I'm Up on Buzzbands: Rosie Tucker at The Echo

This actually happened a little over a month ago, but I have a photo gallery and write-up on Buzzbands for Rosie Tucker's set at The Echo. The night was in support of her "Sucker Supreme" album. I know, maybe ridiculous to post about this a month later, but I'm a Rosie Tucker fan and I just forgot to do my usual promotion for my Buzzbands posts.

The Echo: Shannon Lay, Grady Strange, Austin Leonard Jones, Pet Dress

The last time I saw Shannon Lay was nearly two years ago when she was doing her 2019 December residency at Zebulon. I went twice during that residency. Fast forward two years; I knew I loved her music, but I just didn't realize how much until she hit the stage at 11 p.m. this past Monday night. There is a contemplativeness to her Irish folk style that just mesmerizes. I stood there just waiting for each note to  carry me away. 

Shannon Lay

This was the first residency night for Grady Strange. It was a fun night of cooperation between bands and even the DJ. Backing Grady Strange was Mackenzie Howe of the band Pet Dress. Pet Dress played the night in the second slot and Grady Strange backed that band up. Opening up the night was Austin Leonard Jones who had Nick Flessa joining in for a couple songs. Nick Flessa was also the DJ for the night. They threw a trio's worth of Americana folk rock. Austin Leonard Jones mentioned the fact that he's a kindergarten teacher. I'm not sure if he was serious or joking. Pet Dress perhaps had the loudest fan base. Grady Strange will be hitting the stage for the all of November with some amazing hair flings. 

Grady Strange

Pet Dress

Austin Leonard Jones

The Echo: Feels with Kairos Creature Club and Le Pain

This is a set I'll remember for years to come. After a decade, Feels played their last show (or at least until the 5 year reunion show). It was a 15 song tour de force that lasted for a good solid hour in front of a fan base filled with those who had followed the band from the start and those who had just recently started following the band. They played a mix of songs from their three album and EP releases: Feels (2016), Post Earth (2019) and Subversive Reaction (2021). Laena, lead singer and guitarist, made sure that we weren't going to be having a sense of depression due to this being their last show. She told us to all have a fun time as the band opened up with "Sour" that has a real psychedelic feel to it -- making you want to dance like a genie coming out of a bottle. Throughout the set, the band did their classic head flips and face off jams. As the show came to a conclusion, a bottle of champagne was brought out to celebrate the final show. The final encore was played and yet no one really wanted the moment to end. 

Set list included: Sour (Post Earth), Unicorn (Feels), Rodeo (Subversive Reaction), Trash Island (Subversive Reaction), Night Walker (Subversive Reaction), Anyways (Post Earth), Tollbooth (Post Earth), Running's Fun (Feels), Car (Post Earth), Post Earth (Post Earth), Deconstructed (Post Earth), Slippin (Feels), Tell Me (Feels), Close My Eyes (Feels)

Feels

Kairos Creature Club did their third residency night. They're in from Florida. I would say their music has the basis in adult contemporary, but they take in influences from other genres in the music. Some of their music has the undercurrents of jazz. The final song they played, if done a bit faster and louder, would qualify as a heavy metal song. 

Kairos Creature Club

Le Pain opened it up with just their third set ever. Their music just floats with the clouds. They have some sweat vocals and occasional funny dance moves. And their final two songs were sung in French. 

Le Pain

The Echo: Warbly Jets with All Things Blue and Grace Mitchell

It was time to head out to catch the Warbly Jets' residency at The Echo. I didn't realize it, but Chuck Ellis and Jackson Singleton opened the night at The Echo with short singer-songwriter sets. A voice and a guitar for both. They were appreciative to the crowd that showed up prior to 9 p.m. 

Chuck Ellis

Jackson Singleton

Next up was All Things Blue. Her songs are also in that singer-songwriter direction with tender melodies. There is also a minimalist garage rock to some of her songs where she takes dramatic license with her vocals. Was there a moment to remember during the set? Most definitely. When she was closing out the set with her final two songs, she took a step back and tripped backwards over her guitar. Was she hurt? She kept performing. When the second to last song was finished, she exclaimed, "I fell." 

All Things Blue

Up next was Grace Mitchell with what she said was a whole new band. Her guitarist played it moody, but on occasion she'd flash a smile to the audience to let them know that she was rather pleased with the set. As for Grace Mitchell, she stood on stage and hit some rocking tunes. Time just jumped ahead in warp speed. At one point, I looked down at her set list (which was written down on a 11 x 14 sheet in large bold lettering) and couldn't believe the set was nearing an end. As far as I'm concerned, she could have re-started the set list again and I wouldn't have been bored. 

