Wednesday Night Music Review

Wednesday evening’s musical entertainment kicked off during the cocktail party with a performance by Anya Marina, whose music was hand-picked for inclusion in the TV show “Grey’s Anatomy” by Chop Shop Music Supervision founder Alex Patsavas, who was honored with the MUSEXPO Int’l Music Person of the Year Award for 2008 after Anya’s performance. 

After the award presentation the assembled dignitaries were treated to a special performance by Australia’s incredible Missy Higgins, who previously played at MUSEXPO 2006 and has since gone on to become one of the top-selling Australian artists of the young millennium. She attracted an appreciative crowd in front of the stage, alternating between piano and acoustic guitar but maintaining that lovely lark-like voice throughout.

First up in the Main Room this evening is Justin Hopkins, an electrifying guitarist and soulful vocalist who’s rapidly been building a buzz in the competitive Los Angeles music scene. The Portland, Oregon native spent several years journeying up and down the West Coast of America, pursuing his twin passions of music and surfing. His set tonight was introduced by the previously mentioned Ms. Patsavas, an unabashed fan. It’s easy to see why: his tuneful numbers are more than ready for mass-consumption by mainstream music fans.

This evening’s entertainment in the Foundation Room commences with Leroy Lee, an Australian native who’s been building a burgeoning reputation Down Under. Leroy was hand-picked by the aforementioned Missy Higgins to be opening act on a string of dates in his New South Wales native area and it’s easy to see why: their styles are quite complementary, and we can foresee a comparable level of success for Mr. Lee, as the international audience was quite receptive to his tuneage.

Now up on the Main Room stage is another Australian act, The Gin Club. Personally, I’ve been looking forward to checking out a full set from this eclectic collective ever since hearing their amazing performance during Saturday’s special live broadcast of “Passport Approved”: the sole song they played that day, “Wild Witch,” provoked perhaps the strongest reaction from the bands and dignitaries gathered in the room that morning. This evening, though, their guitarist Ben ripped an absolutely amazing solo that had the packed crowd in the Main Room roaring their approval. I think they’d be a marvelous support act for the likes of American guitar rock a la Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or My Morning Jacket. Oddly enough, their un-radio-friendly of Saturday’s song, “Wild Bitch,” has proven to be a favorite of the tempestuous Tinseltown crowd…who’d’a  thunk it?

Our Lunar Activities is up next in the Foundation Room. They’re from the Isle of Lewis, off the northwest coast of Scotland where the Atlantic Ocean meets the North Sea. Their music has attracted the attention of the likes of Mogwai’s Barry Burns and Mark Hoppus of Blink-182 and +44, both of whom have produced music by the group. Their set has the audience swaying and it’s obvious that they’re deeply involved with the magnificent music emanating from this talented young act; be on the lookout for further accomplishments from the lads.

Big Linda has taken over the stage. Another favorite of “Passport Approved,” the English act has also been attracting a growing amount of airplay amongst the American Alternative Radio Specialty Panel, as documented by our buds at Mediaguide. Their rhythm-heavy, groove-oriented rock has swiftly proven a fan favorite. The vocalist has an awe-inspiring tone, evidenced quite nicely during the number “I Don’t Even Like You,” which also features a soaring mid-song instrumental break evoking a swirling psychedelia that was most pleasing to Your Humble Blogger…and a considerable amount of other folks in attendance, as evidenced by later conversations.

Now up in the Foundation Room is Stephanie Smith, who’s previously been featured in ad campaigns from both AOL and Nokia. The latter’s Steven Stewart is a huge fan, who’s been touting her considerable abilities to me throughout on the conference. (On a somewhat related, personal sidebar, I’d like to thank Steven for his graciousness and generosity. When I confessed to him earlier in the week that I was the last male in the Western World who was sans cell phone, he promptly had DHL’d a state-of-the art Nokia unit…which will probably take me a week or two to figure out how to properly use, despite his excellent two-minute tutorial. Thank you, sir–see ya on the VR!) 

