Nashville
Before my first visit there, a week ago, I didn’t know all that much about Nashville, longtime capital of country music, but which country music? 50 years ago they began embracing a commercial, "pretty boy/girl" brand that left some of the greatest practitioners – Waylon and Willie, Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, more, as outsiders, "outlaws." Willie moved back to Texas and never looked back, folks like Dwight Yoakam dug deep into the Merle/Buck Owens Bakersfield history, and here we are, with a splintered but familial country music still HQ’d in Music City. Nashville is not to be dismissed, even by purists, and I found a lot of great history and music there. Which I will have to tell you more about next week. Y’all come.
Highly Recommended
Theatricum Botanicum – Founder Will Geer’s daughter Ellen is directing The Winter’s Tale, one of Willie the Shake’s last, a tragi-comedy in five acts. TB is known, for more than half a century, for their Shakespeare and performed Midsummer their first season, and every year since, and this year it is directed by Willow Geer, Will’s granddaughter. There is not a more perfect stage for this classic than the woods of Topanga. Wendy’s Peter Pan, also directed by Ellen, by title alone sounds like great fun. Tartuffe Sat 7:30pm, Winter Sun 3:30pm, Peter Pan Sun 7:30pm, $15-60.
Peter Erskine Trio & Bob Mintzer — It's not that I’m lazy, I’ve just written about jazz percussion master Peter Erskine and his remarkable trio, with Darek Oles on bass and Alan Pasqua on piano, together for decades, so many times, that if you haven’t caught them yet, especially in such an elegant jazz room as Sam First, so close to Santa Monica, then I haven’t done my job properly and I just don’t know what else to say. Add in sax master Mintzer for these gigs, and it goes through the roof. If I had a category for Way Amazing Highly Super Duper Recommended, I would use it for these two nights. Fri, Sat, 7:30, 9:30pm, Sam First, LAX, $30.
Rolling Stones – No, they’re not as magnificent as when I saw them on their best tour ever, with Mick Taylor in the band and Stevie Wonder opening up, in ‘72, but who is, half a century later? But they are not that far off and that is remarkable. They have so many great songs they can’t play them all in a couple of hours. The Glimmer Twins, Mick and Keith, are 80, and I promise that won’t detract from their show. Yet, we know they won’t be around forever. So… go. Sat 7:30pm, Sofi Stadium, Inglewood, $81-1832.
Hot Club of Los Angeles — You can go to the Cinema Bar any Monday night, 9-11:30pm, for more than a decade now, and hear these hot players run through Django Reinhart-style ‘30s jazz. This amazing ensemble is a treasure, just over the border from SM. Mon 9pm, Cinema Bar, Culver City, no cover.
Recommended
All Gershwin, LA Phil – My only "improvement" on this fine evening under the stars with our exhilarating, world class LA Philharmonic: I would leave Rhapsody in Blue for the finale, because I think it is one of the finest compositions of the last couple of centuries. But that’s just me. (There is quite a story behind it, look it up.) Thurs 8pm, Hollywood Bowl, $14-165.
The Substance of Fire – It’s always exciting when the Ruskin Group mounts a new production, because their track record is so exceptional. Over 20 years they have built a reputation for attracting stellar talent in actors, directors, writers and musicians. More importantly, a reputation for presenting an evening of theatre that makes you think and moves you, sometimes profoundly. This one stars Rob Morrow and Marcia Cross, both with extensive credits and awards for stage, film and TV. Go soon, you may well want to return, and take friends. Thurs (preview), Fri, Sat 8pm, Sun 2pm, Ruskin Group Theatre, SM Airport, $25-40.
"Wild Things Are Happening: The Art Of Maurice Sendak" — Now you can see them much bigger than a page in a book. This is the first complete retrospective of his art since his death in 2012, and includes his work in many areas of the arts. 7/11-9/1, Skirball Museum, admission price? Parking fee — call for info and hours.
Liquid Kitty Punk Rock BBQ — The dark, so hip Liquid Kitty on Pico is long gone (‘96-’16) but this resuscitated, now-SM tradition has rocked the occasional Sunday afternoon at Harvelle’s for years. You’ll get five bands, with a lot of legendary punkers including San Pedro’s Mike Watt. Sun 1 - 6pm, Harvelle’s, Santa Monica, free admission, free hot dogs.
The Doors movie, 70mm — I know, our revered, historic 85-year-old movie palace is known for cinematic art, and this attempt by Oliver Stone to capture the drug- and chaos-riddled short life of charismatic vocalist Jim Morrison falls short, but the soundtrack of 25 Doors songs, heard through the Aero’s fine sound system, should make it worth the trip. Mon 7:30pm, Aero Theatre, Santa Monica, $12-17.
Coming Attractions (also Recommended): All Gershwin, Hollywood Bowl, 7/11; "Wild Things Are Happening: The Art of Maurice Sendak," Skirball, 7/11-9/1; Peter Erskine Tio + Bob Mintzer, Sam First, 7/12. 13; Rolling Stones, Sofi Stadium, 7/13; Slash, Samantha Fish, Warren Haynes Band, Eric Gales, Greek, 7/13; Theatricum Botanicum – Tartuffe-Born Again 7/13, 20, 27 – The Winter’s Tale 7/14, 19, 28 – Wendy’s Peter Pan 7/14, 21, 2; Liquid Kitty’s Punk Rock BBQ, Harvelle’s, 7/14; Hot Club of Los Angeles, Cinema Bar, 7/15, 22, 29; Big Band Night, Hollywood Bowl, 7/17; The Substance of Fire, Ruskin Group Theatre, 7/19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28, 8/2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31, 9/1: Ziggy Marley, Bellwether, 7/20; Mozart Under the Stars, Zubin Mehta, Pinchas Zuckerman, Hollywood Bowl, 7/23; Apocalypse Now 70mm, Aero Theatre, 7/23; Zoot Suit 70mm, Aero Theatre, 7/24; All-Beethoven, LA Phil, 7/25; X, Regent Theater, 7/25, 26; Michael Franti & Spearhead, Greek, 7/26; Dwight Yoakam, Mavericks, Greek, 7/27; Lake Street Dive, Greek, 7/27; Lawrence of Arabia, 70mm, Aero Theatre, 7/27, 28; Outlaw Fest: Willie, Bob, Mellancamp. Hollywood Bowl, 7/31; UB40, English Beat, Inner Circle, Greek, 7/31; Schumann & Bruch, LA Phil, Hollywood Bowl, 8/1; Mavis Staples, Norah Jones, Greek, 8/4; Reggae Night XXII: Damian and Stephen Marley, Hollywood Bowl, 8/4; Hives, Foo Fighters, BMO Stadium, 8/9; Jon Batiste, Greek, 8/10; Wailing Souls, Levitt Pavilion, 8/10; Alanis Morisette, Joan Jett & Blackhearts, Kia Forum, 8/10; Pretenders, Foo Fighters, BMO Stadium, 8/11; Herbie Hancock "Head Hunters" 50th, H0llywood Bowl, 8/14; 10CC, Theatre at Ace Hotel, 8/15; Lila Downs, Marina del Rey summer concert series, 8/17; All-Dvořák with Midori, LA Phil, Hollywood Bowl, 8/20; Gary Clark Jr., Hollywood Bowl, 8/21; Ghostland Observatory, Teragram Ballroom, 8/24; Ash Grove Alumni, McCabe’s, 8/25; Dudamel & Yunchan Lim, Hollywood Bowl, 8/29.
Charles Andrews has lived in Santa Monica for 38 years and wouldn’t live anywhere else.
