Santigold show at Hollywood Palladium rich with stage theatrics, costume changes, and boss jams

Santigold show at Hollywood Palladium rich with stage theatrics, costume changes, and boss jams
Mark E. Ortega
Grimygoods.com
April 2, 2016

Thursday night, the Hollywood Palladium was packed as Philadelphia singer-producer Santigold made a stop in Los Angeles on her tour in support of her new album 99¢.

People were still making their way into the venue as 10 PM approached. Luckily, Santigold wouldn’t make it onto the stage until about 10:15. As soon as she did, she wasted no time, kicking into the catchy “You’ll Find a Way” from her critically-acclaimed 2008 debut self-titled album.

Click here to read the rest...

The Joy Formidable inspire complete strangers to make out at The Roxy

The Joy Formidable inspire complete strangers to make out at The Roxy
Mark E. Ortega
Grimygoods.com
March 30, 2016

After seeing them destroy at the first of two sold-out nights at famed venue The Roxy, we might have to amend our list of Top 20 Badass Frontwomen in Indie and Underground Music to include Rhiannon Bryan of The Joy Formidable.

Along with bandmates Rhydian Dafydd and Matthew James Thomas, the Welsh trio made the intimate Hollywood space sound like an arena. The depth of their tunes are surprising when you realize there’s only three of them on stage — there could easily be five or six with the amount of noise emanating from the stage.

Surfer Blood and Cayucas deliver vibrant double-bill at LA’s Teragram Ballroom

Surfer Blood and Cayucas deliver vibrant double-bill at LA’s Teragram Ballroom
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
January 11, 2016

Headlining in support of their third studio album 1000 Palms, a reshuffled Surfer Blood lineup impressed at the Teragram Ballroom with fellow surf-pop rockers Cayucas in support.

Their beach rock sound was welcomed happily on a gloomy Friday night in downtown Los Angeles. Guitarist Thomas Fekete and bassist Kevin Williams are no longer in the band – Fekete battles a rare form of cancer while Williams left the group for a job – but their replacements Mike McCleary and Lindsey Mills proved ample replacements. Mills’ duties as a backup vocalist provided an alternative layer to some of lead man’s John Paul Pitts’ sometimes Rivers Cuomo-type vocals quite nicely.

Click here to read the rest...

Gary Clark Jr. delivers virtuoso performance at Fonda for third sold-out night

Gary Clark Jr. delivers virtuoso performance at Fonda for third sold-out night
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
December 7, 2015

Gary Clark Jr. might be the best American guitarist going these days.

That was my main takeaway after witnessing the virtuoso both Friday and Saturday nights at the Fonda Theatre – the second and third of a three-night sold-out stint at the famed Hollywood venue. Saturday, I was covering the show for Grimy Goods and it meant I was seeing Gary Clark Jr. for four hours overall this weekend. No complaints.

Click here to read the rest...

Alvvays just what the hipster factory at the Echoplex ordered

Alvvays just what the hipster factory at the Echoplex ordered
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
November 23, 2015

Thursday night at the Echoplex, I saw something in live music that is almost as rare as seeing a unicorn.

Amidst a sea of hipsters, I saw a bro in a trucker hat atop another bro’s shoulders. This I haven’t seen since Chet Faker at Coachella weekend two [proof]. I guess that’s just the sort of behavior that Molly Rankin and her kick ass lo-fi rock band Alvvays — that’s with two v’s — inspires.

Click here to read the rest...

Sylvan Esso proves worth the wait at #30DaysInLA show at Fonda Theatre

Sylvan Esso proves worth the wait at #30DaysInLA show at Fonda Theatre
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
November 4, 2015

If there’s one thing I’m a bit iffy on with Red Bull Sound Select’s #30DaysInLA series, it’s the tendency for the headliners to not go on stage until really late at night.

I realize they are trying to get people in the doors to see the opening acts — as Red Bull put together this concert series for really cheap tickets in an effort to highlight artists they’re trying to “break” (hence the blue fluorescent BREAK MUSIC signs you’ll see at all of these events throughout November). But looking around the Fonda Theatre, you could see people were growing anxious as 11 pm approached and electro-folk darlings Sylvan Esso hadn’t taken the stage yet.

