Five Straight Nights of Music (Actually Six)

It was a wild five straight nights of music -- though I do believe I made it home by 11 p.m. (or within reason) for all those nights. It started on Monday when I went to The Mint to catch Ariel Beesley and Archer Valentine. Ariel Beesley is a long time favorite who puts on a great show that includes wonderful punk pop melodies along with a stage show that mesmerizes with multiple high kicks, hair flings and general enthusiasm. Archer Valentine opened the night with sexual appeal that had the gals at the front of stage. This was my first time at The Mint since mid-2019. And well, since that mid-2019 night there had also been a long gap in between visits at that time, as well. The Mint is a bit far and out of the way from where I live when you consider all the other venues that are so much closer, but I generally always enjoy my time at this venue.

Ariel Beesley

Tuesday night was going to be a rest night, but then I noticed that Earth is a Death Star was playing at Little Joy. I've been wanting to catch this band for a couple years now. Their garage rock sound shook the floor. They weren't the only band I caught. I arrived at Little Joy just in time to catch a few songs from Boy Have Heart. His friends were there is force. One Outta Ten came up next with a party animal style that is catchy. You can tell they just love playing music.

Earth is a Death Star

Wednesday was spent at The Silverlake Lounge where Jagged Baptist Club was on their second residency night. I've seen this band 3 times in less than 2 weeks so I'm not sure how much more I can add about this band's music. Opening up for the band was Friendly Bear and Reckling. I saw Reckling for the first time when they were playing with Feels at the Resident back in late 2019. Their music is all about speed. I noticed that the lead singer recently got engaged; congrats are due to her.

Reckling

My Thursday night was featured on Buzzbands. It states that I did the reporting on the opening night of live music at The Goldfish. That's a bit generous. I provided some details, but Kevin Bronson did the write-up. Always You and Double Wish will forever be wonderfully known as the first bands to play the new venue that replaces The Hi Hat.

Always You

I decided to put the pedal to the floor and head out Friday night to catch Talk Time and Polartropica at an undisclosed location in Lincoln Heights. Was it really in Lincoln Heights? If it was, it was on the edge of Lincoln Heights on the east end. Either way, it was a night under the stars. Polartropica put on an extravagant set that she is well known for doing. Talk Time just rocked us.

Polartropica

There was a sixth night out -- Saturday night. That night is also being featured on Buzzbands.

Quarantine Online Sets: Version 41

The Satellite was putting on their "6 songs at 6 p.m. for 6 nights" series on their Livestream, curated by The 6*6*60s.

Cathy from The Great Sadness opened the series up on Monday. She brought her desert rock and a guitar that dated back all the way to 1905 (I believe that is what I heard). 

The Great Sadness

Electric Children was up on Tuesday. The three strong band made an entrance. The online stream started with an empty stage and the members made an entrance. I loved it. They played some haunting sounding rock music. 

Electric Children

Taleen Kali on Wednesday was dressed in all black and with black sunglasses. She was looking super cool during a hot late August afternoon.

Taleen Kali

Thursday had half of Jagged Baptist Club playing an energetic vocal driven rock set.

Jagged Baptist Club

Polartropica on Friday provided an end of the work week pool party.

Polartropica

Closing out the series was two members from the bands Qui and Cunts. They did a set of cover songs.

Qui and Cunts

Quarantine Online Sets: Version 19

Friday nights on Los Angeleno's Facebook page hosts short videos from various artists between the hours of 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. -- though occasionally some artists/bands have their videos posted much later. The short form videos allow for creativity to shine through.

Up first on this recent Friday night was Corey Vogel. He's a drummer and his video was just memorizing. He was never on screen. Instead, there was video that started off with him spraying a water hose at clay cups/planters. It then shifted to the vibrating drum beats that had maroon clay bouncing around. Waffle shaped objects were put on the same surface and the drum beats shattered the objects into thousands I small pieces within a few moments. It closed with wooden sticks beating on bamboo.

Corey Vogel

Pure Protein was up next with sonic space sounds. Emily Lacy has to be close friends with Bloody Death Skull. She spent half her video providing a tutorial about her playing methodology. It was just strange with her playing her keyboard with every part of her body. It was expressionist keyboard playing.

Pure Protein

Emily Lacy

The Gooms is a band I've seen play a couple online music festivals. Yet, it was always just the lead singer. This time, 3 of the 4 members were playing. The fourth member, their bassist, was in the Bay Area with his parents. It was so great seeing this band in almost full form. You could tell they were having such a good time together and it makes it a thrill. The band was dressed in a vacation type of mood with a Hawaiian shirt and lei.

