Review: Colleen Green's emotional return to Los Angeles

Colleen Green's I Want to Grow Up 10th Anniversary tour finally stopped in Los Angeles, specifically at El Cid. It was a packed house to welcome her back as a few years ago she returned to Lowell, Massachusetts. Of a side interest to me, the DJ played fellow Massachusetts band Potty Mouth's "Smash Hit" prior to her set. That band also moved out to Los Angeles after forming in Massachusetts. I believe I saw one of their first Los Angeles shows (as a Los Angeles based band) back in 2017. I have to think that Colleen Green placed that song specifically on the list.

Colleen Green at El Cid

Notes from Vivace Show Alerts (Los Angeles): Aug 3rd - Aug 9th

A Handful of Show Alerts

Tuesday, Aug 5th: Tino Drima at Zebulon. Doors at 8 p.m.
You can read my song spotlight "Life on the Patio" here.

Wednesday, Aug 6th: Fatal Jamz at Gold-Diggers. Doors at 7 p.m.

I covered the band back in 2023 for Buzzbands. You can read my review with photos here.

Wednesday, Aug 6th: Giant Waste of Man at El Cid. Doors at 8 p.m.

I listed them as one of my favorite new bands of 2022.

Saturday, Aug 9th: Adriana McCassim at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Doors at 6 p.m.

I listed her as one of my favorite new artists of 2023.

NFV Song Spotlight: Noah Vonne's I Call B.S. (a night at Bar Lubitsch)

Noah Vonne gave her blues and soul sound a slight shift in the direction of rock and roll for her recent WFNM showcase at Bar Lubitsch. Supporting her on stage were the omnipresent bassist for the LA scene Aubrey Harris and drummer David Cola. After playing her opener "Overthinker" she addressed the audience, "First, come up here, come up here. I know you want to." That was the nudge needed for the late night crowd to come up to the front. 

Noah Vonne at Bar Lubitsch

Song Spotlight: Diana's Stressed & Bored (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

Diana (the truncated name for Diana Thale) was the first singer up at a recent WFNM showcase at Hotel Ziggy. She left a lasting impression with her songwriting skills and ability to seamlessly innovate her music. The recent LAAMP alumni is spending her last few months in Los Angeles before moving to Nashville and her friends packed the venue to support one of her final sets in the city.

Diana at Hotel Ziggy

Song Spotlight: Miya Folick's La Da Da (a night at the Lodge Room)

I came across Miya Folick in 2017 at the Echoplex. Moon Honey had the Monday night residency. Miya Folick and Smoke Season were the openers. What a wonderful night of music. It just gives me flashbacks to those monthly residencies. Here's what I wrote about her set:

Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" was playing while Miya Folick set up her gear. I noticed her singing along for a few lines. Well, to me, that was a good hint that I was going to love her set. It was a power packed set with depth and energy. Even then, she was able to take a moment and call out to her mom in the audience, "Do you need ear plugs?" The answer was yes and Miya quickly provided her with some. What I found via an Internet search: she found at least one band mate via Tinder. How about that.

Miya Folick at the Lodge Room

Song Spotlight: Bunny Lowe's Motel (a night at The Goldfish)

Where the crowd was prior to Bunny Lowe (the moniker for Cara Salimando) hitting the stage at Rocknite LA's night at The Goldfish is unknown to me. Let's just say the band was the final set of the night and when I turned around to check out the crowd, the venue was suddenly packed. When she announced that her first song was "Baby Teeth," the crowd roared with enthusiasm. When the song ended, the crowd roared with approval. 

Bunny Lowe at The Goldfish

Song Spotlight: Charley T's We'll Keep Marching (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

Charley T (performing name for Charley Tiernan) can belt out those vocals. She played the WFNM showcase at Hotel Ziggy and I was sold from the very first guitar notes of the night. The first song of the set was "We'll Keep Marching." It is an anthem advocating for change. When the song was released a 1.5 years ago, she wrote the following on Instagram, "I was sick of writing love songs so I wrote this. I hope this song motivates people to speak up for what they believe in. Right now I want to use this song to advocate for women’s rights." 

Charley T at Hotel Ziggy

Notes from Vivace Show Alerts (Los Angeles): Jul 27th - Aug 2nd

A Handful of Show Alerts

Sunday, Jul 27th: Dream Phases at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Doors at 6 p.m.

I covered the band for Buzzbands when they played Happy Sundays Long Beach in 2022. You can read about that year's festival here.

