I couldn't spend a month in LA, possibly today's mecca for independent-slash-pretentious bands, without catching a show.  I admit I was a little disappointed when I checked the concert calendars for the major venue and didn't see any big-name bands for the entire month of January.  Maybe I just wasn't looking at the right venues, who knows.  I finally settled on a band whose name I recognized, but whose music I hadn't had a chance to really get into up until now: Tapes 'N Tapes.

Let's just face the facts here: I'm no spring chicken.  I have more than graduated from experiencing concerts to attending concerts, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise.  I have no desire to jam into a venue, fight my way through the sweaty collective, stepping over crushed plastic cups, just so I can completely lose my hearing for two solid days.  That's what I really liked about the El Rey Theatre. They have the central "pit" for the desperate masses while myself and the rest of the old-timers can sit or lean comfortaby in the "viewing area" on either side of the stage.  I took my position toward the back of my fellow geriatrics and settled in for the show.

After enduring two opening bands (Wavves and Wild Light), one $14 beer (Bud American Ale), and one extremely drunk girl from New Jersey, Tapes 'N Tapes finally went on stage and delivered a fantastic show.  I spent a little time over the week prior to the show getting familiar with their latest release 'Walk It Off,' but the show was really enjoyable even without knowing the songs all that well.  There was very little crowd banter and they pretty much just stuck to playing their songs.

By the end of the evening I had finished the worst-and-most-expensive beer of my life and enjoyed a very good concert. If you have the cash, I definitely recommend grabbing their latest album.  Better yet, check them out in concert the next time they're passing through your city -- you won't be disappointed.  Just make sure you don't enjoy it too much, as the drunk girl from New Jersey learned the hard way. She passed out and was removed by security before the band finished their second song.  I guess everyone enjoys a concert in their own way.