Song Spotlight: Ciggy Bop!'s Gentrify (My Soul) (a night at Harvard & Stone)

I first came across the Cigarette Bums in 2010. They were playing a favorite venue at the time called The Blue Star. It resides just north of Vernon and a lonely walking distance from 1720. It was a bar/music venue that eventually closed down. I wrote "it resides" on purpose, because there is still a Blue Star. It is now a dedicated restaurant. I don't know if this is still the case, but underground parties would occur in that area. So you'd see punk rockers slipping into the Blue Star while fashionistas would be making their way to the warehouse party.  

Ciggy Bop! at Harvard & Stone

I've continued to catch the band here and there throughout the years. I even captured photo of the band at the 2023 Echo Park Rising for Buzzbands. I happened to noticed that a Monday night Swyndle showcase at Harvard & Stone had a band called Ciggy Bop! playing. I was like, the individual in the Instagram post looks familiar. If I've put the pieces together properly, Ciggy Bop! is the moniker for the founding member of the Cigarette Bums, Steven Carrera. I wasn't planning on heading out to Harvard & Stone, but plans changed quickly. The band hadn't crossed my radar in a couple years so I was all in for catching a set. 

During the set, Carrera mentioned that he "hadn't been in Los Angeles for a minute." Taking a look at his Instagram page, it appears he moved to New York City -- similar to some other musicians that I've followed for years such as Laura Jean Anderson, Rocco, and Surprise Baby. Doing my normal research, I also learned that the drummer, Austin Ash (also of Family Cash), will / has moved to Sweden. 

Ciggy Bop! at Harvard & Stone

With the drift of weed floating through the venue, Ciggy Bop! started off their set. Friends were doing a soft mosh pit in front of the stage. There were joking arguments over beer cans. Ash was killing the drum beats so hard that part of his drum kit tipped over as the set was heading to a conclusion. I actually think the synth player had a finger bleed -- I noticed some finger sucking and a friend handing over some napkins that were waved away. To end the set, a confetti cannon was set off.  How would I describe their sound? Alien country punk. That's what came to mind during their set. 

Comment of the set: I'm going to go to sleep and get on an airplane.  

Ciggy Bop! at Harvard & Stone

Let's go with their final song of their set as the song spotlight: "Gentrify (My Soul)." I think it fits my alien country punk definition with a twist of psychedelics. As one can determine from the song title, it is about upscaling of neighborhoods.

I want sidewalks so expensive
The homeless are getting evicted . . .
I want to buy a case of beer with my college degree

Setlist: Know Myself, Urine Luvvv, Oblivion, Passed Out (In Pasadena), Spaceface, Deathwavve, Darling Discord, Kick Rocks, Sidewalkin', Gentrify (My Soul).