photography by brian swanson

Echo & The Bunnymen performing at Nokia Live on October 24, 2009.

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photography by brian swanson

A Place to Bury Strangers performing at The Echoplex on October 16, 2009.

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Last American Buffalo was pop-rock, but I liked it more than most pop-rock bands. They’ve got a modern oldies vibe—if that makes any sense. I thought the music would sound a lot more rock n’ roll without the keys, but at the same time those keys added a pretty pleasant sunny undertone. Most of their songs came off as pretty optimistic—I don’t know the title but the bassist has a moment where he makes his instrument toot like a horn.

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The whole scene was well-thought out & actually pretty novel; I knew what to expect the whole journey up, but I was still a little astonished when I walked in. There were bright lights & big screens shining down on hundreds upon hundreds dancing all about glowing fountains & dramatic architectural structures. In the background, families were picnicking with one another & inside many more were exploring the free exhibits. All this was beautifully composed with the fading sun setting across the Santa Monica Mountains.

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