Spoon, man

“Dude, people are going to get tired of reading about how you ran into Mark and Cara and stood around talking s#!t.”

Right you are, Mr. Willett. Thanks to the generosity of my new super-friend Scott McDonald, we’re in the thick of the overwhelming crush of humanity wedged inside Little Radio to see John Vanderslice and Spoon, and it’s quite the sight to behold.

For one, the Los Angeles Cute Girl Army is out in full force. I mean, this is redonkulous, as Alie would say. I haven’t seen this many fine ladies in one place since I don’t even know when. Spoon’s Britt Daniel is onstage sweating it out admirably, running through a litany of tunes from his extensive catalog. Everyone else is sweating too, because it’s hot – really hot. It's kind of cool to hear the crowd cheer for "The Underdog" because they've heard it on the radio (nice work, Indie 103 and KCRW). I spy Michael “Gemini” Bauer pushing his way out of the serious scrum in front of the stage for some air. The open Dewar’s bar is on jam, with the hot tattooed bartenders somehow staying cool and friendly in spite of the barrage of dollar bills looking for drinks (hey Dewar’s people – try using Vernor’s ginger ale as a mixer next time. Trust me on this one.). There’s Greg from Autolux. There’s Daniel Gill, super-publicist to the stars. There’s Graham MacRae, holding it down at Warner Bros and an accomplished singer-songwriter in his own right. Pretty women, free booze, good friends – what’s not to love? No s#!t-talking here – this is awesome!

The party keeps going even after Spoon’s admittedly sweet set (which ended on a tight rendition of “I Summon You”). I’m hanging outside with Graham, Daniel and John Vanderslice, who is possibly the nicest guy in the world. Seriously. Make sure to check him out the next time he plays Los Angeles. I’ll keep you posted. He’s kind enough to take us backstage for some great conversation and more beer. Everyone’s just kicking it, no attitudes or pretensions. Britt Daniel is happy to pose for a picture. Lots more cute ladies, the kind that smile back. We love them. That’s when Graham’s friend John reminds me to come check out Little Radio’s Summer Camp party. “Just imagine all of these same girls, only in their bikinis. It’s amazing.”

Sold American, as my dad would say.

God bless Little Radio, making L.A. just that much cooler – and hotter.