Get Into the LA Groove: Aug. 5-11, 2024

With Foo Fighters bringing their “Everything or Nothing At All” tour to BMO Stadium on Friday and Sunday night and Khruangbin playing Saturday and Sunday at the Hollywood Bowl, the weekend of August 9 is going to be lit in LA! Whether you’re visiting for either of these shows or happen to be in Los Angeles, check out what else is happening at the city’s music venues.
This week’s shows include a tribute to the late indie icon Elliot Smith; a salute to the legendary Roland TR-808 drum machine; a birthday bash for EDC fan favorite Lady Faith; and a celebration of global funk and more with Silk Road Secret Agents. Keep reading for more nightlife recommendations for Monday, August 5 through Sunday, August 11.

Inyección - Moroccan Lounge (Aug. 5)
Start your week with a mega-dose of punk rock when Chilean bands Inyección and Argh play Downtown LA’s Moroccan Lounge on Monday, August 5. Joining them are locals Futura, S.O.H., Artificial Joy and Gylt; as well as Orange County-based Nütt. Tickets to the all-ages show at Ticketmaster.

King Buzzo & Trevor Dunn - Lodge Room (Aug. 5)
King Buzzo (Melvins) and Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle) - they've played together on the former’s 2020 album, Gift of Sacrifice as well as in the band Fantômas - are joining forces for the "King Dunn Tour," an acoustic jaunt across the U.S. Catch King Buzzo on vocals and acoustic guitar and Dunn on stand-up bass at the Lodge Room in Highland Park on Monday night. Opening the show is Butthole Surfers bassist-turned-banjo player JD Pinkus.

All My Rowdy Friends - The Regent (Aug. 6)
An all-star roster of performers will gather at The Regent on August 6 for All My Rowdy Friends, a celebration of the life of the late indie icon Elliott Smith. The lineup includes comedian Margaret Cho, Jason Lytle and Jim Fairchild of Grandaddy, Ben Bridwell of Band of Horses and Bo Koster of My Morning Jacket. Also on the bill are members of the band that toured with Smith on his beloved 2000 album Figure 8.

The Gaslight Anthem - The Greek Theatre (Aug. 6)
The Gaslight Anthem hits The Greek Theatre on Tuesday, August 6 in support of the new, expanded version of their 2023 album, History Books. The long-running New Jersey rock band will be joined by LA indie rockers Joyce Manor and Canadian emo faves The Dirty Nil. Tickets to the all-ages show at Ticketmaster.

808 Day feat. Egyptian Lover - Lodge Room (Aug. 8)
August 8 is the day to celebrate the Roland TR-808, the iconic drum machine that influenced everyone from Yellow Magic Orchestra to Marvin Gaye and helped propel genres like hip-hop and electro in the early 1980s. At the Lodge Room in Highland Park, the 808 Day celebration will be headlined by seminal LA electro producer Egyptian Lover alongside Peanut Butter Wolf, Prince Paul, J.Rocc, Rhettmatic and Arabian Prince. Doors at 7pm, showtime is 8:08pm.

O.A.R. - The Greek Theatre (Aug. 8)
O.A.R., the pop-rock band behind ‘00s hits like “Love and Memories” and “Shattered (Turn the Car Around),” hits the Greek Theatre on August 8 with openers Fitz and the Tantrums. Doors are early for this Thursday night event—they actually open at 5:25pm— and you’ll want to get to your seat as soon as possible because turntablist DJ Logic will get the party started at 6:55pm.
Tickets to the all-ages show at Ticketmaster.

Leisure - The Fonda (Aug. 8)
In between festival dates at Lollapalooza in Chicago and Outside Lands in SF, New Zealand six-piece Leisure will bring their smooth grooves to Los Angeles. Don’t snooze on getting tickets for their August 8 show at The Fonda because this is one of very few shows they’re set to play in the U.S.
Tickets to the all-ages show at AXS.

Foo Fighters - BMO Stadium (Aug. 9 & 11)
Foo Fighters play the first of two nights at BMO Stadium on August 9 with The Pretenders and Amyl and the Sniffers on board. If you’re a fan of Amyl and the Sniffers, you might want to catch this night of the “Everything or Nothing at All Tour,” because the Australian band’s headlining dates at The Fonda the following week are already sold out. Foo Fighters and The Pretenders play again at BMO on Sunday, August 11 with Alex G. opening. Tickets at Ticketmaster.

