Quarantine Online Sets: Version 18

It was off to various online music sessions this past week. On Monday, Livingmore was doing a combined Facebook and Instagram set. They were doing it from their home. I'm telling you this, lead singer Alex has the best vocals. Those vocals are pure gold. One thing I've learned watching online sets is that a lot of lead singers just don't have the vocal chops. I could be wrong on why I'm noticing this now, but I feel that acoustic sets expose a lot of faults. Maybe it is the lack of reverb? Maybe backing musicians cause the ear to focus on multiple sounds at once? Anyways, it makes me appreciate this band all the more.

Livingmore

Wednesday night was spent jumping around Instagram. First, it was off to Desert Nights where I caught Jadea Kelly and Daniel Blake. Their sets were a mix of conversations with Desert Nights' host, Valida, and music. Jadea Kelly is a Canadian who is living in Los Angeles at the moment. The conversation revolved around if she would consider visiting Canada again during this time. The answer seemed to be no as Canada requires people to go into a two week quarantine so it wouldn't be very convenient for her to do so. What I loved about her set: her top cabinet doors in the room she was playing in were wide open. So I'm not the only one with cabinet doors that just randomly open up? And there was the moment after she finished a song where she started to cheer for herself. Hey, those watching were no doubt cheering her along so why not provide some actually proof?

Jadea Kelly

Daniel Blake was celebrating his new song release, "Heartbreaker." The song was inspired by Tom Petty. The song was written to honor the singer after he passed away. He had the background lights going along with a tiny plastic cactus in the background. The cactus provided reference to the cactus that is the symbol for Desert Nights.

Daniel Blake

It was then a jump over to WFNM to catch a couple bands. First up was Powers. I'm guessing the band has been working on new material lately and has been on hiatus from live shows as I noticed that their Instagram account has been silent since July 2019. Well, I think their fans were wanting a live show, because a number of viewers showed up for their set. The set started out rather moody, but then soared into moments of meditation. Their sound was the perfect blend of piano and harmonies. To keep things light, the band did a toast for remaining positive. LP showed up in the comments, which got a shout out by the band.

Powers

Ninet Tayeb played from Israel. So though it was nighttime for us, it was the early morning for her. She spent time throughout the set, sipping coffee. Her music hits some emotional high points. What I noticed was how some artists want assurances in this world of online sets. I think that applies to Ninet Tayeb. After her first song, she asked Grant Owens, the host, if everything was running smoothly.

Ninet Tayeb

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Speelburg

Speelburg at The Hi Hat

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? Speelburg sounds like you've put a whole bunch of pop culture from around the world into a blender. I often describe it as weird pop coz if you accept that you make pop instead of trying to hide behind something a little more niche, I've found that it actually gives you a little more creative freedom to just do whatever the hell you want.

How have you grown as a musician? I use less reverb. I use to hide behind it, then I got better at singing so I dried it up. Then I got back into it in fun and creative ways. I also think I got better at mixing, generally more confident with my own work. to go "Yeah, I like the way that sounds" and accept that's how it's going to sound on the record and be fine with that took a minute, but this whole upcoming record (Character Actor) was mixed at home in my studio and I couldn't be prouder.

Own final Q&A: Where will you be next week? I'll be on tour in France playing these huge arenas. I'm terrified and I can't wait! If you can make it out, I'd love to hang out :)

Quarantine Online Sets: Version 17

Los Angeleno provides some great Friday night entertainment. The bands and artists playing put on pre-recorded sets that appear to last between 8 and 15 minutes. The sets are featured both on Instagram and Facebook. I have to admit that I do prefer sets shown on Facebook. I enjoy the horizontal presentation of Facebook versus the vertical presentation of Instagram. Both can have technical glitches when doing live streams, which isn't a problem for Los Angeleno so it really is a preference of presentation for me. This is coming from a person who posts photos only on Instagram.

This particular Friday night started off with Soft Sailors. Their set had a fun feel to it. The set started off with one member of the band in his living room. He got a call from his other two band mates and off they went. It was a great scripted 8 minutes that also included some screen in screen shots, a couple guests and a pet dog.

Soft Sailors

Devon Williams had me thinking of 80s icon Robert Palmer. I'd love to see a live set with a full band to see if that assumption rings true.

Devon Williams

Egg Drop Soup has been playing across the Internet during this lock down. This time around they broke the social distancing rule and all 3 members of the band were together to play their set. There was also a person doing the camera work who did a really good job of giving the audience the feel of the band's attitude. There were quick zooms in and out that matched up with the band's beats.

