Zebulon: Honey Child with Crook and Dove Armitage

Honey Child was celebrating the release of their "Starving Hearts" album. Claire McKeown fronts the band. I've followed her career since 2011 when I was covering the New Los Angeles Folk Festival and came across this band called Dirt Bird. I was just mesmerized by her operatic vocals. I also came across her in a band called Afternoons where she did the backing vocals. I came across that band in 2014. I then came across Honey Child back around 2016. 

With a 6 member choir and Claire McKeown wearing a black wig, the choir soothed the audience with tenderly sung tunes. There were two music stands on the stage, which I always love seeing. To me, it just indicates a music composition training. A variety of musical instruments were used during various parts of the set: flute, guitars, mini-piano and I believe a French horn (maybe I've got my horn instruments messed up there). 

Honey Child

Opening up the night was Crook. Now the band Crook is pulsating and ear popping. But when Daniel Crook does his solo sets, the music is soft and emotion. It can bring a tear to the eyes. Dove Armitage closed out the night. I don't know how many people in the audience were aware of who Dove Armitage is. Crook opened with his emotional take on life. Honey Child had the opera influence. And then Dove Armitage came out with her death goth look and bondage style. I loved it. I've followed Quincy for a number of years via Cat Scan and then Kevin. To me, it was a nice surprise end to the night, shake things up and send you home.

Dove Armitage

Crook

Permanent Records Roadhouse: Dove Armitage, Fun Country, Sally Spitz

I've followed Quincy Larsen of Dove Armitage for a number of years. It started with coming across Cat Scan a few years back. Then on to the band Kevin. I know she started Dove Armitage back in 2020, but this was the first time I was able to catch one of the sets. Quincy knows how to entertain. Her stage show had her sprawled on the concrete floor at times. Other times during the set she used a wooden corner table or the wrought iron grilles for a window. The music had a gothic romance to it that played with Quincy's onstage sexuality. There was a temporary dead microphone moment, but she handled it like a professional.

Dove Armitage

Fun Country came up next and they couldn't have been any different than Dove Armitage. We went from gothic romance to country. After Dove Armitage, you might say they looked rather square. That just showed the diversity of the night. It was a full band with percussion, keys, guitar, bass and even a trumpet for a couple songs. There was a total of 7 in the band. It was perfect to capture this band under the night sky (the event took place in Permanent Records' patio area.

Fun Country

Sally Spitz of French Vanilla closed out the night. She had the comment of the night, "I'm single. I'm on anti-depressants." With a friend starting off the tracks, Sally gave the audience some beat poetry vocals. She also had some nice swagger that was timed with the beats. All this performed under red lights that were set up.

Sally Spitz