Song Spotlight: Anna Thoresen's Dear Soulmate (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

I will admit that the first thing I noticed when Anna Thoresen and her band hit the WFNM showcase at Hotel Ziggy was Maria Grace Ono on guitar. I just happened to catch her playing guitar a few weeks earlier for Julez And The Rollerz. You can read my blog post about that particular night here. The next thing I noticed was her bassist, Danielle Koppel who had a little stuffed animal hanging from a belt loop and there was a Pippi Longstocking quality. Ignore all that observation about Koppel, what really caught my attention was her boyfriend (assuming there is a connection there) was feeding her French fries that they'd bought from the Hotel Ziggy bar. I've had a couple of those French fries. I can say they're addicting. 

Anna Thoresen at Hotel Ziggy

Song Spotlight: GIFT's Wish Me Away (a night at the Lodge Room)

GIFT from New York was recently on tour with Sunflower Bean and played the Lodge Room. You can read my review of the night here. I came across this band last year when their PR firm reached out to US Rocker Music about covering a set. Unfortunately, I couldn't head out to cover their set due to, you know, real life work that required some long hours. It was really unfortunate, because one of their sets was with Reb Ribbon who I had seen earlier in the year and had put them on my favorites list, which you can read here. 

GIFT at the Lodge Room

Review: Pu$$y-Cow celebrates their 20th Anniversary at The Escondite with Silver Needle and The Groans

Celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band, Pu$$y-Cow hit the indoor stage at The Escondite, playing in front of a packed house. An interesting side note for the night is that Ben Reddell was running the sound. For those in the country-folk world, you know that he books Grand Ole Echo, which is also celebrating their 20th anniversary. To put 20 years into another context, I've been shooting bands for nearly that same period of time though not yet at 20 years. Numbers. Numbers. Numbers. 

Pu$$y-Cow at The Escondite

Song Spotlight: Sunflower Bean's Nothing Romantic (a night at the Lodge Room)

I will admit I was a bit late to get on the Sunflower Bean band wagon. It took a pandemic for me to finally in love with the band (though I'd heard of the band maybe a year or two prior to that). The band played an online set on the Dr. Martens' Instagram page. The song I really appreciated was "Twentytwo." You can read my brief thoughts about that online set here. 

Sunflower Bean at the Lodge Room

Notes from Vivace Show Alerts (Los Angeles): Aug 17th - Aug 23rd

A Handful of Show Alerts

Sunday, Aug 17th: Echo Park Rising after parties at Dada Echo Park, Sticky Rice, and The Semi-Tropic. 
If you didn't have enough fun on Saturday . . . 

Sunday, Aug 17th: Escape-ism at Zebulon. Doors at 8 p.m.

Read my Song Spotlight of "Charge of the Love Brigade" here.

Monday, Aug 18th: Henry Hall at Zebulon. Doors at 8 p.m.

In 2024, I covered his set for US Rocker Music, which you can read here. 

Monday, Aug 18th: Powder Pink & Sweet at Harvard & Stone. Doors at 8 p.m.

In 2023, I covered the band's set for US Rocker Music, which you can read here. 

Thursday, Aug 21st: Hailey Wild at Bar Lubitsch. Doors at 7 p.m.

Read my Song Spotlight of "Wake Up" here.

Thursday, Aug 21st: Taleen Kali at Alex's Bar. Doors at 8 p.m.

 In 2023, I covered the band's set for Buzzbands, which you can read here.

Friday, Aug 22nd: Cody's Program at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Doors at 9 p.m.

I covered the band's recent set on this blog site, which you can read here.

Saturday, Aug 23rd: Happy Sundays Fest Long Beach. 

It's not just on Sundays.

