Mystic Knights came to my attention last year in June when I was invited to cover Band of Skulls at The Troubadour. The Mystic Knights were the opening band (you can read that US Rocker post here). The band name may not sound familiar to many, but lead singer Chris Cester's better known band Jet is likely a known quantity (hits include "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" and "Cold Hard Bitch").
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| Mystic Knights at The Three Clubs |
DanDan (moniker for Daniel Leese) is a recent USC Thornton graduate with a degree in Jazz Vocal Performance. He recently opened up the night at a WFNM showcase at Hotel Ziggy. I was immediately struck by the potential symbolism in the set. It started with what he wore for the night: a white robe that reminded me of a Medieval monk. Perhaps that impression was implanted due to his first song of the night that was called "Savior's Song." On his Soundcloud account he mentions that the song is about a "fear-mongering troubadour on a busy street corner . . . the evil intentions of the troubadour become frighteningly clear." I'm speculating that his dressing up in white is him trying to avoid being put until the evil spell of the troubadour.
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| DanDan at Hotel Ziggy |
I noticed that the WFNM showcase featured Andie Yagher three or so times last year. After seeing her name pop up on the schedule a few times, I wanted to catch a set, but it just never worked out for me. One time I was shooting the Greek Theatre. Another time, it was squeezed into a rather busy week. One other time, a favorite local band of mine, Ramonda Hammer, was playing. Luckily for me, she popped up on the January 13th WFNM schedule at Hotel Ziggy.
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| Andie Yagher at Hotel Ziggy |