Click here to read the rest...

Hollywood Bowl magically whipped by epic Blur and Courtney Barnett bill; Fred Armisen guests

Hollywood Bowl magically whipped by epic Blur and Courtney Barnett bill; Fred Armisen guests
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
October 21, 2015

The first concert I ever saw was Oasis in 2005.

Tuesday night, I was at the Hollywood Bowl, one of the most iconic music venues on the west coast, to see Blur — their biggest rivals in the Britpop invasion.

As I took in a momentous, nearly two-hour performance from Damon Albarn and his mates, I couldn’t help myself as all the Blur vs. Oasis narratives ran wild in my head. I couldn’t help but notice the stark contrast and difference between these two bands and their demeanors.

Click here to read the rest...

Bloc Party livens up FYF Fest crowd with spirited mosh

Bloc Party livens up FYF Fest crowd with spirited mosh
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
August 23, 2015

Though not the full original lineup, Bloc Party proved Saturday at FYF Fest that they’ve got the same amount of spunk geared towards their live performances as they did when the epic Silent Alarm album first burst onto the scene in 2005.

Click here to read the rest...

Chk Chk Chk (!!!) make FYF Fest set dance-central

Chk Chk Chk (!!!) make FYF Fest set dance-central
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
August 23, 2015

One thing that you’ve got to appreciate about !!! (Chk Chk Chk)’s lead man Nic Offer — the dude has no qualms about getting down, however absurd it might look in his hot pants.

Click here to read the rest...

Summer Music Guide

Summer Music Guide
Mark E. Ortega
Los Angeles Times
June 2, 2015

There might not be a better city for live music in the country than Los Angeles. The City of Angels is home to some of the most renowned venues in the world. You can see a concert of any genre, of any level, on any given night.

Click here to read the rest...

Saint Motel give spirited Coachella performance (with added babes)

Saint Motel give spirited Coachella performance (with added babes)
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
April 13, 2015

An early set time on Coachella Sunday can be a difficult thing for a band to take control of. The crowd (and maybe the band) that did show up are two full days hungover and you can’t count on a large turnout.

Click here to read the rest...

Lykke Li helps Coachella feel all their feels, and also covers Drake

Lykke Li helps Coachella feel all their feels, and also covers Drake
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
April 11, 2015

“No Rest for the Wicked” could be the tagline to Coachella, but it was also a song that indie pop star Lykke Li used to help kick off her emotional rollercoaster of a set on Friday at the Mojave tent.

Lykke Li is an immensely talented songwriter and one of today’s best at tackling heartbreak, and you could see thousands of hearts melt as she tore through ballads like “Just Like a Dream,” “Gunshot,” and “Never Love Again.”

Click here to read the rest...

Action Bronson gets weird with it at Coachella, brings out comedian George Lopez

Action Bronson gets weird with it at Coachella, brings out comedian George Lopez
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
April 11, 2015

You gotta give it to Action Bronson for his creativity when it came to his special guest during Friday’s early afternoon performance at Coachella.

Bronson has worked with a bevy of talented rappers and producers, but the “motherf*cking legend” that he brought on stage was…George Lopez? Yeah. Comedian George Lopez.

Click here to read the rest...

The War on Drugs deliver glorious sunset performance at Coachella

The War on Drugs deliver glorious sunset performance at Coachella
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
April 11, 2015

Philly indie rock band The War on Drugs played lots of stuff off their critically-acclaimed third album Lost in the Dream, impressing fans both old and previously unfamiliar with their work during their main stage performance at Coachella on Friday.

Click here to read the rest...

9 Lesser-Known Acts You Need to See at Coachella

9 Lesser-Known Acts You Need to See at Coachella
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
April 1, 2015


Coachella is less than 10 days away! As you start going into Coachella mode and planning your course of action, make sure to check out some lesser known bands this year to get the real Coachella experience. Sure, Jack White, Drake and AC/DC are all a sight to see live — but so are the smaller acts. You just don’t know it yet. After all, that is what Coachella was once all about.

