Back in 1980 I won a raffle to see one of the seven performances of Pink Floyd’s The Wall. At that time you put a check in the mail and sent it off to KMET and if you won they cashed the check and sent you the tickets. A week or so after that I got my nosebleed way-off to the side tickets. A week after that I got a call from the radio station telling me that my seats were in a blocked viewing area and would I like to move them? If so where did I want to sit? I sent in a quick response half-joking for about half way back and about 12 rows up from the floor. I was never really a tall drink of water and if I had to crane my neck the whole show it would be terrible. To my surprise they sent me replacement tickets in that exact location. Next time I will ask for front row center.Remember at the time Pink Floyd was on every classic radio station on air well - just like they are today - but they were in heavy rotation - OK - just like they are today. But it was different man!The show was at the Sports Arena and I remember I paid a whopping $17.50 per ticket. It was most certainly one of the top five concert experiences I have ever had (that list will come later) and I was sure I would never be able to relive it.

On Monday tickets go on sale for Roger Waters return of The Wall to Los Angeles. Things have changed. There really is no Pink Floyd anymore - just two warring camps taking turns at bringing out the hits. There is no chance that David Gilmour will take that searing guitar lead atop the finished built wall. There probably won’t be any indoor explosions threatening to burn the place down. AND there was no chance in hell that there will be any tickets anywhere near $17.50.  Most of the floor is going for $250. The VIP tix are $750 each (what’s the percent increase on that dubmeister?), but I’ll be there. ITunes had a presale and I have a sweet pair in the furthest section from the stage in almost the last row in the house but I can’t miss it. Please just don’t let Cindy Lauper sing any of the songs this time.

Owen Pallett-Heartland
The Mountain Goats-Life of the World to Come
Titus Andronicus-The Monitor
The Antlers-Hospice
Shearwater-Golden Archipelago
Warren Zevon-Excitable Boy
Wilco

Matt Sez

As part of the Bluegrass celebration in Los Angeles there will be a clutch of shows at the Largo at the Cornet with “Special Guests” Friday’s guest will be Steve Martin and his amazing Banjo and Saturday John C. Reily and perhaps Will Farrell will take the stage. What will they do there? Anyones guess??? Tickets are available by phone order or in person. The odd thing about the phone order is you have to wait to get confirmation back, but if this is a way around Ticketmaster I am all for it. Tonight’s guest will be Jackson Browne, Gillian Welch and others. All shows are $25.

Well Laura Viers new Album July Flame has been a regular in the car.  I was introduced to her music when she opened for the Decemberists a while back. She has a very Neko Case sound. And she did a lot of that Andrew Bird looping thing. But at the time she was solo act and she now has a band behind her. The Fleet Foxes also provide some backing vocals. The opening song I Can See Your Tracks stands out as the go to song for sampling.

The new Eels CD End Times is just not cutting it for me. I like my muadlin with a bit more bite. Hombre Loco had all of the heartache but with enough piss and vinegar to make it interesting. This one is just is just the aftermath and loss of the divorce and it comes off almost as dour as high school break up poetry. I will give it more time and get back to you. The Eels Live With Strings is still one my favorite drive back from LA late at night CDs. Is there a better break up song than Motherfucker?

The Broken Bells CD is very pleasant. The Shins doing club music but mellow very mellow

Tom Waits Glitter and Doom Live, I miss his range beyond the modulated growl and Marc Ribot fill in the bang and crash rhythm work,

but man-o-man Goin Out West live!!!! I’m going to play that right now! Be back soon.

She and Him kicked off the tour supporting their new album (Volume Two, due out next Tuesday) last night at the Largo at the Coronet. While most of the tour stops will be in larger halls (or festivals like Coachella) the Largo gave them a  chance to work out the kinks of the new material before taking it out on the road in a much smaller venue. This is only the second time I have caught a show at the Largo (the last one They Might Be Giants), but it is quickly becoming a new favorite. It’s perfect in so many ways. It is small - 250 seats. It’s cheap - tickets normally run about $25 and there is little or no service charge if you order by phone. There is free parking just two blocks away. You get your assigned seat that night and can wander away to get food.  AND the food that surrounds the place - a chili house (closed Mondays - what it’s a museum??), a kabob joint, a sushi dive, and food court at the Beverly Galeria give you all sorts of options to eat before and after the show. One of the locals let me know about a place across the street that makes their own Potato Chips. I will have to try them next time.

The set had a few first night glitches - missed lyrics, heavy microphone buzzes, and false starts from a mixed up set list but She and Him put on a very balanced mix of songs from their first outing  - including a few unplugged tunes and a sample of new material. M. Ward’s guitar reigned as king perhaps too many times and the sound for the headliners didn’t seemed as mixed as well as opener The Chapin Sisters, but a very sweet night of talented women singing about love gone wrong.

The Chapin Sisters put down some old timey tunes not unlike The Watson Twins. They had good banter and helped keep their family employed.  What’s not to like about that?
Zooey needs to rethink her dress and shoes next time (her heels made her too tall to play the Wurlitzer) but I think the tour shows great promise.