Tinariwen Tickets

Unique, transcendant, brilliant. Up there with some of the best shows I have ever seen. If tinariwen comes back, run to go see them.

Very good show put on by a couple bands I had not heard of. I was very impressed with the performances and very much liked the venue and crowd.

I dont know the name of the opening act but must say, they were better then the main act. Tinariwen was light on music, light on band members and really dint appear to be interested in playing the El Ray. With the exception of the back up singer, no one moved, the songs that I stayed for were all low key and mono tone. The female singer should have come-shes quite a show on her own from what I have seen on Youtube. Anyway, I can say I saw them-outside of that, nothing to write home about.

I decided to go to this show because it was advertised that TV on the Radio would be playing. They did play, but it was like to jam with some other band for like 10 minutes. Fun, but I would not have gone if I knew it would be like that. Otherwise, the other bands were good, Flee came out and jammed, and all the musicians were real good, but Tinariwen's music was waay too repetitive.

Our family got together for this show and had an unforgettable experience. The music was awesome. The rhythm was out of this world... and got us dancing. The band had great presence and totally connected with the audience. The lead singer Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, has the charisma of Jimmy Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and Mike Jagger all bottled into one! What a thrill.

Let me preface this by saying this was the 3rd time I've seen Tinariwen. Having missed their Troubadour show earlier this year, I made it a point to go to this one. And I was pleasantly surprised to see their fan base grew tremendously since their first L.A. appearance at the now defunct Temple Bar in Santa Monica. That show was for me what the El Rey show was for all other first-time Tinariwen attendees: a sublimely amazing mystery that unfolds before your very eyes, gracing you visually with Touareg sand-swept desert apparel, weathered faces and dancing bodies; and aurally with jangly and exotically percussive sounds that are equal parts Timbuktu and Delta Blues. In short, exotically seductive stuff you just don't want to end. The 2nd time I saw them was at 2010's Hollywood Bowl, where they were onstage with an abbreviated version of their band for an equally abbreviated too-short set of--what?--maybe 15 minutes tops? And in broad daylight? They were robbed at that performance! But seeing how their popularity has since grown, KCRW might give them a headlining slot for Summer of 2012. Again--not seeing their Troubadour show--the El Rey show made up for that. It was great to welcome back my "friends" Tinariwen, where I got a cat's eye view from the base of the stage. It was fun to dance "with" them again, to the terrific sounds. And I guess it was also great to see that noted musicians worth their salt have since caught on to the beauty and power of Tinariwen--some of whom appear on their latest recording "Tassili"--joining them onstage to share a couple songs. What I want to know is, where were Flea and the guys from TV on The Radio at the Temple Bar gig?!?! (I know, I know--they were either touring or maybe caught them in another city on that self-same tour!)

They had the most energy I've seen them have for their last 2 songs. Such a treat to see them, can't wait to experience them in the desert!

the energy at this how was amazing..... special guests michael kang and jason hann tore it up. great show, great people, and great music!

My 26-year-old daughter Iris went to all 3 days of Coachella 2009; I went only to the first day. When I asked her favorites, she said Leonard Cohen, Paul McCartney & Tinariwen. When I asked her to explain that last name, she said their music resisted explanation but it was one of the greatest groove-motion experiences she'd ever had. Based on that recommendation, I went to this show. She was right.

I first became aware of Tinariwen in the Fall of 2008 when I visited the African Museum at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC. They had an exhibition of the arts and crafts of the Touareg people, and playing in the background was the Water Is Life album by Tinariwen. I was completely smitten by their sound-it was African, Moroccan, Arabic, Western and totally unique. I bought it on the spot and have listened to it constantly ever since. When I saw that they would be part of UCLA Live I was thrilled. I really did not think that a group of nomads from the Saharan desert would ever get to my neck of the woods, and I jumped at the chance to see them. After all of my built up excitement, I began to worry that they might not live up to my expectations. As it turned out, this was a needless worry. They changed my life in ways I probably am only beginning to guess at. Thank you so much for bringing them to Southern California.

Show was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish the annoncer talked a little less about himself and more about the bands

Best evening I've spent in a long time. Well, since I returned from traveling with the Tuaregs in the Sahara 2 months ago. The Tuvan singers and musicians were unbelievable. How do they do that? They evoked horses, birds, trains, wind, water...life in Tuva, in fact. Tinariwen are the best rock 'n' roll blues band in the world. There is nothing more to be said.

The venue was fantastic. The sound was stellar. Really just an amazing show and set.

The show was literally mesmerizing. What more can you ask. The Mongolian opening band was outstanding as well. Yet another stellar line-up from Royce Hall.

The concert was great, people got into this sub-saharian music spirit very quickly, I had never seen such a movement from people sitting on the balcony and literally going dancing right in front of the stage, great vibes from both this amazing band and a great audience that got into it. I truly recommend to see this group, it´s fantastic.