Song Spotlight: June Swoon's Denver (a night at The Goldfish)

I first came across June Swoon (the moniker for Juliana Kay Lydell) at an outdoor DIY music festival called Big Top at someone's back yard in 2021. It was one of the first music events I attended post-early 2020. You can read my review of that afternoon-night here. If I'm not mistaken, all the bands that played that festival are still active, which I find is an interesting footnote. Our paths crossed again in 2024 and then recently at Rocknite's showcase at The Goldfish where they closed out the night that included Sour Tongue and Slugs. 

June Swoon at The Goldfish

Song Spotlight: Sour Tongue's SOAP (a night at The Goldfish)

It was a mid-February date and I finally made it out to my first 2026 Rocknite showcase at The Goldfish. That took way too long to catch this showcase during the new year, but I did get sick in mid-January which reduced my opportunities to get out to Highland Park. The first band up on this particular night was Sour Tongue. This was my second time catching the band. I first saw them back in 2023. I apparently see this band when my favorite bands share the bill with them. In 2023, they shared the stage with Lauren Lakis (you can read one of my US Rocker Music reviews about one of her sets here). This time around it was Slugs (you can a song spotlight post here). 

Sour Tongue at The Goldfish

Song Spotlight: Eli Tarantula's (technically The Monolators) Fire & Lightning (a night at The Fable)

I recently went to the In Sonic Dreams showcase at The Fable to catch up with Bloody Death Skull and Modern Time Machines. As for the middle performer of the night, Eli Tarantula (the moniker for Eli Chartkoff), I wasn't sure who that was. When he went up on stage with his wife Mary Charkoff and the other band members, a realization kicked in. I know those two. I still couldn't exactly place them, but I knew I had seen them around the music scene. During the set, it was mentioned that he was in a band called The Monolators. My brain cells started to spin again. 

Eli Tarantula at The Fable

Review: Bloody Death Skull brings the offbeat to The Fable

I've followed Bloody Death Skull for over a decade. I first came across the band at a long gone music venue called Pehrspace (which still lives on as part of 2220 Arts). The night was hosted on by the New L.A. Folk Festival. Going back a little further in time, in 2012 the actual festival was held at Zorthian Ranch. I covered the festival for the first blog site that I started working for called inTraffik. I'm sure if one looked hard enough via the Wayback Machine, one can find my write-up and photos. The festival had a really solid line-up, some of whom are still active and would be a festival highlight if we jumped to the present day: Dust Bowl Revival, Guy Blakeslee, and Leslie Stevens are just three that pop to mind. 

Bloody Death Skull at The Fable

Song Spotlight: Destinee Alera's Horizon (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

The Oakland raised, SoCal based Destinee Alera hit all the perfect R&B and jazz notes at a recent WFNM showcase at Hotel Ziggy. She had a four piece backing band (guitar, bass, keys, drummer) that highlighted the lovely nuances of her music. 

Destinee Alera at Hotel Ziggy

Notes from Vivace Show Alerts (Los Angeles): Mar 1st - Mar 7th

A Handful (Bucketful) of Show Alerts

Sunday, Mar 1st: Dreyted at Oblivion. Doors at 7 p.m.

You can read my recent Zebulon review here.

Sunday, Mar 1st: Ultraviolet Communication at Alex's Bar. Doors at 8 p.m.
You can read my Song Spotlight for the band's "No Return" here. 

Monday, Mar 2nd: J.R. Slayer at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Doors at 6 p.m.
In 2024, the band was part of the No Earbuds Fest that I covered for US Rocker Music, which you can read here.

Tuesday, Mar 3rd: John Errol at The Airliner Bar. Doors at 7 p.m.

He made my list of favorite 2025 new finds, which you can read here.

Wednesday, Mar 4th: Slowpoke and Young Lovers at Oblivion. Doors at 7 p.m.

You can read my Song Spotlight for Slowpoke's "Tiki Dream" here.

In 2024, I did a review of Young Lovers' set, which you can read here. 

Thursday, Mar 5th: Dave Harrington at The Airliner Bar. Doors at 7 p.m.

In 2025, I wrote a review of his Zebulon set, which you can read here.

Thursday, Mar 5th:  Disco Shrine at The Roxy. Doors at 8 p.m. 

I've known the genius behind Disco Shrine, Jessica Delijani, for years. You can read my 2019 US Rocker Music Q&A here.

Thursday, Mar 5th: Dutch East Indians at The Escondite. Doors at 8 p.m.

You can read my Song Spotlight for the band's "All Time High" here.

Thursday, Mar 5th:  talker at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Doors at 9 p.m.
In 2022, I covered the band for US Rocker Music, which you can read here.

Friday, Mar 6th: Dutch Interior at the Lodge Room. Doors at 7 p.m.

You can read my Song Spotlight for the band's "I'll Be Damned" here. 

Saturday, Mar 7th: Harry Katz Presents Pistachioland at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Doors at 6 p.m.

You can read my 2025 review of this event here.

Song Spotlight: Faydean's Rock 'Em-Sock 'Em (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

Faydean (Faydean Drew Kielty's mononymous name) brought her folk-country tunes to the WFNM showcase at Hotel Ziggy. The Los Angeles native mentioned that she wasn't able to perform much in 2025 due to nodules. She has recovered and is rearing to go in 2026. Based on a recent Instagram post she had 8 performances scheduled just in January and February (a couple as a backup vocalist). 

Faydean at Hotel Ziggy

Song Spotlight: PEGGY's ALICE (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

If PEGGY (Peggy Owens' mononymous name) needs a backup plan in life, she'll be a most beloved high school English teacher. She sang a series of songs that were inspired by her voracious reading habits ("DEAR READER," "WRITTEN BY A WOMAN," "ALICE," and one may as well toss in "FRANKENSTEIN," which was technically based on the recent movie). But that backup plan for the Berklee College of Music graduate is just imagined on my part, because at the moment she is highlighting her music talents at venues such as Hotel Ziggy (a night presented by WFNM). 

PEGGY at Hotel Ziggy

Song Spotlight: Scout Gillett's Too Fast To Last (a night at Zebulon)

Scout Gillett was the headliner for the post-Super Bowl party at Zebulon. It should be said upfront that the night was a mash-up of music genres -- and I say that in a positive way, because the three bands that I saw were all excellent (Lackey and Dreyted were the first two bands). Lackey and Dreyted provided the audience with punk rock performances. Gillett shifted the music genre (she did rock her way through some of her songs, but I would not call her music punk). Her website bio describes her sound as follows, "Her acumen as a lyricist and musician are on full display, blending velvety vocals with twangy guitars, lo-fi harmonica, and dreamy pedal steel across the album and merging a variety of genres into a haunting sonic landscape."

Scout Gillett at Zebulon

Review: Dreyted gives a Super Bowl performance at Zebulon

A tradition of mine is to head out to Zebulon after the Super Bowl. I've always had a good time hanging out there after the big game. In 2024, I got to run into a long time favorite Sally Spitz. Last year, I saw John Errol who ended up making my list of favorite new bands / artists of the year (you can read that list of favorites here). This year, after watching the defensive dominance of the Seattle Seahawks, I came across another band that will surely make my list of favorite bands of 2026: Dreyted (the moniker for DeRon Munroe).   

Dreyted at Zebulon