Free Concerts in L.A. Summer 2006

Nothing makes a Serbian happier than the word "free". So here you have it, Anji's Guide To Free Shows throughout L.A. And they're all free free free.....

Here are some links to access info at a particular venue, otherwise I've listed events in chronological order:

Hollywood & Highland: http://hollywoodandhighland.com/play_events.php
The Skirball Cultural Center: http://www.skirball.org
California Plaza, Downtown LA: http://grandperformances.org
Santa Monica Pier: http://www.twilightdance.org

LACMA: http://lacma.org/programs/MusicPrograms.aspx

Pasadena: http://www.levittpavilionpasadena.org/calendar06.htm

The Getty: http://www.getty.edu/visit/events/summer_sessions_2006.html

Saturday, July 1 @ 7:00 pm

Sounds Eclectico with Kinky & Sidestepper

California Plaza http://www.grandperformances.org

Kinky is hands down the most energetic band you'll see this summer, except for maybe Manu Chao.....

Thursday, July 13 @ 7:30 pm
Dick Dale: Killer Surf Guitar
Santa Monica Pier http://www.twilightdance.org
What could be more appropriate in Santa Monica than the surf guitar king?

Sunday, July 16 @ noon- 7:00 pm

Bastille Day in the Gardens of the Page Museum

http://www.bastilledaylosangeles.com/

Celebrate this French holiday with food, music, Tahitian dancers and more.

Thursday, July 20 @ 8:00 pm
The Refugee All Stars of Sierra Leone
Skirball Cultural Center http://www.skirball.org
I saw a documentary of these guys at AFI Fest 2005 and it was amazing. Not to be missed. Also, they'll be screening The Refugee All Stars on Wednesday, July 19 @ the Skirball.

Thursday, July 20 @ 7:30 pm
Mavis Staples
Santa Monica Pier http://www.twilightdance.org
Soul, Gospel & Groove

Thursday, July 27 @ 8:00 pm
Mono Blanco with Los Cenzontles
Skirball Cultural Center http://www.skirball.org
Mexican folk music, particularly son jarocho, at its best

Thursday, July 27 @ 7:30 pm
Lyrics Born & Daara J
Santa Monica Pier http://www.twighlightdance.org
Senegalese Hip Hop & Rap

Saturday, July 29 @ 8:00 pm

Sounds Eclectico 2 w/Nortec Collective and Banda with Mexican Institute of Sound

California Plaza http://www.grandperformances.org

Tijuana techno mixed with ranchera and old school accordions.....

Thursday, August 3 @ 8:00 pm
Eliseo Parra
Skirball Cultural Center http://www.skirball.org
Spanish musical great

Thursday, August 3 @ 7:30 pm
L.A. Reggae: The Aggrolites, Joey Altruda's Classic Riddims & Christ Murray Combo
Santa Monica Pier http://www.twilightdance.org
Local reggae bands

Thursday, August 10 @ 7:30 pm
Salif Keita
Santa Monica Pier http://www.twilightdance.org
The "Golden Voice of Mali" brings Afro-pop to L.A.

Thursday, August 10 @ 8:00 pm
New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars
Skirball Cultural Center http://www.skirball.org
Music from New Orleans in the summer is always a good idea.....

Friday, August 11 noon- 2 pm

All Africa: Naby Camara

Central Courtyard http://hollywoodandhighland.com

Friday, August 11 @ 8:00 pm

Henry Mancini Institute Big Band with Maria Schneider

California Plaza http://www.grandperformances.org

Jazz classics under the stars in downtown LA

Thursday, August 17 @ 7:30 pm
Inti-Illimani
Santa Monica Pier http://www.twilightdance.org
Legendary Chilean group. They're a group that just must be seen live.


Thursday, August 17 @ 8:00 pm
Little Willie G Y Los Tamaleros
Skirball Cultural Center http://www.skirball.org
An East LA electro-acoustic set featuring a 9 piece band.

Friday, August 18 noon- 2pm

All Africa: Kow Kanda

Central Courtyard http://www.hollywoodandhighland.com

Thursday, August 24 @ 8:00 pm
Mamadou Diabate
Skirball Cultural Center http://www.skirball.org
Music from West Africa

Thursday, August 24 @ 7:30 pm
Kiran Ahluwalia
Santa Monica Pier http://www.twilightdance.org
Indo-Canadian singer trained in classical Indian singing.

Thursday, August 31 @ 7:30 pm
David Grisman
Santa Monica Pier http://www.twilightdance.org
Deadheads rejoice in this man's combo of acoustic string instrumental music

Friday, September 22 @ noon

Very Be Careful

California Plaza http://www.grandperformances.org

LA-Colombian traditional vallenato music

Wild Child @ The Whisky 7/3/06

I have a mental list of things I want to do in LA before I die or move to someplace less crazy. Seeing Wild Child live, THE Doors cover band, has been on that list for years.

As far as cover bands go, I've seen my share. In LA it's special because there's a whole cult following generated by these groups. I've seen Led Zeppelin and Stevie Nicks covered in strange places like Receda and the Bicycle Casino off the freeway. It's not always a pleasant experience.

So on the 35th Anniversary of Jim Morrison's death and on Wild Child's 20th Anniversary of being together the stars aligned and I ended up at The Whisky. I thought the crowd would be lots of old souls and hard rockers, but to my surprise easily half of the audience was a young Latino crowd, along with some drunken blondes and a few men who looked like they saw The Doors back in the day.

