M.I.A. brings house down with shimmering performance at The Shrine

M.I.A. brings house down with shimmering performance at The Shrine
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
May 30, 2013


Last night night, London’s M.I.A. brought the house down at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall, overcoming the venue’s notoriously bad acoustics as she had the crowd moving their feet from the first moment.

The crowd started a chant of “M.I.A.! M.I.A.!” as they waited patiently. Finally, the British star made her way to the stage around 10:20 p.m. Dressed in what from a distance appeared to be a track suit spray painted in gold, M.I.A.’s stage had it all. From male dancers who were losing their sh*t to a crazy light show on stage, it felt like a big EDM DJ set without the overflow of “bros”. There wasn’t pushing and shoving to get to the front but rather everyone enjoying the moment together and dancing their asses off.

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Broods deliver a magnetic performance at The Observatory

Broods deliver a magnetic performance at The Observatory
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
May 16, 2014


Though it wasn’t a sell out like their SF show I attended at The Independent on Tuesday, Broods and Meg Myers packed them into the much larger main room at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Thursday and both acts delivered memorable sets to conclude their North American tour.

New Zealand sibling synth-pop duo Broods mixed in a couple of new songs from a forthcoming album as well as the popular tunes that landed them a major deal in the first place.

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Marquez and Alvarado looking to earn Pacquiao fight on Saturday

Marquez and Alvarado looking to earn Pacquiao fight on Saturday

Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
May 15, 2014


Saturday night, boxing returns to The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., as future first ballot Hall of Famer Juan Manuel Marquez squares off with Mike Alvarado in a welterweight bout that could very well determine the next opponent to Manny Pacquiao later this year.

Marquez got his start in the States at the old Forum, racking up victories as an obscure but talented technically sound Mexican fighter. It wasn’t until his controversial draw with Pacquiao a decade ago that Marquez began earning the respect of casual observers.

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Fast-rising Broods, Meg Myers showcase emerging talent at Indy gig

Fast-rising Broods, Meg Myers showcase emerging talent at Indy gig
Mark E. Ortega
Showbams.com
May 15, 2014


Tuesday night, burgeoning singer/songwriter Meg Myers played her first gig at The Independent in San Francisco as she set the stage for brother-sister New Zealand synth pop duo Broods later that evening.

Myers took the stage in what seemed to be one of those low cut H&M black t-shirts and a pair of shorts that were short enough to where some questioned whether she was wearing any at all. The only noticeable bit of color being her red lipstick, Myers delivered a heartwrenching eight-song set that highlighted her vocal range and her capturing stage presence.

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A's win 5-4 over White Sox behind another strong Jesse Chavez outing

A's win 5-4 over White Sox behind another strong Jesse Chavez outing
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
May 13, 2014


OAKLAND–The Oakland Athletics extended their win streak to a season high five games on Monday evening behind another strong outing from emerging right-hander Jesse Chavez. The A’s won 5-4 as Josh Donaldson put Oakland ahead for good with a fifth inning two-run home run, Donaldson’s eighth of the season.

Aside from a second inning Dayan Viciedo solo home run, Chavez (3-1, 2.44 ERA) was dealing. Once the A’s gained control of the game following Donaldson’s blast in the fifth, Chavez retired every batter he faced until the last one. After retiring ten in a row, Chavez came out for the ninth inning for the first time in his career as a starting pitcher. On an 0-2 pitch, Jose Abreu hit his 14th home run of the season, spelling the end of Chavez’s night. His masterful performance would read 8+ IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO, with 2 solo HR allowed.

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Jenny Lewis takes fans on emotional roller coast at The Roxy

Jenny Lewis takes fans on emotional roller coast at The Roxy
Mark E. Ortega
May 8, 2014
GrimyGoods.com


Tuesday night, Jenny Lewis debuted her new band at an intimate show at The Roxy in West Hollywood as she begins playing new songs from her forthcoming album, The Voyager.

Lewis took longtime fans of hers on an emotional roller coaster, mixing in new songs with songs from her days as the front woman of Rilo Kiley as well as select songs from her earlier solo albums. Fans waited anxiously for an hour once doors opened, swapping Jenny stories like they were baseball cards. One fan at the front was believable in saying he hadn’t missed a Jenny Lewis or Rilo Kiley show in California in about a decade as he recalled opening bands and song selections with impressive memory.

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Ray LaMontagne baptizes crowd in new album at Cathedral Sanctuary

Ray LaMontagne baptizes crowd in new album at Cathedral Sanctuary
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
May 6, 2014

Last night’s concert at the Cathedral Sanctuary at Immanuel Presbyterian Church was advertised as “An Intimate Presentation of Supernova with Ray LaMontagne“. The pitch perfect folk singer played through his new album, Supernova and sounded just as it would if it were a free stream of the release. Though the performance itself was impressive, it lacked the intimacy that was advertised as LaMontagne shared very little interaction with the crowd, to the point that late in his set, one fan yelled “Say SOMETHING, Ray!”

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