Wednesday, Jul 30th: Desperate Hauswives at the Lodge Room. Doors at 7 p.m.

The band is a collaboration between talker and Fiona Grey. I wrote about talker's 2022 set here. 

Wednesday, Jul 30th: Ultraviolet Communication at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Doors at 9 p.m.

You can read my "No Return" Song Spotlight here. 

Thursday, Jul 31st: Mo Dotti at Scribble. Doors at 7:30 p.m.

You can read my "dead to me" Song Spotlight here. 

Friday, Aug 1st: Young Lovers at Scribble. Doors at 7:30 p.m.

You can read my review of their 2024 set here. 

Saturday, Aug 2nd: Colleen Green at El Cid. Doors at 9:30 p.m.

I've been following Colleen Green for a decade. 

Two Movies Seen on TCM: The Scarlet Empress (1934) and Witness (1985)

I've been hooked on TCM for years now. I just always remember being a fan of Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Errol Flynn, Audrey Hepburn, Katharine Hepburn, James (Jimmy) Steward, John Wayne, and many many more. Around a decade ago, I used to do some reviews of movies I saw on TCM. I figured I'd start it up again. If you're interested, click on through.

Song Spotlight: Rose Droll's With Strangers (a night at The Fable)

When Rose Droll and band mates started setting up on The Fable stage for a Ryan Pollie night, I was initially confused. Her band took their places in the area of the "stage" that is usually reserved for the lead singer. I use quotes around stage, because it really isn't a stage. It is just an open corner of the bar that is used by bands. I was looking at them and the faces definitely did not match to what I had seen on Instagram. She eventually rolled on up taking her place catacorner to her band, sitting behind her keyboard. 

Rose Droll at The Fable

Song Spotlight: Baker Grace's Butterflies (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

My recent encounter with Baker Grace at a WFNM showcase night at Hotel Ziggy was my third time catching her set (all via WFNM). Interestingly, five years have passed since I first came across Grace via an online WFNM set in 2020. Time flies by rather quickly. My first live set was in 2022 at the, unfortunately, now defunct Black Rose. I will say somethings always stay the same. As a photographer, I have a Notes from Vivace Rule, which is if a musician looks directly into my camera lens I will post the photo on Instagram (with the caveat being that I've taken a decent photo of the look). She gave me the look in 2022 and then come 2025 she gave me the look again. 

Baker Grace at Hotel Ziggy

Song Spotlight: Dylan Rodrigue's Pink Balloon (a night at The Fable)

Ryan Pollie's night at The Fable was packed out on a Tuesday night. It was largely driven by the fact that Madison Cunningham was the headliner, but one has to say that everyone had the most amusing time during Dylan Rodrigue's set. Having the most fun were Sie Sie Benhoff and (I believe) Miss Marquez. Miss Marquez in particular had a small wad of $1 bills and was tossing it towards Rodrigue like one would do at a strip club. 

Dylan Rodrigue at The Fable

Song Spotlight: Alexandra Skora's Morning Bird (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

I don't know why, but when Alexandra Skora came up onto the WFNM showcase stage at Hotel Ziggy I starting thinking about Arwen of Lord of the Rings and the Targaryens of Game of Thrones. Is comparing someone to a Targaryen a good thing as the family line went down in flames (or who knows, maybe if the book series is ever completed the outcome will be different from the TV series)? There was a fantasy quality to her vocals, a story telling that flowed like a crystal clear stream. 

Alexandra Skora at Hotel Ziggy

Potential Russian Law would Outlaw Internet Searches for Pussy Riot

Back in January, I got to catch Nadya Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot and wrote about it for US Rocker Music, which you can read about here. She does like to be a thorn in Russian President Putin's side as one of the highlights of the performance was Act 3's "Putin's Ashes." 

Nadya Tolokonnikova at the Honor Fraser Gallery

Notes from Vivace Show Alerts (Los Angeles): July 20th - July 26th

A Handful of Show Alerts

Sunday, Jul 20th: Leslie Stevens plays Grand Ole Echo (The Echo). Doors at 5 p.m.

I covered her 2023 set for Buzzbands, which you can read here. 

Sunday, Jul 20th: Iress at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Doors at 6 p.m.

I covered one of their 2024 sets for US Rocker Music, which you can read here.

Wednesday, Jul 23rd: Milly at Zebulon. Doors at 8 p.m.

I covered one of their 2024 sets for US Rocker Music, which you can read here.