Not to say that Dave Brock, lead singer of Wild Child is Jim Morrison, but their performance was haunting. They don't do the note for note but instead after so many years together they have their own sound that's a beautiful homage to the Doors.

Kinky @ California Plaza 7/1/06

Kinky had the crowd eating out of the palm of its hand Saturday night. California Plaza was full of fans from their early days, KCRW hippies and people looking for a good time.


I missed Sidestepper because we were at the LA Film Festival watching East of Havana, a documentary on Cuban rappers. By the time we got to the plaza, Kinky had everyone dancing to their infectious rhythms: their energy onstage is on par with that of No Doubt. I was at a show of theirs at Forbidden Garden in Hollywood back in 2003 that was shut down by the fire department--they don't let up and are all the more loved for it.

5 guys from Monterrey, Mexico who initially blended ranchera music with trippy techno a la Nortec Collective have decidedly gone more commercial and a la Shakira their latest release is very mucho en ingles. But it's all good because they sound fantastic.

Arlo Guthrie @ California Plaza

Arlo Guthrie Family Legacy Tour

Saturday, June 17 @ Calfornia Plaza

Arlo Guthrie gave a fantastic concert at UCLA back in the fall of 2005 and this time he came back to LA with the whole family in tow. His humorous brand of socio-political folk music was very welcome on a balmy day in LA. Of course he did "Alice's Restaurant", his signature tune and "Flying into Los Angeles" and his daughter did his songs justice with her band. But it's his renditions of his father Woody Guthrie's songs that put a lump in my throat this time around. "My Peace" and especially "This Land is Your Land" ( a song I had to sing at many, many spring sings in Libertyville, IL) speak so poignantly to the reality of 2006, with war and the fight for immigrant rights dominating the headlines. It's not just listening to a 60's throwback, it's going to see a man whose music has come full circle.

For more info on other shows at California Plaza, check out http://www.grandperformances.org

Alfonso Maya @ Solart Gallery Cafe

Alfonso Maya returned to Southern California for another performance on June 24 at Solart Gallery Cafe in Santa Ana. He's always welcome and since it was El Sapo Cancionero's night to put on a show of Latin American trova (4th Saturday of every month!!), his visit dovetailed nicely. Not a lot of people came, but Maya gave a terrific perfomance as usual. He's a hilarious storyteller.

Super Burlesque @ El Cid, Silverlake

I'd been to see these gals perform back in January and they were a hoot. Some friends were in town from Denver so I suggested we catch up over cocktails & bustiers @ El Cid in Silverlake. It's a historic, beautiful place, built originally as a soundstage for E.W. Griffiths. The creepy Birth of a Nation was filmed here in part. http://www.elcidla.com

But we were here for fun and yet again the girls gave a great show. Here are some pix from their show.

Tere Estada @ Cultural Stage of Art 6/10/06

We picked up Tere Estrada and her husband Dario in Tijuana on Friday night. Saturday we headed to Cultural Stage of Art in Santa Ana, a beautiful space run by flamenco dancer/teacher Claudia de la Cruz and her partner in crime, Xosue Menenses.

For their first show in Orange County, Tere gave a kick ass performance and Dario was fantastic on slide guitar. For more info check out http://tereestrada.com.mx. Here are some photos. Hope they'll be back soon!

Opening Game of the World Cup @ Goethe Institute

Goethe-Institute Los Angeles

5750 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 100

Los Angeles, CA 90036

http://www.goethe.de/losangeles

I'd been to the Goethe Institute for a Southeast European Film Festival not too long ago and had returned to watch a Brazilian film about soccer a few weeks before the World Cup. The director of the institute kindly invited us to come for free beer and sausages on Friday, June 9 at 8:45 am and watch the opening World Cup game of Germany vs. Costa Rica. We figured, hey, why not?

So we arrived a little before 9 am on the 9th thinking not a lot of people would be there. It was packed! Standing room only, in a room full of intoxicated Germans. A little early for beer and sausages, but somehow I managed. It was funny to be out in the courtyard on a work day in full celebratory mode while other offices watched us from above. Even the janitors of the building managed to sneak in for a beer. Germany kicked Costa Rica's ass and it was time to leave, after one more beer. We've been told they will be open for every game during the day and we're invited back.....

Lummis Day in Highland Park

Sunday, June 4th was Lummis Day at Sycamore Grove Park in Highland Park, an old LA neighborhood in the northeast part of the city and where I call home. It was a great, but hot, day to eat yummy food, check out the leftist booths, watch Aztec dancers and listen to good music. Highlights included listening to Cuban Juan Carlos Formell, East LA band Quinto Sol and Severin Browne (Jackson's brother.)

So who was Charles Lummis, you say? He was one visionary cat. He walked from Massachusetts to California, writing stories along the way that ended up in the Los Angeles Times. He led expeditions to Latin America, built El Alisal with his own hands and founded the Southwest Museum here in Highland Park. Ah yes, he was also the city librarian. His best known book is A Tramp Across the Continent. If you're ever in town, pay a visit to the Southwest Museum or El Alisal, aka the Lummis House. For more info check out http://www.socalhistory.org.

My favorite images from Lummis Day are these: a potbellied kid and his tattoed dad and a little girl in a red dress.