Jim Bianco

w/ Kentavius Jones

2/26

Greg Laswell &

Jay Nash

2/27

The Took

2/28

w/ Kentavius Jones

Thursday, February 26th $15 8 P.M.

indie-rock

Bianco is from Los Angeles and he recently wrapped up the Hotel Café Tour, which every year features a who’s who of emerging talent. This year, in addition to Bianco, the tour featured Ingrid Michaelson, Bob Schneider, Sara Bareilles, Joshua Radin and Eric Hutchinson. The tour has previously launched the careers of K.T. Tunstall, Imogen Heap, Gary Jules, Badly Drawn Boy and Rachael Yamagata among others. Bianco’s sound doesn’t lend itself to the pop stardom that some of these other acts have or will enjoy (He is more David Byrne than David Gray), but his clever wit, provocative lyrics and fascination with blues, jazz and swing suggest he may be a compelling enough artist to sticking around for some time. His live show figures to be equally compelling as well; Music Connection Magazine calls it, “the most enjoyable live show in L.A.”

w/ Anya Marina

Friday, February 27th $15 8 P.M.

Folk-Rock

It's been said that the best art seeks to transform pain into beauty - a goal that was clearly somewhere in the back of Greg Laswell's mind when he began putting together his Vanguard debut, Through Toledo. While the San Diego- based singer - songwriter has long had the innate skills to captivate listeners with his music - a soaring tenor and a flair for crafting sweeping melodies chief among them - it took an abrupt transformation in his personal life to bring the raw emotion of Through Toledo's eleven songs to the surface.

Jay Nash's defining musical moment came at age 12, after hearing a 90-minute Maxell tape with the 1971 Grateful Dead Live album on one side and Cat Stevens¹ Greatest Hits on the other. To steal a line: What a long, strange trip it's been ­ and it's brought him where he is today.

Some listeners may recognize Anya Marina's "Move You" from its use in a memorable scene on Grey’s Anatomy, where best friends Izzie and George wake up and discover they’ve had drunken sex the night before. "I watched the show on TV with my hands over my mouth, smiling and thinking how strange it was to hear a song I’d written in my bedroom put over pictures," Marina says. "It was a really cool moment."

Saturday, February 28th $10 9 P.M.

Rock

The Took's music creates an irresistible urge to dance and sing along to catchy rhythms and lyrics. Their music is a seamless mixture of rock, blues, funk, jazz, and many other styles.  Crowds have described their shows with words like "bliss", "elation", "merriment", and "one hell-of-a-good time!" Check out their upbeat single "Sonic Teenager" and their beautiful ballad "The Way Out" at www.sonicbids.com/thetook