Events, KCRW Music Announcement

Line-Up Announced for 2019 Summer Nights at KCRW HQ

KCRW HQ Summer Nights

Featuring Black Pumas, Y La Bamba, Andrew Bird, and KCRW DJs Chris Douridas, Anne Litt, Raul Campos, Anthony Valadez, Valida, and Novena Carmel

Three-concert series is free, all-ages, and outdoors, and takes place in the plaza of KCRW’s new home at Santa Monica College’s CMD Campus

Saturdays: August 3, 10, and 17, at 7PM

Santa Monica, CA (June 25, 2019) – KCRW announces today the talent line-up for the triumphant return of KCRW HQ – three, free, outdoors, and all-ages concerts in the plaza of KCRW’s new home on Santa Monica College’s state-of-the-art CMD Campus. This wildly popular series returns with the highly anticipated Los Angeles headline debut of Black Pumas on August 3, the seamless blend of indie pop, bluegrass and Mexican folk tradition of Y La Bamba on August 10, and the incomparable virtuoso Andrew Bird on August 17. KCRW DJs Anne Litt, Raul Campos, Anthony Valadez, Chris Douridas, Valida, and Novena Carmel will deliver killer DJ sets throughout the series.

KCRW HQ also features fave food trucks, tasty libations, some of LA’s best record vendors, and plenty of summer fun. Also, be sure to check out the free advance film screenings happening right in the courtyard theater!

For more information, please visit: http://www.kcrw.com/summernights

More about the Artists:

Following their ambitious slate of performances during this year’s SXSW, it was clear that Black Pumas — the collaboration between 27-year-old newcomer Eric Burton and Grammy-winning guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada (Grupo Fantasma, Brownout, 2018’s Look At My Soul) — were due for a big 2019. NPR’s Here & Now deemed them “the breakout band of 2019” and KCRW called their sound “Wu-Tang Clan meets James Brown.” Rolling Stone, in naming Black Pumas “One Of The 30 Best Bands We Saw In Austin,” praised Burton’s “tireless, charismatic energy” and said that the band “seemed to tap the collective unease of the national moment.” Their self-titled debut, just released June 21 on ATO Records, was produced by Quesada in his home studio and colored by Burton’s dark imagery and haunting vocals. The album, which The Guardian deemed “perfectly realized” is equally indebted to East Coast hip-hop as it is to classic funk and soul, resulting in a project that is of the moment rather than retro. Black Pumas truly began to make their name with a weekly residency at Austin’s C-Boys that quickly became “the hottest party in town” (Austin-American Statesman), with lines wrapping to see their whip-sharp band and Burton’s “whirlwind of movement and gesture” (Chicago Tribune). What followed was a quick and dirty ascent through the Austin music scene, culminating in a coronation as Best New Band at the 2019 Austin Music Awards. Black Pumas make their Los Angeles headline debut at the KCRW HQ series.

Y La Bamba has been many things, but at the heart of it is singer-songwriter Luz Elena Mendoza’s inquisitive sense of self. Their fifth record, Mujeres, carries on the Portland-based band’s affinity for spiritual contemplation, but goes a step further in telling a story with a full emotional spectrum. The album has been praised across the board from Pitchfork, NY Times and Rolling Stone to The New Yorker, The A.V. Club and more. Billboard named it ‘One of the Best Albums of 2019 (So Far)’ and NPR called the title track, “A battle cry against machismo” and one of the ‘Best Songs of 2018‘ saying, “It’s an indication that Mendoza is becoming a visionary, and that her band continues to intrigue as it evolves.” Mujeres exists in the post-2016 landscape of a national identity crisis, and Mendoza explores what it means to be a Mexican American woman by leading us through places we are afraid to go. It ventures in to the discomfort of the stories we tell ourselves. Those of our past, our futures. We all have these stories somewhere inside of us, but with Y La Bamba, Mendoza forges new narratives from old stories of heritage and family, tracing history while forging modern Chicana feminism. The live set is a powerful quintet fronted by three females blending danceable Latin polyrhythms with powerful vocals and dizzying grooves.

