Rock/Pop
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, The Groove Divinities at The Malibu Inn, 5/19
Peter Case, Marvin Etzioni, Stan Ridgway at Molly Malone’s, 5/25
Tony McManus at Boulevard Music, 5/21, 8pm.
The Sightings, Saccharine Trust, Open City, Ben Wolcott at Spaceland, 5/19
Mahjongg, The Noisettes, Holy Shit at Spaceland, 5/20
Sam Prekop at The Troubadour, 5/19
Melt-Banana, Das Oath, Toxic Shock & The Flaming Tampons at The Troubadour, 5/20
Earlimart, Okkervil River, Richard Swift at The
Troubadour, 5/21
Sin City Social Club: The Snakehandlers Lisa Sanders, Truckee Brothers (San Diego), Kristi Krueger (Dallas), Dave Insley, The Black Summer Crush, The Sin City Social Club House Band, Merle Jagger’s Mark Christian, West Coast Grand’s Bobby Gonzalez, the Sundowners’ Dave Phenicie, John Ramey and Sin City AllStar Chris Lawrence, surprise guests at the Mint, 5/19
I See Hawks in LA, Randy Weeks & Tony Gilkyson at Cole’s, Downtown LA,5/25
Architecture in Helsinki at Amoeba Music, 5/20, 7pm. FREE. (Also playing a full set at Spaceland, 5/22).
Maria McKee at the Roxy, 5/21, 9pm.
Lila Downs at The Barnsdall Art Park, 5/19
Billy Miles at Amoeba, 5/21, 2pm. FREE.
The Satelliters at the Lava Lounge,5/25.
Guitarmageddon (Norway) featuring Kid Andersen, Vidar Bush & Amund Maarud, plus Junior Watson, at Harvelle’s, 5/19
The Bobs, The Perfect Gents at McCabe’s, 5/21
The Border Snakes, Bob Malone, The Bonedaddies at the Mint, 5/21, 7:30pm.
I See Hawks in LA, Mary McCaslin, “duke of uke”(ulele) Bill Tapia, the Joel Rafael Band, Quinto Sol, Yukiko Matsuyama at the Taiko Center of Los Angeles, 5/22
Neville Bros, Marcia Ball, Walter Trout, Solomon Burke, Mavis Staples, Blind Boys of Alabama, David Lindley, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jimmy Thackery & the Drivers, Roomful of Blues, North Mississippi AllStars, Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater w/Los Straitjackets, Roy Rogers & Norton Buffalo, tribute to Little Walter, more on various stages at The 7th Annual Doheny Blues Fest, Doheny State Beach, Dana Point, 5/21 & 5/22, 11 a.m.-9:30pm. Info: www.omegaevents.com/dohenyblues
Jazz/Classical
Vijay lyer Quartet at The Jazz Bakery, 5/19 – 5/21
The LA Harbor College Percussion Ensemble, directed by Jeanette Kangas (formerly Wrate) and Adam Idell with special guests at the LAHC Music Recital Hall, 5/22, 3pm. All proceeds go “to purchase drums from Africa for the new African Music Program at LAHC” 1111 Figueroa Place Wilmington
Anthony Wilson Nonet at The Vic, 5/19.
Late Night Jazz: Sandro Albert Latin Jazz at The Vic, 5/19, 12mid – 2am.
Studio at The Redcat, Disney/CalArts Theatre, Downtown LA, 5/22 – 5/23
Austin Peralta at The Jazz Bakery, 5/22
South Torrance High School at The Jazz Bakery, 5/23, 4pm.
Readings / Performance
The Ademian Line Hardcover Publication Celebration at Dutton’s Brentwood, 5/25, 7pm. A “special multimedia event” with writer and publisher of FictionSpin Publishing, Dan Segal “on hand to discuss this compelling science fiction novel of profound implications.” Rare vintage footage from “The Ed Sullivan Show” will be shown.
Thrift Store Movies at The Hammer, 5/19, 7pm. “salvaged cinematic treasures rescued from the obscurity of thrift stores, swap meets, and dumpsters. . . From underwater mermaid showgirls of Florida’s Weeki-Wachi resort to performance art by East German ski bums . . .” Presented by artist Allen Ruppersberg, LA Weekly art critic Doug Harvey, and artist Jim Shaw. FREE. 10899 Wilshire Blvd., (310) 443-7000.
Aaron Glantz: How America Lost Iraq at Skylight Books, 5/20, 7:30pm.
