HEADS UP
Yaz @ Orpheum Theatre Thu 7/10
Yaz @ Orpheum Theatre Fri 7/11

(UPDATE: PRESALE PASSWORD & TICKET LINKS AT END OF ARTICLE!)

Fresh from Pollstar this afternoon comes news that should make more than a handful of old bastards and retro throwback wannabes very happy indeed: YAZ (Vince Clarke, Alison Moyet) will tour the USA for the first time (ever!) and grace Los Angeles’ Orpheum Theatre in July. Believe it! I think I just shat myself. (Can I say that here?) Tickets will go on sale March 8; stay tuned for the details right here at your favorite Spaceland Secret Gig Speculative Web Presence™. Take it away, Pollstar:

Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet have announced that they will reunite for the first time in over 25 years as Yaz for Reconnected, a brief US tour in July.

The duo will also tour the U.K. and Europe, but as Yazoo, the name the band goes by overseas.
The run includes stops in Denmark, Germany, Ireland, half a dozen cities in the U.K. and the Sonar festival in Spain.

The U.S. trek kicks off July 7 at the Paramount Theater in Oakland, Calif., and includes stops at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles (July 10-11), the Chicago Theatre in Chicago (July 14) and New York City’s Terminal 5 (July 16-17).

Tickets go on sale in Chicago on March 7, in New York City and Los Angeles beginning March 8 and in Oakland on March 9 at Ticketmaster.com.

»continue reading Holy Crap! Yaz To Tour USA July 2008; Two Orpheum Dates On List

Before I teabag these Ferengi, let me qualify one thing: the staff was nice. Although STAR TREK: THE TOUR is held until March 2nd, 2008, the hard-working red shirts in the exhibition hall treat it like it opened yesterday. Not sure how many staff members are going with the Tour when it wraps and travels the world, but it ain’t easy for a guy to suspend his disbelief. A more hirsute, knuckle-dragging bunch might have grown surly over the ubiquitous Vulcan salutes, the “Live Long and Prosper” shout-outs, the whole thing.

So let me walk you through the tour. I recommend $6 for “a thing with buttons on it that explains what you might encounter”, which you can rent upon arrival. It is the only money worth spending here.
»continue reading Star Trek: The Tour: The Review

Lyrically and sonically, Pitchfork-approved and Boston-bred Tulsa lead singer Carter Tanton walks a delicate wire bordering Richard Ashcroft and Tom Petty. To his credit, dude even looks like Petty: Skinny frame, sharp features, all flannel and hair letting the sound man know who’s running the show in this neck of the woods. It’s not a stretch, in fact, to postulate that he need but bleach his hair and adhere to a steady diet of sensimilla in order to firmly clasp the “Young Tom Petty” sceptre, but good. Last night I visited le Lounge du Silverlake to witness the band in person, live, and I was not disappointed with the performance. Following the set, though, two questions needed answers. Bigtime. I asked Carter himself to assauge my concerns:

Regarding your Fender Mustang. Is that an original, or a reissue?

»continue reading Thumbs Up For Tulsa (With Minor Reservations)

Following our post Thursday afternoon (thanks for the tip DJ Budgie), ‘Crowes and Coachella message boards have lit up like so many blue-tinselled Spacelandian curtains as to which damn band will be gracing the establishment’s venerable, albeit quaint, stage come March 18.

The question is now begged.
»continue reading “Wyld Stallyons” @ Spaceland, March 18: The Speculation Grows

The Black Crowes are all over the news these days, thanks to Maxim’s botched fauxreview of their new album Warpaint (refer to results 1 – 10 of about 135,000 for maxim black crowes). Unfortunately for the Crowes, said coverage comes in lieu of any legitimate review of the new album itself. Still, no press is bad press. And while we’re on the topic of screwy reviews by paper-dependent publications, why is it that Rolling Stone claims this review of the same album, which I am reading right now on February 28, will have been “Posted: March 6, 2008″ ?!

»continue reading Today In Rumors: Black Crowes Definitely Not Playing Spaceland March 18; “Wyld Stallyons” To Play

PROPERTY ADDRESS
5225 Figueroa Mountain Rd , Los Olivos, CA 93441

OUTSTANDING DEBT
$24,525,906.61

STATUS
Foreclosure. Auction Pending

FACILITIES INCLUDED
Mansion (equipped), Lake Neverland, Flamingo Island Train Station, Zip Line, Michael Jackson Museum, Britto Art Exhibit, Nature Preserve, Basketball Court, Teepee Village, Bumper Cars, Movie Theatre, Amphitheatre, Club Kiss (empty), Massage Therapy Center (empty), Aviary (empty), Petting Zoo (empty), Serpentarium (empty). McConnell’s franchise on site (empty). Expansive 2,800 acre property. Mansion equipped with infrared security device(s).

