Concerts: 2002 - 2003

2002

Counting Crows / Toad the Wet Sprocket - Universal Amphitheater, Universal City, CA

Adam Duritz’ last show before moving from LA to NYC. I’ve seen Counting Crows a lot, always a good show, but it was awesome to get to see Toad.

David Mead - Hotel Cafe, Hollywood, CA

Hotel Cafe at the time was such a cool place to be.  Small, intimate venue with incredible songwriters coming in.  There’s tons I’m not mentioning here, tons I forgot, but I was there hanging out a lot.  The only time in my life where I felt like I belonged to the cool crowd.

Waz & Minibar - Hollywood, CA

Saw both these artists more times than I can count.  Drank with them more times than I can count.  Waz was a friend.  We’ve since lost touch, but he’s gone on to great things and I appreciate his friendship.  Minibar was a great band that, maybe if they’d come out in the 90s, could have been huge.  

Dishwalla - The Key Club, West Hollywood, CA

My sole night as an “industry” guy.  My uncle was meeting with them to talk about a loan to tide them over until the music tastes changed back to something more favorable.  We were in the VIP area and I don’t think they ever did the loan, which is good, because Dishwalla was never cool and they were never going to be cool in the future.  

Frou Frou - The Roxy, West Hollywood, CA

I went with my uncle and his girlfriend again to this show, they were fans and they made me a fan.  Her voice is incredible.  They really showed what two people and some technology could do on stage.  I still listen to that record.

Go Betty Go - Hollywood, CA

Not sure where this was, but I went with my roommate Frank and it was upstairs from some Thai restaurant or something in East Hollywood.  You couldn’t forget those girls, they were a force.

Pete Yorn / Jukebox Junkies / Minibar - The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA

First time seeing any of these artists.  If I remember right, Waz came out and played a song or two with Pete (they were roommates at Syracuse and Waz was an original member of Pete’s band, Dirty Bird).  

Trampoline Records Showcase - The House of Blues, Sunset Strip, West Hollywood, CA

A brief moment.  A tour, a compilation CD (that I still have) and a showcase.  Pete, Rami Jaffee of the Wallflowers (and now Foo Fighters), Minibar, Jukebox Junkies, Kenny Wayne Shepard, Mark Seliger, Gary Jules (who was always around back then it seems like), Ethan Johns, Pete Droge and Peter Himmelman.  Good time.

Liam Finn - Hotel Cafe, Hollywood, CA

Son of Neil Finn of Crowded House.  So many good songwriters who became niche successful, I can’t even remember them all.  

OKGO - The Casbah, San Diego, CA

Fun times driving down with my friend Naoko who I went to a lot of shows with.

Ryan Adams / Alanis Morrissette - Universal Amphitheater, Universal City, CA

So-so as far as Ryan Adams shows go.

Ryan Adams / Tegan & Sara - The Wiltern, Los Angeles, CA

I met Naoko at this show.  She posted an extra ticket on Craigslist and we were friends for years after.  This was right after the infamous show in Nashville where he lost it over “Summer of ‘69” heckles.  Someone handed him a book, and he “read” it, quoting “Summer of ‘69”.  It was just him and a guitar or piano, great, great show.

Trash Brats - The Garage, Hollywood, CA

Nice to revisit my punk past and hang out with Ricky and the guys.  I am happy to say I ended up getting to share a stage with Ricky years later in Indianapolis.

2003

Ben Kweller / Brendan Benson - The Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA

Fun show with Naoko.  I think this is the show Vanessa Carlton tried to pick me up at the bar.

Ben Folds (with William Shatner) / Duncan Sheik - The Avalon, Hollywood, CA

Ben Folds was fine, I was there to see Duncan, but Shatner coming out to join Ben is the kind of thing that only happens in LA, Nashville or NYC.  Cool thing to see.

Brian Wilson / Sugar Ray / Heart (Acoustic) - UCLA Royce Hall, Westwood, CA

This was a fund raiser for the Carl Wilson Foundation.  Elton John was supposed to headline but got sick and Brian Wilson filled in at the last second.  What a thing to have been able to have seen him.  Sharon Stone spilled a beer on me and, at least in my mind, was flirty with me.  Totally worth having a wet shirt half the night and smelling like beer.  

Jason Falkner - The Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA

Another under-appreciated songwriter.  Went with Naoko of course.

Jesse Malin (Ryan Adams) - The Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA

Jesse had just released The Fine Art of Self-Destruction, which Ryan had produced.  Jesse is always good and it was cool to see Ryan join him for a few songs.

Elliott Smith / Rilo Kiley - Henry Fonda Theater, Hollywood, CA

One of Elliott’s last shows.  I’ve written about it more in depth in these pages, but watching the show on YouTube, it’s not as bad as I remember it being, but Naoko and I were both sitting there having a hard time enjoying ourselves because it was so depressing.

Garrison Starr - Hotel Cafe, Hollywood, CA

Again, just a show I remember a little better.  So many great nights at Hotel Cafe back then.

Chris Isaak - House of Blues Sunset Strip, West Hollywood, CA

I think this was the first show I ever went to alone, though it’s something I continue to do if no one else wants to go.  I think I spent $100 on this ticket, which at the time was a ton of money for me.  Hard to get one for less these days.

Jon Brion - The Largo, Hollywood, CA

He did the one man band thing, which is cool for a minute, but then gets old fast.  He called out for suggestions, whether he knew them or not, my date yelled “Tempted, by Squeeze” and within about sixty seconds he was playing it on the piano.  Talented dude.

Stereophonics / Kay Hanley - House of Blues Sunset Strip, West Hollywood, CA

Went with my dad and uncle.  SUPER loud show, but the Phonics were at their peak in the early 2000s.

Liz Phair / Stereophonics / The Leaves  - The Avalon, Hollywood, CA

Another great show.  Ran into Waz there.  Walt, R. Walt Vincent that is, collaborator of Waz and Pete Yorn, had worked on Liz’s record.  She got a lot of shit for this record, but it’s honestly very good.  So what if it’s polished.  She was always poppy, this was just more polished.

Evan Dando (Juliana Hatfield) / Mike Watt - The El Rey, Los Angeles, CA

Great show.  Fun line up.  My friends had no idea who Mike Watt was and I got to educate them.

Rhett Miller - The Largo, Hollywood, CA

This would have been a good time to quit drinking.  Not one of my finer moments.  Largo is a ticket, plus dinner minimum.  I hadn’t eaten, I pre-partied with Jack Daniels, then decided to use my dinner minimum on a bottle of Cabernet.  I was right in front of Rhett and I kept yelling for him to play “Nineteen” and I was so obnoxious that he eventually refused to play it.  My apologies to anyone driving south on the 101 at 2 a.m. who might have gotten hit as I vomited out the window of Gideon’s car at 90 mph all the way from Canoga Park to Hollywood.  

Some Girls / The Pieces - Spaceland, Hollywood, CA

I really loved that first Some Girls record.  That band was Juliana Hatfield, Freda Love Smith and Heidi Gluck.  I’ve since become acquainted with Freda and Heidi played on Before You Turn Out the Lights and it’s a complete honor to know them both.  Ironically, The Pieces, was Heidi, Devon Ashley and Vess Ruhtenberg and Devon also played on that record with me.

The Old 97’s - The Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA

They filmed this for a DVD which I still have.  Kind of cool to be a part of something like that.

The Wallflowers - House of Blues Sunset Strip, West Hollywood, CA

I just remember I was there.