If you’re coming back from a long, dusty weekend at Desert Trip, there’s no time to rest on your laurels. The concert schedule is beefy in between the two massive festival weekends, with performances from Warpaint, St. Lucia and GRiZ highlighting our Best Shows This Week.
Monday, October 10
Weval, Billie Eilish, Anne-Marie, Lost Beach, School Night at Bardot, free-with-RSVP
As usual, School Night is delivering a dope bill with the main draw being 14-year-old singer Billie Eilish, who has a certain Lana del Rey quality to her sound.
Tuesday, October 11
St. Lucia, Baio, The Wiltern, $27.50, 7:30 PM
One of my favorite acts to see live, St. Lucia is one of the best synthpop acts currently touring. I’ve seen them almost a dozen times, and whether it is a festival set or their own show, they always deliver the goods. I love the amount of percussion they bring, it has an “In the Air Tonight” level amount of it on a lot of tracks. Lead man Jean-Philip Grobler is as energetic as they come.
Wednesday, October 12
ZHU, DJDS, Shrine Expo Hall, $29.50-$39.50, 8 PM
One of the fastest-rising electronic musicians out there, ZHU is coming off a headline performance at CRSSD earlier this month in San Diego. The Shrine is always a great place to take in an electronic show with its wide-open floor, and this is a great mid-week pick.
Thursday, October 13
Warpaint, Facial, Goldensuns, Fonda Theatre, $30.00, 9 PM *SOLD OUT*
They’ve got a new album in tow and this sold-out hometown gig should be cracking. I got a preview of how the new stuff sounds like at Music Tastes Good in Long Beach a few weeks ago, and it all sounded tasty. This frenetic foursome has really punched up their sound to be a bit more dancey while still retaining their ethereal brooding sound you know and love. The way they transform some of their songs from the studio to the live setting is hard to top.
Alessia Cara, Ruth B, The Wiltern, 6:30 PM *SOLD OUT*
This 20-year-old singer has a bright future ahead of her and she’s already headlining a venue the size of The Wiltern. Her music is inescapably catchy and though I haven’t seen her live before, I can only imagine she brings the same level of intensity to her gigs as to her music. Considering the rate she’s growing, you might not get many opportunities to see her in venues this size for very long.
Friday, October 14
Kygo, Bob Moses, Hollywood Bowl, $29.50-$125.00, 8 PM
I didn’t have high expectations for Kygo at the Greek Theatre last year because I wasn’t sure how an electronic show would come across at the large outdoor arena. It ended up being one of the best shows I saw all year. The production and energy is unbelievable. I have no doubt it’ll be of an even higher level at the even larger Hollywood Bowl. Bob Moses is also an excellent opener, with their more downtempo sound to combat the tropical sound of Kygo.
GRiZ, Shrine Expo Hall, $20.00-$45.00, 9 PM
Another great electronic show booked at the Shrine, GRiZ brings that funky jazzy sound along with their killer vibes. The live instrumentation that accompanies their show is always intriguing to watch. Seeing them in such a large venue should be fun, I expect a few surprises along the way.
Desert Trip feat. The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Empire Polo Fields, 6:30 PM show time
I got a chance to go to Desert Trip last weekend and if it weren’t for a 10-year high school reunion, I’d be going back for round two. Bob Dylan was a dud but The Rolling Stones put on the best rock show I’d ever seen to close the epic first night of the festival. What a great production it is and it’s enjoyable whether you’re in the front or at the back of GA.
Saturday, October 15
Christine and the Queens, DAM-FUNK, Theatre at the Ace Hotel, $33.50-$38.50, 8:30 PM
I wasn’t overly familiar with this French pop act but got to experience it live at Governors Ball in June. It was one of the more dynamic performances I’ve seen at a festival all year. She brings a bunch of talented dancers along with her that make it that much more enjoyable of an experience.
Moses Sumney, Cathedral Sanctuary at Immanuel Presbyterian, $20.00, 8 PM
Definitely one of the names to keep an eye on, you don’t want to miss Moses Sumney at one of his two gigs inside a tiny church in Koreatown. He opened for St. Vincent and Erykah Badu last year at the Hollywood Bowl and is an intense and emotional one-man show, utilizing live looping to create quite a layered performance.
Desert Trip feat. Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Empire Polo Fields, 6:30 PM show time
Last weekend, Paul McCartney delivered the hits, while also bringing Neil Young on stage to accompany him on a few old Beatles tracks. Neil Young himself blew away my expectations, with “Heart of Gold” hitting me right in the feels.
Treasure Island Music Festival feat. Ice Cube, ZHU, Glass Animals, Kelela + more, GA two-day $179.50, single-day Saturday $105.00
Its the Bay Area festival’s 10th and final year and it features a packed lineup. Ice Cube headlines the first day! Worth checking out if you’re around the area.
Sunday, October 16
Desert Trip feat. Roger Waters, The Who, Empire Polo Fields, 6:30 PM show time
Roger Waters delivered the best live show I’ve ever seen in my entire life last weekend. I was about 25 feet away as Waters and his band (which included the lovely girls from Lucius as backup vocalists) blew away me and my friends. The visuals are of the highest level I’ve ever seen. The Who might not be as great as they were decades ago, but they still bring a ton of fire and “Baba O’Riley” live is one of the most rocking moments of my entire concert-loving life.
Treasure Island Music Festival feat. Sigur Ros, James Blake, Purity Ring, Tycho, Sylvan Esso, Day Wave + more, GA two-day $179.50, single-day Sunday $105.00
I’ll be at the final day of the final year of this festival. Sigur Ros was the first headline act I saw at my first festival — Outside Lands in 2012 — instead of Metallica. Great choice, one of the best festival sets I’ve ever seen. James Blake, Purity Ring, Tycho, Sylvan Esso, HINDS, and Day Wave make it a much healthier lineup than the first day.
