WHICH ONE IS BERNIE? -courtesy photo
You can argue that the huge changes in our society being wrenched through by the MAGA crowd do not foreshadow the strangulation of free artistic expression. But, then you would be thinking through blinders. USA has an incredible history of world-recognized artists of all kinds, and this mango muttonhead is telling us who gets erased? Too many of our artists have been missing at this moment.
NOT NEIL YOUNG AND JOAN BAEZ. These two and a handful of others have been speaking out loudly through their art since their 20’s. But what about the others? Your silence is noted, and will be remembered. Putting these four together can be very powerful. And so, LA gets…
JOAN, NEIL, BERNIE AND AOC. This Saturday, Grand Park downtown LA. Part of AOc and Bernie’s “Fighting Oligarchy” tour which has been drawing huge crowds mostly in red districts. They made an exception for blue LA, so let’s reward them with 100,000 bodies. Gates open at 9 a.m. (free but you need to register at Bernie’s web page) and music begins at 9:30, speakers at 1 p.m. It’s an event and you will tell your grandchildren you were there.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
Tonight - VIVALDI’S “THE FOUR SEASONS,” MOZART, HAYDN, LA PHIL – Years ago when I was not paying enough attention I used to think “The Four Seasons” was very pretty but not in the heavyweight arena; numerous interpretations by an enormous range of artists has set me straight. This is the LA Philharmonic. They will kill it. When you throw in some Amadeus and then a surprise, I guarantee you will not even notice that it is not Dudamel behind the baton. Thurs 8 p.m., Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA, $92-239.
LIBRARY GIRL, “ASK THE DUST” – Do you know of LA writer John Fante? Those who do, usually have nothing but the highest praise. Let me clue you in with the words of LG founder Susan Hayden: “At a time when we have to re-envision what LA is, Library Girl looks to a beloved writer with a defining voice who was key in chronicling and shaping the vision of our city for the last century. His ‘Ask the Dust,’ perennially tops writers’ lists of essential, influential LA novels.” As much as I anticipated last month’s tribute to the words of Kris Kristofferson, this one could top it. It is also a words and music event featuring Fante’s biographer Stephen Cooper and his niece Victoria Fante Cohen, as well as S.A. Griffin, Suzanne Lummis, and sensational star actor Ray Abruzzo of “The Sopranos,” “The Practice” and “Night Court” as well as Ruskin Theatre productions. The music promises to be the equal attraction, with Ciundy Lee Berryhill, Tony Gilkyson and Mike Sonksen. Sun 7 p.m., Ruskin Group Theatre, Santa Monica Airport, $20 in cludes dessert and free parking.
DUDAMEL, LA PHIL, GREEN DAY, CHARLI XCX, others, Coachella - Wowe. Yeah. Should be amazing. Sun, Coachella.
HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES – You can go to the Cinema Bar any Monday night, 9-11:30, for almost 14 years now, and hear these hot players run through Django Reinhart-style ‘30s jazz. This amazing ensemble is a treasure. Mon 9 p.m., Cinema Bar, Culver City, free.
RECOMMENDED:
TOLEDO DIAMOND – His decades-long Sunday night residency at Santa Monica’s Harvelle’s, the oldest blues bar in LA (almost a century!), is a treasure that you shouldn’t assume will always be there. Toledo choreographs (literally) a truly unique show, a blend of ‘50s hipster jazz and his dancing dames and a most modern smokin’ hot band that gets better all the time. Every Sunday 9:30 p.m., Harvelle’s, Santa Monica, $12.
WILDWOOD FLOWER RADIO HOUR, KXLU FM 88.9, KXLU.com – Am I plugging this only because next Tuesday evening I will be the guest host? Certainly not! I am only making up for having ignored this local treasure of acoustic-country folk-bluegrass, broadcast live, for so long. Yes, the show goes out from studios at Loyola Marymount (almost local), but it is the brainchild of our local retired music mega-mogul Mike Bone, whose career was decidedly not acoustic. But he began to realize there is such a trove of excellent but hardly known players here that he felt they needed an outlet. So each Tuesday he bravely dons his blue overalls (chew-sized twig of straw in the pocket for emergency authenticity), twists the knobs and asks the questions. Bone’s been doing the show for five and a half years, and we’ve been friends for nearly 30 but it took this long to be invited to guest host. I jest. He didn’t have guest hosts until recently, and I follow in the hallowed footsteps of the likes of music journalists Steve Hochman and Patrick Goldstein, Gang of Four’s Hugo Burnham and Hoyt Axton’s son Matt. They all know just a little about all kinds of music. I’ll do my best. Tues 7-9 p.m., KXLU FM 88.9, KXLU.com.
COMING ATTRACTIONS (also recommended): TOLEDO DIAMOND, Harvelle’s, 4/13, 20; HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES, Cinema Bar, 4/14, VIVALDI “4 SEASONS,” MOZART, HAYDN, LA PHIL, Disney Hall, 4/10, 11, 12, 13; DUDAMEL, LA PHIL, GREEN DAY, CHARLI XCX, others, Coachella, 4/12, 19; LIBRARY GIRL, Ruskin, 4/13;
DOWN THE ROAD (also recommended): PUSSY RIOT, Lodge Room, 4/20; TOLEDO DIAMOND, Harvelle’s, 4/20, 27; HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES, Cinema Bar, 4/21, 28, 5/5, 12, 19, 26; ALBERT LEE, McCabe’s, 4/26; LIGHT UP THE BLUES! NEIL YOUNG, STEPHEN STILLS, more, Greek, 4/26; LUCKY STARS, Broadstage, 4/26; LA OPERA’S “AINADAMAR,” Dorothy Chandler, 4/26, 5/3, 4, 7, 15, 18; PATRICE RUSHEN, Disney, 5/2; BEETHOVEN with ESA-PEKKA, Disney, 5/2, 3, 4; BEACHLIFE FESTIVAL, PRETENDERS, JACKSON BROWNE, ALANIS MORISSETTE, MARCUS KING, more, Redondo Beach, 5/2, 3, 4; T BONE BURNETT, McCabe’s, 5/8, 9, 10; LIBRARY GIRL, Ruskin, 5/11, 6/8, 7/13, 8/10, 9/14, 10/12, 11/9, 12/14; JACK WHITE, Hwd Palladium, 5/12, 13; WILLIE, DYLAN, others, Hwd Bowl, 5/16; TOPANGA BANJO FIDDLE CONTEST & FOLK FESTIVAL, Gillette Ranch, Calabasas, 5/18; JON BATISTE, Disney, 5/19; GERSHWIN, “Also Sprach Z,” LA PHIL, Disney, 5/23, 24
Charles Andrews has listened to a lot of music of all kinds, including more than 3,000 live shows. He has lived in Santa Monica for 39 years and wouldn’t live anywhere else in the world. Really. Not even Kauai. Send love and/or hate mail to: therealmrmusic@gmail.com