Michael Connelly: The Closers at Skylight Books, 5/22, 5:30pm.
Lisa Cholodenko, Lisa Yuskavage at The Hammer, 5/25, 7pm.
Hammer Readings: New American Writing Martha Cooley & M.G. Lord at The Hammer Museum, 5/22, 5pm. FREE.
The Week Ahead
Thursday, May 19
Melt, Banana at The Troubadour
Matt Costa, The White Buffalo, A Hawk & A Hacksaw at Tangier
The Vanishing, Dame Darcy, New Collapse, Shoot Out The Lights at The Silverlake Lounge
DJ Anthony Valadez, Amel Larrieux, Bliss Live at Temple Bar
Curious Primate, Pensive, Soho Vamp, Subdevice at 14 Below
Hee Haw Hell at Bigfoot Lodge
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum at The Echo
Citizen Cope at The House of Blues
Hellzaboppers, Hot Rod Lincoln at Molly Malone’s
Friday, May 20
The Ditty Bops, Skeeter Truck at Tangier
Lightning Swords of Death, Bloodhag, Wolves in The Throne room, DJ Skot at El Cid
Los Super Elegantes at The Echo
Kiltergrey, Hako Tranzito, Aspidistra at The Lava Lounge
The Boneshakers, Sweatpea Atkinson at Harvelle’s
Tiger Army at The House of Blues
Ronny Cox with Lowen & Navarro, Lisa Haley, Mara Hitner at Kulak’s Woodshed, 8pm. FREEE
Omar, Kim Hill, David Ryan Harris, DJ Rashida at Temple Bar
Colin Hay at The Malibu Inn
Chris Mulkey & Blue Hyway, Cynthia Ford at Rusty’s Surf Ranch
DJ Smokey P. at Bigfoot Lodge
Saturday, May 21
Tom Nolan, Curious Primate at Rusty’s Surf Ranch
Montecarlo 76, The Steve Carson Band, The Red Lights at The Lava Lounge
Sabrosa Purr, Joennine Zapata, Pedestrian at Spaceland
Blowin’ Smoke at Harvelle’s
Juke Joint Gang at The Talking Stick
Tiger Army at The House of Blues
50 Cent Haircut, Dina D’Allesandro at Farmer’s Market, Fairfax & 3rd, 7pm. FREE.
Tiff Jimber, more at The Un-Urban Coffee House, Santa Monica
Sunday, May 22
Architecture in Helsinki, Macromantics at Spaceland
Critical Brass Brass Band, LA Symphony at Temple Bar
Gemma Hayes (Astralwerks), Mark Lane, Space Mountain, Hensley at Tangier
Kinky Karaoke at The Lava Lounge, FREE.
The Toledo Show at Harvelle’s
The Lonesome Architects at The Talking Stick
Tiger Army at The House of Blues
Ten Horse Johnson at Molly Malone’s, 8pm.
26th Annual Claremont Folk Festival Sunday Swing: Jonathan Stout & His Campus Five at the Derby
Cubensis at 14 Below
Monday, May 23
Vagenius at Spaceland
The Movement Orchestra, Maired at Temple Bar
The Last Dirty Joint: Paul Inman, Grant Langston & Supermodels, Hobo Jazz at The Lava Lounge
All Star Pro Jam at Harvelle’s
The Soulutionaries at 14 Below
Eugene Edwards at The Taix Lounge
Dead Rock West, Crazy George Trio w/James Fearley & Dermot Mulroney at Molly Malone’s
Brian McGinty at The Talking Stick
Tuesday, May 24
Sasha Butterfly, Simfani Blue, Sumitra at Temple Bar
Torque at Harvelle’s
Shelby Lynne at Amoeba
Kalai King singer-songwriter night at the Cinema Bar in Culver City
Hockey, Latham Rocks, Mandi Perkins, Tavis at 14 Below
Caribou (formerly Dan Snaith’s Manitoba), Junior Boy, Brad Lainer, Christopher Willits, Russian Futurists at Spaceland
Wednesday, May 25
Two Ton Boa, Traindodge, Kingdom of Snakes at Spaceland
Welfare Poets, E. Reece, Mooney Starr at Temple Bar
Boogie Night: JT Ross & Roller Girl at Harvelle’s
Bill Lynch Trio at Cozy’s
London Calling at Bigfoot Lodge
The Bo Dukes, Vince Esquire, Daragoddess at 14 Below