I'm up on Buzzbands: Jail Weddings at The Satellite

I'm up on Buzzbands with a photo gallery of Jail Weddings along with photos of Honey Child and
Oozelles.

Jail Weddings

The Satellite: MACKandgold and Cuesta Loeb

Sometimes you randomly come across a really fun performance by chance. That was the case with MACKandgold. She was up first at The Satellite. Her set was filled with so much joy. There was this mischievous smile that always crossed her face. A solid crowd was also out for her early set, which increased the level of enthusiasm. Her music has some nice soul grooves. And her songs take their time to reveal themselves to the listener.

MACkandgold

Cuesta Loeb closed the night out for me. The last time I saw her was about two years back at The Satellite. It was a welcome reunion. Admittedly, two years had passed since I last saw Cuesta Loeb, but I swear that her sound this time around featured more rock beats than previous. I could be wrong there. Either way, I loved the set.

Cuesta Loeb

I'm Up On Buzzbands: Cones at the Bootleg Theater

I'm up on Buzzbands with photos of Cones as well as Jess Cornelius and Total Heat.

Cones

I'm Up On Buzzbands: Kills Birds at the Bootleg Theater

I'm up on Buzzbands with photos of Kills Birds as well as Rose Cologne and Storefront Church.

Kills Birds

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Nick Flessa

Nick Flessa at Bootleg Theater

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

When did you know you wanted to be a musician? My desire to play music started when I heard the song “Tubthumping” by Cumbawamba. I was in elementary school. Later, I got a smooth jazz cassette called “Rhythms of the Night” at a Meijer in Eastgate, Ohio. My mom didn’t want me to buy the cassette, because it was sort of “sexy time” music for adults. Anyway, I really liked the sax playing on the cassette, and that eventually motivated me to start playing sax in middle school concert band. I quit in high school, started listening to a lot more music and playing in projects, learning different instruments. I’ve always loved it.

How would you like your music to impact people who listen to your music or see you play live? As a performer I want to amaze and surprise people. I want to challenge assumptions in a way that’s entertaining and engaging. Musically, I want to build worlds that audiences and listeners can travel through. I want to combine seemingly disparate styles, genres and musical personalities in ways that haven’t existed yet. I want to move people while also making them think.

Up On Buzzbands: Glendale's Open Arts & Music Festival

Nick Waterhouse

I'm up on Buzzbands.la with photos of Glendale's Open Arts & Music Festival.

Earth Arrow
Jen Awad
Kilo Kish
Nick Waterhouse
Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca
The Sinseers
Sister Mantos

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Scott Bartenhagen

Scott Bartenhagen at The Hi Hat

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

How would you describe your music? My music is one part 70's folk artist, one part 90's Sting, and one part 10,000 BC caveman striking hollow log.

Where is your favorite spot to write music? And why the spot? I write most music on my bed, criss cross apple sauce. I only enter creative flow when my legs fall asleep.

Final Child at The Sayers Club and Veneer at The House of Machines

I got invited to see Final Child at The Sayers Club for her Til Death Do Us Part EP release on Thursday night. I eagerly accepted the invite. It wasn't well advertised so I'm thinking the night was set up for friends as the venue was nicely packed for her 30 minute set. Her pops sounds have a vibe to them that makes you want to groove. My favorite song is Pill on the Tongue where her vocals just take their time floating along with the music. Her fashion helped with that intent as her choice was to wear a fringe skirt that gave the illusion of her flying just above the stage floor.

Final Child

After Final Child's set ended, I decided to drive from Hollywood to the Art District. At The House of Machines, I caught Veneer. I first saw this band at Echo Park Rising and wanted to catch them again. I'm more convinced now that they're a throw back to Billy Joel. Maybe the keyboard play influences my thinking.

Veneer

So a 9:30 p.m. set at The Sayers Club followed by an 11:00 p.m. set at The House of Machines. I've got to say, it was a solid night of music. Then afterwards, I decided to cross the street and get a slice of pizza at Pizzanista! I had always walked out of The House of Machines and noticed that pizza shop. I finally decided to cross the street and get a slice.

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Jessica Gerhardt

Jessica Gerhardt at The Hi Hat

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

What's the story behind when you knew you wanted to be a musician? Well, I've been singing since I can remember and started writing songs when I was about 8 or 9. When I was around 14 or 15 I started playing ukulele and then it wasn't until my senior year of high school that I started performing my original songs in public at a high school open mic night. Even then I didn't know I wanted to "be a musician". It wasn't until my sophomore year of college when I felt this incredible sense of calling deep within, all of a sudden, like this voice saying "pursue music". And I began to think of the gifts and talents I have and the people in my life who affirm them and are touched by my songs, and the opportunities that began to unfold and doors that began to open that I decided to walk down this path. It's been a circuitous and deep journey so far, one that forces me to grow in trust.

