Now I know The Olympics start tomorrow and most of you won’t be able to tear yourself away from the television long enough to see what great shows are coming to Los Angeles. Fear not! See a show tonight and get your 2008 olympic experience off on the right foot. If you don’t, Michael Phelps won’t dominate the swimming events and it will be all YOUR fault!

• Dr. Dog | 7:00PM at Ameoba Music in Hollywood - Map | All Ages | FREE
• The Airborne Toxic Event, Morning Benders, Radars to the Sky | 8:00PM at El Rey Theatre - Map | All Ages | Tickets $17 Buy Now
• The Faint, Jaguar Love, Shy Child | 8:00PM at The Music Box @ The Fonda - Map | All Ages | Tickets $23 Buy Now
• Monte Negro, Astra Heights, The May Fire | 8:00PM at Knitting Factory - Map | All Ages | Tickets $12 Buy Now
• The Rolling Blackouts, Lieutenants, Craft Club, Apple War | 9:00PM at Silverlake Lounge - map | 21+ | Tickets $8 Buy Now

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Lots of great shows tonight. Catch one while you can!

• Ooklah the Moc | 8:00 pm at The Roxy - Map | All Ages | Tickets $15 Buy Now
• Paul Rodriguez | 8:00 pm at Acs Lounge - Soboba Casino - Map | 21 +| Tickets $30 Buy Now
• Steve Miller Band and Joe Cocker | 8:00 pm at the NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE | Ages not specified | Tickets $59.50 - 89.50 Buy Now
• The Enemy U.K. | 8:00 pm at Troubadour - Map | All Ages | Tickets $15 Buy Now
• The Ting Tings | 8:00 pm at  El Rey Theatre - Map | All Ages | Tickets $16 Buy Now
• Club Lucky | 9:00 pm at House of Blues Anaheim - Map | 18+ | Tickets $11 Buy Now
• Indie 103 Presents Club Nme with Film School | 9:00 pm at  Spaceland - Map | 21+ | Tickets $10  Buy Now

Picture by Phil Bardi

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band at Troubadour may be sold out but if you are a die hard Conor devotee like myself you will go a little early to find those people selling extra tickets! ( I, in fact, have one to sell to you if you like). There is also an assortment of local bands tonight in Los Angeles, to please all musical tastes…

• Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Dri | 8:00 pm at Troubadour - Map | All Ages | SOLD OUT
• Gary Wilson, Jason Grier, Julia Holter, Crooked Cowboy & The Freshwater Indians | 8:30 pm at The Echo - Map | 18+ | Tickets $7 - Buy now
• Ante and After, F. Scott & The Ashbury Band, Heartstop, We Spell Disaster | 7:00 pm at Key Club - Map| 15+ | FREE
• Social Junk, Big Nurse, Magic Lantern, Sasqrotch | The Smell - Map | Tickets $5 at the door
• Shanghai Restoration Project (Early Show), Video Star, Lady Sinatra, No Thanks, Attic Of Love (Late Show) | 7:00 pm at Viper Room - Map | 21+ | Tickets at the door

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Tasty free shows tonight. Bon Appetit!

• Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band | 6:00pm at Amoeba Music (Hollywood) - Map| All Ages | FREE
• Son Ambulance, Weiland, Agronomo, Tracks Like Trains | 7:30pm at Knitting Factory - Map | All Ages | Tickets $12 Buy now
• Amanda Palmer (of The Dresden Dolls) | 8:00pm at the Troubadour - Map | Ages not specified | Tickets $15 Buy now
• Steely Dan | 8:00pm at Honda Center - Map | All Ages | Tickets $45 Buy now
• Torino, Love Grenades, The Drones, Pulse Out | 8:00pm at Silverlake Lounge - map | 21+ | FREE
• Today Is The Day, Withered | 8:00pm at The Echo - Map | 18+ | FREE WITH RSVP

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When it comes down to the bare bones of a musician’s being, there is nothing but determination, perseverance, and dedication embedded. LA.CityZine is proud to bring you artist, Toho Saunders, as part of our Know Your LA Bands series. Toho Saunders was lucky as a kid. His mom was a music school teacher and his dad was part of Motown’s greatest era.  With these family influences along with what he absorbed from the radio, he became very fond of all genres of music. However, he found his greatest love in Jamaica.