Egg Drop Soup

Closing out the night was Pearl Charles. That set was some country swoon. While watching the set, the kids in my apartment complex were having fun outside. I couldn't help but imagine that they were dancing to the music coming from my apartment (though in truth they couldn't hear the music).

Pearl Charles

Coronavirus Diary: May 25

How many times can I write that I've been super busy working from home. So busy that I barely even left my home for a few days. How can one get any Vitamin D if stuck inside all day? Apparently, Vitamin D is important in the fight against COVID-19.

Anyways, things have chilled over this Memorial Weekend.

I had a dream Saturday night. For some reason, I was in a very small spaceship. Much smaller than my apartment. I was taking a lonely journey that would take years to reach another planet. The mission was unknown though in my dream it felt like I was out to save Earth and this planet was suppose to hold a solution of some sort. In an attempt to stay in communication with Earth, I flipped a couple switches. That turned into a disaster. Sounds started going off. The spaceship seemed to start flipping. I freaked out and returned the switches to their original positions, but I continued to feel like I was traveling out of control. Then I looked at my monitor and I was still on the proper course. In fact, I was travelling so rapidly that I was nearly at the planet. I don't know what awaited for me at this planet, because I immediately woke up.

Also, on Saturday I went outside to get some Vitamin D. I walked from Glendale to Atwater Village. I walked pass the restaurants in the area, taking a peak at their menus. I stood outside of one restaurant too long and one of the employees walked out to ask if I needed any help. I apologized and said I was just out for a walk. I felt a guilty.

After a couple weeks, I finally caught a movie, "Blinded By The Light."  The movie is based on real life experiences of a then teenager named Javed, a Pakistani living in Luton, England. The story takes place in the late 1980s during the economic turmoil that occurred in the UK. It also deals with the racial discrimination against Pakistanis. The twist in the movie is that Javed becomes obsessed with the music of Bruce Springsteen. In some ways, it is the typical autobiographical movie about a teenager who 20 years later becomes a writer and reflects on his youth. What makes this movie unique as compared to other future writer movies such as "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" is the prominent role that the parents play in the movie as it explores the tensions between immigrant parents and their children. (A similar parent-children relationship was shown in the movie "Bend It Like Beckham.") Also, it gives one an appreciation for Bruce Springsteen. When it comes to teenage coming of age movies, do I think "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" and "Bend It Like Beckham" are better movies? Yes. But this movie does explore that parent-son conflict that will be something that hits home for many.

While working one late evening, I couldn't help but hear the children in my apartment complex having the time of their lives. I think for a number of weeks, parents were keeping their children largely separated from everyone else in the complex. The parents seem to be relaxing their stance. I don't know if that is wise, but it was nice to hear the children having fun.

Quarantine Online Sets: Version16

Can there be an online music family in this era of coronavirus? It really does seem like it. The punk rock community that has grown around bands like Spare Parts for Broken Hearts, Ramonda Hammer and Bands in a Barbershop transitioned online for a week where 6 individual singers took the stage at The 6*6*60s house, playing 6 song sets at 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. That's a lot of 6's. The sets were played on The Satellite's Instagram Live page. The line-up was:

Dolly / Doctrin

Sunday: Dolly from Doctrin.
Monday: Sarah from Spare Parts for Broken Hearts.
Tuesday: Mandla from Ugly Sweaters.
Wednesday: Devin from Ramonda Hammer.
Thursday: Jonny from Spare Parts for Broken Hearts.
Friday: Charley from Dirty Cakes.

Sarah / Spare Parts for Broken Hearts

Devin shined bright with her tunes. There were demands for a encore, but an encore didn't come. Okay, that encore request came from me.

Devin / Ramonda Hammer

Does Jonny even sing backup for Spare Parts for Broken Hearts? Well, he sung well during his Thursday set.

Jonny / Spare Parts for Broken Hearts

Sarah did some extensive Q&As with both the audience and The 6*6*60s. I got to ask a question about if she was self-taught (accidentally typed in thought) or was musically trained. She is self-taught.

Dolly brought a singer-songwriter version to her punk tunes.

Mandla played his guitar strings so hard that I was surprised he didn't bust a string or two. As a side note, I first saw Ugly Sweaters at Broke LA, I miss that festival and hope it comes back at some point in time.

Mandla / Ugly Sweaters

Charley closed out the series with a donation for Meals on Wheels campaign. What a great idea.

