My week with The Monolators in Los Angeles
In the week leading up to the Super Bowl most people complain about the hype, listen to co-workers give asinine opinions on the game or try to keep the ESPN consumption to a minimum. I did all of these things and I also rocked out.
With a schedule that usually goes in hand with someone with an ironic mustache and a fedora, I went to three free rock shows during the week and just so happens The Monolators were at each show.
The last night of The Parson Red Heads residency at Spaceland in January was the first time I caught the Monolators. I got there as soon as I could after work and managed to catch the last three or four songs by the Parson Red Heads. I liked this band well enough as the members of this sprawling band were bounding around the stage, dressed like they were ready to go to a hipster version of a P-Diddy white party when I heard on of them say, "Stick around for the Monolators," I knew it was safe to go back to the bar for another Stella because I wasn't leaving any time soon.
The Red Heads finished and The Monolators set up. If I ever interviewed a band like the Monolators, who still set up their gear by themselves, I'd ask, "What is going through your head as you see the band in front of you finish and it's time for you to set up?"
But I'd try to make it sound more profound and nuanced but sadly I'd also stammer and say um and uhh a lot more. Alas, those fake journalist questions are neither here nor there.
So the Monolators are ready get live and low and behold, a solid portion of the people are still around. This doesn't happen all the time when the band 'headlining' is done and the last band takes the stage after midnight. But these people aren't fools, they know what is in store. Although it could be that they don't have a real job and don't have to be up early in the morning (raising hand) or they are in a band (hand down).
This following sentiment shouldn't really matter that much but it does and always will and I say I don't really care that much but I care at least a little bit.
Like I previously mentioned, I came right from work so I was rocking the glasses, had on a pair of khakis and a button down dress shirt on. I dressed like pretty much no one else at Spaceland, which I don't really care about too much but at the same time I couldn't help but think people were looking at me a little askew. Or maybe it was the huge bulge in my pocket. Hey, it was my Nike windbreaker I jammed in there because I got too hot, relax. Bottom line, I was gettin looks like I was a narc or gasp! liked Coldplay.
This has nothing to do with the Monolators at all.
I had seen The Monolators twice before I think, once at Mr. T's bowl (for free) and at Bordello ($8), sharing the incredibly talented bill with The Henry Clay People, Correatown (right before Walk Hard came out which I thought would make that band blow up but the movie tanked, but there is still time for that young lass,) and The Broken West. Just a lot of talent in that weird, hard to find, (construction is not a game around there) adds-to-my-low-street-cred bar that Wednesday night.
So I knew what to expect.
But they completely blew the doors off that Monday night. Just an inspired performance, everything seemed louder, a touch faster and basically, they would not be denied. We Fell Dead, 14 Degrees, Eagle fighting Zebra, You Look Good on the Train and a couple others rocked intensely hard. I bounced around like a silly person, yelling out choruses and stomping my feet the whole set.
But through out this mayhem I was worried. Could it be? For the third time seeing them in the flesh were they not going to play my favorite song? This song was my first taste of The Monolators (shout to la-underground and Jax @ Rock Insider).
Stawberry Roan, I hadn't heard it live and I was worried that this epic performance would be not as sweet as it could have been.
Eli- "Ok, we're gonna play one more song, what do you guys wan-"
me- Strawberry Roan, owww, Strawberry Roan
Tall Dude from the Parson Red Heads - "yeah, Strawberry Roan"
me - (louder) "STRRRAWBERRRY ROAN"
Your son he can't come out tonight cause he so far gone, he's so far gone
ohhh, he's makin nice, he's makin nice
At about this point, I'm cheesing like its a prom photo and my date is Cindy Crawford, jumping up and down is inaccurate it's more like throwing myself in the air.
