Third Grade Teacher at Mr T's Bowl, 2009. Photo by Elise Thompson.
The latest in our ongoing series of free, all-ages afternoon shows at the Redwood will be taking place a week earlier than the usual last Sunday this month. This Sunday April 22, we’re celebrating our editor Elise Thompson’s birthday with a rare local appearance from veteran rock educators Third Grade Teacher, and the re-emergence of her husband and our music editor’s punk rock cover band The Bob Lee.
Third Grade Teacher first hit the LA indie scene in the late 1990s, quickly building a devoted local following. Over the course of their four LPs, they developed into one of the town’s best bands, bathing their sparkling pop melodies in a downpour of raw, over-amped aggression. Vocalist Sabrina Stevenson has a tendency to unleash her animal self on her audience, clawing the floor, howling like a banshee, putting fear in the hearts of grown men who expect to see her head do a Linda Blair 180 at any moment. But these outbursts come sporadically, doted in between pristine, artfully constructed songs with enduring hooks courtesy of guitar behemoth David Guerrero and bassist Laura Smith. Local gigs have become increasingly unusual in recent years so don’t miss the chance to experience a genuine local legend on the Redwood stage.
As for the opening band, which is mine, I promise a generous selection of enthusiastic cover tunes from a particular person’s kind of “classic rock” repertoire – closer to Ramones than REO – with the assistance of Messrs. Jonathan Hall and Heath Siefert from Backbiter and John Collinson of the Motorcycle Black Madonnas.
We’ll be back at the Redwood on the last Sunday in May, with a bill curated by Dave Travis, featuring his band Carnage Asada and more. More free fun for the whole family awaits throughout the summer months, and we’re always on the lookout for emerging acts so get in touch if you believe you’ve got the goods.
The Los Angeles Beat Presents: Third Grade Teacher, Lawndale and The Bob Lee at the Redwood Bar & Grill, 316 W, 2nd Street, Downtown LA between Broadway and Hill. Sunday April 22, 4pm to 7pm, no cover charge, all ages welcome, full bar with ID.
