Jeff Lynne's ELO and Dawes thrill at The Forum

Jeff Lynne's ELO takes a well deserved selfie with the capacity
crowd at The Forum on Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018.

Jeff Lynne enjoying showtime at The Forum. Photo: Rich Fury/Forum Photos

Really. What's not to love about a bill that features Jeff Lynne's ELO knocking it out of the park with nearly two hours of symphonic-adorned hits that feature undeniable choruses, dazzling arrangements and melodic hooks galore. 

Add to that night show opener Dawes, one of the greatest proponents of Laurel Canyon folk rock since the emergence of the Eagles and Neil Young. So it went at The Forum in Inglewood, CA on Saturday night (Aug. 4, 2018), with the stars perfectly aligned for the capacity crowd on hand for the wonderful proceedings.

Leading the dozen members of his troupe through a catalog as strong as any band this side of the Beatles or Rolling Stones, Lynne didn't say much during the concert. But he was armed with enough sonic firepower to let the music do most of the talking this night. There were 19 glorious tracks performed at The Forum, each essential and benefiting from the stellar group of top-tier players and singers gathered on stage. 

Ask a dozen fans and each may well have a different favorite. For me, hearing Lynne and company shimmer their way through the ethereal "All Over the World," "Handle With Care" (a hit for Lynne's other band, Traveling Wilburys), the dance-minded "Shine a Little Love" or soar during the regular set-ending "Mr. Blue Sky" was truly emotional. Being a huge fan of Lynne's 2015 Alone in the Universe, it was wonderful to hear one of that LP's greatest tracks featured this night. The introspective "When I Was a Boy" served as the perfect intro to the buoyant "Livin' Thing." 

Lynne, seemingly ageless at 70, sounded terrific and offered up some great guitar work as well throughout the set. Indeed, he unleashed fretwork aplenty during the encore, when the band delivered an inspired take on Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven." But truly, equal credit for the expansive and immersive sound heard on Saturday extended to his seven core band mates, three string players and two backup singers who collectively brought all the classics and new material to life.

Dawes performing at The Forum on Aug. 4, 2018.

Dawes is one of this writer's favorite 21st century-spawned outfits. With roots in some of the best strains of Southern California's explosive 1970s scene and a creative knack in tune with modern day heroes such as Radiohead, the Los Angeles-based band really was able to jump start the night.

Led by singer-songwriter-guitarist Taylor Goldsmith, the band performed a potent eight-song set celebrating the band's 2018 album Passwords, as well as high marks from early gems.

I count the band's poignant original "Time Spent in Los Angeles" as one of my favorites, and it sounded great this night with stellar guitar work and Goldsmith's affecting vocals carrying the day.

Other highlights included the new cuts "Feed the Fire" (with its jazzy touches and a guitar duel between Goldsmith and Trevor Menear) and the explosive Neil Young-styled rocker "Living in the Future." 

Dawes closed with "All Your Favorite Bands," a joyful celebration of the deep connection that audiences have with their favorite artists. Count Dawes as one of mine.


Robert Kinsler


Jeff Lynne's ELO setlist on Saturday, August 4, 2018

Standin' in the Rain / Evil Woman / All Over the World / Showdown / Do Ya (a Move cover) / When I Was a Boy / Livin' Thing / Handle With Care (Traveling Wilburys cover) / Rockaria! / Can't Get It Out of My Head / 10538 Overture / Shine a Little Love / Wild West Hero / Sweet Talkin' Woman / Telephone Line / Don't Bring Me Down / Turn to Stone / Mr. Blue Sky
Encore
Roll Over Beethoven (Chuck Berry cover)

Grammy Award-winner Chris Stapleton set to bring his All-American Road Show to Southern California in August

One of country music's most talented new artists, Chris Stapleton is set to bring his All-American Road Show to a trio of venues here in the Southland in late August 2018. He will perform at Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, 2050 Entertainment Circle, Chula Vista, on Thursday, Aug. 16; at Honda Center, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim on Friday, Aug. 17; and at the Forum, 3900 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood, on Saturday, Aug. 18.

