I was at The Troubadour on Saturday, April 23, 2016 for a concert including three bands: We the Folk, T Sisters, and Dustbowl Revival. The first two bands were new to me. We the Folk formed at the UCLA campus and has been playing some of the small popular venues in L.A. for the past couple of years. Fronted by David Villafaña on vocals and guitar, the band on Saturday was comprised of five additional musicians playing fiddle, accordion, bass, drum kit, and percussion. The T Sisters is comprised of three harmonizing sisters — Erika, Chloe, and Rachel Tietjen — with
Tag: Americana
Another Year, Another Song
Thursday, March 24, 2016 found me at the Troubadour for a lovely night of music featuring Mandolin Orange and Elephant Revival presented by The Bluegrass Situation. Mandolin Orange I have not seen before and had only been able to check out a few of their songs earlier that day. I first saw Elephant Revival in January when they left a strong impression on me when they opened for Josh Ritter (see my post “Let’s See Where the Night Takes Us“). I’ve been listening to their album These Changing Skies since then and earlier in the week had received my pre-ordered
Dreaming Our Lives Away
Friday, March 11, 2016 — It was a dark and windy night, but that wasn’t going to stop the audience at Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach, CA from living it up. I arrived early in the evening for dinner and dessert (the caramel chocolate brownie was delicious). I was pleasantly surprised to find local musician Jett Pink performing though Happy Hour. Playing guitar and sometimes using a stompbox, Jett blazed through a number of well-known songs from a slew of legendary artists, including Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, The Beatles, Neil Young, Elvis Presley, The Eagles, The Band, and
Gather ‘Round and Stomp the Floor
On Saturday, February 27, 2016 I caught The Dirty River Boys playing at Hotel Cafe. Having been encouraged to attend by a friend, I knew nothing about this band going into the show, other than they hailed from Texas. They played a good mixture of songs in varying tempos that I would categorize under the Americana genre, with flavorings of cowpunk, country, and even Celtic rock. Guitar players Nino Cooper and Marco Gutierrez, and bass player Colton James, traded off singing lead for various songs. Often times the whole group was singing together, producing solid harmonies and sonorous vocals. The
Let’s See Where the Night Takes Us
Josh Ritter & the Royal City Band headlined the concert at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, California on Tuesday, January 19, 2016, touring behind recent album, Sermon on the Rocks. The opening band was Elephant Revival. Both bands performed soul-lifting music that could elevate the spirits of even the most discouraged individual. The mood of the crowd was excited and buzzing with anticipation from the start. I was completely won over by Elephant Revival, a group of talented musicians that blends folk-style lyrics with luscious, enchanting melodies over groovy, rhythmic beats. There is a lovely interplay of the voices of