Toho Saunders is now an accomplished bass player, producer and composer of the greatest reggae/funk/r&b beats we have ever heard from the Bay area. Although you may hear influences of Bob Marley and Don Carlos, that doesn’t mean his arrangements haven’t been sought out by artists in other genres. He’s worked with Ghostface Killah and Wu-Tang and is looking forward to collaborating with artists such as Mary J. Blige and Will.I.Am.

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It’s still the weekend. Phew! Here is the round up of your local bands playing in LA tonight - with times, directions, ticket info and more.

• Dengue Fever | 8:00pm at the El Rey Theatre - Map | All Ages | Tickets $15 Buy now
• Serj Tankian | 8:00pm at The Wiltern - Map | All Ages | Tickets $39.50 Buy now
• Thao with the Get Down Stay Down, Horse Feathers | 8:00pm at the Troubadour - Map | All Ages | Tickets $12 Buy now
• Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band | 8:00pm at Greek Theatre - Map | Ages not specified | Tickets $40 Buy now
• The Vacation with The Ringers, The Bangkok Five, Oliver Futuer | 8:00pm at House of Blues Sunset Strip - Map | 18+ | Tickets $10 Buy now
  
• Run Run Run, Voyager One, Bedtime for Toys, The Coral Sea | 8:30pm at Spaceland - Map | 21+ | Tickets $8 Buy now
• The French Semester, Ollie Byrd & The Trees | 9:00pm at Pehrspace - Map | All Ages | Tickets $5

Photo by yellowbuzz

TGIF. Seriously. Here are some of my picks for the night! One of them is even a fundraiser for Obama! Hope this starts you off on a good weekend.

• James Taylor | 7:00pm at Santa Barbara Bowl - map | Ages not specified | Tickets $52.50 Buy now
• Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Patty Smyth & Scandal | 7:00pm at The Pacific Amphitheatre - Map | Ages not specified | Tickets $29.50
• Big Gemini | 8:00pm at Key Club - Map | 15+ | Tickets $25 Buy now
• Boost Mobile presents Sneaker Pimps with Public Enemy and more | 8:00pm at Element - Map | 18+ | Tickets $30 Buy now
• Z-Trip, Adam 12, DJ Diabetic, Troublemaker, and special guests as part of a fundraiser for Obama | 8:00pm at The Echo (Echoplex) - Map | 18+ | Tickets $20 Buy now

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As an alumnus of UCLA, I am always extremely excited to hear about other Bruins doing awesome things. I recently had the opportunity to interview Lady Danville, a group of three guys that grew up in Danville, CA but didn’t end up meeting until after joining Awaken A cappella while at UCLA. Their music certainly has hints of their A cappella experience with Awaken and has won local accolades including the annual 98.7 Star Lounge Competition with their song “Tired Magician,” off of their self-titled debut EP. In addition to sounding great on the radio, Lady Danville knows how to put on an awesome show. They will be playing Saturday, August 2^nd at the Ford Amphitheatre for the Kollaboration Acoustic Show (All Ages. Tickets $20-45. Buy Tickets) and can also be seen (for FREE!) at the Apple Store on 3^rd Street in Santa Monica on Saturday, September 6^th. Take the time and get to know Lady Danville:

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If you’re one of those bums who have no clue what day it is, you can always tell if you look at our Thursday Music Tonight posts. The closer it is to the weekend, the more shows we accumulate. Can you feel it? Can you smell the glory? Can you taste it? Mmm, mmm. Here are your musical gods and goddesses playing in LA tonight - with times, directions, ticket info and more. We’ve also got quite a few LA.CityZine friends in the line up tonight, such as The Weather Underground, The Fling, and The Hectors.

