Show Review: Doldrums and Blue Hawaii

Last Friday I caught Doldrums at the Bootleg Bar, supported by Blue Hawaii and Sean Nicholas Savage. Savage opened the show with a charming, lo-fi performance of some of his recorded work. He was up
there by himself, with only his tiny keyboard and built-in drum machine providing the instrumentation. His minimal set-up was no hindrance, though: Savage belted some seriously soulful songs over his own soft electric accompaniment, the whole time with an infectious little grin on his face.

Sean Nicholas Savage, crooning into his mic in one hand, playing keys with the other

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Show Review: Django Django

From the moment Django Django walked on stage with their matching 80’s print T-shirts, I knew they planned to put on a great show… and that they did.  Before the concert, I was pretty familiar with their self-titled debut album, but seeing them live was like hearing a completely different band. They have so much energy live that just doesn’t seem to compare to listening through any other means. By the second song, everyone was dancin’, bouncin’, and flailing their arms around. They were completely upbeat dance music, which I would have never gotten just by listening to their album alone. If you’re first learning of Django Django, I’d recommend listening to their song “Waveforms”- it’ll pretty much give you a good taste of what they’re all about: upbeat, synth, and quirky with a robotic sounding twist. Their vocal harmonies and innovative instruments give them a unique sound as well.

 

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Show Review: The Specials

My initial feelings on seeing The Specials perform were a mix of excitement and anxiety. I was thrilled to be seeing one of my all-time favorite bands, but fearful that due to their veteran status that their energy level would fall short. I feel guilty now for doubting them. The Specials delivered, and more. Club Nokia was packed from the pit to the top of the balcony where I was watching from due to the over capacity GA Standing area below.

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Kavinsky Outruns Los Angeles

Many people know who Kavinsky is because of his signature tune “Nightcall” which was featured in the 2011 film Drive. For me however, the story first began on July 4, 2007 when I spent America’s Independence Day in Amsterdam watching him open up for Daft Punk at Heineken Music Hall with SebastiAn. Fans of The View From Nowhere might also recall we did an interview with the mysterious man himself in 2010.

This past month saw the release of Kavinky’s long awaited first LP, “Outrun,” an album that demonstrates the depth of Kavinsky as an artist across multiple genres, moods and soundscapes. To celebrate the release of Outrun in the US, Kavinsky’s Los Angeles fans were treated to a truly special evening in his only west coast performance during his current tour.

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