How We Are the West Won

The Palisades-formed group headlined a robust Pali High concert bill preceding the grand fireworks finale.

By MICHAEL AUSHENKER | Contributing Writer

Yeah, it was composed in 1896, but does “The Stars and Stripes Forever” ever really get old?

The John Philip Sousa march underscored the evening as way more than the 2,000 ticket pre-sales filled Palisades Charter High’s stadium for parade day’s culminating event: a concert bill followed by fireworks.

“You have to have a Palisades connection to play,” concertmeister Keith Turner explained regarding the acts preceding the fireworks finale.

Palisades Charter High School Band and 2016 Palisades All-Stars performed before headlining acts We Are The West and Emile Millar, with Adam Topol and Ethan Phillips, took to the stage.

Millar and friends rocked out a nice diverse swath of covers, from Radiohead’s self-flagellating “Creep” to John Cougar Mellencamp’s acerbic and sarcastic “Pink Houses.” Millar later joined the top-lining We Are The West for a number.

“Yeah, we’re gonna have a good time tonight,” Honorary Mayor/parade grand marshal Kevin Nealon told the crowd prefacing We Are The West’s performance before joking, “This stage used to be on the 50 yard line. Today, it worked its way over the end zone.”

We Are The West front man Brett Hool explained onstage how he and guitarist John Kibler, with whom he formed his seven-piece band, met while living in the Palisades. On the surface, the alt-country act, with its trippy Wilco (circa Yankee Hotel Foxtrot) stylings, appeared to be a strange choice to headline the festive occasion. However, We Are The West ultimately won their audience over with rousing renditions of The Grateful Dead’s poppiest tune, “Touch of Grey,” and with the big closer, a Palisades-specific customized cover of “I Love LA” (the classic 1983 pop song by Randy Newman, who grew up in the Palisades), which got the whole crowd participating:

“Chautauqua Boulevard … We love it!

Swarthmore Avenue … We love it!

Via de la Paz! 

Temescal Canyon Road! 

Sunset! 

We love it! We love it!”

We Are The West also slyly couched some “All Along the Watchtower” (as in Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix) into Newman’s tongue-in-cheek LA anthem.

Near the stage, Laura Dicterow and husband Matt Dusig twirled around daughter Zoe, 8, and her friend Sam Schwartz, 7, to the music. Born in Pacific Palisades, Dicterow grew up in Sherman Oaks, only to return to the Palisades. She’s been attending the annual concert with her family for seven years now.

“It’s the funnest day of the year,” Dicterow said.

Carolyn Elliott brought daughter Skye, 3.

“This is the most relaxed and easiest place to take our family,” the Westchester resident said.

Rockin’ the red, white and blues, barefoot free spirit Jackie Cohen energetically danced the night away.

“One of my best friends lives down the street,” said the Hollywood Hills resident, who has attended the last three years. Identifying herself as lesbian, Cohen explained how she and her girlfriend can attend the annual festivities and “no one judges us here.”

“My girlfriend and I come here and we have a ball,” she continued.

Cohen didn’t care for last year’s bands but loved 2014’s rock concert featuring Jonny Kaplan and Rami Jaffee.

Concert organizer since 2008, Turner explained how Jaffee almost played this year’s event, but the founding member of The Wallflowers and current Foo Fighters keyboardist wound up in Paris for the holiday weekend.

Former Palisadian Trinity Rose, who attended Marquez Charter Elementary, opened the evening with her rousing rendition of the National Anthem, which she repeated later.

“It was great! All my friends came in with T-shirts with my face on it,” Rose, 13, said of her concert-inaugurating opening number.

Upon her latter performance, fireworks began launching right on lyrical cue. As the bombs burst in air with rockets red glare, the amps synchronized a succession of patriotic pop tunes to the night show, including Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA,” James Brown’s “Living in America,” Lee Greenwood’s “Proud to Be an American” and, of course, Katy Perry’s “Firework.” This year’s fireworks display was short but very sweet, with a big, breathtaking finish behind a silhouette of a row of palm trees; the classic Southern California climax.

As We Are The West put it in song earlier that evening: “I love LA! I love the ‘Sades!”