The Monday Show Low Down ( Or "Thirty Degrees in LA Seems Colder than -30 in Chicago ...")

Geesh, I swear there's a tear in my beer for 2008... It was an extremely difficult year for a lot of people, myself included. But looking back it's nice to think of all the great times I've had seeing the rich group of local musicians play here.

Getting to frequent catch talented bands like Amnion, The Happy Hollows, The Movies, The Savages, Earlimart, The Flying Tourbillon Orchestra, One Trick Pony, Death To Anders, and Everest in my neighborhood really helps make Los Angeles more than just a collection of dissimilar suburbs to me... It makes it a home.

Monday, December 29
- The Movies, Everest, Love Lies Sleeping, & Roses Kings Castles (Adam Ficek of Babyshambles) @ Spaceland (FREE)
- Sean Carnage Presents Guns ‘n Broses, Soloing Over Alanis Morrissette, Dommm, Italic Indian (formerly Holy Water), & White Leopards @ Pehrspace
- Manimal Vinyl res. w/ Rio en Medio, Lickets, Amanda Jo Williams, Black Hole Oscillators @ Echo (FREE)
- Jake Labotz @ Redwood Bar & Grill
- The Color Turning, Francisco The Man, Yellow Red Sparks, & Secret 6 @ The Silver Lake Lounge (FREE)

DECISION:
Tonight's your last chance to see local legends The Movies play at their residency at Spaceland ... and indie rock all-stars Everest (fresh from a tour with Neil Young and Wilco) are joining them.

Find out why both bands have shown up frequently in many local music writers' Best of Albums/Shows lists. For FREE.

Tuesday, December 30
- Finally Punk, Bobb Bruno, & P R O T E C T M E @ The Smell
- Check One Twosday w/ Dawes, Richie James Follin (from The Willowz), & Roses Kings Castles (Adam from Babyshambles) @ The Echoplex (Free before 10:30)
- The Evangenitals, The Beeters, Box Violet, & Hello from Reno @ Mr. T’s Bowl
- Godric & Adam Pasion @ The Silver Lake Lounge

DECISION:
I've got nothing for Tuesday night, but Duke from You Set The Scene says it's worth checking out Bobb Bruno.

Wednesday, December 31
- The Hentry Clay People, The Happy Hollows, & The Pity Party @ Spaceland
- Nico Vega @ The Vogue Theatre
- MARATHON NEW YEAR w/ Smiling Face Down + Cinderella Motel @ 3 of Clubs
- Low End Theory: Themselves, Free Moral Agents, Blank Blue, Samiyam, Ras G, & Thavius Beck @ The Airliner
- Dub Club New Years with Ranking Joe @ Echoplex
- Giant Maximus w/ Moby DJ set, Benny Benassi, Dirty South, Paul Oakenfold, Mark Farina, Marques Wyatt, Mickey Avalon, & Dirt Nasty @ 8th and Figueroa
- Stone Temple Pilots @ Club Nokia
- Snoop Dogg @ House of Blues Sunset
- LA Riots, Mattie Safer, Congorock, Dances with White Girls, & Them Jeans
- Not Not Fun Records & Crops and Rawbers @ Echo Curio (FREE)
- Gears, Paging Beto, Controllers, Beat Killers, & Shoot It Up @ Mr. T’s Bowl
- Halloween Swim Team @ 1515 S. Vermont Ave
- The Wailers @ The Roxy

DECISION:
My dad always says to watch out on NYE because it's when "all the amateur drunks are out" and I agree, though probably don't want to be counted as a professional drinker.

So find a cab or hoof it out to Spaceland on Wednesday night for a show that will definitely feel more like a party, what with The Henry Clay People, The Happy Hollows, and The Pity Party all weighing in. Good times...

Thursday, January 1
- Shooter Jennings, Earl Greyhound, & Ghost Gamblers @ El Cid (FREE)

DECISION:
Hanging out at El Cid, nursing a drink/hangover, and listening to honky tonk sounds great...

Friday, January 2
- Shiloe & You, Me, and Iowa @ Redwood Bar (FREE)
- Seasons, The Monolators, The Mormons, Spider Problem, & Megalosaurus @ American Legion Hall in Highland Park
- George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic w/ The Greyboy Allstars @ Club Nokia
- blackblack, C-Drip, Koalacaust, Apple Orange, & Insects Vs. Robots @ The Smell
- The Slackers, The Impalers , Sean Wheeler & Zander Schloss @ The El Rey

DECISION:
There are some folks what are starting to put on shows out the American Legion Hall in Highland Park and have a line-up well worth checking out supporting...

Saturday, January 3
- The Tender Box, Shiloe, The Wallburds, & Atlantic Line @ The Scene
- Babyland, Big Boy, The Kris Special, Walk @ Spaceland

DECISION:
I caught Walk at Mr T's Bowl a few months back and they kind of blew me away. The music they have up on their myspace page doesn't do their live performance -- kind of an amiable relation of both Radiohead and Weezer -- justice. Definitely worth catching.

Sunday, January 4
- Pizza! & The Growlers @ Cinespace

- Part Time Punks: The Bridez @ The Echo
- Wounded Lion, Bodies Of Water, Jubilee Singers, & Tommy Santee Klaws @ The Smell
- Deadbeats, Tense, & Secret Society of the Sonic Six @ Echo Curio
- Nanna Larsen @ Redwood Bar

DECISION:
Man, I remember when there were so many good local and out-of-town acts playing at Cinespace that it was frequently worth dealing with all the hipster prom kids. Maybe those days are coming back, if they're getting Pizza! to play there.

That's it. Please let me know if I missed anything...