Grace Mitchell

Warbly Jets closed it out with their fourth residency night. This was my second time seeing their residency. This band is just amazing. Their music is rapid. The lead singer is in constant motion. The keyboardist isn't as dramatic, but still has a charismatic style just by the way he hits the keys. Their drummer takes triumphant stances throughout the set. And though this band is dramatic and wild, they are also very precise. They mark off the floor very precisely with tape, making sure their various instruments are set up exactly where they want them to be.

Warbly Jets

The Echo: Grand Ole Echo

I last went to the Grand Ole Echo in mid-2019 or over two years ago. I decided it was time to head over again. I was intrigued by the fact that I'd interviewed 3 of the 5 bands on the bill: Balto, Kapali Løng and Emily Rose & The Rounders. 

Opening up the afternoon was Susy Sun and Smith Allen. A duo who put out some folk tunes. The set was a chill way to start off the indoor portion of the afternoon / evening event. The two took turns taking the lead. One moment that one really has to remember is towards the end when Smith Allen left the stage, allowing Susy Sun to play some of her own tunes without his backing. Then the sound guy stated that they only had time for one more song. Susy Sun went with it and played the final song. As she was finishing up, Smith Allen returned from the Green Room and was informed by the band that they were done. 

Susy Sun and Smith Allen

Coming up next was Balto who gave a performance that got the blood going. Their music has a 70s rock / country sound to it that had them holding court on the stage. They used the full stage to put on a memorable set. There was something always going on to catch the eye. Even if they were just stationary, there was movements made; be it via a smile or a tilt of the guitars or a body lean. It just made for a set that captured the imagination of the crowd.

Balto

Kapali Løng hails from Hawaii, but has lived in Los Angeles for 12 years or so. Even though he has lived in Los Angeles for twelve years, he still had the Hawaiian influence. His music has that Hawaiian country vibe. There were more than a few "hang loose" hand signs going up throughout the set. And he ended the set with, "Aloha."

Kapali Long

Closing it up was Emily Rose & The Rounders. I just love the sultry vocals and country tunes. The steel guitar added a distinct sound with those plucks. The steel guitarist also provided a highlight. For one song, he just couldn't get the song started off correctly. It took about four tries, but he finally got things going. At the end of the song, he got some humorist praise from the band.

Emily Rose & The Rounders

In between the indoor sets, CB Brand played short sets out on the patio. They actually changed outfits for the various short sets. They even went shirtless for the final one. The band is photogenic. The drummer was smoking throughout the set (not that I recommend smoking) and puffs of smoke made for unique moments. And the lead singer made some poses for the camera.

CB Brand

I have to mention this: it was freezing in The Echo. The program lasted about 4 hours. I also got there early and so perhaps spent 4 and a half hours mostly inside (some out on the patio). By the time I left, I couldn't feel my finger tips. It took a couple hours at home to finally get the tingling feeling to go away.

Quick Hit Band Interview: Fawns of Love

Fawns of Love at The Echo

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? Four bands and albums in particular have influenced our sound: Sparks’ No. 1 in Heaven produced by Giorgio Moroder (this album is light years ahead of its’ time, and a few years back we got to see them play “The Number One Song in Heaven” live (during their Hippopotamus tour) and it was so beautiful we thought we had died and gone to heaven), New Order’s Power, Corruption & Lies, Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love (our namesake kind of, Hounds of Love was already taken so we went with Fawns of Love instead), and Cocteau Twins’ Blue Bell Knoll.

What’s your favorite Fawns Of Love song and what makes it the favorite? With our latest record Permanent (Test Pattern Records) we were able to finally take our eclectic influences and create a cohesive sound. In particular, we are pleased with the tracks “Someday,” “December,” and “Permanent.” We owe a lot to Michael Stock (Part Time Punks) for being so supportive and for introducing us to Josiah Mazzaschi (Cave Studios, Light FM) who helped bring our sound to the next level. 

Own final thoughts: The most frequently asked question at our shows is in regard to what Joseph is playing. To make a long story short, we are massive fans of Grinderman and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and once Warren Ellis came out with a tenor guitar for Eastwood, we just had to have it. We think it has a unique sound and is a major component of our sound.

FOMO and Satellite Nights 2020

It was the annual FOMO and Satellite Nights week to kick off 2020. For me, it was off to 3 of the nights. I wish I could have gone out another night, but I've been stuck with a lingering cold since Christmas and decided it was best to limit my outings. Of course, it probably would have been best if I just stayed home during all the whole week, but then I had FOMO.

