Goin’ to Nashville!
Next month. Never been. Memphis yes — Graceland, Sun and Stax all in one day. (Consensus family favorite: Stax. I’ve been told the new four-part doc on Netflix is really good.) Hope to see a Grand Ole Opry show (the excellent Del McCoury Band), or maybe someone at the historic Ryman Auditorium (bluegrass sextet The Earls of Leicester — get it?) And there are any number of good clubs. We’re compiling a list.
Going to see some LA friends who now live there, including someone many here may know — gifted guitarist and songwriter Jason Pitts — known as "JP’’ while at Samohi, who got global notoriety in 2011 for his prom date invitation, because he surprised her in the middle of third period class, playing and singing his invitation with vocal backing (and a shaker) from friends. The video was shown by news media from Sweden to New Zealand, and he was flown to New York to appear on Good Morning America. Good times but it doesn’t make for a career, and he moved to Nashville because he is serious about his craft. He’s as nice a guy as he is an outstanding musician, so it will be great to see him again.
We had hoped to see another young standout local, Mason Summit, who has been performing his own songs at his mother Susan Hayden’s monthly Library Girl spoken word performances since he was 12, but he’s on tour and we will miss each other.
Highly Recommended
Tonight — Kraftwerk — Last chance. Last of nine nights. German electronic music pioneers (50th anniversary of Autobahn). Stunning videos and graphics behind the band (all night they were in the dark, especially faces, with switching colors flashing illuminated suits). A nearly full house when I went, of fans who knew every bleep and squawk. But here’s my exclusive, the inside scoop, that you won’t read anywhere else, explaining how this series came about: When the band approached the Disney Hall people about an Autobahn 50th anniversary performance there, a revered German electronic music group playing in the world-famous venue, they were so enthusiastic for such a groundbreaking presentation that they suggested to leader/founder Ralf Hutter, how about playing a whole series of shows? — six, seven..? Hutter felt that was way too many and answered, "Nein!" The Disney people were delighted that he upped the ante, and so, history was made. Thurs 8pm, Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA, the website says "no seats available" and has for some time, but, you know, go there, wear your best Kraftwerk shirt and hold a sign begging for tickets. If you are that much of a fan, it will be worth it. This is not going to happen again, at least in LA.
Theatricum Botanicum – is back! A sure sign of summer in LA. The lil ol’ theatre troupe in the canyon (Topanga) that could, and does, every time, with excellence and entertainment and education, was founded more than half a century ago by blacklisted writer/actor Will Geer, probably most famous as Grandpa on the TV series The Waltons from 1972 until his death in ’78. His family have carried on superbly, entertaining hundreds of thousands and training so many young actors. They are known for their Shakespeare, and always include Midsummer Night’s Dream, but some of their best are the little-known, offbeat, socially conscious productions. So never shy away because you don’t recognize the title. I’ve been urging everyone to re/discover this great reason for living in LA, in this column for eight years, but now you’re going to have to work a little harder because of road closures. Well worth it. Settle in with a picnic dinner before the show and you will feel transported to a sylvan glen in merry olde. The Bard leads off with A Winter’s Tale Sat 730 and Midsummer Sun 3:30, $15-60.
LA Opera, Turandot — This is must-see for anyone who has ears for music and singing, and eyes for art, gigantic art, inspired art. This is often called the grandest of grand opera, and the music is the great Puccini’s last work, and think about it — unlike symphonies or concertos, you won’t hear this music anywhere else than the opera house. There is so much happening on stage I often remind myself to focus on the music, and the performance of it. I usually cite the set as the last element to take in, but in this case it literally takes center stage. The David Hockney creation is a wonder to behold, massive angular behemoths of red and blue. Some are going first and foremost for the staging. The Brit who explains LA to us, at 86 now the highest paid artist in the world, has possibly outdone himself, after three decades of designing opera sets, to make us reimagine this classic story set in China. Get rid of those dragons! Turandot is LA Opera’s most popular production over the years, and it sounds like this may top them all. Sun 2pm, next Thurs 7:30pm, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, LA, $324-374 (Hey! — there are 120 performers on stage, those costumes and Hockney’s magnificent set — pay the piper!)
Hot Club of Los Angeles — You can go to the Cinema Bar any Monday, 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 Santa Monica. Mon 9pm, Cinema Bar, Culver City, no cover.
Recommended
Toledo Diamond — Unique, riveting, first class act. There’s nothing like it, it is high performance art and great decadent fun. Degeneracy is rarely so well disciplined. And the band is smokin’! Don’t. Miss. Toledo Diamond. Sun 9:30pm, Harvelle’s, Santa Monica, $12.
Coming Attractions (also Recommended): Kraftwerk, Disney Hall, 5/30; LA Opera, Turandot, 5/30, 6/2, 5, 8; Toledo Diamond, Harvelle’s, 6/2, 9, 16, 23, 30; Hot Club of Los Angeles, Cinema Bar, 6/3, 10, 17, 24; Reverend Shawn Amos, Broadstage, 6/8; Tedeschi Trucks Band, Little Feat, Greek, 6/9; Library Girl, Ruskin Theatre, 6/9; English Beat, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Hollywood Bowl, 6/12; Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival, 6/15, 16; Doobie Brothers, Kia Forum, 6/23; Chris Stapleton, Grace Potter, Hollywood Bowl, 6/26, 27; Roots Picnic: Hip-Hop is the Love of My Life, Hollywood Bowl, 6/29; Rolling Stones, Sofi Stadium, 7/10, 13; Dwight Yoakam, Mavericks, Greek, 7/27; Lake Street Dive, Greek, 7/27; UB40, Greek, 7/31; Mavis Staples, Norah Jones, Greek, 8/4; Hives, Foo Fighters, BMO Stadium, 8/9.
Charles Andrews has lived in Santa Monica for 38 years and wouldn’t live anywhere else.
