January 26, 2011

Despite it being another warm winter night, we spent last Wednesday inside the Cactus Lounge at The Standard, Hollywood for a curated evening featuring some of L.A.’s best emerging artists. This free Wednesday night series has taken a refreshing approach as local artists showcase their music in live, acoustic sets.

The vibe was warm and intimate, with a jam-in-a-musician’s-living-room vibe, topped off with the ability to order food from The Standard’s 24/7 Restaurant as you sat and listened. And it’s no surprise that with past participants like Mia Doi Todd, Neal Casal and Daniel Brummel, a healthy group of music fans showed up to sip cocktails and chow down on Southern comfort food as they watched the super-intimate concert.

The spirit of Led Zeppelin was alive and well on Jan. 13 as the Key Club hosted a special encore show paying homage to the band’s legendary drummer, John Bohnam. The night, produced by Brian Tichy and Club Vodka promoter Joe Sutton, featured a house band with a rotating cast of rock’s most prestigious drummers banging out their favorite Led Zep tunes.

In the company of notables such as Chris Slade (AC/DC), Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Ozzy Osbourne), Abe Laboriel (Paul McCartney, Sting) and Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), drummer extraordinaire Samantha Maloney (Hole, Mötley Crüe, Chelsea Girls) was the sole female to take the stage, picking up the sticks for the classic “All My Love.” Her hard hitting, dynamic performance was one of the definitive high points of the evening, as Maloney proved more impressive than some of her better known contemporaries.