2025 Echo Park Rising Sunday Schedule

Sunday's Echo Park Rising Afterparty Schedule:

Dada Echo Park
1606 W Sunset Blvd
I believe you need to enter via the back alley

3:00 PM: Laena Myers
4:00 PM: Dustin Wong
5:00 PM: Dave Harrington / Max Jaffe / Spencer Zahn
6:00 PM: Leng Bian
7:00 PM: Slow Heat

Sticky Rice
1801 W. Sunset Blvd

Main Stage

2:00 PM: Marshall Van Leuven

3:00 PM: Child Seat

4:00 PM: Shelailai

5:00 PM: The Silvertone

6:00 PM: TwoLips

7:00 PM: Wet World

8:00 PM: Tolliver
9:00 PM: Very Be Careful

Spirit House Stage

1:00 PM: Danny Parker
2:00 PM: Lucky Kilmartin 

3:00 PM: Inner Space Visitor 
4:00 PM: Ny Oh
5:00 PM: The Antiks 
6:00 PM: Kaycie Satterfield 
7:00 PM: Grey Dugan 

Stories Books and Cafe
1716 W. Sunset Blvd

Starting at 7 p.m. 

Kim Dallesandro

Zoe Hansen

Michelle Carr

Patty Schemel

Emily Rose

Laena Myers

Lisa Kekaula

Song Spotlight: Jazzy K's Heartless (a night at Bar Lubitsch)

Jazzy K went old school for the WFNM showcase at Bar Lubitsch. She has a unique talent at writing verses to songs of well known singers. During her set, she highlighted this by singing her own verse for Toni Braxton's old school song "Un-Break My Heart." In fact, this song writing talent got her the opportunity to join Coldplay on stage in Australia back in 2024 during the song "We Pray." She got to insert her own verse into the live set -- not just once, but on back to back nights. You can see the Youtube video of one of those nights here. 

Jazzy K at Bar Lubitsch

2025 Echo Park Rising Saturday Schedule

Here's the Saturday schedule for Echo Park Rising -- the official day of the festival though events are happening on Friday and Sunday.

The official program can be found here, but there's just a certain way I like to look at schedules so the below is how my mind works. Apologies for any misspelling and bad set times -- some may not even be my fault.

Band names in bold are my suggestions. 

Saturday (Aug 16th):

Bar Flores
1542 W. Sunset Blvd

1:00 PM: Carlos y Charlos
2:00 PM: Los Eclectics
4:00 PM: Smiling Quietly Underneath Internal Radical Melancholy
5:00 PM: Caravan 222
6:00 PM: Dominique and the Diamonds
7:00 PM: Slugs
8:00 PM: Iress

Bar Henry
1228 W. Sunset Blvd

3:00 PM Jason Paul & The Know It Alls
4:00 PM Datamaps
5:00 PM: Impulse Bangs
6:00 PM: Harry Katz & The Pistachios
7:00 PM: Belle and Chain
8:00 PM: Julez & The Rollerz

Cantiq LA
1571 W. Sunset Blvd

1:00 PM: Orchids of Jupiter

2:00 PM: Reverse Cowgirls

3:00 PM: Franx

4:00 PM: B.E.G.

5:00 PM: Lord Friday the 13th

6:00 PM Shamon Cassette

7:00 PM Bitchkiss

8:00 PM: Dagger Polyester

9:00 PM: Donzii

10:15 PM: Aurat

Dada Echo Park
1606 W Sunset Blvd

I believe you need to enter via the back alley

3:00 PM: Nancy Sanchez (replacing Belligerent Swans)

4:00 PM: Op Ed

5:00 PM: Host Family

6:00 PM: Dagger Polyester

7:00 PM: Sweet Nothin's

8:00 PM: Zoe Lloyd

9:00 PM: Caravan 222

Fluffy McCloud's

1814 W. Sunset Blvd

2:00 PM: Toulouse Control

2:45 PM: George Children

3:30 PM: Quad Super Six

4:15 PM: Pillow Fight

5:00 PM: The Freebies

Gentlemen's Breakfast
1101 Mohawk St.