Charley / Dirty Cakes

Quarantine Online Sets: Version 15

Friday evening was spent catching the Brave New World Festival. The festival was curated by Alicia Blue and Nicole Kiki Jaffe. The line up featured Hannah Connolly, Chloe Fuller, NEL, Lauren Ruth Ward and Nicole Kiki Jaffe. Alicia Blue wasn't able to play the festival due to illness.

Nicole Kiki Jaffe

I had never come across Hannah Connolly, Chloe Fuller or NEL before and let's just say that I'm a fan of all three now. Along with the fact that I'm a big fan of Nicole Kiki Jaffe and Lauren Ruth Ward, I'll say that this was one online festival that shouldn't have been missed. If I heard correctly, 1,000 individuals tuned in throughout the festival.

Hannah Connolly

Hannah Connolly's music is sincerely thoughtful. The music soothes and the vocals blend in perfectly. Chloe Fuller brought a touch of country and folk with vocals that invoke imagination. NEL brought some soul to the music and a feisty attitude to the festival. Lauren Ruth Ward had the psychedelic lights going on. Nicole Kiki Jaffe had that soft touch.

Chloe Fuller

NEL

On a technology basis, it was an interesting set. They did the festival using Zoom technology that was seen via Facebook. Actually, I can't help but believe that Facebook has noticed this type of use and will attempt to replicate it so that musicians can do this using Facebook technology versus Zoom.

Lauren Ruth Ward

Cuffed Up played a couple songs via Youtube on Saturday. All four members were playing from their own homes. For a few moments, I was wondering if they were playing live. The music sounded so good. Luckily, for their neighbors, they only played a couple songs. They were jamming loud. I'm sure their neighbors were wondering what was going on. Sapphire mentioned that she was sure her playing was causing issues for her neighbor. Two songs is a really short set, but it was great catching up with this band.

Cuffed Up

Quarantine Online Sets: Version 14

Tuesday was an excellent day of music. Suzanne Santo hit up The Boot's Facebook page at 1 p.m.while BIIANCO took over Culture Collide's Instagram page at 6 p.m. I've followed Suzanne Santo for a number of years via Honey Honey. Honey Honey has gone into hiatus, I guess. The last time I ran into the band, they were playing backup for another band in 2017. So, yeah, a long time since I've seen Honey Honey. It was great seeing Suzanne Santo playing live. Her love of music comes through so clearly. I'm putting her down on my short list of artists I definitely need to see play live and photograph when music venues open up again.

Suzanne Santo

BIIANCO took her electronic-synth beats into the evening hours. A contrast to the more country-folk sounds of Suzanne Santo. Like Suzanne Santo, I've followed BIIANCO for years via Smoke Season. The one thing I wished was far better in this world of online sets: I wish technology was good enough so that I could capture solid photos of her slamming her synths and doing her artistic dance moves. Stinks that I can no longer capture on camera what I used to be able to capture so cleanly at a live show.

BIIANCO

WFNM on Wednesday's has recently featured some artists that I just love. The prior Wednesday, it was Disco Shrine. This week they had The Mowgli's. This is a band you want to catch during this period of social isolation/stay at home orders. They'll infuse you with positive thinking and if you're feeling down, they ask for you to reach out and say hello.

The Mowgli's

Jasmine Crowe came on with a light show going on in her living room. And her dog Wolfgang singing (barking) backup. She came prepared to put on a show. Rett Madison put on that Southern accent and charmed us all. Liam Ross started his set with the lights on low. Then we all learned that WFNM forgot to mute their sound. So we heard them talking about how his lights were too low. Hearing that, Liam brought in more lights. His music brought that chamber choir sound where there is just a touch of echo that came through his microphone and home studio instruments. Just perfect.

Jasmine Crowe

Rett Madison

Liam Ross

Sam DeRosa sang about former lovers, but with a smile on her face to show she wasn't holding any long-term grudges. She closed out her song with the catchy "Pill for That." The night ended with the pop cheer of Alke. The lead singer mentioned that this was the first time she put on make-up and gotten dressed for two months. I have to admit that I haven't combed my hair for around the same time frame.

Sam DeRosa

Alke

Coronavirus Diary: May 17

Like my previous blog post, I was stuck in my apartment, working hard on the computer keyboard and mouse. I was actually finding myself working until 1 a.m. on a couple days. Though I will admit that for some reason I don't seem to get energized for work until like 6 p.m. Maybe working late is turning into the equivalent of me going out to catch music late into the night? I hope not. This upcoming week will involve long work hours, but hopefully my life will return to more normal work hours so that I can spend time reading books and watching movies.

