Notes from Vivace Show Alerts (Los Angeles): Aug 31st - Sep 6th

A Handful of Show Alerts 

Monday, Sep 1st: Addie Addie Addie at Harvard & Stone. Doors at 8 p.m.

My favorite new find at this year's Echo Park Rising.

Tuesday, Sep 2nd: Tremours at The Goldfish. Doors at 8 p.m.

Earlier this year, I covered their record release party, which you can read here.

Wednesday, Sep 3rd: Slowpoke at Gold-Diggers. Doors at 7 p.m.

Read my Song Spotlight for "Tiki Dream" here.

Thursday, Sep 4th: Giselle at Bar Lubitsch. Doors at 7 p.m.

Read my Song Spotlight for "Skeletons" here.

Friday, Sep 5th: Mini Trees at Zebulon. Doors at 7 p.m.
In 2023, I covered their set for Buzzbands, which you can read here.

Saturday, Sep 6th: North by North at Supply and Demand. Doors at 8 p.m.

Read my Song Spotlight for "Bad Vibes" here.

Song Spotlight: Addie Addie Addie's Industry (an afternoon at P.F. Candle Co. during Echo Park Rising)

For the second year in a row, I was one of the official photographers of Echo Park Rising. I decided I would try to hit up as many venues as possible while still photographing some of my favorite bands. One of the smaller venues was P.F. Candle Co. They only had three bands playing, all one after the other. That meant I had a very tight window to photograph the venue. I decided I was going to photograph the first artist up: Addie Addie Addie (the moniker for Addie Weyrich).

Addie Addie Addie at P.F. Candle Co

Song Spotlight: Band of Skulls' Sweet Sour (a night at the Troubadour)

A PR person I've worked with for over a decade happened to mention to me that she could get me into the Troubadour to shoot Band of Skulls. I have to admit that I did not know who Band of Skulls was. When provided the offer, I did a look at the Troubadour calendar and noticed that the show was sold out. That indicated something to me. I was a go for sure. I was actually probably a go anyways even if I didn't notice that it was sold out, because I don't get the opportunity to shoot the Troubadour that often. 

Band of Skulls at the Troubadour

Song Spotlight: The Blushes' Celebrity Sex Cult Party (a night at The Semi-Tropic)

Echo Park Rising 2025 was such a blast. For those in the know, there was a pre-party that occurred on Friday night at The Semi-Tropic and Sticky Rice. I decided to just stick around The Semi-Tropic the whole night, because the line-up was filled with band that I love, but don't get to see on a regular basis. One of those bands was The Blushes. They're a trio that includes Lori Dorfman on guitar, Katie Jayne Earl-Hogan on drums, and Katy Rose (on bass). For long time LA music fans who are unaware, Katie Jayne Earl-Hogan is in the The Mowgli's. 

The Blushes at The Semi-Tropic

Song Spotlight: Shoe Shopping's Glowering (a night at The Goldfish)

Shoe Shopping is fronted by Tiffany Lin and have an art nouveau approach to punk rock. Her bio has this to say about her background, "is an interdisciplinary artist working at the cross section of graphic narrative, social practice, and performance. Her varied projects parse through social conventions at odds with the natural world, utilizing drawing to investigate topics as austere as US Census data to doom metal inspired teeth people." What is doom metal inspired teeth people? I have no clue. 

Shoe Shopping at The Goldfish

Review: Kyra Fields has a Breakout Moment at Hotel Ziggy

Maybe once or twice a year, I show up to a venue and I'm shocked by how many people are already packed inside -- before any of the artists have hit the stage. (To clarify, I'm talking about it being totally unanticipated on my part versus showing up to a venue that is packed early because the artist is a known draw.) That happened on a recent WFNM showcase at Hotel Ziggy. I showed up and the place was filled with polite, and yet, eager tweens with their parents in tow. I was totally taken aback. What showcase artist is bringing out all these tweens? I started to think through the artists playing and I had to settle on Kyra Fields. This was my third time at a WFNM showcase where Kyra Fields was playing a set. I could not recall seeing so many young people hanging out with eager anticipation during the prior two shows. This had me thinking: I'm catching a breakout moment. 

