I was a VIP guest of LG at a red carpet Hollywood bash celebrating the Revolution this week. In spite of promo posters featuring raised fists on the walls, this revolution is not a movement — it’s an Android smartphone and a speedy one at that.

To test the LG Revolution I livestreamed videos via the UStream app over the slick Verizon LTE data network.

The party was packed with industry types, well-dressed Hollywood party hoppers and perhaps some marginal celebs. Instead of having a celeb DJ or band this event featured something that I had never seen before — solo instrumentalists playing over music Rock Band style. At one point a violinist accompanied “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” a drummer played over a stripped down version of another song and as seen above, a guitarist played (and emoted) the “Don’t Stop Believin'” solo.

Good times! The revolution is now…

Disclaimer: I was provided with an LG Revolution and a few tasty tequila bevvies for the purpose of this post.

Videos from other people:

Video and interview below as well as photos from the event.

Originally published at LAist.com.

Was lucky to hit a few fantastic live events over the past week and want to share some highlights / video / photos in a post.

Last Tuesday was my first visit to the venue formerly known as Spaceland, now called The Satellite, and for all practical purposes same as it ever was.

But it was like the British Invasion 3.0 all over again. The Vaccines, stopping in LA for a one-off after a quickie in NYC, rocked me every bit as much as I hoped. I felt transported to the early days of Franz Ferdinand or The Hives when they’d pop into Empty Bottle on a Tuesday night riding a bunch of buzz. Though I originally feared that Justin Young’s vocal approach was in the faux-Interpol vein, which fully annoys me in its unoriginality, it was apparent live that he wasn’t trying too hard to be pretty while leading a quartet that motored through their short catalog (debut LP What Did You Expect from The Vaccines is due out in late March) like a Ramones-lite or early Replacements (if they were tight and composed on stage).

I returned to The Satellite the following night to catch Typhoon — an eleven-member Portland-based band that sings, claps, and plays various instruments as a backdrop to the oft-epic compositions of Kyle Morton. If this band ever comes near your town on tour, do what you can to catch them. It’s always a wonder to see a large band pull it off on a small stage, given the inevitably muddled sound coming from their monitors.

My Saturday began in a mellow tone, catching up with one of my fave poets and hip-hoppers from my Chicago days, Idris Goodwin (good friends will remember the Eye Spy disc I often played in my car circa 2004). Turns out now he’s [literally] chillin’ in another of my old ZIPs, Iowa City. Picked up a copy of his new book and better yet got to hear him read some hits from it. Watch those below:

I made it home around 10 and was all set for an early night when I got the word that I was on the FYF list for the Peter, Bjorn, & John “secret show” which conveniently happened to be downtown. The trio sounded tight and the sound wasn’t too bad considering the makeshift setup in a walkup loftspace. I dug the feel of their new songs — reminiscent of late 70’s garage. Gimme Some is out in late March and the kids’ll dig it.

I streamed parts of the show live on my phone… so please excuse the sound if you wish to check out the video.

Out with January. And live music season has yet to truly begin. It’s gonna be a great year!

Billed “LA’s biggest technology EVENT,” the agenda and guest list is a stacked who’s-who of elite tech talent. But don’t let the mature, sit-down nature of Twiistup 7 fool you, as Hollywood’s penchant for partying is not forgotten with a 007-themed after party and a hosted pre-party included with each event pass.

twiistup.com
Registration: $397 before 3pm 1/27, $497 after.
Weds January 27th: 6-9 Korn Hall, UCLA; 9-midnight W Hotel Westwood. Thurs 1/28: 8-5:30 showoffs and panels at Skirball Center; 7:30-midnight Casino Royale party at Skirball.

After being somewhat underwhelmed by Radiohead from outside Lollapalooza earlier this month, I was completely blown away last night at the Hollywood Bowl. I had looked forward to seeing Radiohead at the Bowl all year as it is my favorite venue — the open [dry] air element lends itself to pristine sound and with the elaborate light/visual show put on by Radiohead’s crew, sitting in the Bowl felt not unlike floating in outer space. Jonny Greenwood is one of the greatest guitarists of our time. I’m saying this now, because, it’s not just his tone and creativity, but his ability to rip away in multiple directions and also disappear into the atmosphere of a song or play straight acoustic. Kind of like Jimmy Page. And while I like to make fun of Thom Yorke for mumbling and moaning incessantly, he was very effective and very sharp utilizing his voice as a melodic instrument. And the guy is no hack at guitar/piano either.

I snuck some short video clips with my crappy digital [still] — it’s worth sharing the handful of 15-second clips combined in the video below to give you an idea of the light show. The sound is horrible on the camera, although it was pristine at the show… and yes, the video may be nauseating, but, hey, you’ve been warned. Further below, the setlist and a few more videos from the end of the show of 1-2 minutes each.

[display_podcast]

The setlist (via Variety):

Reckoner/Optimistic/There There/15 Step/All I Need/Pyramid Song/Weird Fishes/Arpeggi/The Gloaming/Videotape/Talk Show Host/Faust Arp/Tell Me Why*/No Surprises/Jigsaw Falling Into Place/The Bends/The National Anthem/Nude/Bodysnatchers/Encore: House of Cards/Planet Telex/Go Slowly/Fake Plastic Trees/True Love Waits Intro/Everything In Its Right Place** Encore 2: Cymbal Rush/Karma Police/Idioteque

* = Neil Young cover featuring Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke on acoustic guitars

** = Thom sings two minutes of “True Love Waits” on a sustained dark organ before launching into “Everything In Its Right Place”

Great show and great overall experienced at a packed-out Bowl. And for the first time I can remember — including the Flaming Lips show in which the audience was repeatedly urged to stand and be rowdy by Wayne Coyne — nearly EVERYBODY was standing for almost the entire duration of the 2+ hour set. Even during the slow songs.

And In Rainbows is chock full of great songs. I never realized it as much as last night — hearing live the songs that I’d only haphazardly sampled on .mp3 — but IR is more than a legitimate Radiohead record and live, it really stands out as the band’s coming full circle from young, spunky rock band, to Amnesiac ambience and back to a lush, expansive, and dynamic rock sound. But still, the occasional song which sounds like it can only end with Thom Yorke in a mental ward or at least upping his meds. But at the end of the show — Yorke really got his freak on — dancing manically in red leather pants at center stage… it could have been the Stones or U2, but it was much better than that. It was Radiohead.

Originally posted at LAist.