The moral of that story being, of course–give me good swag and in return you’ll receive a rapturous write-up! 

Just kiddin’, folks…really, I love you all, regardless of whether you shower me with really, really cool gifts…though I must admit, it certainly doesn’t hurt. After all, I’m only human (though those tabulating my conference bar bill may, sadly, beg to differ). 

Now, back to the marvelous Ms. Stephanie Smith: after hearing her perform, it’s apparent to all why she’s been in such demand amongst some of the world’s largest corporate entities. The Salt Lake City, Utah native’s tender acoustic balladry is sure to be a future favorite of music supervisors the world over; expect to shortly be inundated by her soulful, confessional ruminations upon life whilst viewing most any major media. 

Thirty-three acts down, three more to go…but don’t nod off just yet, campers, as the upcoming artists are amongst the most anticipated of this year’s conference.

Now up on the Main Room stage is Meiko, who’s been one of the more delightful conversationalists at this year’s MUSEXPO (even serving on one of the panels at the Hyatt this morning). She’s one of the stellar performers emerging from the Hotel Café scene, having played at the last two SXSW fests and just recently finished up a slot on the Hotel Café tour. Possessor of an incredible voice, we predict great things ahead for this supremely talented songstress. Backed by an upright bassist and trumpeter, she made an immediately positive impression upon a filled-to-bursting Main Room stage, which was only reinforced by her angelic voice on subsequent solo acoustic numbers; her breathy, suggestive vocal stylings help distinguish the Georgia native from the pack, and her earthy yet endearing sense of humor is quickly proving a fan favorite. And as an aside, her throaty vocals are representative of one of the more sensual talents we’ve ever been privileged to hear.

Texas-bred band of brothers Astra Heights, which consists of a foursome of natal relatives as well as an “honorary brother,” will close out the conference’s Foundation Room entertainment this year. They’ve already made waves via a well-received late-night set in the Hyatt lounge Tuesday night and I’m looking forward to checking out more tonight…though it must be said that a family of Hispanic Texas natives playing an energized version of traditional BritPop is initially a tad disorienting.  Yet the young quintet pulls it off with a style and panache that would be the envy of many acts twice their age, putting forth a passionate performance that thoroughly resonated within the packed Foundation Room. 

 

Capping another fantastic evening of musical entertainment at the HoB is Melbourne, Australia’s Skybombers, who played such a rousing set at last year’s conference that they were invited back for an encore this year. Repped by Ron Stone and the lovely and talented Nancy Scibilia at Gold Mountain Entertainment, this energetic collective has been garnering comparisons to no less than such rock luminaries as Nirvana…and after witnessing their incendiary live act firsthand, it’s difficult to deny such heady predictions. Bassist Ravi has inevitably been accompanied by a bevy o’ beautiful women throughout the confab, and the preponderance of lovely ladies in the crowd packing the stage area is ample evidence that the other members elicit similar seductive powers. Their shout-a-long anthem “It Goes Off” has been attracting quite a bit of Alternative airplay in America and it’s readily apparent that it’s only a matter of time until they become household names. And, as an added bonus, t hey came back and dedicated an encore to MUSEXPO’s own Brandon Fuller…though, truth be told, dedicating a song with the chorus of “Will Anyone Remember My Name?” isn’t exactly the best way to win over hearts and minds, lads!

 

 

 

Award Ceremony Honoring Alex Patsavas

Just before the last fantastic evening of artist showcases kicked off at the House Of Blues on Wednesday, MUSEXPO 2008 presented this year’s final cocktail reception and dinner hosted by A&R Worldwide, Nokia and PlayIndies, which featured a very special tribute honoring one of the world’s most influential music supervisors, Alex Patsavas, (Founder/Owner, Chop Shop Music Supervision [“Grey’s Anatomy,” “24,” “Rescue Me,” “Ugly Betty” and many, many more]).