Andrew Bird is an internationally acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, whistler, and songwriter. Bird has recorded and toured extensively worldwide. He has recorded with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, appeared as “Dr. Stringz” on Jack’s Big Music Show, and headlined concerts at Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and festivals worldwide. In recent years, Bird performed as the Whistling Caruso in Disney’s The Muppets movie, scored the FX series Baskets, performed at the New Yorker Festival, and collaborated with inventor Ian Schneller on Sonic Arboretum, an installation that exhibited at New York’s Guggenheim Museum, Boston’s ICA, and the MCA Chicago. Bird has been a featured TED Talks presenter and a New York Times op-ed contributor. Additionally, Bird hosts an ongoing live-streamed series of performances called Live from the Great Room, putting the creative process on display for fans as he performs and converses with friends and collaborators in a candid, intimate setting. More recently, Bird has released a series of site-specific improvisational short films and recordings called Echolocations, recorded in remote and acoustically interesting spaces: a Utah canyon, an abandoned seaside bunker, the middle of the Los Angeles River, and a reverberant stone-covered aqueduct in Lisbon. Bird’s latest album, My Finest Work Yet, was released March 22, 2019 on Loma Vista Recordings.

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KCRW HQ Summer Nights
1660 Stewart Street
Santa Monica, CA  90404

Free, outdoors and all-ages

Saturday, August 3, at 7pm
Black Pumas + KCRW DJs Anne Litt + Raul Campos

Saturday, August 10, at 7pm
Y La Bamba + KCRW DJs Anthony Valadez + Valida

Saturday, August 17, at 7pm
Andrew Bird + KCRW DJs Chris Douridas + Novena Carmel

Summer Nights is generously sponsored by Universal Pictures, presenting the new feature film Yesterday, in theaters June 28.

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CHRONOLOGICAL LISTING
KCRW’s 2019 SUMMER NIGHTS
10TH ANNIVERSARY
All concerts are free, open-air and all-ages

Friday, June 28, 7:00 p.m.
CAAM
KCRW DJs Garth Trinidad + Aaron Byrd

Thursday, July 11, 6:30 p.m. (happy hour), 7:30 p.m. (music)
Hammer
Pavo Pavo + KCRW DJs Anne Litt + Dan Wilcox

Saturday, July 13, 8:00 p.m.
Chinatown
KCRW DJs Jason Bentley + Garth Trinidad

Thursday, July 18, 6:30 p.m. (happy hour), 7:30 p.m. (music)
Hammer
Wild Belle + KCRW DJs Aaron Byrd + Scott Dallavo

Thursday, July 25, 6:30 p.m. (happy hour), 7:30 p.m. (music)
Hammer
The Tracks + KCRW DJs Travis Holcombe + José Galván

Saturday, July 27, 7:00 p.m.
POW! WOW! Long Beach
KCRW DJs Anthony Valadez + Mathieu Schreyer  

Thursday, August 1, 7:00 p.m.
Santa Barbara Museum of Contemporary Art (MCASB)
KCRW DJ Dan Wilcox

Saturday, August 3, 7:00 p.m.
KCRW HQ
Black Pumas + KCRW DJs Anne Litt + Raul Campos

Saturday, August 10, 7:00 p.m.
KCRW HQ
Y La Bamba + KCRW DJs Anthony Valadez + Valida

Saturday, August 10, 8:00 p.m.
Chinatown
KCRW DJs Raul Campos + Mathieu Schreyer 

Saturday, August 17, 7:00 p.m.
KCRW HQ
Andrew Bird + KCRW DJs Chris Douridas + Novena Carmel

Wednesday, August 21
Santa Monica Pier
Talent TBA

Wednesday, August 28
Santa Monica Pier
Talent TBA

Wednesday, September 4
Santa Monica Pier
Talent TBA

Thursday, September 5, 7:00 p.m.
Santa Barbara Museum of Contemporary Art (MCASB)
KCRW DJ José Galván

Saturday, September 7, 5:00 p.m.
Downtown Long Beach Buskerfest
KCRW’s Raul Campos, host

Wednesday, September 11
Santa Monica Pier
Talent TBA

Wednesday, September 18
Santa Monica Pier
Talent TBA

Wednesday, September 25
Santa Monica Pier
Talent TBA

Saturday, September 28, 6:00 pm
KCRW’s Summer Nights at Cadence Park, Irvine
KCRW DJs Travis Holcombe + Valida


About KCRW
KCRW creates and curates a unique mix of content centered around music discovery, NPR news, cultural exploration and informed public affairs, driven by the spirit of LA and delivered in innovative ways — on the radio, digitally and in person — to diverse, curious communities around the corner and around the world. A community service of Santa Monica College, KCRW can be found on the air in LA, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Mojave, Palm Springs, San Luis Obispo, and online at kcrw.com.