Chris Stapleton / Photo credit: Becky Fluke

Stapleton scored three awards during the 60th Annual Grammy Awards held at Madison Square Garden in New York City earlier this week.On his upcoming tour, he will be headlining on a bill that also features bona fide legend Marty Stuart and emerging singer-songwriter Brent Cobb. On Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018, Stapleton returned to “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” last night to perform “Drunkard’s Prayer” as part of their special live episode. Watch the performance here.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 9, and there's a special Stapleton Fan Club pre-sale which begins at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6 at stapletonfanclub.com. 

Stapleton released the wonderful From a Room: Volume 1 in May 2017, and followed that up with the even stronger From A Room: Volume 2 in early December 2017.

Released December 1, 2017 on Mercury Records Nashville (purchase here), Volume 2 debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and #2 on the Billboard 200 chart. Its release follows the May 5, 2017 release of From A Room: Volume 1, which was the #1 best-selling country album of 2017. Stapleton’s 2015 double-platinum solo debut, Traveller, was the #2 best-selling country album of 2017.

Both Volume 1 and Volume 2 take their name from Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A (the capital “A” in “From A Room”) where they were recorded with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb. Along with Stapleton on vocals and guitar and Cobb on acoustic guitar, the album features Morgane Stapleton on harmony vocals as well as longtime band-members J.T. Cure on bass and Derek Mixon on drums. See below for complete track list.

“CHRIS STAPLETON’S ALL-AMERICAN ROAD SHOW”

June 16—Brandon, MS—Brandon Amphitheater*

June 22—Rogers, AR—Walmart Amp*

June 28—Darien Center, NY—Darien Lake Amphitheater*

June 29—Philadelphia, PA—BB&T Pavilion*

June 30—Mansfield, MA—Xfinity Center*

July 13—St. Louis, MO—Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre* 

July 19—Spokane, WA—Spokane Arena*

July 20—Portland, OR—Sunlight Supply Amphitheater*

July 21—Seattle, WA—White River Amphitheatre*

July 26—South Lake Tahoe, NV—Harveys Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena*

July 27—Sacramento, CA—Toyota Amphitheatre*

July 28—Mountain View, CA—Shoreline Amphitheatre*

August 2—Billings, MT—Rimrock Auto Arena*

August 3—Missoula, MT—Adams Center*

August 4—Boise, ID—Ford Idaho Center Arena*

August 9—Albuquerque, NM—Isleta Amphitheater*

August 10—Denver, CO—Pepsi Center*

August 11—Salt Lake City, UT—USANA Amphitheatre*

August 16—San Diego, CA—Mattress Firm Amphitheatre*

August 17—Anaheim, CA—Honda Center*

August 18—Los Angeles, CA—The Forum*

August 23—Saratoga Springs, NY—Saratoga Performing Arts Center*

August 24—Gilford, NH—Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion*

October 4—Cincinnati, OH—Riverbend Music Center*

October 5—Indianapolis, IN—Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center*

October 6—Chicago, IL—Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre*

October 11—Charlotte, NC—PNC Music Pavilion*

October 12—Raleigh, NC—Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek*

October 13—Bristow, VA—Jiffy Lube Live*

October 19—Alpharetta, GA—Verizon Amphitheatre*

October 20—Atlanta, GA—Lakewood Amphitheater*

October 25—Columbia, SC—Colonial Life Arena*

October 26—Knoxville, TN—Thompson Boling Arena*

October 27—Lexington, KY—Rupp Arena*

November 2—New York, NY—Madison Square Garden*

November 3—Charlottesville, VA—John Paul Jones Arena*

*with special guests Marty Stuart and Brent Cobb  

U2 Announce details of new album and 2018 tour!