Kyra Fields at Hotel Ziggy

Song Spotlight: Chemical Therapy's East Los Luv (a night at Gold-Diggers)

I came across Chemical Therapy at Gold-Diggers, playing a Swyndle night event. The band started out in Charleston under the name Heyrocco. The members eventually moved out to Los Angeles and underwent a name change to Chemical Therapy. The band wasn't totally new to me (though I didn't figure that out until I started doing my band research for this post). I came across lead singer Nathan Merli briefly during another Swyndle night at Harvard & Stone when he did a cameo during a Bruvvy set. 

Chemical Therapy at Gold-Diggers

Notes from Vivace Show Alerts (Los Angeles): Aug 24th - Aug 30th

A Handful (Bucketful) of Show Alerts

Sunday, Aug 24th: Day 2 of Happy Sundays Long Beach.

Sunday, Aug 24th: Jesika Von Rabbit and Dream Phases at Zebulon. Doors at 7 p.m.
Read my Song Spotlight for Jesika Von Rabbit's "Psychic Spice" here. 

In 2021, Dream Phases was part of Happy Sundays Long Beach. I covered for Buzzbands, which you can read here.

Sunday, Aug 24th: Rose's Pawn Shop at The Echo. Doors at 5 p.m.
In 2024, I covered their set for US Rocker Music, which you can read here.

Wednesday, Aug 27th: Sagittaire at Zebulon. Doors at 8 p.m.
Read my Song Spotlight for "Hi, It's Caroline" here.

Thursday, Aug 28th: Annie Jets at the Redwood Bar. Doors at 8 p.m.
Read my Song Spotlight for "Avalanche" here.

Thursday, Aug 28th: Kat French at Bar Lubitsch. Doors at 7 p.m.
Read my Song Spotlight for "Casket" here.

Friday, Aug 29th: Blue Wisteria at Non Plus Ultra. Doors at 8 p.m.
Read my Song Spotlight for "Members Only" here.

Friday, Aug 29th: SWIMM at the Moroccan Lounge. Doors at 6:30 p.m.
In 2023, I covered their set for Buzzbands, which you can read here.

Saturday, Aug 30th: Kate Clover at the Levitt Pavilion. Doors at 7 p.m.
In 2022, I covered her set for Buzzbands, which you can read here.

Saturday, Aug 30th: March Adstrum and Valley Porno People at Non Plus Ultra. Doors at 8 p.m.
Read my March Adstrum Song Spotlight for "Relics from Phantoms" here.
Valley Porno People made my list of favorite 2024 bands. You can read that list here.

Saturday, Aug 30th: Moonily at Permanent Records Roadhouse. Doors at 6 p.m.

Read my Song Spotlight for "Evil Eye" here.

Song Spotlight: Slugs' Super Sane (an evening at Bar Flores during Echo Park Rising)

Though I've photographed Echo Park Rising for years now, even I still come across something totally unexpected. Last year I shot a band or two at Bar Flores and they were using their indoor bar as the stage. Part of me was wondering why bands such as Slugs (solo set by lead singer Marissa Longstreet) and Iress were playing such a small stage. I was thinking about how rude I was going to be, having to squeeze my way to the front of the stage to take some photos. My excuse would be that I needed to get to the front of the stage as I was shooting for the festival. I did not have to worry about that, because the stage was not inside the bar. There were signs that pointed ever so upwards until I got to a large open parking lot that part of me thinks is actually connected with a separate building. As I made my way up to the stage, a most amusing encounter happened. A young woman looked me straight in the eye and so I briefly stopped to listen to her complaint, "Do you know I just spent $30 on nachos? I've never spent that much." I looked at her and responded, "That is a lot." What can I say, that does sound laughably high. 

Slugs at Bar Flores

Song Spotlight: Peach Pit's Peach Pit (a night at the Greek Theatre)

I don't get the opportunity to shoot the Greek Theatre all that often. When I got the opportunity to shoot Peach Pit at the venue, I obviously jumped at the opportunity. You can read my US Rocker Music review here. 

Peach Pit at the Greek Theatre

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