show. At least the rest of the set was good. Their stuff after that first album was a lot more M.O.R. and fairly breezy but in concert it was heavier. Vanessa said it seemed liked there was some inspirational/religious themes going on with their music but I have to say I enjoyed it just because it was good to see a band that actually seemed to be really excited about playing live. Openers Sea Wolf, a local band who apparently had some songs on the radio, were great. I picked up their album later on.

Nellie Mckay, March 14 at Largo

One of the best things about living in the Los Angeles areas is the kind of special shows you can get to. Nearly every band comes through town (or at least close enough), as well as the secret shows, warm-up dates, beginning or ending a tour (sometimes both), and big acts doing shows in small places. Nellie McKay isn’t a big name but she should be. She also doesn’t tour (though she toured enough a few years ago to open for Alanis Morrissette, I recall reading) and she’s not well-known (though she had a short article in Rolling Stone and they rated Get Away from Me, her first album four stars (still underrated)) but she does shows here and there, usually a few in L.A. every few months, and usually at Largo, when it was at the old location on Fairfax, which at least used to be a small restaurant/bar that hosts low-key acts (often Jon Brion and sometimes Aimee Mann) and comedy (Sarah Silverman and David Cross are there so much you’d think they live there). Vanessa had never been there (though she’s lived about two blocks away from there for years) so I made dinner reservations for the show (having dinner there is how you reserve a place for the show). At a small place like that, any seat is near the stage but we were only a few feet away. Ms. McKay came out and played a charming set, mostly on piano but also some ukulele and she worked the crowd until there couldn’t have been even one person who wasn’t under her spell. I told Vanessa that she didn’t need to know the songs since it was more about the show than hearing familiar songs and McKay played a few songs even I hadn’t heard (including feminist anthem "Mother of Pearl" and "Zombie"), surely some new songs she’d been working on, and probably some old ones I just hadn’t heard. Between songs she told jokes and it was hard to tell what was practiced and what was just coming to her at the time. I don’t know if the loopy blonde is a character that McKay is playing or if that’s really her (the ditzy genius) but whoever she really is, she puts on a fun show. She probably isn’t playing anywhere near you but if she is, you really ought to go. She’ll probably be playing somewhere small.

Raveonettes/Be Your Own Pet, March 4 at the El Rey

The Raveonettes and Be Your Own Pet aren't two groups that you would normally think go together. I happen to be a fan of both and I would maybe-probably go to see each individually but put them together and it's an essential show. There were a lot of people at the El Rey that were there to see each seperately but I can't imagine there were many people who would have hated the others' music, as disparate as those two groups might be. Be Your Own Pet might have always been an opening band at that kind of venue, only because they can do a full set of their scrappy, teenaged thrash-pop songs, about 20 songs, in less than 30 minutes, but it's a crying shame that Paramore -- who ripped off everything about BYOP (including their home-town) but were more palatable and far less fun -- are big and BYOP aren't. The Raveonettes play '50s/'60s-retro surf-sex rock and not much fun (compared to BYOP) but it's well-crafted and seductive and entrancing. So if you think of it as seeing two really great bands quite possibly at their peak at this moment, then they absolutely fit for a great show. It was shortly after that that BYOP broke up and, one of my great regrets, that was the one time I got to see them, even sadder because I got even more into them after that. In any case, Vanessa went with me to that show since she's a Raveonettes fan but I couldn't quite get her into BYOP.

The Raveonettes' set-list:
"Hallucinations"
"Dead Sound"
"That Great Love Sound"
"Let's Rave On"
"Lust"
"Red Tan"
"Love In A Trashcan"
"Expelled From Love"
"Attack of the Ghost Riders"
"You Want The Candy"
"Black Satin"
"Blush"
"French Disko"
"'Aly, Walk With Me"