6:00 PM: Nail Polish

7:00 PM: The Collarbones

8:00 PM: Chicano Thunder & The Heat

9:00 PM: Junaco

10:00 PM: Angelsaur

KG Bakery
1471 Echo Park Ave

12:00 PM: Siam Jem

1:00 PM: Flesh For Fantasy

2:00 PM: Dead By Sunday

3:00 PM: M-16

Lowboy
1540 W. Sunset Blvd

1:30 PM: Mermaid

2:30 PM: Moselle

3:30 PM: Chloe Entoinette

4:30 PM: TwoLips

5:30 PM: JMK Jr. and Friends

6:30 PM: Pio Gabriel & Friends

7:30 PM: Smiley Bone Jones

8:30 PM: Solomon

P.F. Candle Co.
2205 W. Sunset Blvd

3:00 PM: Addie Addie Addie

4:30 PM: Sonoda

6:00 PM: Teal Pop

Pitfire Pizza
2141 W. Sunset Blvd

1:00 PM: Jagged Jein

4:00 PM: Buckets

7:00 PM: Kit Major

Raven's Gallery
1545 W. Sunset Blvd

1:00 PM: Jamie Ruiz Risch

2:00 PM: SaintKid

3:00 PM: Tawny Ellis

4:00 PM: Cynthia Catania & Rich Devletian

5:00 PM: Rowan Drake

6:00 PM: The Latini Infiniti Band

7:00 PM: Storms

8:00 PM: Shimmer Bed

10:30 PM: New Elvis

The Short Stop
1455 W. Sunset Blvd

1:00 PM: Anna Marie Postigo
2:00 PM: Dog Smoke
3:00 PM: The Silvertone
4:30 PM: MACKandgold
5:30 PM: Daz & The Demons
6:30 PM: The Strokers (The Strokes Tribute)

Sick City Records

1381 W. Sunset Blvd

2:00 PM: Virulents

4:00 PM: Lucky and Love

6:00 PM: Duderella

7:00 PM: This is a Revolver

Sticky Rice
1801 W. Sunset Blvd

Main Stage

12:00 PM: Telecomm 

1:00 PM: Annie Jets

2:00 PM: Pelo Grande 

3:00 PM: Vinyl Williams

4:00 PM: J3

5:00 PM: Harry the Nightgown 

6:00 PM: Magic Bronson

7:00 PM: Dark Fantasy

8:00 PM: Normans

9:00 PM: Intestinehead

Spirit House Stage

1:00 PM: Lovepig

2:00 PM: Laney Tripp

3:00 PM: Bunny Lowe

4:00 PM: Kelcey Ayer

5:00 PM: Dmytryk

6:00 PM: Bradley Hanan Carter

7:00 PM: Winn Winn

Stories Books and Cafe
1716 W. Sunset Blvd

1:00 PM: The Heartstrings

1:40 PM: Cian (time change)

2:20 PM: Swimming Bell (time change)

3:15 PM: Bloody Death Skull (time change)

4:00 PM: Stephen McBean (time change)

4:45 PM: Gabriel Bernini (added)

5:30 PM: Jeffrey Davies

7:00 PM: Good Heroin Comedy

Taix French Restaurant
1911 W. Sunset Blvd

5:00 PM: Noir Dalis

5:45 PM: D.R.E.A.M.

6:30 PM: El Colmo

7:15 PM: TBD

8:15 PM: Flotilla

The Den Studios
1260 W. 2nd St
Note: Admittedly, a bit far from the rest of the festival venues, but this line-up is awesome.

6:00 PM: Sheva Elliot
7:15 PM: American Mile
8:00 PM: Leroy from the North
9:00 PM: The Doohickeys

The Echo / Echoplex

1822 W Sunset Blvd (The Echo)

1154 Glendale Blvd (Echoplex)

Grand Ole Echo Stage

3:30 PM: Ned Casual & the Tombstone Blues

4:30 PM: Sweet Nothin’s

5:30 PM: The Tone Slingers

6:30 PM: The What Four

7:30 PM: Tribute to Thin Lizzy

8:30 PM: Same Ol’ Smile

The Echo Stage

3:00 PM: Hysteria

3:50 PM: Morning Forever

4:40 PM: Theo Moss

5:30 PM: Fat Evil Children

6:20 PM: Host Family

7:10 PM: 16 Underground

8:15 PM: Sinnerella

9:20 PM: La Doña

Echoplex

3:45 PM: Kurupi & Pressed
4:35 PM: Jordan Patterson
5:20 PM: Marinero (Marin Guero)
6:15 PM: Valley Boy
7:05 PM: Fake Dad
8:55 PM: Zzzahara
10:00 PM: Tijuana Panthers