The Gooms

Closing out the night was Polartropica. Polartropica is always up to provide some interpretative surrounding. There was a whole plastic garden set up around her. That was my interpretation though Los Angeleno described it as "candy-colored spaceship."

Polartropica

Bootleg Theater: Polartropica with The Colour Coast and Holander

The colorful Polartropica residency continued at the Bootleg Theater. Lights were bright, which is unusual for the Bootleg Theater. Of course, it helped that Polartropica brought floor lights along with reflective panels that were on both sides of the stage. And the fashion of the musicians emphasized the colorful, as well.

The Colour Coast opened the night with their Latin dance music. Their music had their lead singer Marley dancing away. She did so much dancing that she tripped and stumbled at one point. She recovered quickly and replied, "That's the first time I've ever fallen on stage." Well, hey, there's a first for everything. It is always nice to catch this band's dance tunes. The band is always in action, which makes for some fun photography.

The Colour Coast

This was my first time seeing Holander. I was previously invited to catch her set a couple weeks earlier at the Moroccan Lounge, but had other plans that night. One has to love her energy on stage. Her 30 minutes were spend putting on a stage performance worthy of praise. And that pink stretch outfit of hers reflected the stage floor lights, turning her into a bright star.

Holander

Polartropica mixes in Asian sounds with Western pop. And kept the pink fashion going. There was an amusing moment in the set that came in the very first song. Ihui came up on stage with a trumpet. Now she was using it as a prop for the back-up sounds. Well, during the song she put the trumpet down. As the song was coming to an end, she picked it up just a split second too late. She was going to do a prop blast of the trumpet, but the back-up sounds beat her too it. You could tell from her facial expression that she was thinking, "I missed the beat." But hey, onward and upward.

Polartropica

Quick Hit Band Interview: Polartropica

Polartropica at The Echo

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

What is currently influencing your music? Most recently my songs have been influenced + inspired by animals (that should not be in the zoo), tank tops, summertime, fruit you can find at the Farmer's Market, internal conflicts, sticking together through the bs, Netflix and Sid the Cat.

What inspires you to write/compose your songs? Very inspired by all of the badass femme producers, musicians, artists and filmmakers busting through the patriarchy with their explosive talents and creativity.

Own thoughts: My favorite fruit is watermelons! I could eat watermelon every day for the rest of my life just plain straight out of the shell with a spoon, or change it up some days with a little squeeze of fresh lime or mixed into a fruit salad with berries, stone fruit and cherries!

The Echo: Lucy and La Mer with WASI and Polartropica

It was more than a few months since the last time I caught Lucy & La Mer. And then, when I did catch the band last, it was just for a couple songs during Echo Park Rising (I was running around shooting for Buzzbands). When I got invited to catch Love is Gay event at The Echo, I jumped at the opportunity. The band opened up with a dance song and I was thinking, "I wonder if they're totally switching their sound around over the last 6 months?" Nope, after that energizer first song, they hit the indie pop tunes I so love this band for.

Lucy & La Mer

Opening the night was WASI, which pumped up the crowd with some power kicks. Bands improve over time and this band has really improved since the last time I caught them. I was super impressed with their set.

WASI

Polartropica puts a touch of Asian traditional music into her pop sounds. And then there's her stage show. You can always count on Polartropica to put on a good show. She opened up the show in what I interpreted as her tribute to Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus painting as she sang from a pink inflatable plastic object that reminded me of a giant scallop shell. Of course, art is up to interpretation, because an individual next to me turned to her friend and said, "Is that a vagina?"

Polartropica

Commune: Polartropica and Oddnesse

Commune at Stories Books and Cafe is an occasional event (I believe it happens bi-monthly) where not only do you get to hear stripped down versions of songs sung by the musicians/bands that play at the event, but you also get to hear stories behind the songs.

Oddnesse told an interesting memory that inspired some of her songs. She decided to go to an event (forget if it was in Idaho or Utah). She ended up staying at an Air Force major's house during her time there. The two of them had some interesting conversations that Rebeca (Oddnesse) appreciated and found refreshing, because the Air Force officer had totally different political opinions than folks in Los Angeles. While there, she signed up for a $250 session where she ended up spending time screaming into a pillow. And she also found her long distance lover, an executive who afterwards would fly her out to stay with him.

Oddnesse

Polartropica's stories weren't so much about her music, but about her memories of Laura Peters. Laura Peters recently passed away. She was one of the individuals who ran Play Like a Girl (which helps co-run Commune) and greatly influenced Polartropica. Her set ended with a Psychic Love (Laura Peters' band) cover. Tears flowed throughout those in attendance. It was a wonderful tribute to an important members of the LA local music scene.

Polartropica