Free concerts = more money for booze.
Los Angeles can be absurdly expensive, but finding entertainment doesn’t have to be. Summer means the beginning of tons of free (well, that is, for the price of parking or an Uber ride there) concerts featuring top-notch acts. We’ve done the research and made it as easy to find some of the best shows to check out. Now take this list and invite friends or dates to check these shows out with, you knowledgeable (wo)man-about-town.
Tuesday, June 28, 6:00pm – Amoeba Hollywood Live Shows: Brood
If you’re a fan of Banks, Lorde, or CHVRCHES, you can’t miss this show at Amoeba. Broods is a brother/sister duo from New Zealand who have performed their beautiful and haunting vocals and heavy beats at Lollapalooza and Outside Lands. They won Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2014 New Zealand Music Awards and Album of the Year at the 2015 New Zealand Music Awards (so yeah, they’re kinda good). If you buy their new album Conscious at Amoeba, you’ll have a chance to get it signed after their performance (as well as having the distinction of being someone who actually buys physical albums).
Saturday, July 9, 6:00pm – Saturdays Off the 405: Kevin Morby
Do you (like everyone in Los Angeles) associate the 405 with endless traffic, frustration, and construction? Well, the Getty Center’s Saturdays Off the 405 music series will change that. Kevin Morby’s (former bassist of Woods and frontman of The Babies) music is quintessential laid-back indie folk rock, perfect for taking in views of Los Angeles while lounging in the Getty’s Center’s gorgeous courtyard (with drinks in hand, of course). Some might say it’s the perfect setting to showcase your in-the-know Southern California lifestyle on Instagram.
Thursday, July 14, 7:00pm – Twilight Concerts at the Santa Monica Pier: Børns
There’s a reason that Børns’s top five songs on Spotify have more than 100 million plays. Børns has the ability to produce big and seductive indie pop rock sounds that you can’t help but dance to (listen to “Electric Love,” “10,000 Emerald Pools,” or “Seeing Stars” and try not to tap your feet). The guy has an incredible pipes that hit a range of high and low notes, as well as the long, beautiful hair you’d expect of a rockstar. With the backdrop of the Santa Monica Pier, this is a free show you’d be a fool to miss.
Thursday, July 21, 8:00 p.m. – Sunset Concerts: Thao and the Get Down Stay Down
Thao and the Get Down Stay Down is a San Francisco-based band (led by frontwoman Thao Nguyen) that sounds like they’re just there to have a good time jamming and dancing. Their music is folk, indie, funk, rock, electronic, and more – like the Generationals meets Cayucas meets Hospitality, and then with an added introspective twist – the perfect soundtrack to your California summer. The Skirball itself is architecturally stunning and unique, so what better place to take in the one-of-a-kind sounds of Thao and the Get Down Stay Down?