My first stop was to The Satellite on Monday to catch the first night of WASI's residency. I selected this night to catch WASI, because I also wanted to catch Sugar Rum Tantrum. Prior to this night, I had previously seen Sugar Rum Tantrum back in 2018 at Broke LA. I was eager to catch another set, because lead Melinda West makes the accordion sound melodic. To me, the sound from an accordion is jarring, but she plays it in a certain way that makes the sound very pleasant. The one problem with her set, after her first song, she put the accordion to the side.

Sugar Rum Tantrum

Shira put on one nice performance. Time was spent on the floor with legs kicking in every direction. Punk Crush closed out the night with pop punk sounds. They were given praise by the audience for the anime cartoons that were playing behind them. As for WASI, the fun part of their set is when they invite their friends do dance with them. Up on stage for one song was Melinda West and a couple other friends. As the song progressed, Holander (who was DJing) was brought up, as well.

Shira

There is an amusing note about Holander. Last band up that night was Punk Crush. They were wanting to start their set, but the DJ music was playing. The band seemed to be trying to get Holander's attention so that she'd shut down the music so that they could start their set. Holander, meanwhile, was having too much fun dancing.

WASI

Punk Crush

Next up was the Echoplex on Tuesday. I'd just been there Friday night for Ariel Beesley's birthday party so all the security guards at the Echoplex were like, "Oh, you again." I was there that night to catch Boy Deluxe. Boy Deluxe is the new iteration of Ever So Android. They announced the name change in late 2019 and I believe they played one or two sets under that name. I was eager to catch them for the first time and it was great to catch them during FOMO. I was going to take off right after their set (cough cough, due to my cold), but decided to stick it out to catch Hello Forever and A.O. Gerber. Hello Forever had the women coming out to catch this folk band with a lead singer who has -- what I'd describe as -- mountain man sexuality. A.O. Gerber had that singer-songwriter vibe going. And was enjoying the fact that this was the first time she ever got to play the Echoplex as the lead musician (not backing someone else up).

Boy Deluxe

Hello Forever

A.O. Gerber

I didn't head out Wednesday or Thursday. I was tempted to go to Zebulon on Thursday night to catch The Tissues, but just didn't have the energy to do it.

Maybe I should't have gone out Friday night, but I did anyways, returning to The Satellite where I caught Twin Oaks, Bandie and Wax Charmer. I walked in on Twin Oaks as they were playing. Maybe I missed half a song. They started out the night with a mellow sound. The audience didn't mind. There was a solid fan base there for the set. They mentioned that their lyrics were on the sadder side of the scale. To me, Bandie was the find of the week. Their pop sounds were brilliantly composed. Closing out the night for me was Wax Charmer who knows how to put on a show. Shot after shot I took, I was thinking, that's a nice pose.

Bandi

Wax Charmer

Twin Oaks

Quick Hit Band Interview: Capyac

Capyac at The Echo

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? Simply sloshy.

For the band and its future, how would you define success? Baby, make money!

Own Q&A: Why is avocado toast so expensive? We wish we knew.

Quick Hit Artist Interview: Mobley

Mobley at The Echo

Interview with the artist. Enjoy:

When did you know you wanted to be a singer/musician? I think I probably knew when I was 4 or 5. I didn’t really admit it to myself or anyone else until much later when my hobby became an obsession I could no longer hide.

So you spent your set jumping from one instrument to another. How did you go about working all those instruments into your music/sets as a solo artist? It happened pretty organically. I’ve always played lots of instruments on recordings, but I used to perform with a band. As the band shrunk down from a trio to a duo to just me, I kept picking up more of the playing.

Own Q&A: I’d turn it around . . . what inspired *you* to take up this project? Not too many people ask why I started the #quickhitbandinterviews project. There are always plenty of reasons for starting any project, but let me just narrow this to one reason: uniqueness (and if someone ever asks me this question again, I’ll probably focus on another reason). When I started up my Instagram account, I looked around at what other Los Angeles local photographers (and bloggers) were doing in their comment/caption section. Some photographers were making unique observations. Some bloggers were doing detailed reviews or directing followers to their websites to read write-ups. No one was posting interviews on Instagram (of course, someone reading this might tell me I’m totally wrong on this point). I decided that’s how I would differentiate myself. I haven’t been keeping count on how many of these I’ve done, but it looks like I’m heading towards 500 interviews over a 3 year time frame.

Day 4: Echo Park Rising

Day 4 at Echo Park Rising was my fun day. I wasn't shooting for Buzzbands so I showed up later than I would have if I was shooting for the site and I just set up camp at The Echo/Echoplex.

The day started out catching a couple touring bands. Autumn was coming in from Minnesota while The Bellwether Syndicate hailed from Chicago. Both rocked it out under the lights of the Echoplex. What was the best moment of the two sets was actually what happened after The Bellwether Syndicate. The drummer brought up his little girl who started banging away on one of the drums.