I learned recently that my cousin came down with  COVID-19. He works at a nursing home. I also learned that 50 people in the nursing home got infected.

I had some long hours at work, but I did spend Saturday night with friends via Zoom. We did a short game night of Pictionary. Then we just hung out for a number of hours. For some reason, Zoom decided not to kick us off after 40 minutes so we just had a great time talking and playing Pictionary from 6 p.m. until 11 p.m. Luckily, a family friend has a child who walked us through how to use the Whiteboard option on Zoom.

One question that was asked during our conversations was: is anyone increasing their talents during this lockdown. Honestly, I had to say, I haven't done anything new. Does that reflect poorly on me? I've just been doing my normal photography, but just doing photos of a computer monitor versus a stage. Hmm, maybe I should be looking into expanding my skill sets.

One of the things I haven't been doing since this stay at home order started in mid-March (in fact since late February) was going out to eat (or in this new world just get a pickup of food) at a favorite restaurant. I'm like, "What if a worker has COVID-19 and gets it on my food? Do I really want to be consuming food that has the virus on it?" I am starting to think about shifting my position on this. The main reason is that I'm seeing various restaurants delivering food to hospitals. So I'm thinking, "If nurses and doctors don't seem to be worried about eating food made at restaurants, maybe I shouldn't worry either." Also, I haven't read any reports about individuals getting the virus from eating restaurant food. And I know that here in Los Angeles, there was an outbreak at a Domino's (and probably other restaurants that I don't know about). I would assume that if there was an outbreak among customers that the news of that would be reported.

Coronavirus Diary: May 11

Oops -- noticed that this didn't post for some reason so posting this a few days after it was written.

I basically stayed inside my apartment Monday thru Thursday due to being very busy working from home. I went out briefly at night on Wednesday to go grocery shopping. That's a pretty boring life (though not complaining at all about having a paycheck). There was a heat wave so I was burning up in my apartment. I do have a wall air conditioning unit, but I hate the noise. I haven't used it in years. I do have a ceiling fan, but that is in my bedroom. Maybe I have to move my work computer into my bedroom. The problem with that is that I kind of enjoy turning on the television every so often while I work.

Last Saturday evening, a group of friends and I got on Zoom to talk. We're planning on getting together again to have an online game night in the future. My work monitor has a camera so I plugged it into my home computer (due to hacking concerns, my company doesn't want Zoom used on their computers). That worked well for me. Others were using their cell phones.

When it comes to Instagram, a vegan bakery randomly started to follow me. I decided to follow them back. Now the advertisements that I'm getting on Instagram are significantly biased towards vegan food.

Since I was so busy, I didn't get very far along in the Stephen King book I recently started. I'm probably going to be busy for the next couple weeks so I won't be doing much reading, at all. Though I'm not reading much, what spare time I do have is spent watching online sets. Folks can read other blog posts to read more about those moments.

Oh, I finally went through some old mail and opened up a piece of mail from a bank. I have (had) a small checking account with a bank that I opened up years ago and just stopped using. The letter said that since I hadn't used the checking account in 3 years that they were going to transfer the money to the state of California by May 16th. Now, of course, since I hadn't opened the mail for a couple weeks, I was closer to the deadline versus if I had actually opened the mail when I should have opened it. Inside was a piece of paper that I needed to sign saying that I was still around. I quickly signed it and walked over to the local post office and put it in the mail slot.

Then I started to think: would coronavirus cause delays at the bank? Would my bank then hand my money over to the state? I quickly jumped into my car and drove off to the bank where I closed down my account. So I have to say there are two different situations here. First, it wasn't that big of a deal to close down my account. Maybe it took 30 minutes to close down the account, but most of that time was me waiting at the counter for the banker to close the account and give me a cashiers check. Second, the other situation was having to be inside a building with other people. When it comes to coronavirus, I have no problem walking out in the open (away from crowds), but when it comes to being inside I have issues (even with small crowds). This is why since March 15th-ish, the only time I've been inside a building is to go grocery shopping. This was the first time I went into a non-grocery store in two months. I have to say that the bank was well laid out for this virus world. It took me a minute to figure out the process, but I figured it out. Yet, I have to admit that in the back of my mind I was regretting that I had to be inside the bank.

Then on Saturday, I walked to my other bank to deposit that cashiers check into my now only checking account. I used a paper napkin while using the ATM. Then tossed the napkin into the trash. I got to the bank prior to opening and noticed 20 people waiting in line for the bank to open. I wondered why so many people were waiting for the bank to open, but was happy that everyone was keeping their social distancing from each other.