The Semi-Tropic

1412 Glendale Blvd

6:00 PM: Kinetik
7:00 PM: Possible Oceans
8:00 PM: Club Indigo
9:00 PM: Valley Queen
10:00 PM: Twin Seas
11:00 PM: Introverted Funk
12:00 AM: Finkel

Song Spotlight: Grace Kay's When You Wanted (a night at Bar Lubitsch)

Grant Owens threw himself a birthday party at his WFNM showcase at Bar Lubitsch. I've been going to WFNM nights for quiet awhile now. I've had some memorable moments hanging out at his various showcases. The night in 2021 when I came across both King Mala and Halo Kitsch at Bar Lubitsch was top notch amazing. In 2019, which I believe was also a Grant Owens birthday party, Kat from Holy Wars took a ride on the shoulders of fellow photographer Scott Free. Also playing that night were Christina Castle and Fever Joy who I always enjoyed catching live. I've seen numerous favorite new bands and artists for the first time at a WFNM showcase. That applies to King Mala and Halo Kitsch, but also to Lizzy Land (technically I'd seen her prior in Mating Ritual, but WFNM was the first time I caught her on her own project), Ava Maybee, and many many others. 

With all that history, I do try to head out to his birthday parties. One of the highlights on this 2025 edition of his birthday party was Grace Kay (the moniker for Grace Korkunis) who had this to say, "I just want to say thank you so much to We Found New Music and Grant. The first show I ever did as Grace Kay was at We Found New Music." She also mentioned that on that particular night, she released the video for "Open" which is currently her best performing song.  

Grace Kay at Bar Lubitsch

2025 Echo Park Rising Friday Schedule

I'll try to post the Echo Park Rising Saturday schedule on Friday. I'm still trying to locate the official set times for The Echo / Echoplex.

Bold are bands that I'm familiar with and give them my thumbs up.

Friday (Aug 15th):

Sticky Rice Stage

7:00 PM: Common People

8:00 PM: Blame My Youth

9:00 PM: Double Wish

10:00 PM: Mac Hanson

The Semi-Tropic Stage

7:00 PM: Giant Waste of Man

8:00 PM: Buckets

9:00 PM: Mac Hill

10:00 PM: The Blushes

11:00 PM: MACKandgold

Song Spotlight: The Franks Sisters' I Love You (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

The Jonas Brothers made a shocking surprise appearance at the WFNM showcase at Hotel Ziggy. Before I cause the rumors to fly (wouldn't it just be amusing if the AI search engines tossed out that, as they call it, "hallucination"), it was a joke tossed out by Melia Franks during her set with sister Samantha Franks. The two form the duo The Franks Sisters. 

The Franks Sisters at Hotel Ziggy

Song Spotlight: Everett Beau's Sweet Reverent Sunrise (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

Everett Beau dressed in black and sported a black tie took to the WFNM showcase stage at Hotel Ziggy. I think it is safe to say he mesmerized the crowd with his elegantly quiet singer songwriter set. I don't believe there was much talking during the set. I would say it was the proverbial situation of being able to hear a pin drop. As his short 6 song set progressed, people were drawn into the venue from the hotel lobby. 

Everett Beau at Hotel Ziggy

Song Spotlight: Annie Hardy's Man Downn (a night at Stories Books & Cafe)

It was a Friday night. I had put in for a photo request that did not get approved. I decided to take a glance at Showlist on Instagram and noticed that Annie Hardy was playing at Stories Books & Cafe. It was almost like it was meant to be. 

I've been aware of Annie Hardy since I encountered her band Giant Drag at the Indie West Fest in 2011. By that point, the band was well established in the Los Angeles music scene, having formed in 2003. It took a few years -- jump all the way to 2019 -- before I crossed paths with Hardy once again. She was on the same music bill as Queen Kwong (a favorite of mine). During that set at The Redwood Bar, I knew she looked familiar and then she mentioned the band Giant Drag and it started to click. I saw her one last time in 2019 at Stories Books & Cafe. 

Annie Hardy at Stories Books & Cafe