On August 14th, Los Angeles independent radio darling KCRW presented a curated evening of music at the storied Hollywood Bowl. Despite the event being billed as part of KCRW’s “World Festival,” the music presented was uniquely American, with blues, soul, funk, R&B, and classic Americana all well-represented.

First up was Celisse, the mononymic rising star whose profile was recently boosted after appearing with Joni Mitchell at the 2022 Newport Folk Fest. Wielding a Gibson SG, her guitar blaring out of twin pink amplifiers adorned with “Celisse loves you,” the singer-songwriter owned the stage the second she stepped onto it. Opening with the electric soul of “Get There,” Celisse’s set recalled not just Sister Rosetta Tharpe, but Gary Clark Jr., bringing the sounds of a genre over a century old kicking and screaming into the future. Across her four-song set (including a blistering take on Bill Withers’s “Use Me”), Celisse had those in the crowd smart enough to get to the show early eating out of the palm of her hand with only bass and drums to support her masterful guitar playing. I imagine this is only the first of what will be many more appearances at the Bowl from Celisse.

Durand Jones & the Indications followed, with a mellow set that worked as a counterpoint to Celisse’s electric blues-rock. The band name is a slight misnomer — while Jones is out front and is the ostensible face of the unit, drummer Aaron Frazer was responsible for roughly half of the lead vocals; his silky falsetto complementing Jones’s edgier tenor. Still riding the success of their 2021 single “Witchoo” (which closed the set), Jones & company executed a perfectly-manicured 70-minute set of revivalist soul that went down smooth, including a note-perfect take on Smokey Robinson & the Miracles’ “Ooh Baby Baby,” a major highlight of their performance. The downside of this low-simmering brand of groove was that they never really managed to get the crowd especially worked up. Jones himself is not a particularly dynamic frontman, eventually aping some of James Brown’s moves and falling to his knees during “Waiting On My True Love” but otherwise mostly standing still or calmly moving about the stage, nattily attired save for the hat that obscured his face to even those in the priciest seats. Their show could easily be electrifying in a smaller setting, but the Bowl might have been a little too much for the octet. As I remarked to my companion after their set, “my biggest takeaway from their set shouldn’t be that I should listen to more Smokey Robinson.”

None of this would be a problem for headliner Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, touring in support of their 2021 release The Future. Opening with “You Worry Me,” off of 2018’s Tearing at the Seams (produced by a still-very-much-missed Richard Swift), Rateliff and his band tore through a powerful set that pulled largely from the aforementioned albums as well as their 2015 eponymous debut, with a lovely acoustic detour for “And It’s Still Alright,” the title track from Rateliff’s 2020 solo venture. The venue’s screens broadcasting the show for those in the back were set to black and white for the headlining set, which quickly set the mood for nearly ninety minutes of blue-eyed soul and R&B, with Rateliff singing in a beautiful rasp weathered beyond his 43 years. The knowledge that Rateliff was reportedly about to give up on his music career just before the Night Sweats hit it big made the performance even more joyous, with the encore of their breakthrough single “S.O.B.” having the crowd up on their feet from the opening stomp-clap. By the time they reached their closing number, “Love Don’t,” the band had not just the audience but themselves worked into a frenzy, with keyboardist Mark Shusterman taking a lap around the Bowl’s pool circle between choruses and throwing a tambourine across the stage. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats aren’t looking to reinvent the musical wheel; they don’t have to when the wheels they have are this good.

Peter Hook & The Light took the stage at the Theatre at Ace Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles Thursday night. Billed as a celebration of the music of Joy Division, the evening was presented in multiple parts: an opening set of New Order classics, followed by full performances of Joy Division’s classic albums Unknown Pleasures and Closer (opening the evening was a powerful electric set by duo El Ten Eleven).

Hook and company took the stage at 8:30 to the strains of New Order’s “Elegia,” from 1985’s Low-Life (Hook himself wearing the album’s cover on his shirt). Seated on a stool for the duration of the song, there was little fanfare and no additional tools to set the mood beyond the music and the stage lights — there wasn’t so much as a fog machine present. At the finish of the song, the stool was removed and the band kicked into high gear, running through spirited performances of “In a Lonely Place,” “Dreams Never End,” “Leave Me Alone,” “Regret,” and “True Faith,” which had everyone up on their feet and moving around. However, if you didn’t check the poster, you could be forgiven for being a little bit confused, as the concertgoers around me were, as after only six songs, the band left the stage for a brief intermission. People around me wondered aloud if they’d hear “Blue Monday,” or perhaps some of Hook’s mid-90s work with his band Monaco, members of which also feature in The Light.

When they returned, launching immediately into the familiar strains of “Disorder,” it was clear to everyone that the rest of the evening belonged to Joy Division’s brief but impactful catalog. Despite a brief technical setback (guitarist David Potts broke a string immediately upon starting “Day of the Lords”), and despite an unfortunately muddy sound mix, Hook and his bandmates soldiered through the post-punk songs he helped to pioneer, with the rapturous audience on their feet the entire time.

At 66, Hook’s voice remains strong, but is now weathered enough to access some of the darkness required to pull off this material. His connection to the songs he didn’t sing on the records was evident, even if it was hard to hear him at times. But as the idiom says, “the show must go on,” and the show went on indeed, finally drawing to a close with the song whose title is inscribed on the headstone of the late Ian Curtis, “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” At least on this night, the love of the music brought everyone together.