Thursday, Jul 24th: Swimming Bell at The Goldfish. Doors at 8 p.m.

You can read my song spotlight of "95 at Night" here.

Friday, Jul 25th: Foxx Bodies at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Doors at 6 p.m.

I covered one of their 2023 sets for US Rocker Music, which you can read here. 

Saturday, Jul 26th: Pu$$y-Cow and Silver Needle at The Escondite. Set times start at 8:15 p.m.

You can read my song spotlight of Pu$$y-Cow's "Taco-Chariot" here. They're celebrating 20 years together as a bad.

As for Silver Needle, I followed this band for years. They kick off the rust every couple years or so catch them now or you'll need to wait a few.

Two Movies Seen on TCM: Rosemary's Baby (1968) and The Straight Story (1999)

I've been hooked on TCM for years now. I just always remember being a fan of Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Errol Flynn, Audrey Hepburn, Katharine Hepburn, James (Jimmy) Steward, John Wayne, and many many more. Around a decade ago, I used to do some reviews of movies I saw on TCM. I figured I'd start it up again. If you're interested, click on through.

Song Spotlight: Starling's Bottlebrush Tree (a night at Zebulon)

Starling took to the Zebulon stage with their mystically ethereal sound that emphasized lead singer's Kasha Souter Willett gothic and vulnerable persona. Bassist Grace Rolek could be seen swaying along with her bass. The venue kept the lights low (which isn't at all unusual for Zebulon) as if to emphasize a David Lynch Blue Velvet visual experience for the audience. 

Starling at Zebulon

Song Spotlight: Madison Cunningham's All I've Ever Known (a night at The Fable)

I first ran across Madison Cunningham at the Bootleg Theater (did not re-open after the shutdown if anyone is wondering where that venue is in Los Angeles). It was a venue that I first came across many a band or singer-songwriter. It was 2018 and this is what I wrote after the set:

"Opening up the night was Madison Cunningham. It kind of felt like a showcase for her. As soon as I walked into the Bootleg, the place was packed. It was around 8:45 p.m. so not like I was showing up late. Her set had a wonderful tone to it and one couldn't help but notice her amusing facial expressions that she gave her band mates."

Madison Cunningham at The Fable

Song Spotlight: Matty Gottesman's Not Scared (Of Being Along) (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

I had just recently spent a weekend at USC for the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Of course, it was time to support UCLA. That occurred when I crossed paths with a Matty Gottesman, an UCLA student, via WFNM's showcase at Hotel Ziggy. He and his four piece backing band are all UCLA students (or maybe by the time this posts some will have graduated). I'm also guessing that their photographer was a UCLA student -- every so often I run into UCLA photographers at various venues who are shooting for UCLA Radio. 

Matty Gottesman at Hotel Ziggy

Song Spotlight: Host Family's Dromedary (a night at Zebulon)

Pretty But Wicked put together a solid line-up at Zebulon on a Tuesday night with Host Family as the anchor. The band was celebrating the release of their EP Extended Play. I will admit that the reason I went out to Zebulon was to catch Mo Dotti for the first time in 2025; however, the whole bill was fantastic. Seko opened up the night. The band was joined at different points during the set by Host Family band members Spencer Stange and Zac Hernandez. 

Host Family at Zebulon

Song Spotlight: Devon Ross' All the Things (a night at Zebulon)

I first came across Devon Ross in December 2023 at the Zebulon. I was an immediate fan. She was scheduled to once again play Zebulon in January 2025, but the night got cancelled due to the massive January fires in Los Angeles. I knew that the night would get rescheduled eventually so I kept an eye out. Finally, it was announced that there would be a Monday night set in May to help celebrate her single release "All the Things." Date was circled and I was there when it arrived. Of interest is that Longplayer was part of the bill for both that December 2023 set and this May 2025 set. 

Devon Ross at Zebulon

Notes from Vivace Show Alerts (Los Angeles): Jul 13th - Jul 19th

A Handful (Bucket Full) of Show Alerts

Sunday, Jul 13th: Rosy Nolan and Tone Slingers at The Echo (Grand Ole Echo). Doors at 5 p.m.
I shot both for Buzzbands. You can see my 2023 coverages of Rosy Nolan at Americana West Fest here and Tone Slingers (photo only) at Echo Park Rising here .

Sunday, Jul 13th: MACKandgold at Gold-Diggers. Doors at 7 p.m.
You can see my Buzzbands' MACKandgold coverage at the 2023 Echo Park Rising here .

