Paul McCartney Rocks The Fonda in March, Coachella Kicks Off Fest Season in April

The Loudie app came in clutch for my first show of March: a funky Friday night with Franc Moody. The London-based quartet, led by Ned Franc and Jon Moody, had a lively crowd at The Wiltern vibing to danceable standards like “Skin on Skin,” “Going Through The Motions” and “Dopamine” (see above).

With Franc Moody’s North American tour supporting 2025’s Chewing The Fat now over, I’m already dreaming (in colour) of their next trip across the pond.

Friday with Franc proved to be the perfect prelude to a surprise-filled Saturday night with Gogol Bordello in downtown LA.

Eugene Hutz and his merry band of Gypsy punk rockers rolled through The Novo with sound, fury and a long list of special guests. Chief among them: Tom Morello, the legendary guitarist from Rage Against The Machine, who joined an expansive crew onstage for “We Mean It, Man!” It was a dream full-circle moment for me — one that brought me back to my first Coachella, which was marked by moshing to both Gogol and RATM over the same weekend.

Gogol also brought out Puzzled Panther on “Dance Around The Fire,” Cassandra Church for “State of Shock” and producer Adam “Atom” Greenspan on “No Time For Idiots,” along with appearances by all four drummers from the band’s quarter-century run.

Of course, it wouldn’t have been a proper Gogol show without “Wonderlust King,” “Not A Crime,” “Pala Tute” or “Start Wearing Purple.” To that end, they delivered with their characteristic bravado.

All of the above made for a night of defiant jubilation, with Gogol drawing on their activism. Fans in the band’s adopted hometown of New York City will have a chance to catch them live at Rough Trade Below on April 25, before they embark on a summer tour across Europe.

For juuuuust a bit of a vibe check, we turn to Jonah Kagen.

The 26-year-old singer-songwriter sold out The Troubadour in West Hollywood — on back-to-back school nights, no less — and it was easy to see why. Between his gritty vocals, deeply emotional lyrics, understated guitar, nervous charm in between songs and resiliently coiffed hair throughout, the Savannah, Georgia native had the whole place swooning from beginning to end.

He’ll be playing a much bigger venue the next time he’s in L.A. (and cities across North America, for that matter) as support for Dermot Kennedy, who plays the Greek Theatre on October 19.

I’m just grateful to have caught Jonah at this point on his rocket ride through the music world.

No Jake Cinninger on guitar? No problem for Umphrey’s McGee.

The veteran jam band from Chicago completed their West Coast run — including a mid-March visit to The Regent Theater in downtown L.A. — without their lead guitarist, who sat out the tour for personal reasons.

That afforded Brendan Bayliss plenty of room to wail away on his own guitar, which he did with aplomb through two sizzling sets. From new tracks like “Exit Signs” and “Out of Focus,” to tried-and-trues in “The Floor” and “Prowler,” to a dreamy Latin jam on a cover of Sade’s “Smooth Operator,” UM was once again in fine form for their annual visit to Southern California.

The show also marked Scotty Zwang’s L.A. debut as Umphrey’s full-time drummer. He, Andy Farag on percussion and Ryan Stasik on bass formed a flawless rhythm section to complement Brendan in the lead and Joel Cummins on the keys.

They’ll be busy playing across North America between now and late August. Next up: two sets at Sweetwater 420 Fest in Atlanta in mid-April, followed by plenty more at Deep Dive with Umphrey’s McGee in Cancun April 30 through May 3.

What’s better than a Loudie special? How about two in the same month!

I got more than my money’s worth with The California Honeydrops, who stuffed the stage at The Bellwether with musicians and filled the air with the sweet sounds of old-school soul.

Lead singer Lech Wierzynski was his usual, slick self. The NorCal native slipped seamlessly between the sweetness of new songs like “Lovin’ Made Easy” to the less subtle raunch of “Sit Down On It,” “When It Was Wrong” and “She’s Finer Than She Looks.”

