Kevin Bronson on September 25th, 2009

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[Birthday wishes go out Sunday to Marvin Lee Aday, whom you know as Meat Loaf. Can’t look at the dashboard lights without thinking of him …]

Bon Iver fever: It’s quite a weekend for critical darling Justin Vernon [pictured], who as Bon Iver will play a sold-out show tonight at the Wiltern and then follow it up with an equally sold-out 6 a.m. sunrise show Sunday at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Festival fever: TarFest’s three-day run in the Miracle Mile District includes one night of music – Saturday at the El Rey Theatre – and the fare is tasty: the nervy indie rock of the Deadly Syndrome; the cinematic electro of the Polyamorous Affair; and the shadowy shoegaze of Eskimohunter. … Then, on Sunday, the Abbot Kinney Festival in Venice goes off. The neighborhood event offers entertainment on four stages – the lineup is highlighted by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros and Juliette Commagere, but there are some pretty good reasons to get out of bed early (music starts at 10:30 a.m.). … And also on Sunday is the second annual Longhair Illuminati Music & Arts Festival at the Knitting Factory. Blank Blue, DJ Nobody, Tweakbird, Warpaint, 60 Watt Kid, Spirit Vine and VoicesVoices head up the lineup (there’s a Pomona edition on Oct. 3).

Tonight: And now for our regularly scheduled entry – Autolux, with its long-awaited sophomore album virutally done and hovering for a possible release in 2010, is headlining the El Rey. … Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio has a solo project, Rain Machine, and he’ll be at the Echo. … How long has it been exactly since Manic Street Preachers [pictured] played L.A.? Just curious – they’re at the Avalon. .. Also: The final night of the OohLaLA Festival at the Fonda with Brodinski headling; Portugal, the Man at the Troubadour; Rodrigo y Gabriela and Rocco DeLuca at the Orpheum; Telefon Tel Aviv at Spaceland; Gavin Castleton, One Trick Pony and Lemon Sun at the Hotel Cafe; DJ Quik at the House of Blues; Blu & Exile at the Roxy; the Temptations and the Four Tops at the Gibson Amphitheatre; Jogger at the Bootleg Theater; Brian McKnight and Al Jarreau at the Greek Theatre; Pitbull at Club Nokia; and Dead Man’s Bones at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater.

Saturday: It’s the big benefit for Scott Ford at the Roxy, featuring the likes of Dave Navarro, Donovan Leitch, Duff McKagan and Wayne Kramer. … Quite a lineup at the Palladium, with Common,”  the Roots, Ludacris, De La Soul and Nas. … And it’s Cotton Jones and Oliver Future at Spaceland. … Also: The Tartans at the Smell; Broken Lizard at the Troubadour; Billy Squier at the Wiltern; Portugal, the Man (with Robert Francis) at the Glass House; Billy Talent at the Fonda; and Sugar Ray at the House of Blues.

Sunday: The Dodos and The Ruby Suns hold forth at the El Rey Theatre. … Autolux‘s tour heads to the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa. … !!!, supported by Indian Jewelry, plays the Troubadour. … Also: Tony Gilkyson at Grand Ole Echo at the Echo; Kid Koala at the Key Club; and Chickenfoot at the Gibson Amphitheatre.

Also on Sunday: It’s Rockaway Records’ 30th anniversary. The independent Silver Lake store will have huge parking lot sale, with 30,000 CDs priced at 99 cents each.

Photos: Bon Iver by by Drew Kaiser; Manics by Dean Chalkley