Broke LA 2018: Favorite Memories

For the last few years, Broke LA Fest was held in various warehouse locations from the art district to El Sereno. This year, they shifted locations to DTLA’s Regent Theater and surrounding areas. Music was across three stages. The main stage was the Regent with the Love Song Bar used as a smaller space. The third stage was across the street in an outdoor parking lot, which included a market and with the music powered by the Sunstock Solar Festival. (I was told by those who run the Sunstock Solar Festival to expect their festival sometime in October.) A comedy stage was held at the Prufrock Pizzeria. Broke LA also expanded their festival from a one day to a two-day event. And for those who don’t know, this is a festival where local Los Angeles bands rule the weekend. The festival is meant to explore the local music scene and hang out with favorite bands and find a couple more to add to the list of favorites.

Day 1 Highlights Best Find of Day 1 Award: Princess Cyberspace

Princess Cyberspace

Her lyrics are so catchy and so social media:

“Cuz I got 10 likes
100 likes
1,000 likes
10,000 likes
I’ll probably get more by the end of the night” 

Put those catchy lyrics alongside snappy rhythms and stylist street fashion and you got an after-hour party happening just as the sun was setting.

Here’s my interview with the artist: 

How would you describe your sound? My songs can be described as post-EDM punk pop music with a tropical R&B influence. Perhaps even nu new wave cyberpunk. 

Your lyrics are very catchy. How do you go about writing your lyrics? I keep a diary of lyrics that just come to me during the day on the ‘Notes’ section of my phone and in a physical notebook. During studio sessions, I organize the lyrics into verses, choruses, bridges, etc. with my producer and/or co-writers. 

Any additional thoughts? I think my music is as unique as I am. I am ethnically ambiguous (Filipina, Polish, Irish, Russian) and grew up traveling a lot in an international family. I don’t fit into the ‘white EDM’ scene and I don’t fit into the ‘black hip hop scene’. I fit into my unique sound, and I hope that the people who dig my music can find home in them, too. 

You Never Know Who’s Listening Award: Sugar Rum Tantrum

Sugar Rum Tantrum

The accordion has to rank right there with the bagpipes, right? Hey, don’t worry, Sugar Rum Tantrum makes it look as cool as an electric guitar.

But why their award? The band was saying in jest, “We want to be sponsored by Lagunitas [Lagunitas was running the outdoor beer tent].” Just before their last song, the folks at Lagunitas came over with beers for all the members of the band. Big smiles, “Are we really sponsored by Lagunitas?”

Here’s my interview with the band: 

How would you describe your sound? Sugar Rum Tantrum's is accordion-fronted rambunction folk pop. What the hell is that? We don't know either. It has accordions, violins, and tons of attitude. Every show is a little different, sometimes we have loud distorted guitars with gutsy blues tunes, sometimes we play to naked hippie folk in tents. Sometimes people just plop around and dance in circles that look like nothing more than your standard bird mating ritual. 

How would you like your music to impact people who listen to your music or see you play live? Sugar Rum Tantrum aims for people to embrace their inner weird. To see something new and filled with attitude and make you say 'fuck yeah'. We care about the environment, the polar bears drowning among melted ice caps . . . we do! But mostly, we also care for the reclaimed human spirit...the polar bears within us! ;) 

Own Q&A: If the band could go anywhere for a day where would you go? We'd go to Nashville to meet Jack White. Basically, the White Stripes is an astronomically dividing issue within Sugar Rum Tantrum. The bass player despises their lack of a bass player and simplistic aesthetic . . . whereas Rich [drums] is stern and uncompromising in his love of the Stripes. Basically, the trip would start a big internal band brawl and would be great for catching some authentic videos for our "Behind the Music" documentary that we decided we're going to shoot right now. Hopefully there would be jousting. And Melinda [vocals, accordion] would get some legit Tennessee hot sauce. 

Surprise of the Day Award: Top Shelf Band

Top Shelf Band

They did a set on the Outdoor Stage and had the area packed with their college football halftime show music style. Later, as one set was ending inside the Regent and festival attendees were heading away from the stage, they came marching in and set the place on fire.

Here’s my interview with the band: 

What’s the story behind how the band started out? All of us are friends from high school and the RCC Marching Band. We just wanted to play cool music with homies. Now 5 years down the road we've been making some real noise in the LA and IE music scene. We’ve been playing for Sea World since 2014. And we made our first tour across Europe. The Top Shelf Brass Band is a combination of the energy of a marching band, instrumentation of a New Orleans Brass 2nd line, and the vibes of today’s music. 