The tall dude from the Parson Red Heads is rocking out and we high five, "This song is sweet, I can't believe we did that" he says and I'm thinking Fuckin A right and get back to getting down with the get down. (It's this portion of the story that makes me hope the Parson Red Heads get fuckin big time and I have a humorous story that my grandkids will not give a shit about because I'm old and have droopy ears but they have to be nice and listen to me talk about the good old days because I'm their grandpa)
I felt just unbelievably happy after the show, ears ringing, kinda like I had about five too many Crown shots but I wasn't drunk at all. It was just an amazing performance and as the sports cliche goes, they left it all out there. The rest of shows I see 2008 will face a tall order to beat that show out for my favorite performance of the year.
Just three days later I would be back at Spaceland for another free show, this time for The Airborne Toxic Event. As other blogs have said already, this show was packed, people turned away after waiting in line for over an hour (my roomies and I were almost in that group). I wasn't even that geeked to see them, all the bands on the show, as a group were the reason I wanted to go. Standing in line all that time to see one band that truthfully I didn't know all that well wasn't my intention. But time was invested and it was too late to turn back.
The show was good, I appreciated the songs the next day when they weren't associated with long lines and VIP guests getting in the door in front of me and the Amstel Lights that were a long time coming before I could swig them down. Shout out to Jack Bauer though.
This still has to do with The Monolators because I saw them after the show, told them they rocked, shook Eli's hand and kept it moving. My car was far away.
Friday I get a text message from my roommate that The Monolators were playing for free that night too. First Friday's at Mr. T's bowl in Highland Park was where I saw them the first time. There are lots of cool things about a show at Mr. T's.
(taken from Mr.T's website)
It's definitely one of the most unique places to see a show. People aren't there for the scene, most are there to see a friend's band or some band they heard about from a friend.
They played a couple of new songs, "I'm knocking" I think was the title of one of them which I could see doing very well in 08.
The first time I saw them they played Eagle fighting Zebra because "it's appropriate, there actually was just a fight outside" Eli remarked to the crowd which kinda leads into why shows at Mr. T's could not be such a good time. But no fights this time, no eagle fighting zebras either.
After the show, I stuck around, thinking about wanting to get a shirt. Somewhat due to the Sierra Nevada intake, wanting to support the band and wanting to rock a local band t-shirt to show how cool I am I made the decision to purchase one.
In the week leading up to the Super Bowl most people complain about the hype, listen to co-workers give asinine opinions on the game or try to keep the ESPN consumption to a minimum. I did all of these things and I also rocked out.
With a schedule that usually goes in hand with someone with an ironic mustache and a fedora, I went to three free rock shows during the week and just so happens The Monolators were at each show.
The last night of The Parson Red Heads residency at Spaceland in January was the first time I caught the Monolators. I got there as soon as I could after work and managed to catch the last three or four songs by the Parson Red Heads. I liked this band well enough as the members of this sprawling band were bounding around the stage, dressed like they were ready to go to a hipster version of a P-Diddy white party when I heard on of them say, "Stick around for the Monolators," I knew it was safe to go back to the bar for another Stella because I wasn't leaving any time soon.
The Red Heads finished and The Monolators set up. If I ever interviewed a band like the Monolators, who still set up their gear by themselves, I'd ask, "What is going through your head as you see the band in front of you finish and it's time for you to set up?"
But I'd try to make it sound more profound and nuanced but sadly I'd also stammer and say um and uhh a lot more. Alas, those fake journalist questions are neither here nor there.
So the Monolators are ready get live and low and behold, a solid portion of the people are still around. This doesn't happen all the time when the band 'headlining' is done and the last band takes the stage after midnight. But these people aren't fools, they know what is in store. Although it could be that they don't have a real job and don't have to be up early in the morning (raising hand) or they are in a band (hand down).
This following sentiment shouldn't really matter that much but it does and always will and I say I don't really care that much but I care at least a little bit.
Like I previously mentioned, I came right from work so I was rocking the glasses, had on a pair of khakis and a button down dress shirt on. I dressed like pretty much no one else at Spaceland, which I don't really care about too much but at the same time I couldn't help but think people were looking at me a little askew. Or maybe it was the huge bulge in my pocket. Hey, it was my Nike windbreaker I jammed in there because I got too hot, relax. Bottom line, I was gettin looks like I was a narc or gasp! liked Coldplay.