• Matchbox Twenty, Hodges | 7:00pm at The Pacific Amphitheatre - Map | All ages | Tickets $49.50 Buy now
• John Mellencamp with special guest, Lucinda Williams | 7:30pm at Greek Theatre - Map | Ages not specified | Tickets $47.50 Buy now
• Service Group, The Bentleys, Relax 2 Paris, Evan Hillhouse, Comic Book Heroes, One Silver Astronaut, and more | 7:30pm at Knitting Factory - Map | All Ages | Tickets $8 Buy now
• Eddie & the Hot Rods with The Joneses, Primadonna, The Soda Pop Kids | 8:00pm at Knitting Factory - Map | All Ages | Tickets $15 Buy now
• Rehab | 8:00pm at Viper Room - Map | 21+ | Tickets $15 Buy now
• The Weather Underground, The Fling, Hazelden | 8:00pm at Safari Sam’s - map | All Ages | FREE!

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If I could be in multiple places at a time, now would be the time to put it to use. Be sure to check out LA.CityZine’s latest interviewee, Jason Reeves. Our friends, theAbsolute, is also playing again this evening. Here is the music for tonight:

• WHIFF 2008 Red Carpet Evening feat: Cipes and The People, with Panels | 6:00 pm at the House of Blues Sunset Strip - Map | Ages not specified | Tickets $ 75 Buy Now
• Grand Ole Party | 7:00 pm at The Glass House - Map | Ages not specified | Tickets $ 10 Buy Now
• John Mellencamp with Special Guest Lucinda Williams | 7:00 at the Santa Barbara Bowl - map | Ages not specified | Tickets $41.50 Buy Now
• Jonny Lang | 7:00 pm at the House of Blues Anaheim - Map | All Ages | Tickets $40 Buy Now

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Oh, the life of a singer-songwriter. It means having a career where you can actually tell the masses what you think. However, it’s only now and then that you can actually find a musician who truly does the opportunity justice in this genre. Originally from Iowa City, Jason Reeves takes this mission very seriously. He’s been known to say, “I’m just a simple boy that believes in love and dreams,” but his greatest characteristic is his willingness to share this belief. His songs aren’t just about young puppy love or the announcement of doing the taboo (Katy Perry pop).

Self taught on the guitar after discovering Bob Dylan and James Taylor, he has taken this this skill and honed it into tremendous talent. Of course, songwriters write about love and heartbreak but Reeves pulls you in a little closer with his lyrics of hope and renewal as well. He’s been the #1 MySpace folk artist for 9 months and has held a consistent spot in the unsigned acoustic top 5. He now has the chance to share even more with audiences as his album, The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache (and Other Frightenting Tales) becomes available on iTunes on August 12th. If you want a physical CD, you’ll have to wait until September 9th.

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Happy Tuesday, everyone! Here is the round up for tonight.

• Eef Barzelay, Amateurs, Yellow Red Sparks | 8:30 pm at Spaceland - Map | 21+ | Tickets $8 - Buy now
• February Fifths, Ovideo, Mon Marie, Manhattan Murder Mystery | 8:00 pm at Silverlake Lounge - Map | Tickets $8 at the door
• Suckerstar, The Pain, HDR, Firelight, Murder After Midnight | 8:00 pm at Viper Room - Map | 21+ | Tickets at the door
• Black Kids, LoveLikeFire | 8:00 pm at El Rey Theatre | All Ages | Tickets $19 - Buy now
• Bloc Party, Does It Offend You? Yeah |8:00 pm at Club Mayan-Map | SOLD OUT
• The Virgins | 7:00 pm at Fingerprints-Map | All Ages | FREE
• Emily Wells, Nico Stal, The Shys, Carolina Liar | 8:00 pm at Troubadour - Map | Tickets $12 at the door
• The Watson Twins, Time Fite, Robert Francis | 8:30 pm at Echo - Map | 18+ | Tickets $12 - Buy now
• The Polyamorous Affair, Drive A, Down Right Fierce | 8:00 pm at Key Club - Map | 15+ | FREE

Photo by onepurethought