Online Quarantine Sets: Version 95

Ruby Fields hit the virtual School Night stage recently. It was recorded before not just a live audience of a few close friends, but inside an Australian venue. Yes, this will soon be happening in Los Angeles come around June 15th. As mentioned previously, the return of live music is already being planned out in Los Angeles. We only need to remain jealous for just so much longer. It was just fun watching a band freely playing across a stage. The bass player spent time playing it up with the drummer. The guitarist took in the vibrations in front of his amp. The vocal strained just a touch. The crowd was cheering between songs. And the video quality was just a touch grainy to give it that old school hand held video feel.

Ruby Fields

 

S.G. Goodman was up next from Kentucky. She was playing in her living room. Her window blinds were open so one could see cars driving past. And there was a decorative metal Christmas tree by the fire place. Wait, what? The video had been done months ago and School Night had just aired it.

Her vocals had that Kentucky accent and worked well with her folk country sound. Her song "Milk and Honey" had the following lyrics, "Don't call me honey, it don't change nothing when you say it." She sang those lyrics with patience to let the words' impact hit the audience with her sorrow and pain. 

S.G. Goodman

Haiva Ru closed out the night for me. It was actually a repeat showing from 2020. Yet, I had to watch it, because I loved the set so much. And then, okay, I was fooled big time in 2020 by that taped video. How? I had no idea back when I first saw the video that she played all the instruments: guitar, bass, keys and drums. I'm just not sure how folks are able to do this. I mean, how do you make sure you're starting to sing at just the right moment. I guess videos can be delayed and such to align things up, but then you have to sing and play at the same pace throughout the song. This is just something I'd never be able to do. Well, I guess that's why they're talented musicians and I'm not.

Haiva Ru

Quarantine Online Sets: Version 69

Home School (of School Night) is switching their start times to 3 p.m. (PST) on Tuesdays instead of 6 p.m. (PST). Since that is in the middle of the workday for me, hopefully I'll be able to "sneak" off from my at home work situation to watch some sets. They really know how to select musicians and bands.

Eli Smart had an encore screening of his set which was from Episode 8. They're currently in Episode 12. Since I wasn't able to catch that episode, I was happy to watch the set. He played from Kauai, Hawaii. He and his band played on a hillside overlooking the ocean. And all the vegetation around him was green. That's Hawaii. The set was approached in that casual Hawaiian way. There was a pickup truck with Eli and another band member playing on it. Three other individuals joined along the sides to round out the band. The most interesting thing to mention about the set has to be directed at the drummer. He sat on a lounge chair and his drums were carboard boxes. That's right, cardboard boxes, both the snare and bass drums. The carboard box for the bass was stuffed with a wrapped up blanket (or similar item). It should be noted that the cymbal was a real cymbal. For the last song, I loved the lingering twang being left by the guitar.

Eli Smart

Matilda Mann played in the exact same room as Thomas Headon (who played a few weeks back for School Night). What did that mean, she was playing her set from London. When Headon played his set, I figured it was his living room. I guess it is more likely a recording studio or record label studio. Her first song was about a person who is just better at doing everything. She called it her petty song. The next song was inspired by binge watching Gossip Girl and getting to see episodes where wealthy 17 year-olds get to fly off to Paris whenever they feel down and out.  So is Gossip Girl a big deal in the UK? Or just for her? I watched Gossip Girl so I'm not judging. Her music has a lullaby quality to it that fits in with an awesome British accent. 

She had a great conversation going throughout the set saying things such as:

"Sorry for the awkward hair that keeps flying into my face."

"Things don't come easy, but that's good, because that just means you need to try harder."

She mentions that she is scheduled to play a London gig on April 29th. Hmm. I really doubt Los Angeles venues will be opening up by April. 

Matilda Mann

Haiva Ru closed out the set. Their set was in what appeared to be a living room. All the furniture was removed so that all four band members could play without interference from immovable objects. The keyboardist had this intense look and determined way in how she played. Of interest, the keyboardist had 2 synths and a piano. I loved those pitch perfect vocals. The sound had a New Age feel to it. The band also played Chris Isaak's "Wicked Games."

I have to say that there was a strange situation going on with the video. Whenever the drummer played, the video would shake. Now that might not seem strange depending on the floor's stability; however, it only shook around the drummer. So on both sides of the drummer the video was always steady and solid, but around the drummer the video would always shake. I found that strange. Maybe it had nothing to do with the drummer, but was just a malfunctioning video recorder where the glitch just happened to be where the drummer was. 

An online comment by miekekramer stated: "ethereal!" That sounds like a good way to describe the music.

Haiva Ru