Kenny Loggins brought his tour to the Saban Theatre on Friday, January 20th. Coming just four months after his two headlining appearances at the Hollywood Bowl, the show was billed as being part of his At the Movies tour, with a focus on the songs that are forever linked with 1980s film classics such as Caddyshack and Top Gun. Starting with an energetic performance of 1979’s “Love Has Come of Age,” Loggins and his five-piece band tore through a 16-song set of stone-cold classics. It’s a testament to the songwriter’s talents that he included two of his most famous songs — “Danny’s Song” and a revamped “Return to Pooh Corner” — in the first three songs and still kept the audience riveted for the better part of two hours.

Other highlights included “Celebrate Me Home,” a song Loggins clearly relishes performing based on its multiple false endings, as well as a three-song mini-set of his songwriting collaborations with fellow yacht rock titan Michael McDonald. Loggins closed the show with a delicate performance of 1985’s “Forever,” a tender end to a show that reminded the crowd in no uncertain terms that even at 75, Loggins can still guide you safely through the danger zone.

Check out more photos from the show.

In the three decades since their formation, Gov’t Mule has established themselves as a pillar of jam band music. Originally an offshoot of the early-90s lineup of the Allman Brothers Band, Mule quickly became a force in their own right, and they brought their unique brand of jammy, southern blues-rock to a packed Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles on February 15th.

Billed as a celebration of “Thirty Years Strong,” the band took the stage shortly after 8pm and kicked things off with “Rockin’ Horse,” a track off their debut album that was also covered by the Allman Bros. Across two sets, the band showcased every side of their strong musicianship, with Warren Haynes’s soulful vocals and expressive guitar playing leading the charge all the way.

Almost unusually for a Mule show, the set was nearly entirely original material, with special attention paid to the songs from Mule’s 2023 release Peace Like a River. But one of the covers, a fiery rendition of Jeff Beck’s iconic “Freeway Jam,” was perhaps the highlight of the entire show, with Haynes trading licks with keyboard wizard (and occasional trombonist) Danny Louis while founding drummer Matt Abts kept the rhythm driving, punctuating the piece with acrobatic drum fills. Other highlights included an energetic take on “Doing It to Death,” their collaboration with John Scofield, as well as second set closer “Thorazine Shuffle,” which again featured Abts taking a solo while bassist Kevin Scott — the newest member of the band, and a dead-ringer for the late Dusty Hill, nattily attired with a long beard and dark shades — held down the low end across seamlessly shifting time signatures.

The show ended with an encore of the bluesy “Endless Parade,” with Haynes masterfully controlling the dynamics and bringing the song down to a quiet calm before instantly ramping it up to a roar, then back down again. If this is the power of Gov’t Mule after thirty years, one can only imagine what they’ll look like in another few decades. Let’s hope we can find out.

SET LIST:
Set 1
Rocking Horse
Wake Up Dead
Banks of the Deep End
Peace I Need
Pressure Under Fire
Doing It to Death
Made My Peace
Time to Confess

Set 2
I’m a Ram
Thorns of Life
Temporary Saint
The River Only Flows One Way
Freeway Jam (Jeff Beck cover)
I Asked for Water (She Gave Me Gasoline) (Howlin’ Wolf cover)
Thorazine Shuffle

Encore
Endless Parade

Approaching nearly two decades together, it might still surprise many that Chris and Oliver Wood only began their musical collaboration shortly before forming their band. The Wood Brothers, comprising Chris, Oliver, and drummer/keyboardist Jano Rix, delivered an electrifying performance at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood last Thursday evening, showcasing a chemistry that suggested a lifetime of collaboration.

In support of their 2023 album, "Heart is the Hero," the band took the stage at approximately 9:45 PM. They commenced the show with the delicate "Between the Beats" from their latest record, gradually escalating the energy with "Line Those Pockets" and the album's opener, "Pilgrim." These songs allowed Rix to demonstrate his remarkable ability to maintain a funky rhythm on the drums while simultaneously delivering keyboard solos. Despite not being a Wood by blood, Rix's impeccable synchronization with the brothers' intricate play made it seem as though he shared their innate musical connection, perfectly aligning with every subtle shift and nuance.

Chris Wood, donning a pinstripe suit and hat, initially gained recognition with the jazz-fusion trio Medeski, Martin & Wood. His jazz roots were evident in his adept upright bass playing. Additionally, Chris occasionally switched to a vintage Hofner Violin electric bass for tracks like "Little Bit Sweet" and the audience's favorite, "Wasting My Mind." Oliver, handling most of the lead vocals and guitar work, impressed with his fluid fingerpicking and robust blues solos, his light brown hair accentuating his musical fervor. Jano, the trio's dynamic element, was a whirlwind of activity, moving from his drum set to the front stage to play the "shuitar"—a percussion instrument fashioned from an old guitar—enhancing the band's acoustic performances with a rich, full sound.

Concluding the main set with the beloved "Atlas," the band underscored a universal truth: nearly two decades later, audiences still crave music that balances sweetness with a touch of bitterness, wrapped in an immensely enjoyable performance.