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40 Good Shows To See in LA in July

This is the best month for shows this summer.

July 5, 2017

Written by Patrick McNamara

Read this feature.

Figure out who you want to see this month.

(spoiler: this month rules)

Make a solid show going plan.

40 Super Good Shows To See In LA in July

1. FYF Fest and FYF After Dark Shows at various venues throughout the month.

It's that time again! It's FYF Fest!

FYF Fest = Fuck Yeah Fest Fest.

ATM Machine = Automatic Teller Machine Machine

Here's our big show listing guide to the festival (7/21 - 7/23 at Exposition Park) where you can see Frank Ocean * A Tribe Called Quest * Nine Inch Nails * Iggy Pop * MGMT * Ty Segall * lots more!

Please pay particular attention to all those crazy good FYF After Dark shows, which include Cap'n Jazz * Perfume Genius * Beach Fossils * Royal Headache

It's FYF Fest!

PIN Number = Personal Identification Number Number

2. Melvins play The Observatory on Thursday, July 6th / Troubadour on Friday, July 7th.

Best sludge band ever, man.

Bring earplugs and nobody gets hurt.

3. Farbarf play The Echo on Friday, July 7th.

Because with a name like Fartbarf it's gotta be good!

4. Blondie / Garbage / Sky Ferreira play Hollywood Bowl on Sunday, July 9th.

I heard the new Blondie song is good.

Here's one from 1979.

5. Cymbals Eat Guitars play The Wayfarer on Saturday, July 15th / Bootleg Theater on Tuesday, July 18th.

Cymbals Eat Guitars are one of the best rock bands in the live game today.

You heard it here FOURTH.

6. Hazel English plays Bootleg Theater on Wednesday, July 19th.

This is one of my favorite albums of the year so far.

7. Sufjan Stevens & pals present Planetarium at Hollywood Forever on Thursday, July 20th.

Right now we are all on a giant round rock that's spinning in space.

And we're not falling off.

Hope "Subaru" Stevens and his buds can help make sense of it.

This show under the stars shall rule.

8. Zola Jesus plays a free show at MOCA Thursday, July 20th.

Free Zola Jesus show at MOCA!

For more good free summer shows like this one peep The Rockness Guide to Free Summer Shows in LA.

9. Camp Cope play Acerogami on Tuesday, July 25th / Bootleg Theater on Wednesday, July 26th.

Camp Cope is a fantastic band from Melbourne, Australia.*

Call them emo. Call them pop. Call them punk. Call them rock. Call them great. Because that's what they are.

These are their first ever LA shows!

RIYL: Hop Along * Rainer Maria * Modern Baseball

10. Post Animal play Bootleg Theater on Tuesday, July 25th.

Think grand pop meets dirty rock meets a bit o' that ol' psych synth soul.

Congratulations. You're now thinking about Post Animal.

Please note: Steve from Stranger Things is in this band.

RIYL: Steve from Stranger Things

11. Wolf Alice play The Echo on Wednesday, July 26th.

Wolf Alice is a good band.

12. No Age play The Smell on Thursday, July 27th.

$5 No Age show at The Smell!

Punk.

Rock.

(watch this video - it rules)

13. Hall and Oates / Tears For Fears play Staples Center on Friday, July 28th / Saturday, July 29th.

Don't think this show should make this list?

I can't go for that.

14. Surf Curse plays The Constellation Room on Friday, July 28th.

Surf Curse is a lo-fi garage pop band from Reno, Nevada but now based in Los Angeles.

Think jingle. Think jangle. Think haze. Think waves.

Think punk melodies you'll actually remember.

Here are some bands they might sound like ---> Surf City, Japandroids, Cherry Glazerr, Parquet Courts, Terry Malts, Royal Headache

RIYL: Good Bands

15. Steve Gunn plays a free show at the Getty on Saturday, July 29th.

Gunn is good.

#folk

#nope

#brooklyn

#violators

#matador

#drone

#zone

#steady

#stevie

#guitar

#gunn

#good

16. Rodrigo y Gabriela play a free show at Annenberg Space for Photography.

FREE SUMMER SHOW ALERT.

17. Baio (of Vampire Weekend) plays a free show at MacArthur Park on Saturday, July 29th.

Baio.

Ba-ay-ay-o.

Daylight come and he wan' go home

Bay, he say bay, he say bay, he say bay, he say bay, he say bay-ay-ay-o

Daylight come and he wan' go home

RIYL: either of the Chris's from Vampire Weekend

18. Metallica play the Rose Bowl on Saturday, July 29th.

Dreaming we'll get this Metallica.

But know we'll probably get this Metallica instead.

Time's a _____.

19. Devendra Banhart plays The Broad on Saturday, July 29th.

We'll let The Broad tell you about this good one. They're better at it.

"The second program in Summer Happenings at The Broad takes its title from the work of Takashi Murakami, who has long found inspiration in the collaged cultures that emerged in Japan at the end of the Tokugawa period of isolation. Strange Forest presents artists who work with those traditional and Western influences in real-time. The evening opens with Tokiko Ihara, who plays the Sho, a meditative traditional woodwind instrument. This contrasts with the blistering female drum and guitar duo Afrirampo and the solo artist Oorutaichi, known for his "drifting folklore music." Those Japan-based groups are joined by ex-DNA member Ikue Mori and Miho Hatori of Cibo Matto. The evening also features L.A. based Devendra Banhart, whose last album "Ape in the Pink Marble" was deeply inspired by Japanese culture, and onetime Ponytail member Dustin Wong in collaboration with Takako Minekawa."