Following a rousing performance by Anya Maria, whose music has been placed in “Grey’s Anatomy” by Chop Shop, Alex was presented with MUSEXPO’s Second Annual International Music Person of the Year Award by the British Consul-General, Robert N. (”Bob”) Peirce (Musexpo is proud to have been a part of this year’s Britweek 2008 celebration, which this year is commemorating the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the British Consul General’s Residence in Los Angeles and runs until May 31).

After the presentation, the gathered audience was treated to a special solo performance by Australian superstar Missy Higgins, who wowed the crowd with an intimate (but sensational) set.

Many of the attendees agreed that this year’s MUSEXPO was the best one yet. If your only exposure to the festivities was through these blogs, you really need to take the time and make the effort to attend the next one! It’s well worth the investment of your time, energy and resources!

Legends: A Word From The Wise

Although this year’s MUSEXPO panels were, as always, chock-full of industry V.I.P.s, one could argue that we saved the best for last! LEGENDS: A WORD FROM THE WISE was sponsored by The Liquid Experience Group and expertly moderated by the brilliantly talented Mr. Mike Walsh (Head of Music, Xfm Radio Network UK), who had apparently been taking notes throughout the rest of our panels, as he chose to use some of the more particularly pithy comments made at this year’s previous forums as a basis for his questions to the members of this esteemed panel, which consisted of Daniel Glass (Founder/CEO, Glassnote Entertainment); Peter Asher (Partner, Strategic Artist Management); Seymour Stein (Chairman, Sire Records Group) and Steve Jones (Sex Pistols guitarist/Host “Jonesy’s Jukebox” on Indie 103.1 FM Los Angeles).

As one would expect, the conversation was fascinating from start to finish, and the only complaint was the fact that the panel was too short. One imagines that most audience members would have enjoyed a two- or three- hour session with any of the individual panelists alone, because the wealth of experience and expertise which each of them possess was formidable, indeed.

But for once, at least, in the magical land called Hollywood, where superlative adjectives like “awesome,” “spectacular” and “magnificent” have almost lost their meaning, these four gentlemen truly lived up to their reputations, and proved to all in attendance that they were absolutely, positively, 100% deserving of the “legend” imprimatur.

See you in October in London!

 

Weapon Of Mass Discussion

MUSEXPO 2008 was proud to once again present the fabulously outspoken Bob Lefsetz, the esteemed writer and publisher of the enormously popular series of epistolary essays known as The Lefsetz Letter in our WEAPON OF MASS DISCUSSION panel, which was basically a Q&A with Mr. Lefsetz and the ubiquitous Tommy Nast, who once again did a fantastic job as Master of Ceremonies and provided many great inspirations for Mr. Lefsetz to rant and rave about. Much of what Bob said isn’t suitable for re-printing in a family publication; suffice to say that he has many strong opinions and that he’s not shy about sharing them!

(Although we do agree with him that it is nothing less than an aberration and injustice that Alice Cooper hasn’t been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.)

Global Broadcast & Media Forum

MUSEXPO 2008’s GLOBAL BROADCAST & MEDIA FORUM was sponsored by NZ On Air, who provided the single most hilarious presentation of the conference by opening things up with a very special “satellite” greeting, courtesy of New Zealand comedian/actor Rhys Darby (a.k.a. manager Murray on HBO’s “Flight Of The Conchords” series), who thanked MUSEXPO’s “Sat Bistro” for allowing NZ On Air to sponsor the forum.

The panel itself was co-moderated by Ajax Scott (Former Publisher, Music Week, UK) and Erica Farber (Publisher, Radio & Records). Panelists included Ande MacPherson (former Programme Controller, Xfm Radio Network, UK); Andrew Phillips (currently Media Consultant, Channel 4, UK and also a former Programme Controller, Xfm Radio Network, UK); Chris Price (Director of Music Programming, MTV Networks UK & Ireland); Jimmy Steal (VP of Programming, Emmis Radio U.S.) and Max Tolkoff (Program Director, Indie 103.1FM Los Angeles).