This has nothing to do with the Monolators at all.
I had seen The Monolators twice before I think, once at Mr. T's bowl (for free) and at Bordello ($8), sharing the incredibly talented bill with The Henry Clay People, Correatown (right before Walk Hard came out which I thought would make that band blow up but the movie tanked, but there is still time for that young lass,) and The Broken West. Just a lot of talent in that weird, hard to find, (construction is not a game around there) adds-to-my-low-street-cred bar that Wednesday night.
So I knew what to expect.
But they completely blew the doors off that Monday night. Just an inspired performance, everything seemed louder, a touch faster and basically, they would not be denied. We Fell Dead, 14 Degrees, Eagle fighting Zebra, You Look Good on the Train and a couple others rocked intensely hard. I bounced around like a silly person, yelling out choruses and stomping my feet the whole set.
But through out this mayhem I was worried. Could it be? For the third time seeing them in the flesh were they not going to play my favorite song? This song was my first taste of The Monolators (shout to la-underground and Jax @ Rock Insider).
Stawberry Roan, I hadn't heard it live and I was worried that this epic performance would be not as sweet as it could have been.
Eli- "Ok, we're gonna play one more song, what do you guys wan-"
me- Strawberry Roan, owww, Strawberry Roan
Tall Dude from the Parson Red Heads - "yeah, Strawberry Roan"
me - (louder) "STRRRAWBERRRY ROAN"
Your son he can't come out tonight cause he so far gone, he's so far gone
ohhh, he's makin nice, he's makin nice
At about this point, I'm cheesing like its a prom photo and my date is Cindy Crawford, jumping up and down is inaccurate it's more like throwing myself in the air.
The tall dude from the Parson Red Heads is rocking out and we high five, "This song is sweet, I can't believe we did that" he says and I'm thinking Fuckin A right and get back to getting down with the get down. (It's this portion of the story that makes me hope the Parson Red Heads get fuckin big time and I have a humorous story that my grandkids will not give a shit about because I'm old and have droopy ears but they have to be nice and listen to me talk about the good old days because I'm their grandpa)
I felt just unbelievably happy after the show, ears ringing, kinda like I had about five too many Crown shots but I wasn't drunk at all. It was just an amazing performance and as the sports cliche goes, they left it all out there. The rest of shows I see 2008 will face a tall order to beat that show out for my favorite performance of the year.
Just three days later I would be back at Spaceland for another free show, this time for The Airborne Toxic Event. As other blogs have said already, this show was packed, people turned away after waiting in line for over an hour (my roomies and I were almost in that group). I wasn't even that geeked to see them, all the bands on the show, as a group were the reason I wanted to go. Standing in line all that time to see one band that truthfully I didn't know all that well wasn't my intention. But time was invested and it was too late to turn back.
The show was good, I appreciated the songs the next day when they weren't associated with long lines and VIP guests getting in the door in front of me and the Amstel Lights that were a long time coming before I could swig them down. Shout out to Jack Bauer though.
This still has to do with The Monolators because I saw them after the show, told them they rocked, shook Eli's hand and kept it moving. My car was far away.
Friday I get a text message from my roommate that The Monolators were playing for free that night too. First Friday's at Mr. T's bowl in Highland Park was where I saw them the first time. There are lots of cool things about a show at Mr. T's.
(taken from Mr.T's website)
It's definitely one of the most unique places to see a show. People aren't there for the scene, most are there to see a friend's band or some band they heard about from a friend.
They played a couple of new songs, "I'm knocking" I think was the title of one of them which I could see doing very well in 08.
The first time I saw them they played Eagle fighting Zebra because "it's appropriate, there actually was just a fight outside" Eli remarked to the crowd which kinda leads into why shows at Mr. T's could not be such a good time. But no fights this time, no eagle fighting zebras either.
After the show, I stuck around, thinking about wanting to get a shirt. Somewhat due to the Sierra Nevada intake, wanting to support the band and wanting to rock a local band t-shirt to show how cool I am I made the decision to purchase one.
posted by Zach Fields at
10:23 PM
1 Comments
