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Set List:

Monks Into Hi-Tek Rulez
Fok Julle Naaiers
Wat Kyk JY?
Wat Pomp?
Hey Sexy
Fatty Boom Boom
Money & Da Power
Rich Bitch w/So What
Little Ninja – accapella
Baby’s On Fire
Freeky
Beat Boy

Enter The Ninja
NLM2

Although two main members of Wu-Tang Clan (Ghostface Killah and Raekwon) were not performing, that didn’t stop Club Nokia from being so packed you could barely move. Champagne was flowing, the floor was vibrating and everyone was feeling the beat. Method Man, RZA and GZA were highlights of the evening.
—Debi Del Grande

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Empire of the Sun returned with yet another sold out gig. This time worship was held at Club Nokia. Luke Steele entertained the feverish crowd while the dancers were in constant motion. Mayor Hawthorne opened and definitely got the party started. Photos from Empire of the Sun and Mayor Hawthorne on Ocober 16, 2011 by Debi Del Grande.

Empire of the Sun:

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Mayor Hawthorne:

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It’s no surprise that a slew of 80s bands are coming through L.A. and selling out show after show. If you are under 30, you may not have heard of them, or your parents ramble on about them. But the fact is, it’s almost impossible for bands today to have hit after hit with the changes to the music industry. So when these bands roll into town, their catalog is vast and very familiar to most. Their music has influenced many bands today, so it’s no surprise you find quite a few of today’s bands at the shows.

And one of these bands is synth-pop sensation OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark). After selling out two shows back in March at The Music Box, OMD returned to play at Club Nokia with their album “History of Modern” still going strong. But this time, their set list included their smash hit “Secret.” Although a band may have many hits, they have to sound good, right? Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys not only sound like they did back in the day, McCluskey has dance moves that make me wish he would have a little dance off with Thom Yorke. The charismatic McCluskey had the crowd in his palm while the entire crowd sang word-for-word to “If You Leave,” “Joan of Arc,” “Forever Live and Die,” “Enola Gay,”Dreaming,” “Electricity,” “So In Love,” and on and on. Even though McCluskey and Humphreys are the focal point of the band, let’s not forget drummer Malcolm Holmes and Martin Cooper on keyboards and sax, who started with the band in 1979.

It’s these songs with simple, yet straight-to-the-heart lyrics that are relatable at any age.

Opening for OMD on tour this time around is Washington.

Photos from October 7, 2011 by Debi Del Grande.

OMD:

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Pre-Grammy fever was high at Club Nokia Friday night with some major hip hop/R&B/soul talent performing.  Even though I was highly anticipating Cee-Lo Green (of Goodie Mob, Gnarls Barkley fame) and ready to yell “F___ You!” in unison with hundreds of others, it was Big Boi’s set that shot bolts of energy through the room, leaving some big shoes to fill. With a stage full of horns, dancers in red track suits, backup vocalists, an appearance by the extraordinarily talented and classy Janelle Monáe, and blending new material with some major Outkast hits, Big Boi got the party started.  Headlining the show, with four Grammy nominations this year, Cee-Lo appeared with the Goodie Mob and ended with “Crazy” and “F___ You” to a most happy crowd. Photos by Debi Del Grande

Big Boi

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Cee-Lo

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—Vanessa Gonzalez

Luckily, with nearly two decades of honing their smoked-out craft (among Friday night’s set, songs with titles including “Lou Weed” and “You Were the Last High”), the Portland-based Dandys are experts at pulling it off, riding their nearly two-hour long set on the strength of their ability to powerfully render an audience under their influence. Any hints of something more accessible—such as “We Used to be Friends,” the track from 2003′s Welcome to the Monkey House that served as the theme song for geek-favorite TV series Veronica Mars—were mostly gotten out of the way early, though the set did end with a surprisingly unironic albeit timely take on “The Little Drummer Boy.”

Live, it doesn’t seem like the Dandy Warhols are too concerned at this point with winning anyone new over. The heavily distorted effects on lead singer Courtney Taylor-Taylor’s vocals sound pretty cool, but they do tend to make things feel a bit more cold and detached. But this wasn’t a night to win over anyone new (more than half of the setlist was from their mid-’90s classics Dandy Warhols Come Down and Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia) it was to give devotees—like the gleefully dancing dude in the pit who looked like Eddie Vedder’s uncle—their money’s worth. Though, maybe that’s just how Eddie Vedder looks now. I haven’t seen him in a while.

—Albert Ching

This mixtape comes from Dandy Warhols guitarist Peter Holmstrom. The theme is Blood/Bleeding, a good way to begin your weekend, as well as seeing the band play live tonight in Los Angeles at Club Nokia.

MIXTAPE: The Dandy Warhols “Blood/Bleeding”

1.    Bob Dylan – It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) – Bringing it All Back Home
2.    The Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed – Let It Bleed
3.    Serena-Maneesh – Hear Bleed Philharmonic – Fixxations
4.    Primal Scream – Bloods (Two Lone Swordsmen Mix) – Dolls
5.    Radiohead – We Suck Young Blood (Your Time Is Up) – Hail To The Thief
6.    Killing Joke – Love Like Blood – Nighttime
7.    Mazzy Star – Taste Of Blood – She Hangs Brightly
8.    The Jesus And Mary Chain – Bleed Me – Hate Rock ‘n’ Roll
9.    The Cure – The Blood – The Head On The Door