Twitter | twitter.com/kcrw
Facebook | facebook.com/kcrwradio
Instagram | instagram.com/kcrw
YouTube | youtube.com/user/kcrw

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Station Announcement

Jason Bentley to Complete Tenure as KCRW Music Director and Host of Morning Becomes Eclectic

Jason Bentley to Complete Tenure as KCRW Music Director and Host of Morning Becomes Eclectic

Nationwide Search for Replacement Commences

Santa Monica, CA (June 13, 2019) – KCRW announces today that Jason Bentley will complete his ten-year term as KCRW’s Music Director and host of Morning Becomes Eclectic. Bentley’s last show as host of Morning Becomes Eclectic will be August 30, 2019. KCRW will be conducting a nationwide search to find Bentley’s replacement. Bentley will continue to host his popular Saturday-night global electronic mix show, Metropolis.

“It’s been the honor of a lifetime to serve this community, working closely with musicians and local arts institutions, and helping shape the sound of the greatest radio station on Earth,” comments Bentley. “Now, I’m excited to explore new directions and make way for KCRW’s continued success.”

“Every Music Director at KCRW has made their lasting mark on KCRW and Jason is no different. His radio-perfect voice and impeccable music taste has inspired so many. Jason’s attention to detail and programming instinct made a true impact here. I know he leaves KCRW in a better place and am excited to see what else he does next,” states KCRW President Jennifer Ferro.

Growing up in Los Angeles, Jason Bentley began his career at KCRW as a volunteer after graduating from Santa Monica High School in 1988, eventually earning a regular weeknight air shift in 1992. In subsequent years, he developed a respected profile in the music industry as an A&R man, concert promoter, and music supervisor for film. In 2008 he became Music Director for KCRW and host of their signature music program Morning Becomes Eclectic —which has served as an early platform for the likes of Adele, Radiohead, Beck, Phoenix, and many more. With guests as varied as Elton John, Jack White, David Lynch, Gustavo Dudamel, and countless live performances from the best bands from the indie music world, Morning Becomes Eclectic has remained a formidable music discovery engine feeding an influential audience in Los Angeles and around the world. 

During his tenure at KCRW, Bentley brought his musical aesthetic to the streets of LA, spearheading the station’s acclaimed Summer Nights concert series, including Sound In Focus with the Annenberg Foundation, the annual fan favorite Halloween bash Masquerade, and KCRW’s World Festival at the Hollywood Bowl. His work also extended to public programs at the Hammer Museum, Union Station, Grand Park at City Hall, and Chinatown’s historic central plaza. 

As a music supervisor, Bentley’s credits include both The Matrix trilogy and Tron Legacy with Daft Punk. Bentley has appeared as a host and DJ at such renowned cultural events as the Governors Ball – the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ official post-Oscars® celebration, Coachella, The Electric Daisy Carnival, HARD, San Diego’s CRSSD Fest, and Lightning in a Bottle, among others.

About KCRW
KCRW creates and curates a unique mix of content centered around music discovery, NPR news, cultural exploration and informed public affairs. We are driven by the spirit of LA and deliver in innovative ways — on the radio, digitally and in person — to diverse, curious communities around the corner and around the world. A community service of Santa Monica College, KCRW can be found on the air in LA, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Mojave, Palm Springs, San Luis Obispo, Berlin, Germany, and worldwide via the KCRW-developed smart phone app, or online at kcrw.com.