As is their wont, the Honeydrops sprinkled in plenty of covers, from Jimmy Reed’s “Big Boss Man” and Marvin Gaye’s “How Sweet It Is” to Sam Cooke’s “Good Times.” For the second set, Lech and his lads opened themselves up to requests, which led to their first performance of “Tumblin’” in two years.

Fans of good times and even better tunes would do well to check them out at New Orleans Jazz Fest on May 1 and/or at Goose’s Viva El Gonzo Festival in San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico on May 9. If neither of those work, you can catch them at points across the U.S. throughout spring and summer.

Every time I’ve seen Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, I’ve been blown away by the sincere vocals and searing guitar work of Tom Hamilton. Yet, I’d spent criminally little time listening to his original work with Ghost Light, American Babies and Brothers Past.

That’s all changed since seeing (and shooting) Tom’s solo show at The Venice West last month. That performance leaned heavily into his solo album, I’m Your Vampire (as well it should’ve), while also offering a spectacular survey of his entire catalog.

If you went in expecting Grateful Dead covers, you would’ve been disappointed. But if you can and do appreciate the singular artistry and talent that Tommy brings to the table, you’d have been entranced by the electricity he brought to such an intimate space.

Read more about the show here.

Jeff Tweedy was neither the last nor the least artist I saw live in March, but he sure was the most familiar…

I mean it in the literal sense — as in, he played alongside his sons, Spencer Tweedy on drums and Sammy Tweedy on keys, with other neighborhood kids from Chicago (Macie Stewart, Sima Cunningham and Liam Kazar) filling out the rest of the band.

There were no Wilco songs to be found on the setlist, though the trip through Jeff’s latest solo album, Twilight Override, along with other solo material was tremendous. So, too, were the band’s one-time-only, L.A.-specific covers of Harry Nilsson’s “Jump Into The Fire” and Beck’s “Loser” — the latter led by Sammy on the hip-hop vocals.

Read more about the show here.

I’ve been a diehard fan of Muse for more than 20 years now. So, naturally, I jumped out of my chair when the last full week of march brought word of both a new album (The Wow! Signal, streaming on June 26) and a North American tour.

To celebrate all that’s to come from Muse, including an August 31 visit to the Hollywood Bowl (!!!), let’s take a(nother) look at lead singer and guitarist Matt Bellamy making his entrance into The Charcoal Club.

The original already lives on a wall in a friend’s house, but you can find prints and other merch featuring Matt and his guitar by visiting my Etsy shop.

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

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

The producer known as Nicholas Daniel Miller returns to Las Vegas for one more mind-blowing weekend at Sphere.

If you don’t make it out to Sin City for Illenium (or you’re just more inclined to jam), be sure to check out the doubly whammy of Eggy and Taper’s Choice — two of the scene’s rising stars — in Highland Park.

The Boss returns to Inglewood for two shows that are sure to be politically charged and run deep into the night.

Say what you will about Coachella, but it’s still the biggest music festival on Earth, with a deep and eclectic lineup that’s got something for everyeone. However you feel about the headliners (Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G), the undercard is as stacked as ever — from the return of The XX and the arrival of Nine Inch Noize (Nine Inch Nails + Boys Noize) to David Byrne’s unique stage show and Iggy Pop’s timeless punk — not to mention whatever boundary-pushing production Anyma has in store.

(Side note: I’ve been a Weekend 2 stan since the fest expanded. Fewer influencers, more people who are actually there for the music.)

The 85-year-old maestro of modern jazz takes center stage in downtown L.A. once again. Expect a spectacular band and, perhaps, some special guests.

He may be five days ahead of schedule (if you catch my drift), but the hip-hop impresario and L.A. native is sure to send sparks flying inside The Regent anyway.

The quirky quartet of Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, Page McConnell and Jon Fishman will be back at Sphere for three more weekends of otherworldly jams for fleets of Phishheads.

Dave Grohl’s daughter makes her debut as a solo artist at the venerable record store in Long Beach.

Should you see Chet Faker in downtown L.A., if you’re not already busy with that third Phish Vegas weekend? No diggity, no doubt.