What’s your favorite song (own) and what makes it the favorite? Hmmm, my favorite song that I've written so far? Gosh, that's hard. I really like playing "Whether To". I enjoy all the chord changes in it, and I love playing the instrumental melody at the beginning and end of the song. And for me the lyrics are very authentic and vulnerable. It's a song about the very real struggle to know how to love well, to know when to let go or when to hold on to hope, and when I struggle with letting go, to simply lift up that struggle to something bigger than me.

Where are some of your favorite places to hang out at in Los Angeles? My favorite places in LA! Wow, well, I grew up in Santa Monica (but a lot of my childhood favorite places have gone out of business or been turned into condominiums around that part of town), and now I live on the Eastside, but there are still quite a few to name . . .

I won't list 'em all, but I'll try to name my favorites:

• Griffith Observatory (Griffith Park): I'm a huuuuuge astronomy nerd and I absolutely love going there and perusing the exhibits and watching the planetarium shows. I've gone there for public star parties, for the transit of Venus, and a number of other events.

• Lake Shrine, the Self-Realization Center (Palisades) is one of my favorites. As a little girl I used to go there and feed the fish and swans and my imagination would run free with all the beautiful spaces to explore there.

• Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels - it's really just such a unique and sacred space.

• The Santa Monica bluffs and pier: Just beautiful places for a scenic walk

• Hikes: Stough Canyon (Burbank), Wisdom Tree (Hollywood), Temescal Canyon, Switzer Falls (La Canada)

• Coffee Shops: Antigua Coffee House (Cypress Park), Kaldi (South Pasadena), Lavender & Honey (Pasadena), Jameson Brown (Pasadena), Penelope's (La Canada), Constellation (La Canada), Urth Caffes

• Eats: Porto's, Grand Central Market (DTLA), Banh Oui (Hollywood), Celestino's (Pasadena), Homegirl Cafe (DTLA), Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles, Silverlake Ramen, Gyu-Kaku, Izzy's Deli (Santa Monica), Pho 87 (Chinatown)

• Drinks: Congregation Ale House, Golden Road Brewery, Oeno Vino Wine (Atwater), Urban Press Winery (Burbank), Edendale (Silverlake), Basin 141 (Montrose), Dog Haus, Der Wolfskopf (Pasadena)

• Music Venues: The Hotel Cafe (Hollywood), The Hi Hat (Highland Park), The Bootleg (Filipinotown), The Greek Theater (Los Feliz), The Largo at Coronet (WeHo), Hollywood Bowl, McCabe's Guitar Shop (Santa Monica), Bar Lubitsch (WeHo), The Satellite (Silverlake)

Final Own Q&A: Why the blue-green hair? I've had my hair this color for a few years, and it's just something fun. I really liked how it's called "mermaid hair," because mermaids are my spirit animal. When I was a kid, I believed I could turn into a mermaid if I put salt in my bath, like Daryl Hannah in "Splash", but when I tried, alas, my legs remained legs. I once had a friend dye my hair blue in 7th grade, and then when I went to wash it out in the shower, my whole body was dyed blue. I was a smurf for about a week. This particular iteration of blue hair has been less traumatic thankfully. I just have fun enjoying the mermaid vibes and blue is my favorite color. It kinda feels like it's just become a part of me. But, who knows, maybe I'll lop it off at some point or try out a different color.

* Interview originally was posted on CaliforniaRocker.

Quick Hit Band Interview: Beers for Fears

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

How would you describe your music? We refer to our music as having Tenacious D sort of vibe, not taking ourselves seriously, with a focus on epic fantasy elements: knights, wizards, dark magic, necromancy and the like.

What are some of your favorite spots, locations, areas in Los Angeles? What makes them your favorites? Some of our favorite venues in Los Angeles are The Satellite, The Troubadour, The Hi Hat, The El Rey, Lot 1 [recently closed] and Casey's Irish Pub. What makes these venues our favorites are that they consistently host amazing local bands and touring acts, they each have their own unique charms and seeing live music at those venues never disappoints!

Own final thoughts:

Interesting fact. We were originally a two-piece act: Victor (Guitar) and Derek aka Dubs (Vocals). After our first show, our buddy Peter Anthony of Polaris Rose/Johnny Stranger asked if we needed a bass player and our buddy Leon, formerly of The Janks, asked if we needed a drummer! And thus 2 became 4!

Interesting fact, part 2. The Janks was one of the first LA bands that Dubs followed religiously. He discovered so many amazing bands through The Janks. It blows his mind that he went from being a fan, to being in a band with Leon!

La Tierra De La Culebra and The House of Machines: Gracie Gray, Okudaxij, Glaare, Spare Parts for Broken Hearts, Milly and Tennis System

A recent Saturday was a busy music day. First up, it was out to a park in Highland Park called La Tierra De La Culebra. I had never heard of this park. It is on 57th Street, not that far from Highland Park Bowl. It is a community park kept up by the neighbors in the area. There are some giant trees that keep the area shaded. And there are paths along the area that takes you up and down the 3 tiers of the park.

The afternoon was put on by Beating Lights. I specifically went to catch Gracie Gray. I had just recently seen her at The Satellite and just fell in love with her vocals. Watching her a second time, playing under a massive oak tree, was like listening to the vocals of an angel. And the atmospheric sounds of her music hits you emotionally.

