Kevin Bronson on June 19th, 2009

2

[Why, it’s Paula Abdul’s birthday today. Isn’t that nice …]

Today: A seriously busy weekend gets started with the seriously beautiful orchestral maneuvers of Grizzly Bear, who are joined by Here We Go Magic to play a (very) sold-out show at the Wiltern. … It’s also opening night at the Hollywood Bowl, where the Bowl Hall of Fame inducts Dame Kiri Te Kawana and Josh Groban and Roger Daltrey and Trisha Yearwood are among the guest performers. … Old Buzz Bands fave Todd Rundgren plays Club Nokia, while Ben Kweller gets support from Local Natives for a gig at the El Rey Theatre. … Art Brut finishes up its four-night stand in L.A. with a show at the Echo that also features the Blood Arm. … Mere Mortals will be unveiling some new wares – pretty sweet stuff, at that – at Spaceland, joined the Lower Heaven and the Black Kites. … LoveLikeFire burns up the Bootleg Theatre, with Danish electro-rockers Spleen United playing the late set. … Stellar bill at the Hotel Cafe, with Emily Wells (her EP release show), Olin and the Moon, the Grizzly Owls, Andy Clockwise and Y La Bamba. … Also: The Queers at the Knitting Factory; Jay Reatard at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach; Parisians Thieves Like Us, with the U.K.’s Esser, at the Echoplex; Warner Drive at the Viper Room; the Cab at the sold-out Roxy; and (hed) p.e. at the Key Club.

Saturday: Wilco, supported by next-generation Laurel Canyon dude Jonathan Wilson, starts a four-show SoCal run with a sold-out date at the Fox Theater Pomona. …”  Also sold out: PJ Harvey and John Parish at the Wiltern, and Grizzly Bear and Here We Go Magic at the Troubadour. … It’s flashback night at the Echoplex, where Shellac headlines. … Nouvelle Vague headlines the Music Box @ Fonda, where Sara Lov supports. … Josh Schwartz’s Bolero holds forth at the Bootleg Theater. … The Getty’s Saturdays Off the 405 series gets started with a 6 p.m. performance by Chairlift. … And Tom Brosseau and Mike Stinson team up at McCabe’s. … Also: Dinosaur Jr. at the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa; Gary Jules at the Mint; Lauren LaRocca at the Knitting Factory; Parade of Lights at the Alterknit Lounge; the Monthlies at the Unknown Theatre; I Make This Sound at Mr. T’s Bowl; the Dear Hunter at the El Rey Theatre; Amusement Parks on Fire at the Prospector in Long Beach; the Queers at Alex’s Bar; Halloween Jack and Sabrosa Purr at Spaceland; and Mike Watt at the Redwood Bar.

Sunday: Music outdoors, ’tis the season – Make Music Pasadena has its multi-stage, free, all-ages shows throughout the day, featuring the likes of Juana Molina, Quetzal and the Whispertown 2000. And at the Hollywood Bowl, it’s the heavyweight lineup of”  Femi Kuti, Santigold and Raphael Saadiq. …Elsewhere, Shellac plays a second night at the Echoplex, while Venus Infers and the Valley Arena team up at Spaceland. … Also: The Circle Jerks at the Key Club; the Photo Atlas at the Knitting Factory; Dave Gleason at the Grand Ole Echo; Charilift at the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa; and Halloween Swim Team at the Smell.

Photo: Mere Mortals by Aaron Lucy