Author Archives: Bob Lee

DakhaBrakha At The Ford – Ukrainian Quartet Rakha Our Blakha Off

DakhaBrakha at the Ford. Photo by Bob Lee for the LA Beat. The Ukrainian quartet DakhaBrakha have a sound that is at once ancient and modern, unlike any other music in my collection but somehow familiar. They are drawing from … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

LA Beat Recommends: DakhaBrakha At The Ford This Friday

This Friday, the Ukrainian folk group DakhaBrakha will pay a visit to LA. Their endlessly inventive and stirring sound will inevitably take on a different resonance in the wake of the violence being directed at their homeland. There have been … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Leave a comment

Sparks Give “All That and More” to Finish Their World Tour at The Hollywood Bowl

Photo by Bob Lee for the Los Angeles Beat. In the fifty-odd years that they have been a band, Sparks have never been more widely loved by the public than they are at this moment. They haven’t even had a … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Leave a comment

Kool & The Gang Bounce The Hollywood Bowl

There is perhaps no live show you can go to that is more deeply joyful and soul-affirming than a funk show with a big crowd. When the band is on, connecting, you can look across the audience and see your … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Dudamel Conducting Verdi’s Requiem At The Hollywood Bowl – Killed By Death Mass

There’s no getting around it, no point avoiding it – the more years you spend on this planet, the more likely you are to end up at a performance by the LA Phil of a famous composer’s Requiem Mass and … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Leave a comment

This Is A Hell Of A Week For Good Shows At The Hollywood Bowl

This is your week to indulge in the summertime fun at the Hollywood Bowl, with shows worth going to for the next six days solid. Tickets remain available for all of these, starting near $20. Tonight – LA Phil/ Dudamel … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Leave a comment

Neil Young Delivers The Event Of The Season In The Wild Environs Of The Ford

Photo by Bob Lee for LA Beat. Around the time he was starting his third song during the opening night of a four-show run at the Ford, Neil Young looked around and asked his audience, “Nice place, isn’t it?” We … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Dream Syndicate’s First Year Feels Like The End Of The World On New 4-Disc Deluxe Edition

This new four-CD collection from the Dream Syndicate, History Kinda Pales When It And You Are Aligned (Fire Records) is what you might call a throwback. It completely reminds me what it was like to find a new band back … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Beach Boys At The Bowl With the LA Phil And Fireworks – California F@$k Yeah

As we gather together with family and friends this 4th of July, despite concerning recent events, there’s a lot to be thankful for in America, and in California. And if we are to celebrate where we are at, just for … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Leave a comment

NELAFEST At The Offbeat Lounge Is Already Happening – Don’t Miss It

Friends and relatives of the beloved Cafe Nela have a weekend of fun ahead of them, as a number of acts from that scene take over the Offbeat Lounge in Highland Park. It promises to be an intimate, yet expansive, … Continue reading

Posted in Music, Upcoming Events | Leave a comment