Tuesday, Jul 15th: Hysteria at Zebulon. Doors at 8 p.m.

Read my "Reason to Pray" song spotlight here.

Wednesday, Jul 16th: Hysteria at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Doors at 9 p.m.

Second set of the week.

Wednesday, Jul 16th: Jenny O at Zebulon. Doors at 8 p.m.
You can read my 2022 Buzzbands review of Jenny O here.

Wednesday, Jul 16th: Optometry (band includes March Adstrum) at the Lodge Room. Doors at 8 p.m.

Read my March Adstrum "Relics from Phantoms" song spotlight here.

Wednesday, Jul 16th: Sister Gemini at The Goldfish. Doors at 8 p.m.

Read my "Elvira" song spotlight here.

Thursday, Jul 17th: Devon Ross at Zebulon. Doors at 8 p.m.
You can my review of one of her sets here.

Friday, Jul 18th: Easylove at Non Plus Ultra. Doors at 8 p.m.
Used to be part of Summer Twins, a one time favorite band of mine.

Friday, Jul 18th: Mac Hanson at The Goldfish. Doors at 8 p.m.
Read my "Alfa Romeo" song spotlight here.

Friday, Jul 18th: Soft Palms at Gold-Diggers. Doors at 7 p.m. 

Read my "Rainbows" song spotlight here.

Saturday, Jul 19th: Hysteria at Non Plus Ultra. Doors at 8 p.m.

Third set of the week.

Saturday, Jul 19th: Tashaki Miyaki at Zebulon. Doors at 7 p.m.

Read my "City" song spotlight here.

Two Movies Seen on TCM: Four Feathers (1939) and Home from the Hill (1960)

I've been hooked on TCM for years now. I just always remember being a fan of Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Errol Flynn, Audrey Hepburn, Katharine Hepburn, James (Jimmy) Steward, John Wayne, and many many more. Around a decade ago, I used to do some reviews of movies I saw on TCM. I figured I'd start it up again. If you're interested, click on through.

Song Spotlight: Rachel Goodrich's Why Do We Fall In Love? (a night at The Fable)

I noticed that Rachel Goodrich was playing Ryan Pollie's showcase at The Fable. There was a tough decision to make. That tough decision wasn't rather or not I was going to The Fable on a Tuesday night. No, the tough decision was what future night was getting cut out of my schedule. I'll repeat what I've written before, 2025 is dedicated to going out less often than I did in 2024. In 2024, I would not have made an adjustment to my schedule, but this being 2025 it means that unexpected surprises result in scratching a future planned music night. To say it this way: I really wanted to catch up with Goodrich again. 

Rachel Goodrich at The Fable

Song Spotlight: Mo Dotti's dead to me (a night at Zebulon)

Mo Dotti played perhaps their best set ever (of those I've seen) during Pretty But Wicked's recent night at the Zebulon. It was, as they describe on their website, noise pop (or others call shoe gaze) heaven. The band was opening for Host Family. Let's flash forward to the end of the set and their song "for anyone and you." Lead singer Gina Negrini went reaching for the tambourines. That got her band questioning her as she was supposed to play guitar. She responded saying that it would take too long to tune the guitar and she didn't want to impose on Host Family's time. I thought that was such a thoughtful gesture. That didn't stop the band from playing those guitar riffs that give the song such notable power. It also did not go unnoticed that Negrini took off her glasses for the song. 

Mo Dotti at Zebulon

Song Spotlight: Sierra Levesque's U Are My Drug (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

Sierra Levesque hit the WFNM stage at Hotel Ziggy with a firecracker personality. She hails from Canada, but now lives in Santa Monica. She introducing herself with, "I'm mostly rock music so I'm going turn it up just a little bit for you guys." Then she kicked off the set with "Don't Make Me Repeat Myself." It had me thinking Heart 1985. 

Sierra Levesque at Hotel Ziggy

Song Spotlight: Mac Hanson's Alfa Romeo (a night at Gold-Diggers)

Mac Hanson used to play under the moniker Joshua & The Holy Rollers. I caught a set back in 2018 at The Hi Hat (current location of The Goldfish). It was a high energy set. I later caught a portion of a set while running and gunning at the 2019 Echo Park Rising. Fast forward to June 2025 and I was looking for something to do on a Sunday night. I happened to notice that Swyndle was doing a free night at Gold-Diggers. First off, I realized that I hadn't gone to Gold-Diggers yet in 2025 and the year was basically half way over. (Once I got to the venue, someone that I run across every so often at various venues mentioned that she hadn't see me at Gold-Diggers in a very long time. Totally true.) Also, I noticed that Mac Hanson was doing a Single Release party. I'm always good for an album, EP, or single release party. 

