NICOLE RECOMMENDS: THE REVEREND HORTON HEAT, Deke Dickerson, The Buttertones (it's a psychobilly freakout!! The Rev can pick like crazy and so can his band, special guests rock n roll/country/rockabilly shredder Deke Dickerson, and The Buttertones, think dark, psycho-surf plus screaming sax, serious musicianship and serious pompadours), Tues, 8 p.m., Alex's Bar, Long Beach, $30.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
BENNY GREEN TRIO (I don’t need to say much, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, right? -- he is an emotional and technical genius and probably my favorite jazz pianist on the planet, and believe me, I’ve seen some doozies, mostly at the Jazz Bakery). Sat 8 p.m., Jazz Bakery, Moss Theater, SM, $30-$35.
RECOMMENDED:
TONIGHT! -- KARL DENSON’S TINY UNIVERSE (terrific San Diego band up to bless us with their very large universe, is it rockin’ funk or vice versa, who cares, listen to the trumpet man blow crazy and Karl plays flute and sings it sweet...but not at the same time), Thurs, 9 p.m., Lodge Room, Highland Park, $25.
BAD HABITS (what took me so long? I’ve been advising you every week to go see this based on the outstanding track record of the Ruskin and in particular of Liar, Liar/Sneaky Ole Time writer Steve Mazer, not to mention getting to see a real pro on the boards in 90-something Orson Bean and his Wonder Years/Bold & the Beautiful wife Alley Mills, I tempted you by saying it’s full of nuns but turns out those nuns and Bishop Bean are really funny, and pretty potty-mouthed when not in front of a congregation), Fri, Sat 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m., Ruskin Group Theatre, SMO, $20-$35.
LAURIE ANDERSON & CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE with Rubin Kidhelii (jazz? avante-garde? even classical? with these three it could go anywhere, but definitely up, the NY Times called their 2017 Town Hall concert one of the best live jazz performances of the year), Tues 8 p.m., Walt Disney Concert Hall, DTLA, $76-$232.
LED ZEPAGAIN (c’mon Charles, a tribute band? well it does depend, on how good the original material is, how big a fan you are, how well the band replicates it without slipping into parody, and maybe how drunk you are, I recommend these guys), Fri 9 p.m., Harvelle’s, SM, $20.
SOUNDS OF SIBERIA: YULIYANA KRIVOSHAPKINA with NACHYN CHOREVE (OK, you’re going to either love me or hate me for sending you to this but I‘m betting on the former of course, who in balmy SoCal wouldn’t want to be transported to the frigid, howling tundra of Siberia and these two can do it, wolfpacks and giant-antlered reindeer, fire and ice, with Yuliyana forever changing your notion of what a Jew’s harp can do but her form is the much more versatile khomus, national instrument of the Sakha Republic, and Choreve is a soloist in the Tuvan State Philharmonic and founding member of Tuvan psychedelic rock band Hartyga and of course an accomplished throat singer, OK, you’re pretty interested now, aren’t ya?), Fri 8 p.m., McCabe’s, SM, $25.
CHRISTONE “KINGFISH” INGRAM & Friends (21st Birthday Celebration, he’s the real deal, with a sound his own that reflects B.B. King, Hendrix, Prince, catch him now so you can brag on it the rest of your life, "Kingfish is the next explosion of the blues" said Buddy Guy, he’s actually from Clarksdale, Mississippi of Robert Johnson crossroads fame, first stepped on a stage there at 11, played the White House at 15, now has an album out on Alligator Records) Fri, Sat 9 p.m., Lodge Room, Highland Park, $25.
DAVE ALVIN & FRIENDS: A Tribute to Chris Gaffney (I remember Gaffney, playing in Alvin’s bands and Gaffney’s The Hacienda Brothers, their perfect What’s Wrong with Right? album and their unforgettable live shows, we sadly lost him to cancer almost 12 years ago but he still has a lot of friends and I’ll bet they’re going to do right by him in this show, led by our CA treasure Dave Alvin), Sat 8 p.m., McCabe’s, SM, $32.50.
STANLEY CLARKE BAND with LYRIS QUARTET (he founded Return to Forever, he reinvented the bass for jazz fusion, and he’s got my favorite local classical quartet along for the ride? -- this sounds heavenly ), Sat Broad Stage, SM
LA CAFE PLAYS (fastest theatre in town, 5 writers, 5 directors, 10 actors, 5 brand new plays in 10-½ hours from concept to performance, fun to watch but even better to do it), Sun 7:30 p.m., 9 p.m., Ruskin Group Theater, SMO, $10-$15.
JOHN MAYALL (if I have to tell you who John Mayall is you probably don’t have a deep interest in the blues, he’s the bedrock of British blues whose bands fostered a blues who’s who like Clapton, Mick Taylor, Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green, Jack Bruce, Aynsley Dunbar, Harvey Mandel, Red Holloway, up through Coco Montoya, Walter Trout, in his mid-80s, catch him now), next Thurs, The Canyon Agoura Hills;
COMING ATTRACTIONS: BEETHOVEN with EMANUEL AX 1/24, 25, 26, Disney Hall, DTLA; JOHN MAYALL 1/24, The Canyon Montclair; WAR 1/24, The Canyon Santa Clarita; ROBBIE BURNS NIGHT 1/25, The Daily Pint, SM; ERIC ANDERSEN, SCARLET RIVERA, 1/25, McCabe’s, SM; PACIFIC OPERA PROJECT Presents PUCCINI’S Gianni Schicchi, RAVEL’S L’Enfant et Les Sortilèges 1/25, 2/1, 2 Occidental College, LA; JOHN MAYALL 1/25, ENGLISH BEAT 1/31, The Rose, Pasadena; BALLET FOLCLORICO NACIONAL DE MEXICO DE SILVA LOZANO 1/30, The Soraya, CSUN; REFLECTIONS IN A D’BACK’S EYE 1/31, 2/1, Highways Performance Space, SM; MARCUS KING BAND 1/31, Fonda Theatre, Hwd; LA OPERA - EURYDICE 2/1-23, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, DTLA; PHAST PHREDDIE & THEE PRECISIONS Reunion! 2/1, Burbank somewhere; ELTON JOHN 2/1, The Forum, Inglewood; JACARANDA - PAX AMERICANA I & II, 2/2, First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica; WYNONNA & CACTUS (yeah, that Wynonna) 2/4, McCabe’s; MAVIS STAPLES, 2/13, The Soraya, CSUN; NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALL STARS 2/13, Teragram Ballroom, DTLA; LONNIE LISTON SMITH 2/23, Lodge Room, Highland Park.
Charles Andrews has listened to a lot of music of all kinds, including more than 2,000 live shows. He has lived in Santa Monica for 34 years and wouldn’t live anywhere else in the world. Really. Send love and/or rebuke to him at therealmrmusic@gmail.com
