After a slow week to begin September, the concert schedule begins heating up as the weather cools down. Chance the Rapper, Joseph Arthur, Dawes, and GROUPLOVE all have shows during an awesomely busy week. Check out or list of the Best Shows This Week:
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
Joseph Arthur, Troubadour, $20.00, 8 PM
There was a stretch of time when I was younger and didn’t get to see concerts where I went to four Joseph Arthur concerts in a row. I was a longtime fan of his before finally seeing him in SF in 2010 and it was so good I came back the next night. Arthur is one of the most underrated singer-songwriters of the past 20 years and that extends to his live performances. You’ll often see him on stage utilizing loop pedals to turn himself into a one-man band. Sometimes he’ll even live loop so he can sing and paint something on stage simultaneously. He is one of the most prolific songwriters of the time and has a deep catalog of emotional jams that’ll leave you wanting more. He did an epic album of Lou Reed songs in memory of the late singer a few years ago that’s worth checking out as well.
Michl, Layne, Summer Moon and Lawrence Taylor, School Night at Bardot, free with RSVP
I admittedly haven’t delved much into this lineup except for the opening act Lawrence Taylor. Taylor popped up on one of my Spotify Discover Weekly playlists with his catchy track “Bang Bang” and I’ve been hooked ever since. It’ll be the London-based singer’s Los Angeles debut and one you won’t want to miss.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
Petty Fest 2016, Fonda Theatre, $27.50 to $57.50, 8:30 PM
The Fonda has played home to a ton of epic tribute festivals and on Tuesday and Wednesday, a whole host of renowned musicians will pay homage to the 40th anniversary of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. The list includes Norah Jones, Brandon Boyd of Incubus, Carly Rae Jepsen, Dhani Harrison, members of The Strokes and Tame Impala and a slew of others.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
GROUPLOVE, El Cid, $20.00, 9 PM
If you buy a copy of GROUPLOVE’s awesome new album Big Mess, you can then buy a ticket to see them on Wednesday at the tiny El Cid. Hurry though, only a few tickets remain as of Monday morning and they’ll surely be gone quickly. I saw them play some of their new material at a couple festivals in the past few months and I can promise the new album is worth your hard-earned cash. And they always deliver a great show live.
Petty Fest 2016, Fonda Theatre, $27.50 to $57.50, 8:30 PM
The second night of Petty Fest boasts the same musical guests as the first with minor exceptions.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
MTV’s Wonderland premiere ft. BROODS, Tinashe, Ty Dolla $ign, DTLA, free with RSVP at 1iota
Thursday night is the kickoff of MTV’s new live music show that will take place every week in downtown LA. The first episode is packed – all three performers are of high quality and are fast-risers. We’ll be there in person and are extremely intrigued to see how this first one goes. MTV is starting to re-emphasize the music in “music television,” which can only be good. It might be hard to get tickets to this time, but you can start queueing up for other shows already.
Cass McCombs, Teragram Ballroom, $16.00, 8 PM
Another supremely underrated songwriter who has influenced a lot of your favorite indie picks, McCombs plays LA just a month after dropping the awesome new record Mangy Love. He’d probably be a much bigger name if he were to have come along in the 60s and 70s as he channels Dylan and Cohen with some of his songwriting. The Teragram is also one of our favorite venues in LA and a perfect spot to take in a show of this type.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
KAABOO Fest, Del Mar Fairgrounds, 3-day $299.00, single-day $119.00
It’ll take you a few hours to get there but this second-year festival has a lineup that’s all over the place in a fun way. You have a slew of 90s acts mixed in there with indie favorites and even a few electronic selections. Friday’s slate features Jimmy Buffett, Hall & Oates, Grouplove, St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Shovels & Rope, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, Matoma and Sugar Ray.
Dawes, Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever, $35.00, 8 PM
This will be one of the few opportunities to see the LA rockers in such a cozy venue. The capacity of this little chapel-like building is around 250. Their new album We’re All Gonna Die drops the same day, so you might be some of the first to hear new material if you attend this gig.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
Chance the Rapper with Francis & the Lights, Greek Theatre, $35.00 to $64.95, 8 PM
Chance’s star is rising faster than almost anyone’s in hip-hop and there’s no clearer evidence than how hot his Greek show is. Tickets are reselling for far beyond their face value price. His Coloring Book mixtape is one of the best records of the year. We can vouch he’s even better live – his Outside Lands performance was one of the most lit of the year, as the kids say. Don’t miss opening act Francis & the Lights. We saw the Chance collaborator at the Troubadour last week and he was enigmatic as hell. You’ll probably get to see Francis and Chance on stage together for their summer hit “Friends.”
KAABOO Fest, Del Mar Fairgrounds, 3-day $299.00, single-day $119.00
The second day of KAABOO Fest is the best. It features Aerosmith’s only remaining headline date in 2016 before they tour for the final time next year. Saturday’s slate also features The Chainsmokers, RAC, Lenny Kravitz, Capital Cities, Goo Goo Dolls, Third Eye Blind, The Mowgli’s, Ludacris and Gin Blossoms.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
KAABOO Fest, Del Mar Fairgrounds, 3-day $299.00, single-day $119.00
The final day of KAABOO is headlined by Jack Johnson. It also features Cold War Kids, Avett Brothers, Jason Isbell, Shakey Graves, Atlas Genius, Rebelution and others.