Autumn

The Bellwether Syndicate

Collapsing Scenery didn't play the main stage at the Echoplex. No, they played in the far back corner of the venue. I didn't even realize it until just before they were about to play. I was just hanging out at the main stage, watching the young kid having the time of her life. I turned around and there were sheets hanging from the ceiling and floor lights shining. Yep, that was Collapsing Scenery. That band loves to rock against the backdrop of flashing lights.

Collapsing Scenery

Then it was a rush upstairs to The Echo to catch Ever So Android. They started their set a touch early, because as I headed up a little before their 6:45 p.m. start time I could hear them hitting up their first song. The venue was packed for their set. Some call their sound goth punk. Others call it industrial. It doesn't matter, I love their music and was thrilled they were playing in front of such a large crowd. Lead singer Hope jumped into the audience for one song to get the mosh pit going. A guy to my side decided it was a good time to protect his $10 drink.

Ever So Android

I then rushed back down to the Echoplex to catch a few songs by Poppy Jean Crawford. Love her quiet attitude on stage.

Poppy Jean Crawford

Then it was back to close things out at The Echo with Dancing Tongues, Draemings, R Clown (no known link) and The Bank of America (no known link).

Draemings is a favorite of mine. I heard someone to the side of me say of lead singer Kimi, "She's so pretty, I love her." In regards to Kimi, this was her 6th set of the festival. She did 4 sets with her band Kevin, one with Draemings and a solo set. And this was done over 3 days and not 4 days. Talk about being busy. Maybe driven by surviving those 6 sets, she jumped into the crowd and danced with great joy.

Draemings

As for The Bank of America, I couldn't catch The Paranoyds as I was doing photography on the east side during their Friday set. So what do I do, I catch The Bank of America. Lexi of The Paranoyds is in the band. This band is totally different from The Paranoyds. There are no vocals. The band just jams, sending out pulsating beats.

The Bank of America

Dancing Tongues and R Clown got the crowd hyped up for some mosh pit action. The crowds were still ready for the mosh pit even after four days of music.

Dancing Tongues

R Clown

Quick Hit Band Interview: Sarah Ault and the Super Natural

Sarah Ault and the Super Natural at the Echoplex

Interview with the band. Enjoy:

How would you describe your sound? It’s a blend piano driven pop, with a deep love of 70’s folk and rock, complete with lush harmonies and feel-good grooves

How do you go about combining lyrics and sound? It changes song to song. Sometimes the lyrics and sound just write themselves together in my head, like listening to a radio station. And other times, I sit down with the band to work something out. This band is very different from my last project, in the way that it’s more uplifting and positive. So I find it challenging to keep more positive lyrics without sounding cheesy and contrived.

From The Hi Hat to The Satellite: Party Nails, Cannons, Greg Felden and more

There was some good music that hit the Los Angeles music scene a couple weeks back.

Over at The Hi Hat, Party Nails and Cannons closed out their west coast tour. Opening was Somme who just happens to be Party Nails' roommate. I had actually come across Somme in April at The Satellite. Her pop tunes got the night started off on the right foot.

Somme

Cannons came up next. This was my first time seeing Cannons though I happened to hear about the band back in 2017 when some photographers I know caught their Echo Park Rising set. They had their fans out on this night as The Hi Hat filled up nicely for their set. To me, their music had a low key type dance quality to it. I got a Twin Peaks vibe from this band.

Cannons

Like, Somme, this was my second time catching Party Nails. This band brought the dance party to the 11 p.m. hour. I half figured that lead singer, Elana, worked off more calories than I do in a week. She was in constant motion and during that whole time she never had to catch her breath.

A couple days later it was off to The Echo to catch some Grand Old Echo bands. Greg Felden opened up the late afternoon with his Americana tunes. It was also his Made of Strings LP release party.

Greg Felden

Sons of the Southwest came on next. Actually, the band gave part of their time to their lead singer's father who played a couple songs. It was cool seeing a father and son playing the same show.

Sons of the Southwest

It was Game of Thrones night, but I had to stick around for part of the Jessie Williams and Coyote set. I happened to catch one of their sets in 2018 at The Hi Hat. Also, Jessie Williams in in The Lonely Wild. I'm not sure if The Lonely Wild is still active, but they're a band I first came across years ago and have caught their sets a number of times. If they're not active, it is great seeing Jessie Williams continue on her own.

Jessie Williams and Coyote

Jason Hawk Harris happened to be playing between sets out on the patio. I got to pop in and out to catch his country western vocals.

Jason Hawk Harris

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