Twitter | twitter.com/kcrw
Facebook | facebook.com/kcrwradio
Instagram | instagram.com/kcrw
YouTube | youtube.com/user/kcrw

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Events, KCRW Music Announcement

KCRW and the Hammer Museum Announce Line-Up for 2019 Summer Nights

KCRW AND THE HAMMER MUSEUM ANNOUNCE LINE-UP FOR 2019 SUMMER NIGHTS

Featuring Live Music from Pavo Pavo, Wild Belle and the Tracks, and DJ Sets from KCRW’s Anne Litt, Travis Holcombe, Aaron Byrd, Dan Wilcox, José Galván and Scott Dallavo

Free, Outdoors, and All-Ages
Thursdays, July 11, 18 & 25

Los Angeles, CA (June 18, 2019) – KCRW and the Hammer Museum team up once again to present three free nights of live music and DJ sets as part of KCRW’s Summer Nights, Thursdays, July 11, 18, and 25. This year’s series features a stellar line-up of artists: Pavo Pavo, Wild Belle and the Tracks, as well as fierce live sets from KCRW DJs Anne Litt, Travis Holcombe, Aaron Byrd, Dan Wilcox, José Galván and Scott Dallavo.

Pavo Pavo is the recording project of Oliver Hill and Eliza Bagg. They’ve become prolific and vital collaborators at the intersection of classical, experimental, and pop music. Mystery Hour, their second album, is a focused, widescreen development. Channelling the narrative drama of the duo’s changing relationship, it is an uncategorizable record that’s both maximal and compact, a fever dream filled with cinematic imagery and rooted in acute emotion, written as the two were separating after a six-year relationship. Oliver’s pitch-shifted vocals and high melodic synths are a distorted replacement for Eliza’s floating soprano voice, and cascading strings are an intentional soundtrack for romantic melodrama. (July 11)

Since the release of their critically acclaimed debut album, Isles, Wild Belle, led by siblings Elliot and Natalie Bergman, have not stopped. They have toured the world, playing Coachella, Lollapalooza, Corona Capital, and Austin City Limits. They have appeared on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Conan. They’ve had their music in dozens of television shows and films, and lead singer Natalie recently sang the opening theme for the HBO show The Deuce with Elvis Costello. Their latest album Everybody One of a Kind is a bold, freaked-out sonic collage of all the things that brought fans into their universe. The album bends genres and busts stylistic boundaries. Dub Reggae, Soul, R&B and Pop are all fair game, as the band lovingly explores this fertile ground. (July 18)

Named for the forgotten trolley tracks that run like veins throughout Los Angeles, the young rock band the Tracks boldly play furious, fast music that flies in the face of a genre that seems to have lost its way. Frontman Venancio Bermudez, bassist Felipe Contreras, drummer Jimmy Conde, and guitarist Johnny Santana united over their shared love of rock & roll and are the latest act to contribute to the rich history of Chicano bands, playing music that is directly influenced by their background growing up as the children of undocumented immigrants in East LA. Their music recalls the defiant optimism of working class bands that came before them and their sound reminds us to find the joy in dancing to loud music. (July 25)

All concerts are free, open to the public, all-ages, and held in the Hammer’s lively courtyard. A happy hour with cash bar starts at 6:30 PM, so those that come early can visit the Hammer’s galleries, which will be open until 8:00 PM. Music starts at 7:30 PM.

On view at the Hammer will be Sarah Lucas: Au Naturel, the first American survey of one of the UK’s most influential artists. Over the past 30 years, Sarah Lucas has created a distinctive and provocative body of work that subverts traditional notions of gender, sexuality, and identity. Organized by the New Museum, Sarah Lucas: Au Naturel brings together more than 130 works in photography, collage, sculpture, and video to reveal the breadth and ingenuity of her practice.

For more information visit: http://summernights.kcrw.com/

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KCRW’s Summer Nights
Hammer Museum
Happy hour at 6:30 PM, Music starts at 7:30 PM.
10899 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90024

Thursday, July 11
Pavo Pavo + KCRW DJs Anne Litt + Dan Wilcox

Thursday, July 18
Wild Belle + KCRW DJs Aaron Byrd + Scott Dallavo

Thursday, July 25
The Tracks + KCRW DJs Travis Holcombe + José Galván

PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION:
Event parking is available at 11020 Kinross Ave (UCLA Parking Lot 36)  with a flat rate of $5 payable by credit card or cell phone through the Park Mobile App. Enter Lot 36 from Kinross Avenue between Gayley and Veteran Avenues. The Hammer Museum is located one block east.

It’s also easy to reach the Hammer by public transportation. The 20/720 buses and Santa Monica and Culver City Bus Lines all stop within one block of the museum. You can also take the Metro Expo Line to Westwood/Rancho Park and transfer to the northbound 8 bus, which stops just outside the museum.

