Local Natives had a pretty great start to their tour over the weekend. It was probably one they had only dreamed of having when they were only playing residency shows at Silverlake Lounge or Spaceland. Fast forward a year later and they’re off on another grueling tour across the nation and kicking it all off with two sold out shows at the Henry Fonda Music Box. I could say that this band is living a Cinderella story but Local Natives did their own magic without a fairy godmother. Although popularity at the speed of light may be likened to the flick of a wand, talent and hard work is what brought them to their biggest headlining US venue to date.

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The first place on my schedule for SXSW Day 2 was Home Slice, a pizzeria. It may sound odd when I say I went to all the way to S. Congress to see a band at a pizzeria, but the best part about this mini trip is that Home Slice is one of the more well known pizza places in Austin. In fact, next to the original Home Slice, there was a building called More Home Slice. After having a slice of their Marguerita pizza, I could see why there needed to be an extra building of the same deliciousness.

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SXSW continued for day 2 as I woke up on Thursday ready to see some more great music. Although Austin isn’t that huge, SXSW, itself, is quite large as there can be shows happening right in the middle of 6th street, beyond the freeway or a bus ride away. Thursday morning was the day I took the initiative to take a bus and see a show further away, and it turned out that it was very well worth it.

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• Boyz II Men | Friday, January 16 | 7:30 pm | $21.50 – $56 | Club Nokia, Los Angeles, CA – Map | Arguably one of the most successful R&B groups in the industry will hopefully be letting loose some new material, but here’s hoping that the boys (or shall we say, men) are taking bets that “I’ll Make Love to You” will still send multiple shivers down x-number of women’s spines.  Click here for tickets.
• The Rosebuds | Friday, January 16 | 8 pm | $15 |  Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY – Map | You know what it is they say about not judging a book by it’s cover? The Rosebuds just might be the epitome of the phrase, in an alarmingly satisfying way. The duo will be joined by Max Tundra and The Love Language. Click here for tickets.
• Bella Rouge | Saturday, January 17 | 7 pm | $10 | The Wire, Upland, CA – Map | It’s always a pleasant surprise when basic strumming and crooning manages to result in a sound so seemingly effortless, however complex. Bella Rouge’s style is kind of like a log cabin -  although you know what elements it consists of, you still find yourself wondering “how?”. Bands Like Lepers and A Voiceless Epic will be playing throughout the evening. Click here for tickets.

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