40 Good Shows To See in L.A. in April
Pixies, Morrissey, Sigur Ros, Mastodon, Patti Smith, David Bazan, Sunflower Bean, Noname, Chairlift, Mitski, Jay Som, The Wedding Present, The New Pornographers, Future Islands, Car Seat Headrest, King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard, New Order, S U R V I V E, Guided by Voices, The Magnetic Fields + more!
Written by Patrick McNamara
Why is there an unusually high number of good shows in L.A. this month?
Let's highlight forty good ones right quick.
40 Super Good Shows To See in L.A. This April
1. Coachella on April 14th / 15th / 16th / 21st / 22nd / 23rd.
Not familiar with this festival but I believe it's some type of rhythmic ceremonial ritual of sorts.
Regardless, it's pretty under-the-radar and could use all the press it can get.
And this local DIY music blob is here to save the day.
2. Mastodon play a free show at Amoeba Music on Tuesday, April 4th.
Win guaranteed entry passes and also get a free signed copy of Mastodon's new album.
But only if you enter our sick contest in a hurry.
File Under: A Good Band
3. Patti Smith & her band play Teragram Ballroom on Tuesday, April 4th (tickets).
Legend.
Legend.
Legend.
4. David Bazan plays Bootleg Theater on Thursday, April 6th (tickets).
This dude has been making incredible music for over twenty years.
DB is more than just Pedro the Lion (which ruled, don't get me wrong).
Listen to his new stuff too. Seriously.
5. Sunflower Bean plays Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County on Friday, April 7th (tickets).
We've been fans of this solid swirling band for years!
Did you know SB were our #1 hardest-working band in 2014?
Sunflower Bean rules.
6. Noname plays The Observatory on Friday, April 7th (tickets).
Noname* is a poet / rapper from Chicago.
Think dope flow meets sweet laid-back jazzy beats meets zero fucks given.
She's chill like that.
File Under: Beats / Rhymes / Life
7. Cherry Glazerr play The Observatory on Friday, April 7th (tickets).
Cherry Glazerr rrules.
This show is a rrecommended rrager.
Forr surre.
8. Cold War Kids play a free show at Fingerprints on Saturday, April 8th.
Free Cold War Kids show.
Free new video.
Free is ____.
9. Chairlift play Echoplex on Saturday, April 8th (tickets) and Sunday, April 9th (tickets).
These are Chairlift's final shows in LA before they finally reach the top floor in the sky.
A good band. Once. Now. Forever. Amen.
Classic jam time.
10. Mitski plays The Glass House on Thursday, April 20th (tickets).
Mitski is huge now! This show will most probably maybe almost definitely sell out.
If you don't have a ticket you should get one soon.
Here's why: Mitski rules.
11. When We Were Young Festival at The Observatory on Saturday, April 8th (tickets) and Sunday, April 9th (tickets).
Some dude named Morrissey is headlining Saturday's show.
He's not that into Sundays.
Damn, that's a lot of shows!
Or, if I remember my Icelandic correctly:
Fjandinn er að mikið af sýningum!
13. The Wedding Present play The Echo on Saturday, April 29th (tickets).
One of my favorite bands ever, man.
If you somehow missed out on this British band's hard jingle jangle pop goodness that's OK shit happens.
Start with either this album or this album. I love them like they were my own records.
LOST YOUR LOOK ON LIFE? TOO MUCH APPLE PIE!
14. Jay Som play The Echo on Friday, April 21st (tickets).
Jay Som is the lush DIY post ____ pop project of San Francisco's Melina Duterte.
Think indie pop meets shoegaze meets psych meets a little surf maybe meets good music and you should be on the right track.
15. The New Pornographers play The Theatre at Ace on Wednesday, April 12th.
Despite the name, I hear this is a very tasteful show (although there may be hand claps).
You can't stop Carl Newman. Your stage can only hope to contain his crew.
Waxahatchee opens / Waxahatchee rules.
16. Future Islands play The Roxy on Thursday, April 13th (tickets) and The Glass House on Wednesday, April 19th (tickets).
Still love watching this.
17. Tortoise play Teragram Ballroom on Monday, April 17th (tickets).
Tortoise are so good they made every other Chicago indie / electronic / experimental band that came along after them and bit their style sound totally boring!
If I want to be lulled to sleep by complex, carefully constructed instrumental music I want to be lulled to sleep by the originators - the best.
Tortoise forever.
(Never forget this classic UNKLE remix.)
18. Car Seat Headrest play The Regent Theater on Monday, April 17th (tickets).
This song was named by many reputable blobs as one of the best songs of last year.
One of the rare times we agree with the reputable blobs.
19. King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard play The Roxy on Monday, April 17th (tickets).
Come join these Australian expats on a cosmic journey through physical space and socially constructed time.
It'll be a chill trip.
20. New Order play Santa Barbara Bowl on Tuesday, April 18th.
This is the best New Order album. End stop.
(Please voice your vehement disagreements in the comments section this blob has never had.)
Rounding Out The Top 40:
21. DJ Shadow at The Fonda Theatre
22. Hinds at The Regent Theater
23. S U R V I V E at El Rey Theatre
24. Local Natives at Fox Theater Pomona
25. The Avalanches at The Fonda Theatre
27. Swet Shop Boys at The Echo
29. Foxygen at The Fonda Theatre
31. Guided by Voices at The Roxy
32. The Magnetic Fields at UCLA Royce Hall
33. Mount Eerie at Hollywood Forever
34. Richard Ashcroft at The Wiltern
35. Porcelain Raft at Resident
36. Pixies at Theatre at Ace Hotel
37. Of Montreal at Teragram Ballroom
39. Minus the Bear at The Belasco
40. Crystal Castles at The Glass House
FOR 318 MORE PRETTY GOOD SHOWS IN LA THIS MONTH, CLICK HERE >>
OK, that's it.
Blobness out.
Have fun at the shows, yo.
