2 Much Live Music: James Blake, Bruce Hornsby, Jazz at The Bowl Make June Joyful

Readers of this newsletter know that I’m always game for music-related travel. So when one of my high school buddies, who lives in San Francisco, hit me up about seeing James Blake at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, I didn’t need much convincing.

Not that I would’ve anyway. For one, James is one of my favorite male vocalists in music today. His voice is the very definition of angelic, with a range stretching from the heights of heaven and all the way down to the caverns below. 

Pairing that with his work on piano would be pitch-perfect as is, but when you throw in hip hop beats and wavy bass like he does, the combined effect is unlike anything else on the airwaves these days. With the help of his backing band, James manages to fill seemingly every sonic register — along with every emotional one.

Drop all of that into the ethereal confines of the historic William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre on the campus of UC Berkeley, and the net effect is a truly special night of music I won’t soon forget.

Given that this was the Trying Times Tour, it was only right that the 37-year-old put such emphasis on his latest album. From opening with “Walk Out Music” and closing the main set with “Rest Of Your Life,” to dropping in “Death of Love” and the title track in between, James paid plenty of attention to his most recent release — which is also his first as an independent artist.

That still left more than enough room for the songs that everyone came to see. Covers of Frank Ocean’s “Godspeed” (which was originally written with James in mind) and Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You” saw James strip down on the keys and bare it all with his phenomenal falsetto. “Retrogade” and his version of Feist’s “The Limit To Your Love” came with brilliant bursts of bass that simultaneously punched the audience in their collective chest through the air and rumbled through the amphitheater’s stone.

“I’ll Come Too” came with a very different kind of accompaniment: a marriage proposal in the audience, which James acknowledged with a congratulations after the song.

His U.S. tour has since concluded, but he’ll be bringing his unmistakable brand of indie electronica to audiences across the UK and Europe in the fall, followed by select dates in Australia and Japan this December.

What once was known as the Playboy Jazz Festival is now in its second year as the Blue Note Jazz Festival, but the premise remains the same: two days of world-class jazz at the Hollywood Bowl.

Whatever you want to call it, this year’s edition brought plenty of amazing vibes to the Hollywood Hills. Wyclef Jean and Patti LaBelle did their part to set the bar as headliners. On Saturday night, the former dug into his solo catalog with songs like “Gunpowder” and “Gone Till November,” and paid tribute to the now-late Clive Davis with a cover of Carlos Santana’s “Maria Maria,” which Wyclef wrote for the beloved guitarist. Come Sunday, the latter — now 82 — defied all convention with her soaring vocals and vibrant stage presence while reviving such soulful classics as “New Attitude” and “Lady Marmalade.”

But the joys of the fest stretched well beyond the names atop the marquee. Robert Glasper reunited his supergroup, R+R=NOW, for a transportive jazz set. Gregory Porter turned in a more traditionally soulful rendition of “Holding On,” sans the EDM rhythms of Disclosure’s version. Samara Joy and Elena Pinderhughes leaned into classic jazz, while the likes of Kokoroko and Cimafunk had attendees dancing in the aisles to their respective African and Afro-Caribbean stylings.

Read more about this year’s Blue Note Jazz Festival here.

In between two evenings of jazz at the Hollywood Bowl, Cory Henry brought the vibes back to the actual Blue Note club in Hollywood for the venue’s first-ever brunch service. In Cory’s case, though, it was more gospel than pure jazz.

That was in keeping with the footprint that the 39-year-old former Snarky Puppy member has established in Southern California. Indeed, his “Gospel Brunch Experience” was very much an extension of “The Church Experience” that Cory established as a monthly residency at The Miracle Theater in Inglewood last year. The music was moving, in all the ways one might expect on a Sunday, with tracks from Cory’s catalog like “Burdens Down” and “Watches Over Me.”

There aren’t any future editions of “The Church Experience” currently scheduled in L.A., but fans can catch Cory Henry and The Funk Apostles for a free outdoor concert at the Skirball Cultural Center on Thursday, July 16. And if you live (or can get to) New York City, don’t miss the first edition of “The Church Experience” in Cory’s hometown at The Century Theater on July 12.

There aren’t many (if any) people out there who can connect The Grateful Dead, Tupac Shakur, Elton John, Bela Fleck, Wayne Shorter, Sting and Don Henley, but Bruce Hornsby certainly is one.

The “Kevin Bacon of Music” (as I’ve just dubbed him) turned up with his band, The Noisemakers, for two sold-out nights at the famed Troubadour in West Hollywood last month. I made it through the doors for Night Two, when he took the crowd on a guided tour of his extensive repertoire — including, of course, the famously 2Pac-sampled “The Way It Is.”

Read more about Bruce’s WeHo show here, and get your tickets to his upcoming dates here.

Seeing Rafael in Mexico City was bound to be a blast on its own, but a surprise guest on the bill ended up stealing the show.

I was in CDMX for my buddy Jon’s bachelor party. Our friend Yanni, who’s a DJ and event promoter himself, suggested that we spend the last night of the trip dancing our faces off to Rafael and Artimestique at an underground club in the city’s Centro Historico.