Mac Hanson at Gold-Diggers

Review: Romance is in the air for Blake Stokes and Liza (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

Okay, a good romance is always nice to see on the movie or television screen. It is a unique moment when you see it played out at a music venue that. That occurred at Hotel Ziggy during a WFNM night when significant others Blake Stokes and Liza (Aliza Kate Barlow) played back to back sets. 

Blake Stokes at Hotel Ziggy

Notes from Vivace Show Alerts (Los Angeles): July 6th - July 12th

A Handful of Show Alerts

Sunday, Jul 6th: Ben Reddell at The Echo. Doors at 5 p.m.
You can read my Song Spotlight for "Tumbleweed" here.

Tuesday, Jul 8th: Self Improvement and Memo PST at Zebulon. Doors at 8 p.m.
I covered Self Improvement at the 2024 Happy Sundays Long Beach for US Rocker Music, which you can read here.
You can read my Song Spotlight for "I Used To Be A Pretty Boy" here.

Saturday, Jul 12th: Chase Petra at The Roxy. Doors at 7 p.m.
I covered the band at Happy Sundays Long Beach 2022 for Buzzbands, which you can read here.

Saturday, Jul 12th: RJ Bloke at Frogtown Brewery. Set time at 6 p.m.
You can read about my review of his set at the Bigtop Bandstand earlier this year here.

Song Spotlight: Lucy & La Mer's I Feel Better Now (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

I first came across Lucy & La Mer (the moniker for Lucy LaForge) in 2017 at Chinatown Summer Nights. I was immediately sold. And she must have been sold on my photography, because every so often I'd get asked if I wanted to shoot a show. 

Lucy & La Mer at Hotel Ziggy

Two Movies Seen on TCM: Duel in the Sun (1946) and State Fair (1945)

I've been hooked on TCM for years now. I just always remember being a fan of Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Errol Flynn, Audrey Hepburn, Katharine Hepburn, James (Jimmy) Steward, John Wayne, and many many more. Around a decade ago, I used to do some reviews of movies I saw on TCM. I figured I'd start it up again. If you're interested, click on through.

Song Spotlight: Ned Casual's Gentrification Blues (a night at Harvard & Stone)

I was introduced to Ned Casual via his band Zooluxx. Their PR person reached out in late January 2020 about covering their set at the Moroccan Lounge. If you wish to do so, you can read the article here. The article posted on February 21st. It is interesting thinking back to those times. Just a couple weeks later, venues would shut down and stay shut down for more than a  year. 

Ned Casual at Harvard & Stone

Song Spotlight: BANDANNA's 10 Stories (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

I really do enjoy catching the opening band or singer when I head out on any particular night. One never knows if you'll catch a gem. Then there are those times when I walk into a venue (often because I've misjudged the start times) and the opening band is just about to end their set. That's what happened when I saw Gypsum for the first time at The Smell. I caught maybe half a song, but I knew I was going to love that band from that moment onwards. Now some of you who come across this are saying, who is Gypsum? Members of the band included Rosie Tucker and  Sapphire Jewell (who tours with illuminati hotties). 

BANDANNA at Hotel Ziggy

Song Spotlight: Artificial Go's Circles (a night at Permanent Records Roadhouse)

Did a band from Cincinnati, Ohio steal the show at Permanent Records Roadhouse? Maybe I wouldn't go that far as they were book ended by Los Angeles bands Julez and the Rollerz and Jagged Baptist Club who have their fan bases. Yet, Artificial Go definitely got the crowd behind them and in rather quick fashion. How would I describe the band? I'll just steal the description from their Bandcamp page, "existential post-punk chamber pop."

Artificial Go at Permanent Records Roadhouse

Song Spotlight: Stinkus' FOLLOW (a night at The Goldfish)

I'll be honest, when it was announced that this would be the first show ever for Stinkus, my expectations weren't set all that high during this particular set at Rocknite LA event at The Goldfish. I mean, it takes a few sets for a band to get into a groove on stage, right? I was wrong. Maybe there were a couple clues to be had. The first clue was that the venue filled up for their set. It being their first set, they had a surprisingly large following. The second clue was that King Mala showed up to support Benjamin Hon who was on guitar.

