An evening at the museum with Jonathan Wilson, #afterthebreak…
Spaceland Presents “Saturdays Off The 405”
with
Jonathan Wilson
The Getty
05/17/14
My first mobile showcase. Can’t believe I’m actually writing a review away from the laptop. Nothing really to distract me…well besides these emojis:
That was the missing piece in a ancient equation of words & personal expression. Random funny faces. Hemingway would beat the day lights out of me. With sheer enjoyment. At the end he would lick the dried blood (mine or his) off his tattered knuckles. Me… laying there, unconsciously asking myself why. I knew why. Boredom.
Could hear the music calling me through the tiny walls of my room last Saturday morning as I web crawled in my normal fashion. Then saw an ad for the music app, Bands in town. Read more about the probably best concert app you can download. It laid out every single showcase in the LA area for the day. Knew this app was gonna change Bored 4 Music for the better. I had no excuse to be ignorant about the shows going on all around me. At my fingertips was now the ultimate scheduling weapon. My tools of the trade was finally complete. Sure that is high praise for a service that has many competitors who still lack the seamlessness in execution. Had been dreaming for easy to pick up concert calendar and now I have it.
Must’ve been fate. Cause this was the same day that my favorite Saturday showcase was being revived for 2014 season. The Getty Museum’s summertime “Saturdays off the 405” series. One of my cultural pleasures of the year. No venue in LA captures the beauty of the city that lies at the foot of mountain. The experience can be compared to seeing a concert atop of Mt. Olympus. No toga required. Just some wine, picnic baskets, good company, and danceable music. The ten dollar parking tax is worth the good times.
Jonathan Wilson claims the fourth spot behind Allen Stone, Pickwick, & Robert Delong in my Getty Museum archive. His funky, classically inspired psychedelic, indie rock transported everyone a generation back to their golden youth. Not many vocals to be had during his electric hour plus set. Many long guitar solos that howled across the sky this May evening. Felt like a friendly jam session. Didn’t mind it. With a few special guests joining at the end, Jon Wilson’s set ended being well rounded for the sophisticated audience he and the band were entertaining.
Got the impression that JW is all about embodying the true spirit of uncontrolled rock n’ roll. You know, that raw visceral sound that helped build foundations. In a tiny venue like the Echo is where this sort of passionate spirit excels nowadays. In an arena of legends. So to see a nighthawk in this very public place…rocking a couple thousand people at once…showed me that venue doesn’t matter. Just the music. Rock is rock. That will always touch people.
Thank you to Jonathan Wilson, The Getty for hosting, and you all for reading. The next “Saturdays Off The 405” showcase happens June 21st. Remember, it’s free and perfect for a quick romantic date. Enjoy our photos below!