Each of the members of the panel voiced their concerns about the challenges which are facing radio as we move deeper into the new millennium, with young people facing a multitude of entertainment choices for their limited attention spans. Competition from films, TV, videogames and the internet vie with other, newer methods of music delivery including various gadgets and mobile phones which are allowing listeners to program the soundtrack to their own lives.

As technology enables more and more choice in listening habits and less time spent listening to music on the radio, broadcasters find themselves more in a position as filters, rather than gatekeepers.

And as with most of the panels this year, the mood was light and friendly, even though almost everybody seemed to be verbally sparring with the pugnacious Mr. Phillips, who gave as good as he got.  All in good fun!

Sadly, KCRW Music Director Nic Harcourt was forced to cancel his appearance on the panel at the last minute. We wish him all the best.

Global Publishing Forum

MUSEXPO 2008’s GLOBAL PUBLISHING FORUM, sponsored by BMI, was co-moderated by Messrs. Emmanuel Legrand (Editor, Impact Music Publishing Magazine, UK) and Ritch Esra –(Publisher, The Music Registry) and boasted a top team of expert panel participants from around the world, featuring Jay Faires (President of Music & Publishing, Lionsgate Entertainment); Jens-Markus Wegener (Managing Director, AMV Talpa GMBH); Justin Shukat (Founding Partner & General Manager, Primary Wave Music Publishing) Kathleen Carey (Sr. VP Int’l, Sony/ATV Music Publishing); Kenny MacPherson (President/Sr. Executive Chrysalis Music, N. America); Nick Robinson (Sr. Executive Writer/Publisher Relations Europe, BMI); and Tim Prescott (CEO, Albert Music, Australia), all of whom seemed to think their business was doing better than ever!
And why not? Nowadays, there are more places where music can be placed than ever before. The global market is enormous, and opportunities from new technologies and delivery methods have expanded everybody’s business.

Most of the panelists agreed that the most important part of their jobs was still about great songs and composers, and gut feeling played an enormous role, as always. But with the decline of the traditional labels, more and more publishers find themselves working harder to develop and nurture talent, in some cases going so far as to release the songwriters’ albums themselves!

In short, music publishers are more relevant than ever in the digital age, still making sure, after all is said and done, that their compositions are always properly protected and exploited.

Wednesday Night Music Preview

Hard to believe we’re already approaching the end of MUSEXPO 2008 here in West Hollywood…but before breaking out that chorus of “Auld Lang Syne,” we have another assemblage of nine up-and-coming artists providing entertainment for the delegates at the House of Blues this evening.

The final night of MUSEXPO 2008 showcases will commence at 8pm in the House of Blues Main Room with a performance by buzzing L.A.-based artist Justin Hopkins, a guitar-slinging singer/songwriter who’s been rapidly building a name for himself on the hyper-competitive Los Angeles music scene. Referencing inspirations ranging from the Police and Clash to Bruce Springsteen, Marvin Gaye and Don Henley, Hopkins’ memorable musical meditations are a must-see.

He’ll be followed at 8:30 in the Foundation Room by Australian artist Leroy Lee, an acoustic-based singer/songwriter in the tradition of Paul Simon, Nick Drake, Tom Waits, Ron Sexsmith and Jack Johnson. He’s been an “Unearthed” selection at Australia’s Triple J Radio and was hand-picked by Missy Higgins to open select dates on an Australian tour last year.

Next up on the Main Room stage at 9pm is another collective of Australian artists: The Gin Club, an eclectic ensemble of Brisbane-based musicians who combine traditional folk, blues and country stylings into their own distinctive sound, which has been called “convict rock” in the local press, while Rolling Stone raved, “The Gin Club at their best make a tilt for The Band’s timeless, rootsy Americana with an Oz update–nice!”

Claiming the Foundation Room stage at 9:30 will be Our Lunar Activities, a young quartet bred on the Isle of Lewis, which sits off the northwest coast of Scotland where the Atlantic Ocean meets the North Sea. Their well-received first single was produced by Mogwai’s Barry Burns, while a touring slot with +44 led to frontman Mark Hoppus (ex-Blink 182) inviting the lads to Los Angeles to record their debut album, with Hoppus acting as producer.

