The Airborne Toxic Event Coming to the Greek Theatre

Greg Schwartz

It is sure to be a festive evening at The Greek Theatre when the hometown heroes of The Airborne Toxic Event return to the City of Angels on their fall tour. The band has been one of the city’s top success stories over the past five years and they’re certain to receive a warm welcome for this homecoming show. Singer/guitarist Mikel Jollett and his mates even claim Los Feliz specifically as a hometown on their Facebook page, making this show as close to home as they can get.

The band is still touring behind their third studio album, 2013’s “Such Hot Blood,” and are living proof that rock is far from dead. The tour launched with a three-night residency at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium in mid-September, in which they played their first two albums in their entirety. The tour goes across the country before reversing course to finish with two more weeks in the West, featuring the Airborne Toxic Event’s debut performance at the Greek.

Jollett is one of the more modest and self-effacing rock ‘n’ rollers to hit the scene in some time and his down-to-earth demeanor comes across in the band’s music. His whiskey-soaked tales of love and loss have struck a chord with the masses ever since their breakthrough hit “Sometime Around Midnight” from the first album. The band has made the most of their shot at the big time and this show lines up as a peak moment in their career.

The Airborne Toxic Event seemed to have come out of nowhere when they became a buzz band at Austin’s SXSW Festival in 2009, then returned as conquering heroes with a headlining slot at Stubbs BBQ at SXSW in 2011. Jollett is one of those singer-songwriters who has a knack for instantly connecting with an audience based on his sincere demeanor and heartfelt songs. A failed novelist, many of his songs contain a literary quality and the band even makes book recommendations on their website.

Violinist Anna Bulbrook adds a dynamic x-factor to the band’s anthemic soundscapes and she also contributes more vocals on the latest album, leading to some great harmonies with Jollett. The group delivers a sonic atmosphere that stands above the mainstream, part of what led to previous L.A. shows with orchestral accompaniment at Walt Disney Hall and the Gibson Ampitheater. Fans never know what treats might be in store at these hometown shows and odds are the band has something special up their sleeve for their homecoming at the Greek.

The Airborne Toxic Event will be performing at The Greek Theatre with special guest Twin Shadow on Oct. 30. Tickets can be purchased here.