Author Archives: Bob Lee

Otoboke Beaver at the Observatory

All photos by Bob Lee for the Los Angeles Beat. Even if they don’t claim to be fully punk, the existence and widespread popularity of Kyoto band Otoboke Beaver is proof that punk’s not dead. Although theirs is an extreme … Continue reading

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Otoboke Beaver Is Headed For LA

Otoboke Beaver, from Kyoto, Japan, titled their latest album Super Champon, after a Japanese dish that seems to involve throwing every single ingredient in the kitchen into a bowl with some noodles. It’s an appropriate metaphor for the band’s musical … Continue reading

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The Jim Irsay Collection Gives L.A. A Rock And Roll History Lesson…With Guitar

L-R Harmonica player Billy Branch, keyboardist Michael Ramos, lead singer Kevin Cronin, guitarists Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Mike Wanchic (hidden) at the Jim Irsay Collection. All photos by Bob Lee for the LA Beat.  Jim Irsay, to answer a question … Continue reading

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ADKT Brings French Flair And Funk To Fairfax

The combination of fine dining and funky music may not yet be commonplace in LA, but at the recently-opened ADKT (Art Drinks Kitchen Tunes) in the Fairfax District, it is now possible to get your jam on while pondering the … Continue reading

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Yoshiki Dazzles With Private Performance At Launch Party For His Self-Directed Concert Film And Pommery Champagne Edition

Yoshiki, the prolific composer and multi-instrumentalist whose solo Requiem Tour hit the Dolby Theater last month, threw a party at the Ross House in the Hollywood Hills  last weekend. The event celebrated the release of a new concert film, his … Continue reading

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The Darkness Envelops The Wiltern For Its 20th Anniversary

Justin Hawkins rocking the Wiltern. Photo by Bob Lee for the LA Beat.  It’s a strange thing, watching the Darkness play a full show in celebration of a twenty -year-old record with a fifty-year-old sound. Their appeal is easy to … Continue reading

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Uncover The Meaning Of Life House In The Ten-Disc Super Deluxe Edition of Who’s Next

What is Life House? Does Life House exist? If it does, what exactly is it? What is the meaning of Life House? These are questions that Who fans have asked since first hearing it described by Pete Townshend in interviews … Continue reading

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Os Mutantes Bring The Psychedelic Psamba To the Ford

In the history of Great Second Acts for rock bands, one of the most rewarding returns to the stage has to be that of the Brazilian band Os Mutantes. Virtually unheard in the US from the time they started in … Continue reading

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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

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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

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