By Chris Ziegler
After five years in downtown Long Beach, storied all-ages venue Koo’s is officially returning to Santa Ana and a new home at the historic Yost Theater, where a no-longer non-profit Koo’s, Inc., will begin programming in January.
“We’re done in Long Beach,” says Koo’s founder Dennis Lluy today, shortly before he’ll begin hauling equipment and furniture out of the 530 E. Broadway space he’s due to vacate this weekend. “We had a five-year run and we took it as
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Chris Ziegler reported for us back in October about Koo's returning to Santa Ana and taking over programming at the long-dormant Yost Theater, and now shows are beginning to pop up on the venue's schedule. It's a move that generated some degree of grousing--particularly around November's SoundDowntown festival, which was organized by Koo's founder Dennis Lluy and used the Yost among other venues--namely, that it marks gentrification of downtown Santa Ana. (One commenter in the above linked story
We told you a bit ago about some shows coming to Santa Ana's recently-dormant Yost Theater courtesy of Dennis Lluy and Koo's, and now a couple more gigs--hinting at the diversity of programming planned for the venue--have been added to the schedule.On March 7, the "Zero Film Festival" will take place at the Yost, along with performances from locals The Growelrs, Local Natives and The Living Suns. Friday, March 20 sees a "Guerilla Aid Downtown Symposium," a benefit with as yet unnamed performers.
We've written a lot about the resurrection of the historic Yost Theatre in downtown Santa Ana--now operated by Dennis Lluy and booked by Ashley Eckenweiler. It started with November's SoundDowntown, and continues tonight with a show from LA's delightful The Bird and the Bee. I last saw them in fall of 2007 opening for Rilo Kiley, and they were wonderful--and seemed like lovely people! I'm tickled to see them again even if their latest, last month's Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future, has rece
Last Night: The Bird and the Bee, Melanoid, Stacy Clark at the Yost Theatre, Santa Ana, Feb. 26, 2009.Better than: Breaking into the Yost during its dormant period and attempting to put on your own show. Folks, that's illegal, and also pretty weird.Best fashion choice: The bow on Bird and the Bee singer Inara George's retro-chic black and white dress.Aside from a few--well, quite a few--snags with the sound during the Bird and the Bee's headlining set, the first show at the historic Yost Theatre
'Vicki [sic] Chang has got to be one of your worst writers with the worst taste. I abhor her Trendzilla column. It has the most contrived style blurbberings [sic] Ive ever read.'
Last night was a busy one for Orange County bands--Make Moon, the Growlers, the New Limb, Janu and the Whalesharks at the Yost Theater; the Union Line and Yellow Red Sparks at Detroit Bar; and the final night of Handsome G's residency at the Gypsy Lounge. We made it to the first two.