ASKING PRICE
Property will go to auction March 19 if outstanding balance is not met. All sponsors and donating parties assisting Losanjealous in acquiring the grounds (in what will be a watershed moment on many levels) will be given an engraved brick in the Losanjealous “Brick of Fame” walk, and two (2) coupons which may be redeemed for a free sundae at McConnell’s on-site (with purchase of one sundae at full price). Phonetxt: Sandalwood Conference Room for more information, or just meet us at the north door of the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, 1100 Anacapa St. in Santa Barbara at 1pm on March 19.

T at Neverland by Jeannette

MORE PLEADING AND MJ ON LJ
» Mr. T Visitor Guide: Neverland Ranch Intervention
» Weekend Getaways: The Neverland Ranch
» Help Us Buy The Capitol Records Tower

The opening scene finds the domesticated (shirt tucked in, hair parted) Alan in the kitchen engaged in the motherly duty of packing a picnic basket for a night at the Hollywood Bowl with a date to see Michael Bublé perform. Meanwhile, his brother Charlie, the sexual extrovert of the duo, donning his familiar shorts and floral print rayon shirt, signifying his laid-back style, is overtaken this morning with ennui and laments that he has no one with whom to hang out, having soured on Jake, Alan’s son, who spends the bulk of this episode in a minor subplot involving constant telephone contact with friends. Alan suggests Charlie widen his field of female company from which to choose and attempt to date what he terms “age appropriate” women; the suggestion visibly baffles Charlie. To illustrate this point, Charlie further explicates, “You need a woman whose head is for more than resting your ankles!” the awkward imagery being that of Charlie engaged in sexual congress with a female, in the missionary position, his partner’s legs bent to the point were her ankles are physically able rest atop his head. Alan spells this out further to mean “40-year-old women”, the suggestion of which bowls Charlie over and sets him off on a strange tangent wherein he articulates a deep-seated fear of older women’s oversized earlobes.
»continue reading Emasculation and Ennui of the Man-Child Charlie on Two and a Half Men

This Just In: The Weiland-inclusive Stone Temple Pilots are officially slated to appear at Toronto’s Edgefest in July, according to an announcement made on Pollstar today. Once combined with the recent announcement that the Plush-Encore-Guaranteed Vessel will be playing an Ohio festival in May, this second date may effectively lay to rest any rumor that the reunion was but a misguided- albeit- creative Weilandian drug-addled fantasy. For those making the trek to Toronto to see STP (and *cough* Linkin Park), presale begins tomorrow; general onsale March 1.

Velvet Revolver @ Wiltern by Brian

Believe it: Microsoft Paint-wielding blogger Perez Hilton is rumored to be getting his own Warner imprint. (Stereogum has a nice recap of the NYT article right here).

The question is begged.

»continue reading No Age Live in Los Angeles, El Rey Theater, February 22, 2008

Tonight is the last night of The Pity Party’s Spaceland monday night residency. Where are my pills? I need them. I don’t know how I am going to get through this. My whole life has revolved around this residency since at least November of 07. And after tonight it will all be over. All the adoring fans who got in for free. All the reluctant merch people who kept shoddy track of our moving units. All the middle-aged men handing out business cards promoting their home studios– all that will be over!

And yet something will also be beginning: the future of a band who has already played its Spaceland residency. What can such a future hold? Air conditioned tour buses? Millions of dollars? Relatives coming out of the woodwork? Isolation and token attachment to trendy social causes? The Pity Party is SO ready for all that.
»continue reading Residencies Are My Reason To Live

Gary Busey may have had no role to support at the Kodak Theatre last night, but he had no problem securing an inordinate amount of press this morning thanks in no small part to an awkward, yet Buseyly sincere, double-kiss to Jennifer Garner’s (admittedly kiss-fetching) neck on the red carpet. Did you miss the clip? It’s here in all its cringe-inducing glory, or you can just read about it in results 1 – 10 of about 14,300 for gary busey red carpet (0.74 seconds) and/or results 1 – 10 of about 33,700 for gary busey jennifer garner (0.17 seconds).

The question is begged.