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CHRONOLOGICAL LISTING
KCRW’s 2019
SUMMER NIGHTS
10TH ANNIVERSARY
All concerts are free, open-air and all-ages

Friday, June 28, 7:00 p.m.
CAAM
KCRW DJs Garth Trinidad + Aaron Byrd

Thursday, July 11, 6:30 p.m. (happy hour), 7:30 p.m. (music)
Hammer
Pavo Pavo + KCRW DJs Anne Litt + Dan Wilcox

Saturday, July 13, 8:00 p.m.
Chinatown
KCRW DJs Jason Bentley + Garth Trinidad

Thursday, July 18, 6:30 p.m. (happy hour), 7:30 p.m. (music)
Hammer
Wild Belle + KCRW DJs Aaron Byrd + Scott Dallavo

Thursday, July 25, 6:30 p.m. (happy hour), 7:30 p.m. (music)
Hammer
The Tracks + KCRW DJs Travis Holcombe + José Galván

Saturday, July 27, 7:00 p.m.
POW! WOW! Long Beach
KCRW DJs Anthony Valadez + Mathieu Schreyer  

Thursday, August 1, 7:00 p.m.
Santa Barbara Museum of Contemporary Art (MCASB)
KCRW DJ Dan Wilcox

Saturday, August 3, 7:00 p.m.
KCRW HQ
Talent TBA

Saturday, August 10, 7:00 p.m.
KCRW HQ
Talent TBA

Saturday, August 10, 8:00 p.m.
Chinatown
KCRW DJs Raul Campos + Mathieu Schreyer 

Saturday, August 17, 7:00 p.m.
KCRW HQ
Talent TBA

Wednesday, August 21
Santa Monica Pier
Talent TBA

Wednesday, August 28
Santa Monica Pier
Talent TBA

Wednesday, September 4
Santa Monica Pier
Talent TBA

Thursday, September 5, 7:00 p.m.
Santa Barbara Museum of Contemporary Art (MCASB)
KCRW DJ José Galván

Saturday, September 7, 5:00 p.m.
Downtown Long Beach Buskerfest
KCRW’s Raul Campos, host

Wednesday, September 11
Santa Monica Pier
Talent TBA

Wednesday, September 18
Santa Monica Pier
Talent TBA

Wednesday, September 25
Santa Monica Pier
Talent TBA

JUST ANNOUNCED!
Saturday, September 28, 6:00 pm
KCRW’s Summer Nights at Cadence Park, Irvine
KCRW DJs Travis Holcombe + Valida

About KCRW
KCRW creates and curates a unique mix of content centered around music discovery, NPR news, cultural exploration and informed public affairs, driven by the spirit of LA and delivered in innovative ways — on the radio, digitally and in person — to diverse, curious communities around the corner and around the world. A community service of Santa Monica College, KCRW can be found on the air in LA, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Mojave, Palm Springs, San Luis Obispo, and online at kcrw.com.

Twitter | twitter.com/kcrw
Facebook | facebook.com/kcrwradio
Instagram | instagram.com/kcrw
YouTube | youtube.com/user/kcrw

About the Hammer Museum
The Hammer Museum is part of the School of the Arts and Architecture at UCLA, and offers exhibitions and collections that span classic to contemporary art. It holds more than 50,000 works in its collection, including one of the finest collections of works on paper in the nation, the Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts. Through a wide-ranging, international exhibition program and the biennial, Made in L.A., the Hammer highlights contemporary art since the 1960s, especially the work of emerging and under recognized artists. The exhibitions, permanent collections, and nearly 300 public programs annually—including film screenings, lectures, symposia, readings, music performances, and workshops for families—are all free to the public.

Admission to all exhibitions and programs at the Hammer Museum is free, made possible through the generosity of benefactors Erika J. Glazer and Brenda R. Potter. Hours: Tuesday–Friday 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Saturday & Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Closed Mondays and national holidays. Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Boulevard at Westwood, Los Angeles. Onsite parking $7 (maximum 3 hours) or $7 flat rate after 6 p.m. Visit hammer.ucla.edu for details or call 310-443-7000.

Twitter | twitter.com/hammer_museum
Facebook | facebook.com/HammerMuseum
Instagram | instagram.com/hammer_museum

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