Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Black Friday is an odd day to present a show. The day before, we're all thankful for our family and friends with a day-long feast of food and football. The next day we're grasping for game consoles and computer tablets with one hand and pepper spraying faces with the other. If you've survived the day, by the time Friday night comes along you just want to decompress. And decompression is partly why we thought of this show. The other reason, obviously, is that having Tom Brosseau, Kate Earl, and Lia Rose together on one lineup is utter perfection. Not only are they three of our most favorite artists of all time but they are also three of our most favorite people -- on the planet. We've known each of them musically and personally going on ten years and we couldn't think of a better trio to serenade us out of 2013.
Tom Brosseau recently returned home from a short tour of the other half of the U.S. with Sean Watkins. We know these little treks to-and-fro he's been doing for the last decade have given him a well-rounded view of the world and are at the root of his often clever and charming songwriting style. While not necessarily having to be travel songs or road hymns, the thoughtfully vivid details in his lyrics are the kind perhaps only imagined on long drives from city to city. And it is this unique perspective that has filled six wonderful albums worth of music with a seventh, entitled Grass Punks, coming 1/21 on Crossbill Records. Produced by Watkins, the album again showcases Tom's delicate prose and even more delicate natural falsetto, but it's at his shows that these songs really come to life. And, on Friday, we have the honor of seeing one of the best pure singer-songwriters of our time share some songs of his life travels.
We all probably know the story. Almost exactly ten years go, Kate Earl moved to Los Angeles from Chugiak. The stage-shy, pretty Alaskan girl with the big, soulful voice captivated us and every major label in town. A lot has happened since then. Even knowing Kate all these years we needn't have to pry too much into all those happenings. We just need to listen to her latest album Stronger, see the running theme of song titles like "I Don't Want to be Alone," "Is There Anyone Out There," and "Not the End of the World" to understand the amount of emotional difficulties she's had. But the songs don't wallow in self-pity. Rather, they're actually quite uplifting 70's-inspired folk rock tunes. She plays her first show back in town on Friday after recently finishing a huge summer tour with Matchbox 20 and Goo Goo Dolls, playing new songs in likely a much more stripped-down way than the massive venues she's starting to get used to. She'll also be donating all of her earnings to her family in the Philippines. Mahal namin si Kate Earl.
This is our third Lia Rose show we've presented in the last eight months. 'Obsessed much' might be the understatement of the year. But this girl is just that good, Bricks & Bones is just that fantastic, and Los Angeles is just that oblivious that we will put on as many shows as it damn well takes to get this lady heard. Of related importance, her performance of "Myself for to Blame" at our last show with her created such a perfect formation of tears in our eyes that the watery lenses temporarily gave us 20/20 vision. Do you understand what we are telling you? Her music heals people and stuff. A few more shows and these bum knees of ours will be good as new. She opens the show on Friday and will likely be playing a few songs off her new album Heart of Winter to get us in the holiday spirit so get there early for a good cry sesh.
Goodbye, 2013.
November 29, 2013
Los Angeles Loves...
TOM BROSSEAU
KATE EARL
LIA ROSE
Pieter
420 West Ave 33, Unit 10
Los Angeles, CA 90031
All Ages/8pm/$5-10 donation (all money goes to artists)
FACEBOOK EVENT
STREET PARKING ONLY
Bring blankets, pillows, and stuff to sit on..
