2020 / 2021 Favorite Bands / Artists - new to me, but maybe not to you. I wasn’t able to do this series in 2020, but there are a number of bands I saw online in 2020 that I got to catch live in 2021. (List is alphabetical.)
11.
Chase Petra. I first caught this band during the Echo Park Rising 2020 Online Edition. Then I saw them a couple more times online. Three times in total and then I finally got to catch them live at The Silverlake Lounge opening up for The Gooms. Just love their pop-punk sounds.
Side note: I was going to list out the favorite bands that I have yet to see, but the list kept growing and growing. So which band do I most want to see again? I’ve got to go with my Glendale neighbors down the street – Holy Wars! Got to be loyal to the city.
10.
Dove Armitage. I’ve followed Quincy’s music career in Los Angeles since her days with Cat Scan and Kevin (and backing for various bands such as Death Valley Girls). I noticed she was playing a set at Permanent Records Roadhouse and made my way there. It was my first time at this venue and it was totally worth it. Total death goth.
Side note: if you’ve noticed, I’ve done a number of photo galleries for Buzzbands this year. My first such gallery was The Paranoyds. Got to say, that was one awesome way to start off my series of posts on the music site. The biggest challenge for that set: how long could I stay at the front of the stage before the crowd kicked me out with their push towards the front of the stage. I lasted about half the set.
9.
Friends Don't Die. I was taking a staycation and decided to head out to catch as many bands as possible. On a lark, I decided to go to Highland Park Bowl to catch a random band. The band I saw was Friends Don’t Die. One of the band members used to be in DWNTWN, a favorite band from the past.
Side note: my first 2021 music festival was Happy Sundays Long Beach, which is held across various venues along a 2 mile plus stretch. I had back pain for a week (carrying around 2 cameras), but there were no regrets. On a sad note, so much had changed along that stretch of Long Beach since the 2019 version of the festival.
8.
Heyboy. What an exciting pop set at a WFNM night at Bar Lubitsch. His song “Wasn’t It Fun?” just has you thinking back at life.
Side note: my first 2021 live set was at Stories Books and Cafe where I saw an acoustic set of Starcrawler. That’s not a bad way to start off the return of live music.
7.
King Mala. I first saw King Mala in 2020 via an online set. When I noticed that she was playing a WFNM set at Bar Lubitsch, I got excited. I was not disappointed with her soul vocals.
Side note: so I’ve gotten to spend 2021 working from home. What is a benefit of working from home? I’ve gone out way more often than past years. Nothing better than rolling out of bed and just turning on the computer and then sometimes taking a midday nap. I’ll probably be back in the office sometime in 2022, which means I’ll be less active in my music photography versus 2021.
6.
Lavalove. Off I went to Little Joy on a random night. They played a set that fits their band name: music as hot as lava, but as soothing as love.
Side note: For two years, Livingmore was a band that ranked in my top 3 for bands that I saw more than any other band. This year, I saw them only once. I hear they’re playing Europe in 2022. Time to book a European vacation? Which band did I see the most this year? Jagged Baptist Club at
5.
Luna Aura. Caught her at a WFNM night at Bar Lubitsch. She rocked the night with her stage presence and songs that had a mix of dance beats and rock triumph. I need to see a Holy Wars / Luna Aura tour.
Side note: Oh wait, I did see a Holy Wars / Luna Aura night in 2020 via an online set.
4.
Meth Math. I love shooting local music festivals, because of the opportunity it allows to catch a new band or artist. It was off to Viva Pomona to fulfill that opportunity – by the way, my body temperature is still a few degrees below where it should be due to the fact that it was freezing out in Pomona. At the start of Meth Math’s set, there weren’t that many people watching. By the end of the set, a large crowd had formed. What people got to witness was an artist who embodies an underground art scene vibe. Unfortunately for me and you is that the band is from Mexico so your chances of catching them are limited. Photo shot for Buzzbands.
Side note: I’ve worked with Buzzbands 13 times this year and I’ve worked with CaliforniaRocker / USRocker 4 times this year. I’ve done reports from the Lodge Room to The Echo to The Goldfish to Zebulon to Resident to Moroccan Lounge to The Cinema Bar (which was also my first time there ever). I would have done one from The Silverlake Lounge, but COVID-19 shut it down. All my coverage except for Bully at the Lodge Room included a local Los Angeles band. My small attempt to contribute to the return of live music.
3.
Mia Nicolai. She’s from the Netherlands. I do love the Netherlands, having spent a few months there as an exchange student. So yes, I have a good bias for bands / musicians from the Netherlands.
Side note: I was hanging out at a music venue when I heard that the Feels were calling it quits. I was in a state of shock. You can search my Instagram posts for my decade-long walk down memory lane.
2.
Moonily. Saw this band opening up for The Paranoyds at The Echo. Their heavy bass beats send you into a hypnotic state. Photo shot for Buzzbands.
Side note: am I the only one who thinks Los Angeles could use 1 or 2 new music venues that are primarily dedicated to the local music scene -- a new Bootleg and The House of Machines, perhaps. Yes, my all-time favorite venue did shut down for good . . .
1.
Nightjacket. A final example of a band I saw online before seeing a live set. I noticed they were playing Highland Park Bowl and I was totally there. Their song “Lonely Archer” just kicks it.
Side note: events I hope come back in 2022 - Echo Park Rising and Chinatown Summer Nights. And finally, I do find it strange that my list of Top 11 favorite bands don’t have names that start with the alphabets O - Z. I feel like there is a strange bias there.
