KRIS -courtesy photo
ROCKIN’ IN THE FREE WORLD
Like he’s still 19 with something to prove, but 84 with his idealism and activism intact, like few other “rock stars.” Neil Young just announced he will kick off his summer European tour with a free concert in the Ukraine. That sends a strong message, and is also courting danger. A lot more risky than Bob Hope in Viet Nam. I’m waiting for other artists to step up. All of them. Now. Thank you, Sheryl Crow, for donating the sale of your Tesla to NPR, double message there.
THE DEFTONES
Booked for two nights (3/5, 6) at the 18,000 seat Forum? I’m a little surprised, having seen them in so many small clubs, but, good for them.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
Tonight! - GUSTAV + ANNA with DUDAMEL, LA PHIL – You want drama? In the final weekend of the Mahler Grooves Festival, Gustavo Dudamel explores the tumultuous relationship of Gustav and Alma Mahler through their music. Their marriage was, at best, “complex,” marked by affairs, an age gap, diminishment, and the death of a child. Alma was a composer in her own right whose career took a back seat at Gustav’s request. At a particularly rocky moment in their relationship, Gustav finally encouraged her to publish “Five Songs” that are brought to life here by mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke. Next Dudamel leads Mahler’s “Fifth Symphony,” which progresses from mourning to triumph, inspired in no small part by Gustav meeting and becoming enchanted by Alma. Within the grand gesture is the Adagietto that was intended as a love letter. I recently saw the performance of Mahler’s “Seventh” and the final movement was an explosion that elicited the longest standing ovation I have ever seen at Disney. Dudamel is leaving us and he is perhaps the greatest conductor of Mahler on the planet. You can’t miss this. Thurs, Fri, Sat 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m.,Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA, $159-299.
MOZART’S “COSI FAN TUTTE,” LA OPERA – There’s no question that Wolfgang A. was one of the greatest, most inspired composers of all time. His music will live forever. He loved operas and wrote 22 of them (10 while still a teenager). Most experts name “Figaro,” “Don Giovanni” and this one as his three best. I have been going to LA Opera productions for nearly 10 years, and have been knocked out every time. My advice: get your tickets now. Sat 8 p.m., Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, LA, $49-400.
LIBRARY GIRL, “For the Good Times - A Tribute to Kris Kristofferson” — Founder, curator and producer of the invaluable spoken word series LG, now in its 16th year at our own Ruskin Group Theatre, is a lifelong music freak. That’s a good thing. She married Steve Hochman a few years ago, a prominent music journalist. Another good thing. No surprise, nearly every one of Susan’s monthly LG performances has for its prompt or theme something to do with music. In my book, a really good thing. But this Sunday she is going full on in her honoring the unforgettable poetry of Kris Kristofferson, by presenting it as it should be heard, with music. Besides readers like Paua Batson, Darell Larson, and Susan and Steve. There is always a live music segment to LG but this time, a cornucopia, from the likes of Dan Navarro, Bliss Bowen with Marty Rifkin,Willie Aron and Milo Binder, JD Hinton, John McDuffie with Lynn Coulter, and Sandy Rogers. Where else can you get a show like this, for 20 bucks that includes free parking and free dessert? Sun 7 p.m., Ruskin Group Theatre, Santa Monica, $20.
HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES – You can go to the Cinema Bar any Monday night, 9-11:30, for more than a decade 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.
MIDORI – You put up with fires, earthquakes, impossible traffic and godknows what else to live here. So why wouldn’t you get off your couch, spend what you would pay for two lunches, and go hear one of the world’s greatest violinists? I mean, really. Next Thurs, 8 p.m., Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA, $59-131.
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
COMING ATTRACTIONS (also recommended): GUSTAV + ANNA with DUDAMEL, Disney Hall, 3/6; MOZART’S “COSI FAN TUTTE,” LA OPERA, Dorothy Chandler, 3/8, 16, 19; LIBRARY GIRL, Ruskin, 3/9; TOLEDO DIAMOND, Harvelle’s, 3/9, 16; HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES, Cinema Bar, 3/10, 17; MIDORI, Disney Hall, 3/13; JASON ISBELL, Disney Hall, 3/14; YOUNG DUBLINERS, Fonda, 3/17.
DOWN THE ROAD (also recommended): TOLEDO DIAMOND, Harvelle’s, 3/23, 30, 4/6, 13, 20, 27; HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES, Cinema Bar, 3/24, 31, 4/7, 14, 21, 28, 5/5, 12. 19, 26; MOZART’S “COSI FAN TUTTE,” LA OPERA, Dorothy Chandler, 3/22, 27, 30; LA FOLK FESTIVAL/EMMYLOU HARRIS, Bellwether, 3/22; FRANZ FERDINAND, Wiltern, 3/29; TONY GILKYSON & RICK SHEA, CINDY LEE BERRYHILL, McCabe’s, 4/6; POPAGANZA, Pacific Opera Project, Ebell, 4/7; LIBRARY GIRL, Ruskin, 4/13, 5/11, 6/8, 7/13, 8/10, 9/14, 10/12, 11/9, 12/14; PUSSY RIOT, Lodge Room, 4/20; ALBERT LEE, McCabe’s, 4/26; LUCKY STARS, Broadstage, 4/26; PATRICE RUSHEN, Disney, 5/2; BEETHOVEN with ESA-PEKKA, Disney, 5/2, 3, 4; JACK WHITE, Hwd Palladium, 5/12, 13; JOHN BATISTE, Disney, 5/19; GERSHWIN, “Also Sprach Z,” LA PHIL, Disney, 5/23, 24; LOVE, Echo, 5/31; PAUL SIMON, Disney, 7/7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16; ALISON KRAUS, UNION STATION, Greek, 7/13; FATHER JOHN MISTY, LUCINDA WILLIAMS, Greek, 7/25; TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND, Greek, 8/13; NEIL YOUNG, Hwd Bowl, 9/15; NINE INCH NAILS, Kia Forum, 9/18, 19.
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