PICK OF THE WEEK

Grizzly Bear
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Saturday March 1
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Show Info
Contest closed
 

THIS WEEK’S TICKET GIVEAWAYS

TAKEN BY TREES
(Victoria Bergsman, ex-Concretes)
w/ White Hinterland
Thursday Feb 28
The Roxy | Show Info
Contest closed

MSTRKRFT
w/ Z-Trip
Friday Feb 29
Henry Fonda
Contest closed

RAVEONETTES
& BE YOUR OWN PET
Tues Mar 4
Henry Fonda
Show Info
Contest closed

HEADS UP

Holy Fuck @ Spaceland Sat 3/1
Daniel Lanois w/ Brian Blade @ Vista Theater (Here Is What Is movie premiere – 9:30 pm) Thu 3/27
Daniel Lanois w/ Brian Blade @ Vista Theater (Here Is What Is movie premiere – 6:30 pm) Thu 3/27
Tokyo Police Club @ Troubadour Thu 3/27
The Mooney Suzuki @ The Roxy Sat 3/22
Digitalism @ El Rey Tue 4/1
Nick Lowe & Robin Hitchcock @ El Rey Fri 4/11
The Gossip @ Henry Fonda Sat 4/19
El Perro Del Mar @ El Rey Mon 5/19
Atmosphere @ Henry Fonda Wed 5/7
Atmosphere @ Henry Fonda Tue 5/6
El-P & Dizzee Rascal @ El Rey Thu 5/22
The Police w/ Elvis Costello & The Impersonators @ Hollywood Bowl Tue 5/27
The Kooks @ The Wiltern Mon 5/19
M83 @ Echoplex Tue 5/20
The Long Blondes @ Glass House Tue 6/3
The Long Blondes @ Troubadour Wed 6/4
Kanye West, Rihanna, N.E.R.D., Lupe Fiasco @ Staples Center Sat 6/7

MONDAY
Rickie Lee Jones @ Echoplex
The Pity Party @ Spaceland (Mondays in February residency)
»continue reading Losanjealous Concert Picks: Feb 25 – Mar 2

HEADS UP
M83 @ Echoplex Tue 5/20

Traveling the less common counter-clockwise West-East route through the States, French electronic/ambient/shoegaze act M83 play Echoplex on 5/20.

Also noteworthy is that M83 is now more or less an Anthony Gonzalez solo project with Nicholas Fromageau’s departure. (See photo at left.) How this will play out against the mandate that all French indie acts who achieve a modicum of Stateside success must be 2-man duos (Daft Punk, Air, Justice, et al.) remains to be seen.

Ease your pain of writing that check out to The Man to continue to fund illegal, immoral wars when the new LP, Saturdays=Youth, is delivered by Mute to a Best Buy near you on Tax Day.

NEW TRACK STREAM, UNFORTUNATELY NOT DOWNLOADABLE MP3

“Coleurs” from Saturdays=Youth

Love, hate or have no feelings whatsoever about something you’ve seen on Operacion Repo? Believe it or not, you’re not alone. Take your concerns straight to the comment section on this page where Sonia herself (aka DEMON AZAZEL) will respond to your love, hatred or general ambivalence in record time.

HEADS UP
The Kooks @ The Wiltern Mon 5/19

Ring in Tax Day with the arrival of their new LP, unfortunately entitled “KONK.” Capitals and bizarreness all theirs.

LA’s legendary Clifton’s Cafeteria is a local landmark of the highest order. It’s also my all-time favorite place to have a stuffed moose stare at me as I enjoy a tasty turkey dinner and Jell-O beside a waterfall overlooking the redwood forest mural. After I finish eating I step inside the tiny chapel and push the button to hear the prayer. After that, it’s up to the third floor ‘VIP Room’ to enjoy the Clifton’s memorabilia on display. Among the array of amazing artifacts on display is this poster from about 1960. Don’t you just love how happy daddy-o, mommy-o and junior are? That’s exactly the way I feel when I’m at Clifton’s! And, btw, please enjoy the timeless classic gold metallic and red-flocked wallpaper you can barely see behind the poster!

You can experience Clifton’s and dozens of authentic Los Angeles attractions with me this Sunday, Feb 24 or next, March 2, on my ‘Disneyland’ Tour of Downtown Los Angeles. The MAIN STREET USA, ADVENTURELAND, FRONTIERLAND, FANTASYLAND and TOMORROWLAND of the heart and soul of our city awaits you! There are a few tickets left.

For Tickets and all the info click here.

Here’s to CLIFTON’S, rediscovering Downtown Los Angeles as theme park, and YOU!

Visit Charles’ site or join his Slide of the Week Mailing List.