I came across Whitney Tai back in 2023 at a Monday Monday at Hotel Cafe night hosted by Brenda Carsey. Monday Monday nights are mini-sets so since that night I've always wanted to catch a full set. I know it took way too long, but I got to attend her record release party for her third album American Wasteland at Licorice Pizza Records.
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| Whitney Tai at Licorice Pizza Records |
As a side note, I relaunched my blogsite (which had been put on ice in 2021 -- though I kept blogging for Buzzbands and US Rocker Music) in 2024 with a review of PAGOTO's record release at Licorice Pizza Records (which you can read here). Just a nice connection I have with this venue.
As was mentioned during the set, this represented her 10th year as a singer. Previously, as per this The Music Rag article, she worked in design. The double celebration of record release and decade anniversary brought out an audience that filled the venue with a special shotout given to Holy Wars.
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| Whitney Tai at Licorice Pizza Records |
The set included 9 of the 12 tracks off the album. Per her Spotify bio, she mentions that the inspiration behind the album is about losing her mother when she was just 10 years old. It also digs deeper beyond personal experience as it explores American wasteland defined themes, "It’s economic, immoral, & political decay. It’s exploitation of nature by placing a $ sign on every tree. It’s human beings reduced to a commodity."
Her song "Rhea" was her first single off the record. She mentioned that syndicated radio host Brett Maybee has been giving the song some love. The song is an emotional heart-wrencher with the opening lyrics, "I had to grow up way too young. A desert flower raised by sun." Slumber Party is about not being manipulated.
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| Whitney Tai at Licorice Pizza Records |
In regards to "Glow," she gave the following introduction, "'Glow' is really about understanding how to identify things before they become a problem. If things could present themselves a little better, we could see it better, but most things that are on a low light we don't understand until it is fully illuminated. Glow is our on inner-compass. It is our core. It is our gut feeling that is tapping us on the shoulder that we have the power to figure that out. Just trust your instincts." It is a song that starts off as a quiet poem until it explodes with her vocals digging deep for those metal notes.
In the back half of the set, she sang the title track "American Wasteland." It is a song that focuses on the album's theme of "economic, immoral, and political decay" with the lyrics, "I’m the violence on your screen. I’m the crisis on the streets." It is a song that well highlights her time spent on the Sunset Strip stages such as The Whiskey and The Viper Room. From the title track, she shifted to a song that one can imagine being played on The Hotel Cafe stage, "Sequoias." The Americana-country song was introduced with a plea, "don't focus on the material things."
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| Whitney Tai at Licorice Pizza Records |
"Don't get me to ugly cry," was said as the set came to a conclusion. Her audience was attentive throughout the set without any of the side talking that often occurs at Los Angeles music venues. One could also notice that it was a diverse fan base. Making assumptions based on individual dress codes, many were Sunset Strip diehards while others were relaxed Hotel Cafe aficionados. As the final notes of the rock anthem "Perfect Storm" were played, she end the set by saying "I love you all so much."
Her backing vocalist included Linn Holmstedt and Jules Quass (of Jules & the Howl). Her musicians were Mike Green, Tommy Hatz, and Griffin Tucker.
Setlist: 2 The End / King of Wands, Rhea, Towerfall, Slumber Party, Glow, American Wasteland, Sequoias, Already On My Way, Perfect Storm.
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