Matthew McConaughey, I Couldn't Smell Him
In my never ending quest to discover this weird culture called Southern California, I am always looking for something new to see, visit, eat and just plain explore. Teresa is plugged into the entertainment scene. She’s one of those celebrity consumers. I can’t lie, I do partake in some E!News and US Weekly. Seacrest still sucks. Joel McHale rules. But anyway, Teresa saw a blurb in US Weekly about an artist named Mishka. Matthew McConaughey was singing his praises. I’ve always like Matthew McConaughey; he seems like the kind of guy you’d want to hangout with. Dazed and Confused is my favorite movies of his. In other words, I trusted his opinion.
A quick internet search pulled up Mishka’s MySpace page. He’s a white reggae artist from Bermuda. He has a few older albums. In my opinion, his newest is the best. Its called ‘Above the Bones’. I come to find out that Mishka is signed to McConaughey’s record label, J.K. Records. I’ll let him explain.
When I first looked at Mishka’s MySpace page, ‘Above the Bones’ was not available to the public. However, the title track was up and just amazing. On the tour dates, I noticed a couple shows in LA County. One was up at the Roxy, the other was over in Hermosa Beach at a tiny venue called Sainte Rock. Perfect. The date went onto my calender.
The album came out a week or so before the show, so I was able to give it a few listens. Its so relaxing. Its one of those records you just enjoy. Its good for easy driving. Its good for sitting on the deck. I can’t wait to listen to it on the beach. Good stuff, Mishka.
The day of the show, Teresa and I took the PCH all the way to Hermosa. I was afraid the 405 would be such a parking lot. To give y’all some context. The PCH was a better option, and it still took over an hour to drive 18 miles. We made it to the venue around 6pm. We were so early, no one even took our tickets. Even more to the point, Mishka and his band were eating dinner at the bar. Did they just load in?
I’m not sure what the venue was previously, but its a interesting space. Its an all brick building. The inside is shaped like a large L with various heights to the ceiling. The open locations must be 20 to 30 feet tall. Other spots are only about 8 feet. Everything is hardwood, and the ceiling features those cool large beams. The stage is small and reminiscent of the 8×10. However, its over in a corner. You really couldn’t see the stage from the bottom part of the L. Teresa and I took up residence at the bar closest to the stage.
All the chatter on Yelp said the place would be packed. It was empty. The bartender was really nice, and an ex-teacher. We had a few drinks and some tasty appetizers. I should have ordered the sliders. They kept coming out of the kitchen, and I kept drooling. The best part: they were topped with sweet potato fries. Next Time.
The show was set to start at 8pm, but we were definitely out of touch. Just after 7pm, a duo took the stage. They played acoustic jazz with all words in Portuguese. It reminded me of Seu George and was damn good, but where was Mishka? Closer to 9pm, another band took the stage. This guy was from HB, and looked like a surfer version of Bob Dylan. I don’t remember his name, but his singer song writer style was enjoyable. At this point, the crowd was really starting to fill into the venue. The staff had removed all the tables, and I started to understand the warnings on Yelp. This was gonna get tight just like the 8×10.
And then it happened. My second big celebrity sighting! (I saw Rainn Wilson in a McDonalds bathroom line after Radiohead in Santa Barbara.) Matthew McConaughey walked into this 200 person venue. He had a small posse. Think Entourage without the edge. He was wearing a Brasil sweatshirt because his baby’s mama is hot and Brazilian. He walked directly up to the bar and found a spot right next to Teresa. Of course, I am a complete werido, so I am trying not to stare. One time, I saw Owen Wilson in O’briens in Annapolis. I think it was when he was filming Wedding Crashers. I walked up to him, and the conversation went something like this:
Simeon: Are you who I think you are?
Owen Wilson: Yes.
Simeon: I love all your movies.
Owen Wilson: (Exit stage left)
I was slightly embarrassed to say the least. This time, I tried to remain cool. Teresa kept on whispering harshly, “Stop Staring!” McConaughey proceeded to order a few Coronas and Gin and Tonics. A couple people gathered around to say hi, but I just kept quiet. This tactic worked much better with Rain, so I was going to stick with it. I did think this was funny: people kept on offering to buy him drinks. Number one, he had a drink. Number two, he has lots of money. So, what are you thinking. I started to try and pay attention to the stage. Again, where is Mishka? Did I mention, on the bill, Mishka was suppose to be the opener?
Sometime after 10pm, Mishka finally took the stage. At this point, we’d been in the venue around 4 hours. By now, the place was packed to the gills. I really don’t mind a crowded venue. Most people were courteous, but you still get those few brutes. The real issue was the day. It was a Thursday night. Being the old grumpy person I am, it was almost time to get up and go to work. Teresa even gets up early than me. In the back of my mind, I thought this might happen, but the bill said two bands 8pm. I figured Mishka was be on at 9pm or 9:15pm at the latest. It was a sad moment, but we left part way through his set. As I walked out the main room door, I turned to see Matthew McConaughey grooving in the second or third row. Lord knows he doesn’t have to get up at 6am the next day. Good for him.
What an experience! There was lots of good music, beer and food. Plus, another celebrity encounter for myself. I do like Sainte Rock, and I want to see some more bands at this venue. Preferably, it will be a Friday or Saturday show. At the very least, I shouldn’t have to get up early the next day. Work Sucks. I highly recommend picking up Mishka’s album. Its good music and perfect for whatever ails you.
Comments
Simeon, You need to have your sinuses checked!!