At 10pm the Main Room will play host to Big Linda, a London, England-based quartet that is, oddly, free of females, larger than life or otherwise. They’ve been attracting some Alternative Specialty airplay on American shores with selections from their Ursa Major/Sony album I Loved You, which UK’s Guardian newspaper praised as “the very caterwauling essence of rock & roll.”

An up-and-coming singer/songwriter named Stephanie Smith will take the Foundation Room stage at 10:30. The Salt Lake City, Utah native writes with a maturity that belies her tender age of 23, perhaps explaining how she’s already managed to release three full albums, with Nokia and AOL featuring her music in campaigns.

Another promising young singer/songwriter will be ruling the stage in the Main Room at 11pm: Meiko is yet another product of the star-making Hotel Café singer/songwriter scene who caught her first break when Nic Harcourt began playing her songs on his famed “Morning Becomes Eclectic” program on KCRW Los Angeles. Her self-titled, self-released debut album reached No.35 on the iTunes album chart and hit No.1 on the Folk chart, totaling over 200,000 downloads and attracting the attention of über-blogger Perez Hilton, who wrote, “If you like singer/songwriters than you will be foaming at the mouth for Meiko.”

Closing out this year’s Foundation Room artists will be the Texas-bred, L.A.-based quintet Astra Heights, which is composed of four brothers and an “honorary brother” who compose lush pop tunes redolent of classic Britpop influences ranging from the Beatles and Kinks up through Queen, T-Rex, the Smiths and Blur. Their Universal/Republic debut album, Good Problems, spurred the Los Angeles Times to praise “an amalgam of hooky rock with references ranging from The Stooges to Queen to Matthew Sweet.” They sounded great during a mini-set late at night on Monday in the Hyatt House.

Finally, wrapping up the music at MUSEXPO 2008 will be another act that previously played the conference: Australia’s Skybombers, who wowed the crowd at last year’s festivities and were afterward given regular rotation on Los Angeles’ famed “Indie 103.1.” Their music celebrates the crazy joys of youth and life in the city…surely a perfect note on which to close this year’s confab.

Three Special Announcements!

Sat Bisla, the President and Founder of Musexpo, A&R Worldwide and host/programmer of the Passport Approved radio show, made three special announcements this morning (Wednesday, 4/30/08) between panels at the House Of Blues.

First, he announced a partnership between Play MPE, All Access Music Group and Passport Approved which would allow programmers to access high-quality WAV files of select Passport Approved tracks using Play MPE’s technology and All Access’s network of members, which includes practically the entire radio industry.

Second, Sat announced a new partnership between Passport Approved and Yahoo Music Launchcast which will give Passport Approved it’s own station on the Launchcast main page, creating a new destination point for lovers of international music, and exposing Yahoo Music Launchcast’s multiple millions of dedicated music lovers to Passport Approved’s playlists.

Last, but certainly not least, Sat officially announced the expansion of the Musexpo Conference with Musexpo Europe, set to take place in London, England this coming October 27-29. In order to maintain the conference’s quality and integrity, admission is by invite only. For more information, go to www.musexpo.net. 

ART & COMMERCE THROUGH VISUAL MEDIA

The MUSEXPO 2008 panel on Film, TV & Videogames (a.k.a. Art & Commerce Through Visual Media) was co-moderated by John Anderson (CEO Creative Services/Lifestyle, Hunnypot Unlimited) and Lindsay Fellows (Sr. VP Music, Walden Media and Bristol Bay Productions), two gentlemen who could just as easily sat as members of the panel, and whose knowledge and expertise with the subject matter at hand kept the discussion lively and informative throughout.

