Dwntwn at Tarfest

Dwntwn. I can't get enough of this band. And that applies to a lot of folks. At Tarfest, this band was the largest draw. And with a touch of encouragement, the crowd came to the stage.  After their set, a line began to form of fans wanting to get their pictures taken with the band.  And why not, this band has some of the sweetest sounds.

Tapioca and the Flea at Tarfest

Tapioca and the Flea. A group of friends were in the audience for this band.  In fact, from different circles that perhaps interact via Twitter or Facebook or other social network.  As I waited for the band, a young lady approached another and introduced herself, "It is nice to finally meet you in person."

The band had fun interacting with their friends while on stage.  One of the guys in the band halfheartedly encouraged two young women to dance on the speakers.  They declined.  This band likes to have some fun.

 

The Dead Ships at Tarfest

The Dead Ships. As the Los Angeles temperatures peaked, The Dead Ships took the stage with elevated vocals and stage intensity.

A Movie Review: A Most Wanted Man

A Most Wanted Man. Issa Karpov (Grigoriy Dobrygin) has illegally entered into Germany.  There is fear that he is a terrorist. Günther Bachmann (Philip Seymour Hoffman) takes the investigative lead in attempting to determine his true intentions.  Annabel Richter (Rachel McAdams) comes to the support of Issa Karpov from a legal perspective.

This is a well crafted movie.  The movie dives into investigations, rivalries, and good intentions.

I do have one issue with the movie and that is Annabel Richter.  She is "arrested" and put into a holding cell.  After what seems like a few hours, she consents to betray Issa Karpov.  Isn't she his lawyer?  Shouldn't she have held out longer?  And why was she willing to trust this government agency?

Dorothy at Chinatown Moon Festival

Dorothy. I first saw Dorothy a few weeks back at Bootleg HiFi.  I just knew I had to see her again as soon as possible.  I just love her Sunset Strip vibes.  And so I got a chance to see her at the Chinatown Moon Festival.  I wasn't the only one eager to see her.  The crowd was pressed close to the stage.  Fans had huge smiles on their faces.  One just gets won over by her.

Mosco Rosco at Chinatown Moon Festival

Mosco Rosco. Maybe a little bit too much TMI with kids in the crowd:  sex outdoors was a topic of conversation.  But hey, they like to get you dancing, which sometimes leads to sex they say.

Wisappear and James Alan at Bootleg HiFi

It was a bit strange being inside a local music venue without my camera, but that was how it went down. That didn't mean I couldn't enjoy some music.

Wisappear has that Echo Park/Silver Lake vibe with a touch of the occasional Led Zeppelin.  Sometimes they put on a stage show.  Sometimes they just let their music speak on its own.

James Alan. He has a Moses Sumney vibe to him. He did mention towards the end of his set that he is friends with Moses Sumney.

Comment of the set (James Alan):  I play a lot to myself in front of the mirror.  That does funny things to your head.

Story of the set (James Alan):  He was in Italy on vacation.  He decided to randomly play his guitar (a guitar he bought in Italy) late one night outdoors.  A woman plopped herself next to him, which he found strange since there weren't a lot of people outside at that time of night.  He started to play one of his songs and she suddenly started to sing along with him.  She had lived in Italy for 3 months (I'm assuming she arrived from Los Angeles though James didn't go into details).  What are the chances of someone knowing one of his songs in Italy and that person sitting next to him late one night.

A Movie Review: How to Lose Friends & Alienate People

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People.  Sidney Young (Simon Pegg) is trying to launch a celebrity magazine in London.  His efforts aren't going very far.  In fact, he's mostly a pariah in the London scene.  And yet, somehow, he catches the eye of Clayton Harding (Jeff Bridges), an editor of the New York based "Sharps" magazine.  Though Clayton Harding brings him on, he still starts at the bottom.  He learns how to navigate through the celebrity scene of New York and see his star rise at the magazine.

Though there is a much better movie out there about the New York celebrity scene, this movie does have a low key style (actually somewhat like the normal Simon Pegg movie) fun to it.  And you've got to love Megan Fox (Sophie Maes), Gillian Anderson (Eleanor Johnson) and Kristen Dunst (Alison Olsen).

Maudlin Strangers at Bootleg HiFi

Maudlin Strangers.  They are a touch maudlin.  Their fans are hardly not so.  Catch the drummer.  His facial expressions are awesome.

Quote of the night:  It is so hot up here.  But then I'm stupid for wearing a jacket.  This jacket isn't coming off.

Dorothy at Bootleg HiFi

Dorothy.  She took the stage and you knew there was something special about to take place.  She just went at it and captivated the audience with her Sunset Strip vocals and attitude.  And that awesome band . . .

The Gromble at Bootleg HiFi

The Gromble. With their slightly stretched vocals, this band will rock you through their set.

Feels at Echo Park Rising

Feels. The last time I saw Feels, they were called Raw Geronimo.  I really didn't know what to expect considering that they went through some losses and additions of members, which resulting in the name change.

Lead vocalist Laena Geronimo still holds sway as the band continues with psychedelic sounds.  The percussion rhythms are replaced with guitar strings.  And most definitely, they hold you in enjoyable captive.

P.S.  I actually did this, I headed down to Echo Park Rising to see just the Feels.  I arrived while they were setting up and left after their set.  I am that kind of strange person sometimes.

A Movie Review: The Place Beyond the Pines

The Place Beyond the Pines.  Luke (Ryan Gosling) is a traveling motorcycle stunt driver.  In one town he passes through, he runs into one of his flames, Romina (Eva Mendes).  He finds out that they have a child.  She's already moved on to an individual who is likely to provide a more stable relationship.  Luke decides to stay in town to try to rekindle the romance and to be more involved with his child.  

Deciding to stay in town results in Luke losing his income stream.  To earn money, he turns to robbing banks.  This is where he ends up running into a cop named Avery (Bradley Cooper).  

This movie is definitely well acted.  What else would you expect when Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes and Bradley Cooper are involved.  On the other hand, I had a major problem with the movie when the sons of both Luke and Avery become frenemies in the movie.  It was just such an obvious moment that perfectly helped out with the plot, which kind of led one to figure out how the movie was likely to end.

Also, I'm not sure if the encounter between Avery and Luke should have been as controversial within the police department as it was made out to be.  Maybe a more veteran cop would have handled things differently, but considering the circumstances of the encounter (a confrontation with an individual who was guilty of armed robbery) I would tend to provide some lenience to the cop's actions.