U2, seen here performing in Vancouver 2017, is set to release 
a new album in December, and tour in 2018.
Photo: Danny North

I've caught U2 in concert twice this year (in Vancouver in May 2017, and more recently in San Diego in September 2017), and I can't wait to see the Irish quartet in 2018! Here is a link to my Orange County Register review of the band's amazing performance back in May. Exciting that U2 is coming to the Forum next May; a great venue to see a concert!

U2 ANNOUNCE DETAILS OF NEW ALBUM SONGS OF

EXPERIENCE AND THE eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour 2018

Powered By Salesforce

COMING TO THE 'FABULOUS' FORUM ON MAY 15, 2018

NEW STUDIO ALBUM OUT DECEMBER 1^st ON INTERSCOPE RECORDS IN

THE U..S. AND UNIVERSAL CANADA

NORTH AMERICAN TOUR BEGINS MAY 2, 2018

TICKETS ON SALE TO THE PUBLIC MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2017

CITI PRE-SALE TICKETS POWERED BY VERIFIED FAN AVAILABLE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017

NEW TRACK "GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY" AVAILABLE NOW

Wed. November 1, 2017 – For Immediate Release: 

Songs of Experience, the 14th studio album from U2 (the artwork is on the right), will be released December 1, 2017 by Interscope Records in the U.S. and via Universal Canada on CD, vinyl, digital download and across streaming platforms. Accompanying the announcement of the Songs of Experience release, Live Nation has confirmed that U2’s eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour will begin in North America in May 2018.

Just as Songs of Experience serves as a companion piece to 2014’s Songs of Innocence, the eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour will serve as a sequel to 2015’s iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour which saw “U2 reinvent the arena show” (Rolling Stone) and was named the #1 concert of 2015 by The New York Times. The tour will kick off on Wednesday, May 2^nd 2018 in Tulsa at the BOK Center and stop at the "Fabulous" Forum in Inglewood, CA on May 15^th. Full itinerary below.

Pre-order of Songs of Experience is available now across all digital platforms and will include three instant grat songs: The previously unreleased "Get Out of Your Own Way,” first single "You’re The Best Thing About Me" which was released on September 6th, and the album version of “The Blackout,” previously released as a performance video in August.  All three songs are available now to stream across all platforms. Fans who pre-order the deluxe version of the album will also receive the Kygo remix of “You’re The Best Thing About Me.” 

In addition to unveiling album artwork by Anton Corbijn, U2 has revealed the final tracklist of Songs of Experience which was completed earlier this year. The lyrical approach of the album was greatly inspired by Irish poet, novelist and Trinity College, Dublin Professor Emeritus Brendan Kennelly’s advice to Bono to “write as if you’re dead’, resulting in a collection of songs in the form of intimate letters to places and people close to the singer’s heart - family, friends, fans, himself.

Tickets for the eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE North American Tour 2018 go on sale Monday, November 20 @ 10 a.m. exclusively through Ticketmaster Verified Fan®. In keeping with their commitment to ensure tickets get into the hands of fans, not scalpers or bots, U2 has partnered with Ticketmaster to use its Verified Fan platform. Verified Fan will power all ticket sales, providing fans who truly want to attend the show with the best opportunity to get great tickets.

U2.com fan club subscribers receive first access and can register at http://www.u2.com/subscribe beginning today until Sunday, November 12. U2.com subscribers will have the first opportunity to purchase tickets beginning Tuesday, November 14 at 10:00 am and running through Thursday, November 16 at 5 p.m.

Citi® is the official credit card for the U2 eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour, and as such, Citi cardmembers can take advantage of a special, first-ever Citi Presale powered by Verified Fan opportunity for tour dates in the United States. Citi cardmembers can register now through November 14 to unlock access to tickets and use their Citi card to complete the ticket purchase if verified. The Citi Presale begins Thursday, November 16 at 9 a.m. and will continue through Saturday, November 18 at 5 p.m. To register for the Citi Presale powered by Verified Fan visit: citiprivatepass.com

Tickets will also be available for the Verified Fan public sale that begins on Monday, November 20 at 10 a.m. All fans must register by Saturday, November 18 for the opportunity to unlock access to tickets. To begin, visit u2.tmverifiedfan.com.

