Song Spotlight: donna's burn, Pt. 2 (a night at Permanent Records Roadhouse)

Donna opened up for my favorite New York City band Laveda on Oct 1st at Permanent Records Roadhouse. I covered the night for US Rocker Music. You can read the article here. For some strange reason the band name sounded very familiar to me even though I knew I'd never seen them before. My first thought was that I must have come across the band name during Echo Park Rising. That wasn't the case. I finally figured it out. They played on a July bill with Hysteria at Zebulon. I'm a fan of Hysteria so why didn't I go to that set? I was sick during that timeframe and ended up not going out at all for a full week. It took two and half months before catching donna live. In the Los Angeles music scene, there is always a second, third, fourth chance to catch a band. That is what makes the scene so vibrant. 

Donna at Permanent Records Roadhouse

Lead singer and bassist Catherin Reeves took the microphone with her black high heels placed neatly next to her microphone stand. Wearing Coquette stockings, Reeves fronted a minimalist band where vocals were in the style of a bedtime story. Though minimalist, that didn't mean that the band didn't flex their musical styles. Specifically during the song "samba," the band switched genres at least three times via seamless transitions between jazz and experimental rock and, well, samba. That song also had drummer Cody Nunn teasing the crowd. He cymbal choked three different times, making the crowd think that the song was ending. Each time he did it, the cheers grew louder. Then the band went on to finish up the song and the set.

Donna at Permanent Records Roadhouse

The band has a limited music catalog. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they played all their songs. There are only two songs up on Spotify: "burn, Pt. 1" and "burn, Pt. 2." "Burn, Pt. 2" is a poem to the end of life with brief thoughts during the inevitable moment (be in months, weeks, days, or hours).

Look in her eyes
And see her whole life
Is it this time?
We say goodbye?

Donna at Permanent Records Roadhouse

My totally self-peculiar observation: similar to my July situation, Reeves was suffering a cold as she was having the coughs after the end of each song. Luckily, she was well enough to play, or I would have missed the band for the exact same reason as July -- illness, though this time it would not have been me, but the lead singer. And one had to notice that cracked smile she gave her guitarist Victor Gamez after a well played song.  

Donna setlist: after/Feb 23. burn, Pt 1 and burn, Pt 2. the new you. stop. untitled song. samba.