Below we’ve selected nine lesser know bands you need to see this year at Coachella 2015! While we’re no stranger to these bands and have covered many of them numerous times, a lot of Coachella-goers have no idea how great these bands are live. So do yourself a favor and schedule them into your Coachooser.

Click here to read the rest...

SXSW Saturday explodes with hip-hop: J. Cole, Too $hort, G-Eazy & more

SXSW Saturday explodes with hip-hop: J. Cole, Too $hort, G-Eazy & more
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
March 24, 2015

If Friday was the busiest day of SXSW for me, Saturday was the most intense. If you would have told me I’d end up seeing 39 performances and almost half of them would be hip hop or rap, I wouldn’t have believed it. But that’s what SXSW is partly about, broadening your horizons.

My day began with The Church at Waterloo Records. I remember hearing “Under the Milky Way” in Donnie Darko in middle school and loving that song. The rain began coming down again and they played an acoustic set, performing that hit and some newer stuff. Vocalist Steve Kilby sounded fantastic and there was a sizable crowd for it being just 2 PM.

Click here to read the rest...

SXSW Friday: The ladies rule: Elle King, Natalie Prass, Charlotte OC & more

SXSW Friday: The ladies rule: Elle King, Natalie Prass, Charlotte OC & more
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
March 22, 2015

All week I knew that Friday promised to be the busiest day for me music-wise from beginning to end. From noon to 1:30 AM, I hit five different venues and got to see a dozen different acts, almost all of which I hadn’t gotten a chance to see the previous two days.

My day started at Mohawk for House of Vans. I caught the tail-end of British synth-pop act JUCE. They had great energy and I liked their sound. Lead vocalist Chalin was able to get the crowd really into it, which is a lot to ask at noon after most people have partied the previous three days and were hungover. “Austin, you just got JUCED!” she shouted at the end of her set to great applause.

SXSW Thursday: Rising stars Raury, Clairity, James Bay & more

SXSW Thursday: Rising stars Raury, Clairity, James Bay & more
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
March 20, 2015


I woke up Thursday to the sound of housekeeping knocking on the door of my cheap motel room that I found at 3:30 AM for $60. It was 11 AM and I had planned on being awake a few hours earlier but after being at SXSW all day Wednesday, I needed the few extra hours of sleep.

Thursday would be a day of much less music compared to the previous day, but it was an important day for other reasons.

Click here to read the rest...

SXSW Wednesday: Courtney Barnett, Ryn Weaver, Action Bronson & more

SXSW Wednesday: Courtney Barnett, Ryn Weaver, Action Bronson & more
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
March 19, 2015


After taking a bus from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and flying into Austin from there (cheaper flight, y’all), I hit the ground running for South by Southwest (SXSW) on Wednesday.

After waiting in line at the House of Vans at Mohawk for about an hour, I finally got in and was able to see Denver-based Son Lux. Lead man Ryan Lott utilizes a lot of interesting sounds — both on his vocals and on his keyboards — bringing together a sound that can best be described as a more electronic-heavy version of The Killers. The set-closing song “Lost it to Trying (Mouths Only Lying)” was the strongest track of the set and had the small bar-filled crowd really feeling it.

Click here to read the rest...

Foo Fighters deliver special performance at exclusive iHeartRadio Theater LA gig

Foo Fighters deliver special performance at exclusive iHeartRadio Theater LA gig
Mark E. Ortega
GrimyGoods.com
March 18, 2015

If there’s any American rock ‘n’ roll band that deserves the red carpet treatment, it is the Foo Fighters.

That is exactly the feel their St. Patrick’s Day show achieved on Tuesday night at the iHeartRadio Theater LA — or “just down the street” as Grohl put it midway through their rocking set.

Mixing in songs from their latest release Sonic Highways along with some old classics, Grohl and his band first spoke to Chelsea Handler in a 10-minute interview. Handler kept responding to people shouting out from the crowd, perhaps a little too used to her standup work where that is common place.

Click here to read the rest...