EITS @ The Backyard in Austin, TX (more by Tim Griffin)

Texas instrumental group Explosions in the Sky released "Take Care, Take Care, Take Care" in April and have been keeping busy since. Their last tour included a headlining show at Radio City, and more recently some Texas shows with Arcade Fire (as pictured above). Between now and the fall they'll play various European dates and North American festivals, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza included. And in the fall, they'll head out on a newly-announced North American tour. All dates are listed below, .

Wye Oak, who took part in the 'Our Band Could Be Your Life' show at Bowery on Sunday, open part of the tour. The Baltimore duo will not however be opening the NJ show happening at Wellmont Theatre on October 3 (one day after ATP happens in NJ). Explosions are not playing ATP this year (they played last year), and they don't have a another NYC date scheduled at the moment either (Montclair is pretty close though).

A fan club pre-sale for all dates begins Wednesday (5/25). General public sales beging Friday (5/27). All tour dates, and some cool video from their recent shows at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, below...

Continue reading "Explosions in the Sky announce tour --- 2011 dates, presale, video from Hollywood Forever Cemetery"

Hope Sandoval @ Hollywood Forever Cemetery - September 29 (by Luz Gallardo)

"There was no photography allowed in the venue when Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions, the band featuring the revered Mazzy Star vocalist and My Bloody Valentine's Colm Ó Cíosóig, played Hollywood Forever [on September 29th] in a concert marking the release of its latest album Through the Devil Softly. Absolutely none. This rule was stated no fewer than six times on printouts that lined the entrance and parlor room. Perhaps that was for the best. The glare of camera flashes and cell phones pointed toward the stage might have ruined the carefully crafted ambience of the gathering.

With its stone facade, a courtyard lined with twinkling palm trees and mosaic floors, the venue looked like a cross between an Old Hollywood apartment building and a mausoleum. This was seemingly appropriate, as there are probably more than a few people who did time in art deco structures off of Vine or Gower or Franklin who now spend eternity interred in this famed cemetery." [LA Weekly]

The above-described show happened only a couple days after Bon Iver's graveyard show in the same exact location, but got almost no attention (compared to the Bon Iver show anyway). That's partially due to the no-photography thing I guess, but still sad (I wish I planned a vacation around going to both).

Anyway, Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions' new album is out now on Nettwerk who also re-released 2001's Bavarian Fruit Bread. Buy it so that Hope knows people care and she keeps making music (though she has already admitted plans for more Mazzy Star).

Her long-awaited return to NYC kicks off with a show at Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight (10/10). It's sold out, but Monday's show at Bowery Ballroom isn't (UPDATE: also sold out).

Dirt Blue Gene is an Irish shoegaze band that is on tour with Hope, and shares members with her band. Some recent live videos, the setlist from San Francisco, and all dates below...

Continue reading "Hope Sandoval released an album, played the Hollywood Graveyard too, is on tour and finally back in NYC"

photos by Darren Kim

"Those of you reading outside of Los Angeles might need a primer on the cemetery. It's situated in the middle of Hollywood, shares a southern border with the Paramount Studios lot, is this incredibly peaceful and quiet place a five minute drive from downtown Hollywood. Among the American royalty enshrined on the grounds are Charlie Chaplin, Mel Blanc, Cecil B. DeMille, John Huston, Art Pepper, Yma Sumac, Johnny Ramone and Eva Tanguay. Amidst the tombstones are gorgeous mausoleums, quiet ponds, elegant statues and a building with a vast white wall the exact size of a movie screen. For much of the year the ownership opens its gates for film screenings.

So starting at midnight the cemetery and Bon Iver's founder, singer and songwriter, Justin Vernon, programmed an all-night event that culminated in a two-hour performance by Bon Iver. The evening went as follows:

12 a.m.: Doors
12:30 a.m.: Bon Iver DJ Set I (see full set list below)
2 a.m.: The Feature Film: Bottle Rocket
3:30 a.m. Bon Iver DJ Set II (see full set list below)
4 a.m.: Documentary Film: Planet Earth (Jungles)
5:15 a.m.: Blessing of Audience and Stage by Buddhist Monks
5:45 a.m.: Bon Iver Performs
[LA Weekly]"

Darren Kim (our photographer) arrived at 4:15am Sunday morning (9/27). It was "foggy as hell". As you can see in the pictures, people were spread out on blankets and in sleeping bags on a large grass field like a giant slumber party. Before 5:00, Darren wandered over to visit Johnny Ramone. Amazingly, there at the grave was a black cat just hanging out (you can see in the pics). At 5:15 the monks came on like like a giant alarm that woke everyone in time for the sunrise show, though you couldn't actually see the sun ("it just got whiter").

As the fog slowly cleared and daylight began to break, Bon Iver played an absolutely perfect set, hitting all of their songs. I have to believe even the dead people buried nearby appreciated the resonating beauty of his music, mostly from For Emma, Forever Ago, and some newer work. Justin made a disclaimer that unlike most bands, he would not be playing an encore. "We're a young band still. We don't have that many songs yet." And sure enough a few songs later, about an hour and fifteen minutes after the set began, he said, "This is the last song we know how to play. I'm a little embarrassed," before launching into a beautiful, eerie version of "Wolves," with everyone joining in on the chorus. [Indie Muse]

Megafaun was in the house and also joined Bon Iver on stage.

More pictures, some videos, and the three Bon Iver setlists, below...

Continue reading "Bon Iver @ sunrise, monks, a black cat & the ghost (grave) of Johnny Ramone in a Hollywood cemetery - pics, video, setlist "

"Bon Iver will perform a concert on Sunday, September 27th, 2009 as morning dawns over graves of silver screen legends at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. The gates will open at midnight on Saturday night with the performance to commence at 6am on Sunday. Tickets are $25 and include a coffee and pastry breakfast."