Stinkus at The Goldfish

Notes from Vivace Show Alerts (Los Angeles): June 29th - July 5th

A Handful of Show Alerts

Sunday, Jun 29th: talker at The Goldfish. Doors at 8 p.m.

One of my long time favorites.

Wednesday, Jul 2nd: Jawdropped at Zebulon. Doors at 8 p.m.

Read my "Skully" song spotlight here.

Thursday, Jul 3rd: Robert DeLong at El Cid. Doors at 8 p.m.

This is his 2nd set at the venue. I saw his 1st set. 

Thursday, Jul 3rd: The Dollyrots at The Echo. Doors at 7 p.m.

I covered the band in 2023 for Buzzbands. You can read the article here.

Thursday, Jul 3rd: Ultraviolet Communications at Alex's Bar. Doors at 8 p.m.

You can read my "No Return" Song Spotlight here. 

Thursday, Jul 3rd: Valley Porno People at Zebulon. Doors at 7 p.m.

I'm not sure this band is on social media. Either way, they made my list of favorite 2024 bands, which you can read here.

Friday, Jul 4th: Funds for Jimmy at The Smell. Doors at 8 p.m.

Read my "uncleaned." song spotlight here. 

Saturday, Jul 5th: The Letter Openers at Old Towne Pub. Doors at 7 p.m.

Read my song spotlight article for The Letter Openers' "Camerford, Where Ya Been" here.

Saturday, Jul 5th: Total Pleasure at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Doors at 9 p.m.

Read my review of their 2025 Zebulon night here.

Song Spotlight: Fifth Lucky Dragon's I Killed My Friend? (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

I was planning (and did) head off to catch Bruvvy at Good Times at Davey Wayne's on this particular Tuesday night. They were doing an April residency and I had yet to catch one of those sets. I pinged one of the band members and was told they were going on somewhere between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. I figured I would start my night off at WFNM's night at Hotel Ziggy and then take off at around 9:30 p.m. to get to Good Times at Davey Wayne's to catch Bruvvy. 

Fifth Lucky Dragon at Hotel Ziggy

Song Spotlight: Georgia Maq's You'll Be Singing My Name (an afternoon at the Art Center College of Design)

As mentioned in a prior blog post, I notice via a Gracie Gray Instagram Story that Mini Trees was going to play a short set on the ArtCenter College of Design rooftop (curated by the Altadena Seed Library) during the Printed Matter Art Book Fair. A number of singer-songwriters performed throughout the day. I saw only four of those performers. The last performer was Georgia Maq (aka Georgia McDonald). 

Georgia Maq at the Art Center College of Design

Review: Will Brahm Aglow for Album Release Party

Creatrix Jem Presents put on a jazz night at Club Tee Gee that featured Will Brahm celebrating his Distance to Empty album release. Opening up the night was the Jake Leckie Trio. Brahm mention that musicians shouldn't have more than three one word song titles in their setlist. I counted five such song titles on the 1 hour and twenty minute set. I guess a cardinal rule was broken, but I don't think the audience cared about that particular rule. The venue was packed with people who got to enjoy jazz as well as mini cupcakes that Brahm brought to celebrate the record release as well as his birthday. As I was leaving for the night, I grabbed one.

Will Brahm at Club Tee Gee

Song Spotlight: The Opera's Crystallized (a night at Zebulon)

I took off to Zebulon on Memorial day to catch Hysteria (you can read my Hysteria NFV Song Spotlight here). Now I didn't want to head out for the full four band line-up. I've mentioned this in past blog posts, but I'm trying to put a quota on the numbers of nights I go out each week. I was partially successful at this during the early part of the year, but April onwards has fallen apart. I'm just too addicted. After listening to Hysteria's single that they were celebrating, I decided I was heading out even though I knew it would bust my quota for the week (already knew I wanted to head out on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday). But it is a holiday Monday, I rationalized. I knew the approximate start time for Hysteria (they were the last band up), but decided I should at least see two bands.

The Opera at Zebulon

Song Spotlight: Jia Pet's just shut up (a night at the Lodge Room)

When it comes to covering shows for a blog site (be it in the past for Buzzbands or currently for US Rocker Music), I am always there to cover the opening band. Honestly, I don't think I've ever missed an opener while covering a night for a blog site. Caveat being when there were strict restrictions on being able to shoot inside a venue where photo passes were band specific, which isn't on me. 