The first two sets were fantastic and fun, and would’ve been more than enough to satisfy the entire group.

But as Rafael wrapped up his set, I noticed one oddly familiar face start to assume her position on the decks. I couldn’t quite place how or where from I recognized this beautiful blonde woman who was about to DJ.

That is, until another, more widely known face stepped up next to her. He was tall, with a coiffure of curly white hair and a stubby mustache.

I turned to one of my friends and said, with a bit of joyous shock, “That’s Paul from Polo & Pan.”

I’d had the good fortune of meeting Paul Armand-Delille and his wife, Ayca, two-and-a-half years ago. I had attended a rooftop dinner in Calcutta, India — at the invitation of my friend, the drummer Sambit Chatterjee, while visiting the city — where Paul and Ayca were the guests of honor. They had just arrived from Bali, where they were vacationing while Paul collected and recorded all kinds of sounds for his catalog. In the days ahead, they would be escorted to the town of Santiniketan, to engage with the local culture and gather more audio for Paul’s future productions.

I spoke briefly with Paul, mostly about having both survived the “Mud Burn” at Burning Man in 2023. He had been there to perform a Polo & Pan set, albeit without his usual partner, Alexandre Grynszpan.

Seeing him again in Mexico City, I had to at least say hello. While Ayca was spinning, I wound my way around to the back of the DJ booth for a quick word with Paul. He remembered that dinner, that whole trip. I asked him about what had become of his recordings from India. He hinted that he would be dropping a song that sampled some of those sounds in his upcoming set.

So it was that Paul opened his set with a track featuring kids in India singing about an elephant. In addition to going B2B with Ayca, his stint on the decks included a fiery remix of the Mexican national anthem and a version of Radiohead’s “Creep” with female vocals that was sung partly in French.

It was a serendipitous reconnection, to say the least, and one that elevated an already great night to one that my friends and I will never forget.

Polo & Pan won’t be on a full-blown tour this year, but you can find tickets to their upcoming live dates here.

I’m still feeling some kind of way about missing The Roots Picnic this year. It’s become the hip-hop event of the year on my calendar, and as a lover of the genre (along with so many other styles of music), it pained me to have to stay home on account of illness.

In the interest of clearing my FOMO, among other things, let’s take a moment to welcome Killer Mike into The Charcoal Club. 

I actually completed this piece in April 2024, about six months after photographing Night 2 of Run The Jewels’ RTJX Tour at the Hollywood Palladium. Turns out, seeing Rage Against The Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha storm out for his cameo on “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)” was only my second-favorite moment of the night.

The first came while I was in the photo pit. At one point, Killer Mike — in all of his legendarily defiant glory — stared straight into my lens and flashed the “Pistol and Fist,” RTJ’s iconic hand gesture, the same one that graces all of their album covers.

In that moment, I knew I had a charcoal-worthy shot, assuming the photo actually turned out. Fortunately, it did. Better yet, my camera trained its focus on its hands before his face.

You can find the original work in my shop, along with posters and prints.

For all the latest updates, follow The Charcoal Club on Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads and Facebook, and visit our website.

(Also, if you’re interested in commissioning me for a custom piece, reach out! A direct reply to this email will do.)

One final note: I want to thank everyone for supporting my campaign to become The People’s Artist. Unfortunately, we finished third in our Quarterfinals group — a bit shy of the first-place finish required to move on to the Semifinals.

That said, I’m incredibly proud of our collective effort, and truly appreciate everyone’s contributions and encouragement. The campaign may be over, but your donations will still go toward a great cause with The Art of Elysium, which provides arts programs to vulnerable communities in and around L.A.

Cheers to you all!

The 81-year-old Brit rock legend visits the Hollywood Hills One Last Time to recap a career full of hits, including “Maggie May,” “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” and “Young Turks.” Get your tickets to Rod’s farewell tour here.

The July Fourth Fireworks Spectacular is an annual treat on the Hollywood Bowl’s calendar. This year’s edition will see The Beach Boys, with Mike Love at the helm, doing the honors of bridging the gap between Thomas Wilkins and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra’s opening numbers and the aforementioned fireworks display at the end.

John Stamos — who first played with The Beach Boys in 1985 — will resume his role as a recurring guest. He and the gang will be celebrating two momentous milestones: America’s 250th birthday and the 60th anniversary of the seminal album Pet Sounds.

Pick up your tickets (and good vibrations) here.

The Grammy-winning producer, president of Blue Note Records and former frequent collaborator of the late Bob Weir brings his latest band — comprised of jazz musicians from his hometown — to Highland Park to celebrate both their debut album, Groove in the Face of Adversity, and the 50th anniversary of The Grateful Dead’s beloved album, Blues For Allah.

The rising indie pop duo continues its steady ascent out of Australia with a headlining show at the Greek on their meet me in the car tour. Ax and the Hatchetman as the opener figures to make this a scintillating double bill in Los Feliz.

Grab your tickets here.

