Bill — friend and guitarist of our band, The Scarlet Paradigm — wants to improve his recording skills. He sent this status update on Facebook a few days ago:
If you or your friends are musicians, spread the word that I will record one of their songs for [free]!
How good can it sound? Listen to some of our songs on Myspace.
Interested? Email him — bill [at] thescarletparadigm.com
I saw El Ten Eleven at Home Restaurant in Silverlake last Friday, but it was so packed I couldn’t take decent photos. Afterward, I emailed the band to ask for a photo pass on Sunday night.
Surprisingly, Kristian Dunn replied the following morning and I had my name on the list.
I got there during Xanimo‘s set, so I took several photos of them[1. Not uploaded yet, but check back later today.]. They’re pretty funky, but I like ‘em.
There was a bigger crowd for El Ten Eleven. I took about 250 photos[2. Most were similar frames from continuous burst mode.], but I think these 17 are my best photos of them.
I chatted with Kristian at their merchandise booth for a few minutes. He’s super mellow and considerate. Thirsty, he left to get a drink, but not before offering me a bottle of water. “We have a bunch of them.” Rad.
If El Ten Eleven is playing anywhere near you, see them live. They’re incredible — and touring for a month.
Thanks to Kristian Dunn for a quick reply and talking to me after the show, Tim Fogarty for being a wicked drummer, and David Vine for recommending El Ten Eleven.
Official website of El Ten Eleven
http://www.zenfolio.com/zf/code/slideshow.swf
Photos of El Ten Eleven on Bryan Villarin Photography / Photos on Flickr
Update: Xanimo photos are on Flickr.
I won’t lie. I loved Blink 182 ever since their album, Chesire Cat. With their appearance on the Grammys, they’ve apparently reunited. (Plus, they’re on Twitter!)
I just hope Angels & Airwaves don’t die because of this — I like ‘em, too. What’ll happen to +44?
On Thursday afternoon, I drove all the way to the UC Forum at the University of San Diego to see Finch and Saosin. However, this time was different. At will-call, there was an all-access VIP pass with my name on it.[1. Why? Daniel Wonacott (bassist from Finch) liked my photos of their show at The Roxy Theatre last Monday. So, I asked for a photo pass and he said it wouldn’t be a problem.]
On Monday night, I went to The Glass House in Pomona to see Dear Life, A Static Lullaby, and Chiodos for a last-minute concert.
Sorry about the picture. I didn’t exactly have a tripod and optimal manual settings for the aperture of my camera.
How was the show? Totally wicked! Bill thought he got cheated because Nate didn’t scream for all the songs like he did on their CD. Whatever! I can’t blame him, it’s amazing that he can muster that much for more than one song. I thought it was great, and the whole band gave awesome energy. They were all very professional, and I’m so happy they didn’t swear profusely. I don’t know the names of all the members, but I can say that the new drummer fits right in.
They played some new music, and it’s just different. I think I’ll like it, though. Doesn’t sound too mainstream, and I’m sure people would like it that way. If I could, I’d totally want to see them again. Does anyone who stumbles across this post have any good pictures or a bootleg of this concert? I’d love to get a copy!
Sidenote: Tonight, Bill wants us to play Ender as a cover song for our band we’re trying to create. I’m sure he’s still in total awe about the concert, especially since Finch is one of his main influences (for guitar). 