Songs of Experience is the companion release to 2014’s ‘Songs of Innocence’, the two titles drawing inspiration from a collection of poems, Songs of Innocence and Experience, by the 18th century English mystic and poet William Blake. Produced by Jacknife Lee and Ryan Tedder, with Steve Lillywhite, Andy Barlow and Jolyon Thomas, the album features a cover image by Anton Corbijn of band-members’ teenage children Eli Hewson and Sian Evans. The full track listing for the album is:

1. Love Is All We Have Left

2. Lights of Home  

3. You’re The Best Thing About Me

4. Get Out of Your Own Way

5. American Soul

6. Summer of Love

7. Red Flag Day

8. The Showman (Little More Better)

9. The Little Things That Give You Away

10. Landlady

11. The Blackout

12. Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way

13. 13 (There is a Light) 

U2 2018 TOUR ITINERARY

May 2                          Tulsa, OK                    BOK Center

May 4                          St. Louis, MO              Scottrade Center

May 7                          San Jose, CA              SAP Center

May 11                        Las Vegas, NV            T-Mobile Arena

May 15                        Los Angeles, CA         The Forum

May 22                        Chicago, IL                  United Center

May 26                        Nashville, TN               Bridgestone Arena

May 28                        Atlanta, GA                  Infinite Energy Arena

June 5                         Montreal, QC               Bell Centre

June 9                         Uniondale, NY              NYCB Live

        Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

June 13                       Philadelphia, PA           Wells Fargo Center

June 17                       Washington, DC           Capital One Arena

June 21                       Boston, MA                  TD Garden

June 25                       New York, NY              Madison Square Garden

June 29                       Newark, NJ                  Prudential Center

Itinerary subject to change.

For complete U2 Tour & Ticket information, VIP Travel Packages and more visit: U2.com.

The xx confirm fall U.S. headline dates

Very cool news. The xx was a band that really impressed me at Coachella last month...It is very cool the trio is coming to the relatively intimate Santa Barbara Bowl before performing at the legendary Fabulous Forum a few nights later in September too.

The xx confirm fall U.S. headline dates

To perform on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” Thursday, May 18, 2017

Currently touring North America

On the heels of their wildly successful ongoing U.S. tour, The xx will return stateside to play a very special, limited engagement of select headline dates and festival appearances this fall.
 

The fall dates include shows September 29 in Los Angeles, October 9 at Colorado’s iconic Red Rocks,Austin City Limits Festival, Life is Beautiful and more. Visit thexx.info/tour for presale and ticket information.

 

Furthermore, the band will perform on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” this Thursday, May 18 ahead of two nights at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, NY this Friday and Saturday, May 19 and 20.

 

Meanwhile, The band has just announced a very special installment of their Night + Day festival, set for July 14-16 at Iceland’s Skogafoss waterfall outside of Reykjavik. The festival, capped at 6,000 tickets, follows a record-breaking seven-day festival in Brixton, London and will feature performances from The xx, Jamie xx, Kamasi Washington, Robyn, Warpaint, Sampha, Earl Sweatshirt, Benji B, GillesPeterson, Jagwar Ma, Floating Points (DJ set), Bjarki, Call Super, Hunee, Kria Brekkan, Gangly, Kelsey Lu, Orang Volante, Mr Silla, Högni, Pampa Showcase (Axel Boman & Robag Wruhme), JFDR &Marching Church. For full ticket details, head to thexxnightandday.com.