Jia Pet at the Lodge Room

Notes from Vivace Show Alerts (Los Angeles): June 22nd - June 28th

A Handful (Bucketful) of Show Alerts

Sunday, Jun 22nd: Night Talks at The Paramount. Doors at 7 p.m.
I covered the band in 2022 for Buzzbands. You can read it here.

Sunday, Jun 22nd: Soft Palms at Gold-Diggers. Doors at 7 p.m.
You can read my "Rainbows" song spotlight here.

Tuesday, Jun 24th: Disco Shrine at The Roxy. Doors at 7 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.

Tuesday, Jun 24th: Mikayla McLean at Hotel Ziggy. Doors at 7 p.m.

You can read my "Run!" song spotlight here.

Wednesday, Jun 25th: Seko at The Goldfish. Doors at 8 p.m.

You can read my "Danny's Song" song spotlight here.  

Wednesday, Jun 25th: The Red Pears and Archer Oh at The Echo. Doors at 7 p.m. Sold Out.

I covered both bands for US Rocker Music in 2024. You can read that article here. 

Thursday, Jun 26th: Billy Tibbals at Zebulon. Doors at 7 p.m.

You're always in for a great show when seeing Billy Tibbals.

Thursday, Jun 26th: The Red Pears at The Smell. Doors at 8 p.m. Sold Out.

Thursday, Jun 26th: WFNM's Grant Owens' birthday party at Bar Lubitsch. Doors at 7 p.m.

Friday, Jun 27th: Boy Deluxe at The Goldfish. Doors at 8 p.m.

You can read my "Bait" song spotlight here.

Friday, Jun 27th: Julez and the Rollerz at the Moroccan Lounge. Doors at 6:30 p.m.

You can read my "Call Me Up" song spotlight here.

Saturday, Jun 28th: Dengue Fever at Levitt Pavilion. Doors at 7 p.m.

I caught this band back at the 2017 Music Taste Good festival in Long Beach. You can read about that festival here.

Saturday, Jun 28th: Dum Dum Fest at The Echo. Doors at 6 p.m. Festival headlined by Male Tears.

Saturday, Jun 28th: Eastside Fux Vol III Festival (via Badass Bands) at Zebulon. Doors at 3 p.m. Festival headlined by Jagged Baptist Club.

Saturday, Jun 28th: Suzie True at Scribble. Doors at 8 p.m.
I covered their 2024 set for US Rocker Music. You can read that article here.

Song Spotlight: SASAMI's Lose It All (a night at the Lodge Room)

I first came across SASAMI in January 2019 at The Echo. 

SASAMI at the Lodge Room

There's a little fun music history involved in that. 

First, The Echo used to have FOMO week. The first week of January would be dedicated to free shows at The Echo. Like any year during that music era, the week was packed with top notch local bands (you can see a schedule here). Here are some awesome performers:

Song Spotlight: Hysteria's Reason to Pray (a night at Zebulon)

Hysteria fronted by Dakota Cosgrove took to the Zebulon for only their second set ever. The set was to celebrate their "Reason to Pray" single release. I wasn't planning on heading out on Memorial Day. I was going to stay home and watch an old war movie (Where Eagles Dare), because of . . . well . . . Memorial Day. I did watch that movie at a later date. Was it a good idea to head out to Zebulon on this night? It definitely was. 

Hysteria at Zebulon

Song Spotlight: MacGregor Burns' Paradise Motel (a night at The Fable)

I went off to a Ryan Pollie presents night at The Fable mainly to catch Swimming Bell. I'd seen Swimming Bell back in 2022 and figured I'd catch another set. If I were more real life work focused, I probably should have been tapping away at my computer instead of heading out to The Fable. The company I work for is going through system upgrades and people who send out reports are sending the reports out much later than normal and the reports are filled with errors. It will all get resolved eventually, but there's always that rough patch where sometimes you just got to put in the extra effort to deal with all. Well, I was like screw it, it is 8 p.m., I'm heading out to catch some live music. I should note that I don't always prioritize music over work. I often pass on various assignments for US Rocker Music due to real life work. Don't worry, I'm not trying to drive myself into unemployment due to my love of the LA music scene, but I do try to walk that fine line. 