Gracie Gray

I also happened to catch Okudaxij and his folk tunes. He mentioned that his band name was hard to remember so he just told folks to find his Instagram by typing in OKUD. He also looked over to where Gracie Gray was sitting and said that he noticed that her Instagram account was GracietheGray. He wondered if that was a reference to Lord of the Rings. Gracie lifted up her left arm and yelled out, "Yes."

Okudaxij

A couple hours later is was off to The House of Machines to catch a few more bands.

Up first was GLAARE. I had previously caught GLAARE at The Satellite. As they started their set, they asked if the lights could be brought down to match their goth sounds. Unfortunately, the guys at the soundboard said they couldn't really do anything about the lights. Maybe they're connected to lights that impact the rest of the building? The lights were brighter than they might have wanted, but that didn't stop them from putting on a solid sound of doom.

GLAARE

Spare Parts for Broken Hearts was the highlight of the evening. Their punk sounds brought sunlight to the venue. They just are relentless in their music. One moment will stand out for me. Johnny, inspired by being in the moment, kicked a cup of water into the audience. I happened to be kneeling down at the stage during the moment. Drops of water splashed across me. A little bit hit my lens. No big deal, but my one thought was, "I wonder if I'm going to take anymore photos of Spare Parts for Broken Hearts or is there just going to be water bubbles all over my lens." I think the water splashes were more on the edges of my filter so I don't think they impacted the photos that much.

Spare Parts for Broken Hearts

Milly came up next. The band likes to play with rather emotionless looks on their faces. Kind of like the faces that models use on the walkway. Well, one friend was having none of it. She ran up to the stage and danced around until she got a smile from the band.

Milly

Tennis System closed out the night. Their sounds shakes the body. Moment of the set has to be when the bassist got atop the speakers that have to be 10 feet above the ground and then took a leaping jump off. I personally would have broken an ankle.

Tennis System

Quick Hit Band Interview: Forever X2

Forever X2 at The Satellite

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

What inspired the creation of Forever X2? I’d hit a real low point . . . my previous band, Act As If, felt like it had stopped moving forward . . . and I was sick of working all my same part time jobs, etc. I didn’t have anything to look forward to, so I knew I needed to take some time and figure shit out. I didn’t write a song for 9 months. I started going to therapy. I changed my diet. All out of necessity . . . I just wasn’t doing well. Thankfully I started feeling a little better and decided to write again. Forever X2 is what my new demos became.

Outside of music, what are some of your other interests? I love improv comedy! In conjunction with going to therapy, I started taking improv classes at Upright Citizens Brigade and it’s been a really fun and unique challenge.

Own Final thoughts: Unique / not super advertised - I’ve played all the drums, guitars, synths, and vocals on the Forever X2 recordings so far. So fun.

Quick Hit Band Interview: The Lungs

Interview with the band (with Trevor). Enjoy:

What's the story behind how your band started? Billy (the bass player) and I were texting one day about how much we love Dead Kennedys and Black Flag and we came to the conclusion that we should start a band. Twenty minutes later he sent me a voice memo file of him playing this amazing bass riff. So I called up my brother who’s a ripping drummer and one month later we released a seven song EP. We didn’t even play a show ‘til four months or so later.

Are there any unique, funny, high jinks, mundane, etc tendencies that the band is known for – during sets, band practice, otherwise? We’re obsessed with having cool song titles. That’s how we write music: riff, song title, then lyrics. Also, we drink an insane amount of sparkling water. We’re not sober or anything, we just love that shit. We hope to one day be sponsored by Topo Chico.

Own final thoughts: People always think our band name has to do with smoking weed, it doesn’t. It’s more about just screaming your guts out for what you love and what makes your blood boil. Also, all three of us sing so it all makes sense. Our first full length is called “Psychic Tombs” and it’s coming out this summer!!!

The House of Machines: Ariel Beesley with COQUÍ

What a fun night at The House of Machines. Why? Ariel Beesley was singing her catchy tunes. She spent much of the time prior to her set, coming up to folks and giving hugs and saying hello. Such a vivacious personality. And also indicated that the audience was filled with her friends. When her set started, her friends crowded the stage and were singing the words to a number of her songs. A couple of them danced with abandon throughout. Ariel also decided to take the hands of a couple friends during one song and started to dance with them for a few moments.

Ariel's lyrics and music just blend seamlessly together. She also puts on an excellent stage show. Hair flings. Body moves that showed her ability to balance on one foot. And showing up great flexibility. 

Ariel Beesley

Opening up was COQUÍ who put on the dance moves, as well. He skated across the stage with ease.

Coqui

I'm Up On Buzzbands: Sam Marine with Mara Connor and Brian Whelan

I'm up on Buzzbands with a photo gallery and review of a recent Moroccan Lounge night featuring Sam Marine, Mara Connor and Brian Whelan.

Sam Marine at the Moroccan Lounge (shot for Buzzbands)