Featured panelists included Alicen Catron Schneider (VP Music Creative Services, NBC Universal Television Music); Carter Armstrong (VP Music, Warner Bros. Pictures); Dain Blair (CEO, Groove Addicts); Dan Butler (Sr. VP Business Affairs & Legal – Music, Paramount Pictures); Meiko (Artist); Ron Broitman (Sr. VP Film/TV & Advertising Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing) and Steve Schnur(Worldwide Executive of Music & Audio, Electronic Arts).

This year’s fim, TV & videogame panel was refreshing in that there were no panelists complaining about the terrible times the music business is experiencing. In fact, more than one panelist pointed out that, as far as they were concerned, the music business was in the best shape it’s ever been. Rights are expanding, and more can be done with a single film, TV episode, game or commercial than even just a few short years ago. There are more opportunities, more destinations, and more outlets than ever before.

Another refreshing aspect of this particular panel was the fact that the microphones were distributed early on in the panel, enabling the audience to ask more questions. And the questions themselves seemed to be of a much higher quality than the typical “I have a band–how do I get people to listen to our CD?” type of question that often pops up at these things.

And at the end of the panel, the audience was treated to a song by the remarkably talented Meiko, who is not only a fantastic singer/songwriter, but who also brought a wonderful and unique artist’s perspective to the discussion as a member of the panel.

All in all, this panel was one of the most enjoyable of the entire conference.

Tuesday Night Music Review

Alrighty then! Here we are, once again back at the HoB for another thrilling evening of musical magic. Alas, the fashion show alluded to in my previous post was canceled at the last minute; no model pickup lines for Your Humble Blogger this eve. However, the audience was amply entertained during the cocktail hour by a performer picked by party sponsor Beta Records, Velveteen Robot.

Before the official artists started performing I enjoyed a nice conversation with Jesse Kongos of the South African band of brothers bearing that last name. He and his father, award-winning composer John Kongos, have been making the rounds at this year’s MUSEXPO and have proven to be congenial, thoughtful conversationalists. Kongos will soon be playing a gig in their adopted hometown of Phoenix with Australia’s The Red Paintings, who kicked off the conference with a bang on Sunday night.

Tonight’s opening act is Denmark’s Grand Avenue, who have quickly packed the previously empty floor in front of the Main Room stage. They have been another longtime favorite at “Passport Approved” and their winning combination of the sounds of Coldplay and U2 has already earned them quite a few fans worldwide…and their mesmerizing set tonight should only add to that multitude. They premiered a brand-new song this evening, provoking a rapturous response from assembled audience.

First act this evening in the Foundations Room is Ry Cuming, an Australian singer/songwriter/surfer who was initially discovered whilst strumming his six-string in the hallway of a hostel on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, where he had journeyed in search of the “Endless Summer”esque “perfect wave.” Ry has since relocated to Los Angeles, where he has jammed with some of the leading lights of the local scene when not ensconced in the studio working on his forthcoming Jive Records debut disc. His intimate, solo acoustic guitar performance of the Jeff Buckley rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” serves as proof-positive that the label made the right call.

Two acts in and, once again, we’re running about 15 minutes late. A minor controversy has erupted over the HoB’s utilizing the dining room that had represented a shortcut from the back to the front of the Foundation Room; it’s now blocked off, forcing staff and other sundry individuals to take the long way ’round to venture to and fro betwixt the stages (and on a side note, I can’t even begin to tell you how long I’ve waited to toss the word “betwixt” into a sentence).

Now taking the stage in the Main Room are Winnipeg, Canada’s The Nods, a raucous, rabble-rousing and crowd-pleasing collective who have quickly won over an enthusiastic audience. During their second song the singer launched himself off the stage, vigorously pogoing on the dancefloor and inciting the punters into a rapturous response. Our lovely hostess here in the upstairs gallery, Kelly, is certainly enjoying their songs, swaying in time and even tossing in a bit of air-drumming during a particularly rocking segment of the set.

Side note: official MUSEXPO photog John Gannon, who’s been shooting fantastic photos at all four editions of the “United Nations of Music,” informs me that his Hyatt House room was visited by the spirit of the late, great Led Zeppelin drummer John “Bonzo” Bonham, who in the ’60s and ’70s made the infamous “Riot House” a home on several memorable West Coast tour swings. Gannon swears that, shortly after invoking Bonzo’s name, his state-of-the-art digital camera suddenly faded to black and refused to take any further photos…scary stuff, eh kids?

