Kevin Bronson on December 5th, 2008

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[Rev. Richard Wayne Penniman, aka Little Richard, the son of a bootlegger, was born 76 years ago today. Please boogie wherever you are in honor of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, and keep it up through this busy weekend:]

Tonight: Should be a crazy time at the Echo — the Bronx return to L.A. behind the November release of its strong third album for a show that also features Long Beach’s Crystal Antlers. … Downstairs at the Echoplex, the sublime pop of the Submarines will reign; Patrick Park opens. … Robert Francis [see yesterday’s post] joins Dawes for a show at Spaceland. … Having played on the Eastside on Thursday, Keane takes to the Strip tonight for a show at the Roxy. … Mike Ness plays in front of another sold-out El Rey Theatre audience, while Girl in a Coma plays the Knitting Factory and several shows in small spaces offer some good (and affordable) music: Correatown, Thailand and others at Mr. T’s Bowl; We Are the World at Tangier; and Frankel at Pehrspace.

Saturday: They’ll be partying in the streets downtown — the Old Bank District Holiday Block Party goes off at 4th and Main streets with the likes of the Like and Whispertown 2000 performing. … At the other end of downtown — the end where you’re charged a dollar an ounce for a beer — John Mayer plays the Nokia Theatre. … Dual reasons to hit the Knitting Factory: The Briggs punk out on the Main Stage, while Pop Noir joins Love Grenades to play the Front Stage. … Meanwhile, in Hollywood, there’s the opening of Space 15 Twenty (1520 N. Cahuenga Blvd.), a “retail experiment” (their words) that you can perhaps think of as an Urban Outfitters-with-wings. Catchy NYC trio Chairlift [pictured] entertains. …”  Somebody named AC/DC is plugging in at the Forum. … Fab Moretti’s new band Little Joy is joined by up-and-comers Red Cortez at the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa. … Always-tuneful Dressy Bessy lands at Spaceland. … Jim Bianco throws a holiday party at the Troubadour. … And I have no idea whether they still play tunes from their criminally overlooked 1992 album “Dirtclods” (yeah, it still resides on my shelf), but O.C.’s Primitive Painters celebrate the release of a new album, “Say It ‘Til You Mean It,” with a show at the Slidebar Cafe in Fullerton.

Sunday: Everyone I know who has seen this band’s L.A. dates this year has raved: The U.K.’s Friendly Fires, supported by local up-and-comers Funeral Party, rock Spaceland. … The Little Joy-Red Cortez bill makes its way to the Troubadour. … Keane plays Largo. … The Henry Clay People visit Alex’s Bar in Long Beach. … And your best bet for a feel-good, Aimee Mann plays her third annual holiday part at the Wiltern.

Photo of Chairlift by Ross Fraser