Song Spotlight: Family Cash's Funny (an afternoon at Echo Park Rising, Bar Henry stage)

I had a random encounter with Josh Beavers as I was walking past the KG Bakery stage -- I was just starting off my Saturday at Echo Park Rising. First, he suggested that I catch Supershrew who was just about to start their set. He then said I should catch his band Family Cash at Bar Henry. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the band was playing the festival, because I had created a schedule of the festival and did not notice that the band was playing anywhere. He mentioned that a band had dropped out and they were taking the slot. I replied that I would do my best to get up to Bar Henry. 

Family Cash at Echo Park Rising

I've known Beavers since 2018 via a favorite band of mine, Slugs. (I wrote a Song Spotlight of a Slugs song last year.) I'm also familiar with Family Cash. I covered the band back at the 2023 Echo Park Rising for Buzzbands. 

I will say getting to Bar Henry was an accomplishment considering that the temperature hit 97 degrees that day. A few moments earlier I was at Sticky Rice to catch a couple songs from Ryan Pollie. It is a touch under a mile walk between the two venues and there is a hill to climb and I was hauling around 10 pounds of camera gear with me.

Family Cash at Echo Park Rising

When I got to the outdoor stage, I had to make an announcement, because I was impressed with myself, "I'm here!" Lead singer Massimo De Maria looked over and replied, "We're all here now!" The band's Spotify bio describes their music as such, "grounded in bringing a harder edge to dreamy, sometimes aggressive rock with a flowering undercurrent of catchy riffs and choruses."

That description provides for a stage performance that entertains. Beavers was dancing wildly with his guitar and De Maria was singing with raw aggression. It was the ultimate DIY moment. The crowd was hanging out under the shade provided by the Bar Henry building and just a few feet away, cars were whipping past on Sunset Blvd.     

Comment of the set: Anyone have any water!

Family Cash at Echo Park Rising

As a side comment, I caught former drummer Austin Ash a couple months earlier at Harvard & Stone when he was playing drums for Ciggy Bop! Unless plans changed, he is currently living in Sweden. 

For the Song Spotlight, let's go with "Funny" from their 2022 EP Highly Peepable. In one way, it was a funny coincidence that I ran across Beavers and learned that the band was added at the last moment. A garage rock tune about just a moment in time of looking out onto the street one night and seeing someone hanging out -- almost like a Seinfeld episode. 

You were mad,

you were funny.

The band will be playing a set tonight (Saturday) at Oblivion.