MacGregor Burns at The Fable

Song Spotlight: Julez and the Rollerz' Call Me Up (a night at Permanent Records Roadhouse)

On Julez and the Rollerz's Instagram account, they announced that they were "playing a short and sweet set" at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Before heading out, that announcement was a bit of a disappointment for me. This was the first time I was going to catch the band in about a year and they were going to play a shortened set? Then I got to the venue and saw that they were playing a 9 song set. Hmm, that seemed like a normal number of songs to play during a set. Also, my estimate is that their set clocked in at the 30 minute mark. That to me is your standard set length in the LA music scene so I feel like I got more than anticipated of their 60s retro rock. I suppose that is called under-promising and over-delivering? 

Julez and the Rollerz at Permanent Records Roadhouse

Song Spotlight: Audrey Lisette Band's Take Back the Memories (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

The Audrey Lisette Band Instagram page describes their music as "genre fluid band." The Spotify bio says that their music mixes jazz, rock, and blues. The band's WFNM night at Hotel Ziggy definitely aligned and expanded on that description. The set opened up with "Love Again" that featured her deep vocals and 70s rock chops. The song has addictive climatic moments that resolve in repeat fashion. The song ended with a lengthy and enjoyable riff.  

Audrey Lisette Band at Hotel Ziggy

Notes from Vivace Show Alerts (Los Angeles): June 15th - June 21st

A Handful of Show Alerts

Sunday, Jun 15th: El Colmo at Alex's Bar. Doors at 2 p.m.

You can read my review of 2024 set on US Rocker Music here.

Sunday, Jun 15th: Shamon Cassette at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Doors at 9 p.m.
Played the Happy Sundays Festival in 2024. You can read my US Rocker Music review of the festival here. 

Wednesday, Jun 18th: Giselle at Hotel Ziggy. Doors at 7 p.m.

You can read my song spotlight "Skeletons" here.

Friday, Jun 20th: Broken Baby at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Doors at 9 p.m.

Played  the Happy Sundays Festival in 2023. You can read my Buzzbands review of the festival here. 

Friday, Jun 20th: Jesika Von Rabbit at The Redwood Bar. Doors at 8 p.m.

You can read my song spotlight "Psychic Spice" here.

Friday, Jun 20th: Jordan Gruver at Hotel Cafe. Doors at 7 p.m.

Made my 2024 list of "favorite new to me, but maybe not to you" list. You can read that list here.

Friday, Jun 20th: Lone Kodiak at The Echo. Doors at 7 p.m.

Caught the band way back in 2016.

Friday, Jun 20th: Ramonda Hammer at Gold-Diggers. Doors at 7 p.m.
I covered their 2019 set for Buzzbands. You can read it here. 

Friday, Jun 20th: Valley Queen at Scribble. Doors at 8 p.m.

Saw Valley Queen three times in 2024. 

Saturday, Jun 21st: Shannon Lay at Zebulon. Doors at 7 p.m.

You can read my song spotlight "All This Life Going Down" here. 

Saturday, Jun 21st: Trousdale at the El Rey Theatre. Bands start at 8 p.m.

I covered the band in 2021 for Buzzbands. You can read that list here.

Song Spotlight: Swimming Bell's 95 at Night (a night at The Fable)

I first came across Swimming Bell, the moniker for Katie Schottland, in late November 2022. I was off to Permanent Records Roadhouse to catch an Emily Rose & the Rounders set and Swimming Bell was the opening band for me (I say opening for me as I missed Selland & Starr set -- I believe this was the night I was expecting Selland & Starr to come on after Emily Rose and was hanging out around the stage while the Permanent Records crew was breaking down equipment and I finally realized I missed their set). I learned at the time via one of my Q&A interviews that Schottland is a New York native and had moved to Los Angeles a couple years back. Since that was 2022, I'd say she's an adjusted Los Angeleno (or maybe not).   

Swimming Bell at The Fable

Song Spotlight: Ferry Townes' Salt (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

Ferry Townes, the moniker for Julia Gargano, walked up to the Hotel Ziggy microphone during a WFNM night with a smile and an enthusiasm for her music that was shared by the audience. It didn't take long for someone to yell out, "So f*cking awesome." Her response, "Thank you, dude."

Ferry Townes at Hotel Ziggy

Song Spotlight: Danny's Song by Seko (a night at Zebulon)

Seko was the first band up during Pretty But Wicked's night at Zebulon. I was impressed as soon as the first notes were played of their opening song "Say Hi To The Son." While writing this blog post, I had to do some research on the band (I had never heard of them before). To be honest, my first observation was that their band name is very similar to the long time Los Angeles band Sego. 

Seko at Zebulon