Here’s more info as lifted from The LA Philharmonic’s official site: *On Tuesday, January 8, ‘Songs Of The City’ features artists whose lives exist on the road – artists who travel with little else than their songwriting craft from one city to the next. Using music as expression for their unique urban experiences, each give a stripped-down, heartfelt performance that portrays their mobile, civic existence. Although their songs draw from diverse experiences, the emotions evoked are universal. Walt Disney Concert Hall becomes the living room for the city with this intimate evening, as these urban troubadours share the songs that have become the lo-fi soundtrack to our inner-city existence — joy, urgency, depression, and heartache expressing the raw emotions contained and cultivated in the city.* More details below.
Featured Artists:
Marc Bianchi (Her Space Holiday)
Biirdie
Franklin Bruno
Zooey Deschanel
John Doe
Inara George (The Bird & The Bee)
Stevie Jackson (Belle & Sebastian)
Sean Lennon
Sondre Lerche
Bob Mould
Zach Rogue (Rogue Wave)
Daniel Rossen (Grizzly Bear)
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012
323.850.2000
Purchase tickets here.
MP3: Sondre Lerche – The More I See You [alt link]
Watching Sean Lennon two nights ago at the Bowery Ballroom was… surreal I guess I would have to call it. It was like watching something that was and is at the same time. It felt almost invasive to be there and watch Sean sing to a crowd of his friends and his mom sitting in the balcony.
The opening act of the night, Jim Noir, cancelled just a few nights before the show due to problems at the Canadian border unfortunately. After his insanely catchy World Cup song worked it’s way through my psyche earlier in the year, I was anxious to see him at last. The replacement openers were fine but not exciting enough to hold their name in my memory.
At a little past 10pm, Sean Lennon humbly took the stage and began one of the most beautiful sets I have seen in a long time. Playing songs mostly from the new Friendly Fire, he had me hooked on an album I hadn’t even heard before after only a few songs. It is a rare musician who can do that. The songs are painfully beautiful and sing of the heartache of love and loss, ‘Dead Meet’ and ‘Parachute’ are tracks that particularly stand out.
For anybody contemplating seeing Sean in the near future (the only date he has for 2007 is December 22nd in London so far) I encourage you to go. His live show is gorgeous, he has the ability to bring the audience right there onstage with him in a way that I have seen few artists do.
I had a whole bunch of other little bits of commentary and observation lined up for this post (like the guy who should have been punched in the head for throwing a metal statue at Yuka Honda) but I think I’ll leave it by saying that this was one of the best shows I have seen all year long.
Here’s more info as lifted from The LA Philharmonic’s official site: *On Tuesday, January 8, ‘Songs Of The City’ features artists whose lives exist on the road – artists who travel with little else than their songwriting craft from one city to the next. Using music as expression for their unique urban experiences, each give a stripped-down, heartfelt performance that portrays their mobile, civic existence. Although their songs draw from diverse experiences, the emotions evoked are universal. Walt Disney Concert Hall becomes the living room for the city with this intimate evening, as these urban troubadours share the songs that have become the lo-fi soundtrack to our inner-city existence — joy, urgency, depression, and heartache expressing the raw emotions contained and cultivated in the city.* More details below.