In addition to Thomas Wilkins conducting the LA Phil through Leonard Bernstein and Duke Ellington, Bowl goers will be treated to songs from three different plays, sung by a trio of spectacular vocalists. Lawrence co-lead Gracie Lawrence and Tony Award winners Alex Newell and Ali Stroker will combine to shine on tunes from Valerie Coleman’s Fanfare for Uncommon Times, William Grant Still’s Mother and Child, and Shaina Taub’s Suffs.

Tickets are available here.

Wes Anderson’s films can be polarizing, but the lineup for KCRW’s co-production with the Los Angeles Philharmonic celebrating Music from the Films of Wes Anderson shouldn’t be. Among those slated to participate in the star-studded affair are Beck, Jackson Browne, Jeff Goldblum, Karen O, Jim James, China Forbes, Mark Mothersbaugh and, of course, Bill Murray.

Because is it really a Wes Anderson event if Bill Murray isn’t involved?

Get your tickets to any (or all) of the three nights here.

If Wes Anderson isn’t your speed, head to The Wiltern and join the rest of the jokers and thieves for some ripping Australian rock, courtesy of Wolfmother.

Tickets are available here.

…and if neither of those tickle your fancy, perhaps you’ll have a better time at Blue Note in Hollywood, where Flying Lotus will play four shows over two days — not just with his DJ decks, but alongside a live band.

Secure your seats here.

Another summer weekend, another banger at the Hollywood Bowl for KCRW Festival. This time, it’s a pairing of Canadian EDM and L.A. indie pop, courtesy of Bob Moses and Cannons, respectively.

Both bands are sure to have attendees dancing in boxes, on benches and throughout every other nook and cranny to be found around the Bowl. If you want to be among them, get your tickets here.

In search of another colorful indie/alternative band with which to spend a summer night? Look no further than Rainbow Kitten Surprise, who will bring their bones North American Tour to the Greek Theatre on the third Tuesday of July.

Snag your seats here.

Let the good jams roll as Widespread Panic make their long-awaited return to Los Angeles. The boys from Athens, Georgia haven’t played the City of Angels since 2016, and will be breaking their decade-spanning drought at the Orpheum, where they last performed in March 2015.

For Panic, the shows come as part of a rare multi-city West Coast tour — their first in 10 years. The band will likely be without lead guitarist Jimmy Herring, who’s been recovering from treatment for tonsil cancer.

Don’t miss your chance to see Panic out West! Find tickets here.

If Motown is more your style, head to the Hollywood Bowl for the Just The Two of Us Tour featuring Smokey Robinson and Gladys Knight. From “You Really Got a Hold on Me” and “I Second That Emotion” to “Midnight Train to Georgia” and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” these two nights will sound less like concerts and more like live recitations of K-EARTH 101’s song rotations.

Tickets can be found here.

Okay, so maybe jams aren’t your thing, and neither is soul music. How about punk, emo and ska?

If any of that sounds good to you, head down to Long Beach for Warped Tour, which returns to the Shoreline Waterfront for its second go-round since the touring festival’s revival. This year’s big names include Jimmy Eat World, Plain White T’s, Taking Back Sunday, Dance Gavin Dance, Third Eye Blind, Hoobastank, MxPX and Thrice.

Consider this the KROQ special of the weekend. If this suits you better, get your passes here.

Now, if your answer so far to “What should I see over the final weekend of July?” is “None of the above,” you may be in luck with Boris Brejcha. The German DJ and producer will be bringing his blend of techno and house — along with his Venetian Carnival mask — to the Hollywood Bowl for his first-ever orchestral performance alongside Derrick Hodge and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.

It’s sure to be yet another splendid production for KCRW Festival, with tickets available here.

The beloved folk-punk pioneers from Milwaukee will take over The Bellwether near downtown L.A. for two sets of distinct shows across four nights. 

On July 28 and 29, Violent Femmes will play their self-titled debut album and 1984’s Hallowed Ground in full, along with other hits. Come July 30 and 31, they’ll return with their greatest hits, as well as core tracks 1986’s The Blind Leading The Naked, with producer Jerry Harrison in tow.

Tickets to all four nights can be found here.

From the East Bay to the French Quarter, Tower of Power and Preservation Hall Jazz Band will have the air above the Hollywood Hills ringing with funk, soul, jazz and a whole lot of brass.

Swipe your tickets to this spectacular night of horns here.

The British recording artist brings his Undoing Tour to the Palladium to close out the month of July. Beyond his music’s placement in HBO’s Euphoria, Labrinth has made a name for himself with his dramatic performances and expansive live productions.

Surely, his fourth and latest album, 2026’s Cosmic Opera: Act I, will bring plenty of both, along with an orchestra to complement Labrinth’s hip-hop beats.

Find tickets to Labrinth’s shows here.

Ben Gibbard and company are back with a brand-new album, I Built You a Tower, and a pair of shows at the Greek Theatre to match. 

Death Cab For Cutie previewed the album in front of an intimate audience at Sid The Cat Auditorium in South Pasadena in early June. Come August, they’ll play their first full-blown headlining shows at a major venue in L.A., with a setlist that isn’t comprised entirely of Transatlanticism, since their last visit to the Greek on the Asphalt Meadows Tour in October 2022.

Get your tickets to see Death Cab here.