Song Spotlight: Linus Hablot's Say Yes (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

It was an east side meets west side situation when Linus Hablot (aka Linus Hablot Lester-Hodges) took to the WFNM showcase night at the Sunset Strip's Hotel Ziggy. Just a couple weeks earlier, he played Echo Park Rising at Stories Books and Cafe. I do believe I overheard a conversation where he said he lives on the east side. At the end of the set, he mentioned that he is playing at The Fable on Oct 20th, which may very well be a Ryan Pollie showcase night. 

Linus Hablot at Hotel Ziggy

My Internet search indicates he is (used to be) in a band called Hablot Brown. The band name was a combination of his name as well as his two bandmates (brothers). The band is described as having a neo-soul sound, which contrasts with Linus Hablot's more singer-songwriter sound. The band released an album along with two EPs.   

As is the occasional problem with the DIY Los Angeles audience, his set started off with the crowd standing a bit too far away from the stage for his own liking. He asked the audience to come closer and when there was hesitation he made a specific request to (I'm guessing) his girlfriend. Once she stepped forward, so did everyone else. Their hesitancy didn't mean they weren't exciting about his music. After finishing up his song "All This Weight," someone off to the side, sitting on one of the couches gave him a shout out. That leads to the conversation of the set.

Linus Hablot at Hotel Ziggy

Audience member sitting on the couch: That was so good.

Linus Hablot: Thank you, corner.

Audience member sitting on the couch: I'm in your corner. 

The set was six songs with the first three being unreleased material and the last three currently released. His new material was played on an acoustic guitar while he switched to a keyboard for his released ones. His vocals calmed the soul. 

Linus Hablot at Hotel Ziggy

His Spotify bio has a short description of his music, "I make music that makes me laugh and / or cry." With that, the Song Spotlight goes to "Say Yes." A take on Jim Carrey's Yes Man movie. The movie co-stars Zooey Deschanel and almost by definition that means the movie is a mini-love story to Los Angeles. That fact is reason enough to make it the Song Spotlight, but extra points go to the fact that his friends sang along throughout the song. 

It is a song about manifesting a bright future of not necessarily extraordinary wealth, but of extraordinary achievements.

I wanna be the life of the party

. . . 

I wanna learn another language 

Partial Setlist: All This Weight, Right Now Forever, Splash, start over (again), Say Yes.