Is there a specific decision the band has made (good or bad) that it feels other bands/artists can learn from? Stay true to the band's core values. Don't try to cater to any audience. Don't try to "Play the Game". Play for yourselves. Play for each other. 

Day 2 Highlights 

Best Find of Day 2 Award: tiLLie

tiLLie

Okay, so sometimes you have to say to yourself, “I really should have heard of this band/artist way before now.” The main draw of Day 2 has to go to tiLLie. The Regent attendance peaked for her set. You have to love an artist who does an 80’s cover of Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.

And she gets the award for best quote of the night, “This song goes out to those who f*cking try to fix you when you’re not broken.”

Best Wake-Up Call Award: The New Pacific

The New Pacific

There was no easing into Day 2. They rocked out right from the start. High leaps off the drum stage. Power rock jams. And a lot of long hair talk between band members. Hey, wake up, it’s 2 p.m.!

Here’s my interview with the band: 

What's the story behind how the band started out? The band started out 3 years ago as a rock project Alec put together when moving to Los Angeles from Nashville. The idea was to put together a band that could be as melodic as it was heavy. We've landed in a really great spot with great members and are excited to start releasing a new batch of songs this week. This next set of songs deals a bit more literally with what’s going on in the world right now. How could you not be with everything going on in the news right now? There’s a lot of raw emotion and exploration of human nature to be dug into. And we’re digging deep. 

Do you happen to have a favorite Broke LA story/thought -- doesn't have to be set related? Jessica and everyone at Broke LA and the Regent did an awesome job organizing it and we had an absolute blast. But there's a place behind the Regent called #CaldersRadPad where a production artist lives and displays his art and it's all made of cardboard. Us and a bunch of the other bands went and toured it and it blew our minds. 

Any additional thoughts? Honestly, we just want to encourage anyone that is interested in making art or having a voice to get out there and get in the garage and make it loud. We’ve all got one shot at this thing. If you’ve got something you really care about, don’t be afraid to dig in. 

Best Emotional Release Award: Holy Wars

Holy Wars

There was a conflict going on between stages as the festival was heading towards a close. Holy Wars and MetronOhm started their sets within seconds of each other. The moment actually perfectly highlighted the friendly vibes of Broke LA. A member of MetronOhm, Kofi, rushed over to the front of the Regent stage as Holy Wars was setting up and called out to Kat (lead singer of Holy Wars), “I’m going to be here with you in spirit.”

Holy Wars’ set was MINDBLOWING as they commanded the stage like no other Broke LA band. The band’s music was rocking. Their stage show was refined to perfection. Whoever was controlling the lights (social media says Matt Shores) must have gotten inspired by the set, because the Regent looked like it was hosting Lady Gaga. It was enough to get one to do a little pogo jumping, body slamming and grinning like a kid in a candy store.

Here’s my interview with the band: 

Why the name Holy Wars? The name was inspired by our lyric "Now there's a Holy War in me" in our song 'Mother Father.' When we wrote the first few songs there was still no name for the band and once that was written it was apparent that would be the best way to describe this whole collection of music. That lyric originally came to me when people would ask me how I was doing shortly after my parents’ passing and eventually I would just start to tell them, "every day feels like a holy war in me" to sum it all up. The band has been around for a little over a year. How has the band gel together as a group? 

The band has been together for a year. During that time the live show has continued to develop but even more so the sound has. We're working on our next release now and are planning on surprising everyone with where the band goes next. 

Own thoughts: I always love to talk about the album cover for Mother Father. It was a personal family photo of my mother and my father when they were teenagers. We had their handwriting recreated in the Mother Father title. Something most people don't know. That jacket in the photo that my mom is wearing, I still have and wear today. 

The most amazing thing I saw at our last 2 shows was people walking away with our vinyl with my parents on the cover. They are in the homes of people they've never met. And I feel like in some small way I'm helping them live on.  

Every show we play, I wear her socks and I have a token keychain of my dad's on my pedal board. Every stage I play, they come with me. 

And finally, freak-Out of the Festival: I’m sorry Broke LA, but those mannequins were freaking me out for some reason. Every set that I photographed at the Regent stage, out of the corner of my eye I would see those mannequins. I kept thinking, “I’m about to run into someone.” I’d freeze up and then realize, “It’s just those stupid mannequins.”