Quarantine Online Sets: Version 13

Friday and Saturday had some interesting mini-festivals pop up on Facebook. Los Angeleno put on a Friday festival where everyone on the bill played about 10 minute sets. All the sets were pre-recorded. Litronix did a middle of the day set out in his backyard. He played his electric guitar with his pedals at arm length. A synth/guitar experimental set. The multi-talented Jess Joy did interpretive dancing while singing with artsy flair. One thing I noticed was that during this quarantine, she has certainly gotten some time out in the sun. Butch Bastard played on guitars and then shifted the camera so that he could play on the piano. Up on his wall was a Charles Barkley poster (Philadelphia days). Honey Child Choir played a darkened room with projected imagery flashing on the back wall while singing her opera solos. Eleni Mandell showed how working at home is for many in America. Towards the end of the set, her son came over and shifted the phone/video recorder. "Don't touch that. Don't touch that. That was my son. We got through 8 minutes." Closing out the festival and on a couple hours after Eleni Mandell was L.A. Drones. Their set was done in black outfits. One in dominatrix plastic. The other in black jeans and t-shirt.

Litronix

Jess Joy

Butch Bastard

Honey Child Choir

Eleni Mandell

L.A. Drones

Saturday was spent watching another series of brief sets on Living Room Sessions. Georgia Peach, Lauren Lakis, Christie Huff and Laura Levenhagen all played around 10- 15 minutes. I tuned in specifically for Lauren Lakis who played some tunes. Unfortunately, there seemed to be some strange pitch issues driven by her set-up. At times, it seemed like the sound system was on the verge of squeaking. It was still cool to catch her set as I do love her music. Christie Huff added some country flair. Georgia Peach had beautiful vocals the drifted through the speakers. Laura Levenhagen's vocals reminded listeners of Irish folk tunes.

Georgia Peach

Lauren Lakis

Christie Huff

Lauren Levenhagen

Quick Hit Band Interview: Milly

Milly at The House of Machines

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

What's the story behind how your band started? It started as a solo recording project then overtime transformed into a collaborative live band.

What band/artist (past or present) would you most like to open for? Jawbreaker or Swirlies.

Quarantine Online Sets: Version 12

On Sunday, Ariel Beesley did an Instagram Live interview on Ladygunn. I tuned in late, but did get on early enough to catch her sing a couple of her songs. She played a song on her keys and another on her ukulele. She had a huge smile and was full of cheer. It was nice to see on a Sunday.

Ariel Beesley

Wednesday was dedicated to WFNM. Disco Shrine opened the night with some dance moves. It got the blood flowing for the night. I've known Disco Shrine for years and she's always been so awesome with helping me out with various requests throughout the years. 19 and You dialed in from Australia. They did an acoustic version of their song Runnin'. Three members of the band our currently in Australia while the fourth is in the United States. Patrick Martin then did a set from, I believe he mentioned, Wisconsin. He left Los Angeles to write some tunes and then coronavirus broke out across the United States. I'm not going to lie, but the surprise was róisin marie. The set started off with Instagram Live focused on a darkened, slightly reddish room. I think it got Grant Owen (of WFNM) a little confused as he was wondering where she was. Without even a word, she walked into the frame and started her soulful-techno music. I have no clue where she comes from, but I do want to catch a live set. Tulliah ended my night on WFNM's Instagram Live. She's an 18 year in Australia. She has vocals that stayed in perfect pitch. Just wonderful.

Disco Shrine

19 and You

Patrick Martin

róisin marie

Tulliah

Thursday started off with Fiona Grey. She was doing an interview with Lauren Ruth Ward, but closed out the interview singing a couple of her songs. She sang a favorite of mine, "Saviour." And then she closed it out with the song "Kerosene." A couple hours later it was off to catch Livingmore on Jam in the Van. They didn't play in the official van, but did hang out in their own SUV on a very hot day in Los Angeles. Three of the four members jammed in the hot SUV. They made it clear that the three of them lived together. The fourth member wasn't there in order to practice social distancing. For the last couple songs, they actually had to close a couple of the doors, because a neighbor was hanging around and I guess they felt he was being a bit on the strange side. It must have gotten hot in the SUV for the last few songs. For the last couple years, Livingmore is one of the bands that I've seen multiple times. This year, oh well, I got to catch them doing an online set.

Fiona Grey

Livingmore