Desert Hearts - Academy LA (Aug. 9)
Desert Hearts brings “house, techno and love” to Academy LA on Friday, August 9 with DJs Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds, Marbs and Porky. Best known for their festivals, the most recent of which was held in Arizona earlier in July, this is a chance to hear the four-person Southern California crew in a club setting. VIP table reservations are available.

Lady Faith - Exchange LA (Aug. 9)
It’s all about hardstyle on August 9 when Lady Faith, the genre's premier DJ/producer, celebrates her birthday at Exchange LA, with a night presented by Insomniac’s hard dance brand Basscon. This will be a 360 set, meaning that Lady Faith, who has played Insomniac’s tentpole event, Electric Daisy Carnival, 12 years in a row, will be DJing in the middle of the crowd. VIP table reservations are available.

Ruth Radelet - Zebulon (Aug. 10)
Former Chromatics frontwoman Ruth Radelet is spending her summer on the road. Her headlining show at Zebulon on August 10, with Raspberry Blonde opening, comes at the end of a western U.S. jaunt with STRFKR. Radelet will be crossing the country in September with Chromeo and The Midnight, so catch her live on her home turf before she hits the road. Tickets at Dice.

Silk Road Secret Agents - Lodge Room (Aug. 10)
Discotchari, the DJ duo behind Dublab radio show Silk Road Secret Agents, dig through the vinyl vaults to unearth vintage tunes connecting the cultures that exist along the Silk Road. On August 10, they’ll be doing the same live at the Lodge Room. Joining them for this special event is Madrid-based band Mohama Saz, who fuse Spanish, Middle Eastern and North African sounds; and local DJ/producer Maral, whose music draws from her own Iranian roots.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Orchestra World Tour - Shrine Auditorium (Aug. 10)
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Orchestra World Tour is a new performance from AWR Music Productions, known for the Distant Worlds concert series featuring music from the beloved video game franchise, and Square Enix. Conducted by Arnie Roth, the 100+ member orchestra and chorus will perform new arrangements of Nobuo Uematsu’s Final Fantasy scores, as well as works by Masashi Hamauzu, who will be in attendance for the LA show, and Mitsuto Suzuki.
Tickets to the all-ages show at AXS. VIP Meet & Greet tickets include an autograph and photo with Roth and Hamauzu.

Khruangbin - Hollywood Bowl (Aug. 10 & 11)
Khruangbin, who released their fourth full-length album, A La Sala, back in April, plays the first of two nights at Hollywood Bowl on August 10. For the Saturday night show, the global funk trio from Texas will be joined by Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA), which will be conducted by GRAMMY-winner Derrick Hodge. Gates open on Saturday at 6pm for an 8pm showtime. Sunday’s show is part of the KCRW Festival and will not feature YOLA, but will be hosted by KCRW DJ Novena Carmel of Morning Becomes Eclectic. Gates open at 5:30pm for the 7pm concert. Portland-based Unknown Mortal Orchestra will open both nights.

Los Cafres - The Ford (Aug. 10)
With a history that goes back more than 35 years and hits like “Tus Ojos,” “Casi q’me pierdo” and “Bastará” to their credit, Los Cafres is certainly one of the best known reggae outfits to sing in Spanish. On Saturday, August 10, the Argentinian band will play The Ford, with the historic amphitheater serving as a perfect setting to vibe to Los Cafres’ grooves. Gates at 6:30pm, concert is at 8pm.

Protest the Hero - 1720 (Aug. 11)
This year, Canadian metal band Protest the Hero has been celebrating the 10th anniversary of their Juno Award-winning album Volition. They’ve already released a limited edition, vinyl box set of the album and now they’re hitting the road. Catch Protest the Hero at 1720 on Sunday, August 11 for a fairly early all-ages show. Tickets at Dice.

Grand Ole Echo: Theo Lawrence - The Echo (Aug. 11)
LA’s long-running country night, Grand Ole Echo will light up the stage on Sunday night with a performance from Theo Lawrence. The French singer has long been influenced by Americana and earned acclaim for his vintage sound on last year’s album, Cherie. After a relatively recent move to Austin, he’s embarking on a U.S. tour, which brings him to Echo Park on Sunday for an early all-ages show. Tickets at Live Nation.