Next up in the Foundation Room is Frank Turner, a Bahrain-born, English-raised singer/songwriter who’s already made quite an impression at MUSEXPO 2008, both during Saturday’s “Passport Approved” broadcast and a well-received set in the wee mid-range hours of the morning (I’m taking other folks’ word for the latter, as I refuse to recognize this so-called “breakfast” phenomenon). His highly anticipated full set has attracted an overflow crowd to the intimate confines of the room, and they certainly haven’t been disappointed by his passionate performance.

Mexicolas have hit the main stage…and, for the benefit of longtime MUSEXPO readers, I’ll abstain from the South o’ the Border soft drink jokes. This Birmingham, England-bred trio elicits an impressive alt-rock sound, somewhat reminiscent of the recently re-formed Stone Temple Pilots with just a hint of Muse. Their audience-pleasing anthems have definitely garnered a great reaction from the assembled dignitaries.

Digression: Our black-clad beauty of a hostess here in the upstairs gallery, Kelly, has recently informed a certain blogger of an intense desire to meet-n-greet the lead singer of Story One, the English act who wowed the crowd last night here in the HoB. Ever helpful, said blogger has vowed to do the best he can to help her achieve that righteous goal. Hopefully, the guys are still in town and will be informed of this post–trust me, lads, it is well worth the response!

New Zealand’s Opshop is getting ready to set up…um, shop…in the Foundation Room. I’m gonna say it right now: having to cover a total of 36 bands-plus in four nights is severely straining the limits of the adjectives and adverbs in my vocabulary…but as if in answer to my prayer, the downstairs DJ has chosen to play Jimi Hendrix’s “Hey Joe.” Thus revivified by the splendid Jimi Stratocaster tone, I’m now ready to head upstairs for Opshop’s set. Their hypnotic, rhythmic songs have obviously gained the quintet a slew of new fans, judging by the crowd response.

Now taking the stage are hometown heroes Capra, who hail from the humble burg of Santa Clarita, just north of Los Angeles. Aided by a liberal guest list of local fans, they’ve attracted what’s probably the largest crowd of this year’s conference, which is going wild for their rockin’ funk concoctions. Lead guitarist Shelby has been rippin’ some awesome solos, generating squeals from the femme-dominated hordes packing the areas in front of the stage. All in all, the most vocal response for any MUSEXPO artist thus far…and well deserved, may I add: I predict big things in the future for this quintet who may be of tender years, but possess and project a stage presence far beyond their age. Their note-perfect version of Joe Cocker’s rendition of “With a Little Help from My Friends”–do I need to ID the original artist? I didn’t think so–is the perfect capper to an awesome performance.

Digression update: the ever-awesome Brandon Fuller, the glue that holds MUSEXPO together, has informed me that Story One are playing in Sin City tonight…but are due back in La La Land tomorrow. So, my beauteous host Kelly, there is still hope…if I have anything to say about it, at least!

LMFAO are due to close out this evening’s Foundation Room entertainment, but a rumor has been spreading that one of the dynamic duo may be too ill to perform…which is truly a shame, because their party-hearty tunes are the perfect soundtrack for just about any celebratory occasion. However, we’re happy to report that Sky Blu has taken the stage upon a medical gurney; a true trouper, he knows that the show must go on…and what a show it is, with no less a personage than Sat Bisla leading the cheers for an encore!

Finnish artists Poets of the Fall will be…erm, finishing… this evening’s musical selections. They’re a favorite of fellow Finn Steven Stewart, Nokia Music honcho who had naught but grand things to say about the band during a recent conversation. The sextet’s bracing, muscular rock & roll represents the perfect conclusion to this evening’s MUSEXPO entertainment, priming the crowd for another stellar lineup tomorrow night.