The 5 Best Shows in LA This Week - Oh My Rockness

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The 5 Best Shows in LA This Week

August 19, 2014

Written by Patrick McNamara

The 5 Best Shows in LA This Week

This is one of the greatest week for good shows in LA this entire summer. Bet on that, dear Rockness reader. Bet. On. That. It’s overwhelming and almost crippling to pick just five shows you should go see. Luckily, we thrive in pressure packed situations and we have managed to do just that. Whew. Long live the local music blob. It takes #courage and #heart.

#1. FYF Fest - Los Angeles Sports Arena - Sat and Sun - August 23rd and 24th - 2014 A.D.

We're sure you've never heard of the FYF Fest. No way. No how. We should explain then. This tiny, under-the-radar two-day family musical festival features a bunch of small unknown bands that are looking to get their big break in the "Mu$ic Indu$try." Some of these bands nobody has ever heard of = The Strokes (who?) + Phoenix (huh?) + Interpol (not familiar) + HAIM (no clue) + Real Estate (sorry... we rent) + well, a dozens more minuscule bands. You may peep the whole lineup of great unknowns here. Who knows. Maybe some of these bands will even end up getting signed!

#2. Future Islands - The Fonda - Wednesday & Thursday - August 20th & 21st - 2014 A.D.

Baltimore’s Future Islands (please pay no attention to that five year old band profile) are another one of those itty bitty bands playing FYF Fest. But you can see them at The Fonda first if you want to learn how to do super smooth dance moves and sing sweet croons over impulsive guttural growls. And then if you practice, practice, practice you too just might floor David Letterman someday. You never know. You gotta play to win.

#3. Slint - El Rey - Friday - August 22 - 2014 A.D.

Louisville pre-post-rock sluggers Slint (that nine year old band profile will interest no one - please don't read) also play FYF Fest. Is there a goddamn echo in here... here…. here? See them play the night before at El Rey and you’ll understand why 9 out of 10 leading alts declare, “Before anyone did anything Slint did everything.”

#4. Blood Orange + Kindness - The Theatre at Ace Hotel - Thursday - August 21 - 2014 A.D.

Hey. Guess who’s also playing FYF Fest this week? Dev Hynes’ Blood Orange (we liked him back when he was just a little Test Icicle, nbd). If you want to see this smooth singer/songwriter, soon-to-be bona fide pop star, you’ll want to be at The Theatre at the Alt Hot... errr... Ace Hotel on this night.

#5. The Zombies - Santa Monica Pier - Thursday - August 21 - 2014 A.D.

And finally. Somebody NOT playing FYF Fest. One of the original British invaders, The Zombies, play a free show at Sonic Monica Pier. They have been doing the sweet sunshine jingle jangle pop since 1962. That’s 52 years, dear Rockness reader. You should go see them and not pay anybody for the privilege. And we should mind our own business.

Have fun out there. And if anyone goes to FYF Fest (aka Fuck Yeah Fest Fest - like ATM Machine = Automated Teller Machine Machine - or Pin Number = Personal Information Number Number) please let us know if any of those tiny bands get signed. That would be a "Mu$ic Indu$try" success story 4 $$$$$$$$URE!!!!!!

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