Song Spotlight: Cosmic Kitten's Hole in my Soul (an evening at Port City Tavern during Happy Sundays Fest)

Cosmic Kitten is a band I've been following since early 2020 when they played a set at Kalynn Barnum's photo gallery at The Satellite. Back then I describe their sound as slow-tempo punk that was offset by a wild performance. Maybe I'm aging or maybe it was due to the bands they played with  that distorted my opinion of their music, but I'd say they've dramatically sped up their punk tempo over the years and added some ear piercing screams. Yet, their performance is as wild as ever. 

Cosmic Kitten at Happy Sundays Fest

They were part of the Saturday line-up at Happy Sundays Fest and I had the band "starred" as a band I planned on seeing. After catching Self Improvement at The Bamboo Club, I made the half mile walk to Port City Tavern. The band was rearing to go. With ten minutes before the official start of their set, they asked no one in particular, "Can we start?" They didn't wait for a response and went right into "Broken Knee Caps." Lead vocalist and guitarist Karen Marie Hernandez rocked back and forth along the stage. Drummer Zach Huckabee set the pace by attacking the drum set like he wanted to destroy it. Perhaps he was the cause for why the drum set was in such ill repair when the Sunday bands hit the stage. Guitarist John Chavez pressed his guitar against his thigh as he struck his notes to help emphasize Karen Marie's guttural screams.  

Cosmic Kitten at Happy Sundays Fest

There was a special surprise for an old-timer like myself. Iriel Blaque, who used to play bass with the Sunset Strip band Barb Wire Dolls (which ruled the Viper Room and Whisky a Go-Go during the 2010s), was on stage. It was awesome seeing her putting on a show throughout the set. 

Cosmic Kitten at Happy Sundays Fest

They played a number of songs off of their new album that came out on October 17th. The song spotlight goes to "Hole in my Soul" that had hit the Internet less than 24 hours before their set. It starts off with a melodic guitar playing a couple bars of music before the drums disrupts it all and then Karen Marie rips the opening lyrics to shreds, "Hole in my soul." The song isn't just a burst of vocal cord damaging singing. She is very capable of bringing out the hidden melodies in the lyrics. 

It is a song about not feeling you deserve love and yet being loved none the less.

Can't dig myself up from this grave I've made my bed in

Dead inside despite that you love me

Setlist: Broken Knee Caps, Your Insult, Do It Alone, No Head, Hole in my Soul, Breadcrumbs, Carousel, Hairy Ape, Blender, Count me in.