 

The band is currently touring North America to great critical acclaim:

 

“an impressive set…The xx hasn’t sacrificed the sense of intimacy — of two people exchanging confidences — that still defines songs sung in close harmony by
Sim and Madley Croft.”—Los Angeles Times

 

“If fans were introduced to their shadows, it’s clear they’re ready to love them in the light. Much to their joy, the xx finally seems willing to
reveal themselves.”—The Washington Post

 

“The xx is a rare group that appears to be playing for each other, as well as with each other. They reveal their innermost secrets within their music, and turn to each other for reassurance that they aren’t in this alone, while the music helps them try to make sense of it all.”—CityPages

 

“They were masterful in delivering a new sound.”—The Oregonian

 

“The London trio showed off their seasoned stage chops; the hit-packed show was so affecting and crisp it could’ve been a concert film.”—The Current

 

The xx’s universally lauded new album, I See You, was released in January via Young Turks, debuting at #2 in the U.S. and #1 in the U.K. Germany, Portugal, The Netherlands, Ireland, Australia and Belgium.

The xx Live

Newly announced

July 14-16                   Night + Day—Skogafoss, Iceland

September 27             Santa Barbara Bowl—Santa Barbara, CA

September 29             The Forum—Los Angeles, CA

October 3                    Starlight—Kansas City, MO

October 9                    Red Rocks—Morrison, CO

October 10                  The Great Saltair—Magna, UT

October 12                  The Criterion—Oklahoma City, OK

October 13-15             III Points/Wynwood—Miami, FL

October 17                  Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre—Atlanta, GA

October 19                  Champions Square—New Orleans, LA

2017 tour

May 16                       Stage AE—Pittsburgh, PA

May 17                       Skyline Stage at the Mann—Philadelphia, PA

May 19                       Forest Hills Stadium—New York, NY—SOLD OUT

May 20                       Forest Hills Stadium—New York, NY

May 22                       Echo Beach—Toronto, ON

May 23                       Echo Beach—Toronto, ON—SOLD OUT

May 24                       Parc Jean-Drapeau—Montreal, QC

May 26                       Thompson’s Point—Portland, ME

May 27                       Boston Calling—Boston, MA

June 2                         Primavera Sound—Barcelona, Spain

June 9                         Bonnaroo—Manchester, TN

June 21-25                  Glastonbury—Pilton, U.K.

June 29                       Roskilde—Roskilde, Denmark

July 1                           Open’er—Gdynia, Poland

July 6                           NOS Alive—Lisbon, Portugal

July 8                           Firenze Summer Festival—Florence, Italy

July 21                         Splendour in the Grass—North Byron Parklands, Australia

July 25                         Singapore Indoor Stadium—Kallang, Singapore

July 28-30                    Fuji Rock Festival—Niigata, Japan

August 5                      Lollapalooza—Chicago, IL

August 10                    Oya Festival—Oslo, Norway

August 10-12               Way Out West Festival—Gothenburg, Sweden

August 12                    Flow Festival—Helsinki, Finland

August 14                    Sunset Festival—Tallinn, Estonia

August 15                    Sunset Festival—Sigulda, Latvia

August 17                    Pukklepop Festival—Hasselt, Belgium

August 18-20               Lowlands Festival—Biddinghuizen, Netherlands

August 25                    Zürich Openair—Zürich, Switzerland

August 27                    Rock En Seine—St. Cloud, France

August 29                    SWG3 Galvanizers Yard—Glasgow, United Kingdom

August 30                    SWG3 Galvanizers Yard—Glasgow, United Kingdom

September 1              Electric Picnic—Stradbally, Ireland

September 7-10         Bestival—Dorset, United Kingdom

September 10            Lollapalooza Festival—Berlin, Germany

September 24            Life is Beautiful Festival—Las Vegas, NV

October 6-8                Austin City Limits Festival—Austin, TX

October 13-15            Austin City Limits Festival—Austin, TX

November 17-19        Corona Capital Festival—Mexico City, Mexico