Song Spotlight: Slotcar's exacto (a night at The Airliner Bar)

A thunderous start is how one would describe Slotcar's set at The Airliner Bar for the Rocknite showcase. Drummer Daniel Bermudez hit the drum kit so hard that the floor shook. The three piece band also includes guitarist-vocalist Frankie Provenzano and bassist Elliot Rick. Provenzano's vocals punctuated every beat.  The band's sound combines influences from shoegaze to alternative rock to punk rock that had the crowd pressed close to the stage and throughout the set chanting out, "Slotcar! Slotcar! Slotcar!" 

Slotcar at The Airliner Bar

This was my first time crossing paths with the band. In fact, on this particular Rocknite, I had never heard of any of the bands. I always find that interesting. There is just such a large pool of talented musicians in Los Angeles that even though I head out around three times a week, there are plenty of nights where I am introduced to a slate of brand new bands. Yet, even though I had never heard of Slotcar before, there is a connective tissue there. I noticed Sister Gemini in the crowd (you can read one of my articles from 2025 here). It so happens that two members of Slotcar are her current backing musicians. She's having her debut record release party on June 10th at Gold-Diggers. 

Slotcar at The Airliner Bar

I always try to do some Internet research on bands and via their Instagram page, I noticed that they did an interview and performance at KCSB out in Santa Barbara. You can listen to the interview here and watch the performance here. What I learned is that Provenzano and Bermudez have been playing together in a series of bands since they were 15. Rick joined up at a later point in time (though before Slotcar). Those band names are: The Green Fingers, The Middle, Plastic Apples, and To Kill a Fly. (Okay, is The Middle a play on the TV sitcom? Is To Kill a Fly a play on the book To Kill a Mockingbird?)

Slotcar at The Airliner Bar

Their set at The Airliner mainly included unreleased songs that will surely make it onto an upcoming EP or album release. The song spotlight goes to the final song (and only released song) of the set: "exacto." It is a song about dealing with those teenage years. The fun carefree life of adolescence replaced with dejection and loss and realizing your flaws. 

Slotcar at The Airliner Bar

Can't seem to get it
Traversing post-adolescence

Setlist: smp, tissue, waiting, chimp brisket, circles, exacto.