"So Go Find Her..." L.A. Music Scene
There are those who would deride Los Angeles, claiming that it lacks culture. I say that they don't know where to look. The music scene is flourishing here, as evidenced by the experiences we had last night.
We began the evening at The Gig on Melrose with a performance by indie queen, Kat Parsons. It was another of her astounding shows. She was the opening act for Music Connection Magazine's Showcase Night, and was well received by the crowd of her loyal fans and the music industry insiders in attendance.
Kat had just finished a triumphant Release Party Tour promoting her CD No Will Power. She often does solo gigs, but last night she was accompanied by a full band, including talented cellist (and veteran actor) Dermot Mulroney. Kat is a multi-talented musician who is as adept at guitar as she is on keyboards. She opened her set standing behind the mic with the bright, upbeat title cut No Will Power and then took over keyboard duty. Through out the set she alternated between keyboard and guitar, with the band in full compliment. One exception was her sultry a cappella cover of Someone To Watch Over Me.
Her set included, among others, the soul-searing Go Find Her and the monumental U2-esque To Return To You. Unfortunately, it was a "showcase" night, only affording Kat a short set to show off her musical talents, which are many. She has an astounding vocal range that is equally suited to pop-driven melodies, torch songs and powerful ballads. Her sets are infused with her wit, charm and quirky, often comedic intros to her songs; she has a great rapport with her audience. Kat is a real talent that you should check out when she comes to a club near you. See her website for upcoming dates.
We left there and drove across town to one of our favorite eateries, Amalfi Ristorante. We went there with the plan of having a late dinner (9pm) from their incredible menu of Italian cuisine. When we walked in the door, we bumped into the beautiful, talented Sally Jaye of Paper-Sun, who proceeded to quickly lead us upstairs to the Room 5 Lounge where she promptly put us on her guest list. We grabbed a table in the darkened lounge, ordering off the menu by candle light. By the time we arrived, Emile Milar had already taken the stage and was filling the crowded room with his songs. Every night is different and one never knows what they'll find at Room 5. Emile and his band were quite good and a great musical appetizer for what was to come.
Dinner arrived, and with it, the next band. For my dining pleasure I chose the delicious Pesto e Pollo pizza from Amalfi's kitchen. For our aural pleasure, we were fortunate enough to be treated to the music of C. Duck and Nate. They were a 3-piece band featuring C. Duck Anderson and Nate Richert, accompanied by the lanky, stoic, and barefoot (while onstage) Michael Starr on fiddle. Their set started with C. Duck on guitar and handling lead vocals, while Nate played banjo and took care of the backing vocals. Throughout their set, C. Duck and Nate would take turns playing banjo and taking lead vocal duties. C. Duck has a voice that is eerily reminiscient of Lyle Lovett. Nate, for his part has a weary-sounding voice, like a lonesome wind that has been drifting across the plains since the beginning of time, picking up wisdom and stories along the way. Their voices and harmonies are perfectly suited to their music.
Their style of music would equally fit in with the talented musicians found on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, yet some of their songs sounded like something you'd expect from the Civil War era. It was a great set of music, and not something I expected to hear at Room 5.
The last set of the evening was Sally Jaye's (remember her from 3 paragraph's up?) new band, the name of which I never caught. All I can say is WOW! Sally has an angelic voice, which was beautifully backed by the haunting voice of Irish chanteuse Naimee Coleman. Unfortunately, Sally & Co. hit the stage after 11pm and some in our group had to be up at 4am, so we only stayed for the first 3 songs. Sally Jaye is a frequent performer at Room 5, so I know we'll be seeing her again. One of the things I truly enjoy about Room 5 is that many of the musicians there know one another, and often sit in with their friends on stage. From what I've experienced, no one has an ego problem; everyone is willing to take a back seat to their friends and help them out with their gigs. It is a great music scene for up n' coming performers. All-in-all, last night was a great night of music, food and the company of good friends.
We began the evening at The Gig on Melrose with a performance by indie queen, Kat Parsons. It was another of her astounding shows. She was the opening act for Music Connection Magazine's Showcase Night, and was well received by the crowd of her loyal fans and the music industry insiders in attendance.
Kat had just finished a triumphant Release Party Tour promoting her CD No Will Power. She often does solo gigs, but last night she was accompanied by a full band, including talented cellist (and veteran actor) Dermot Mulroney. Kat is a multi-talented musician who is as adept at guitar as she is on keyboards. She opened her set standing behind the mic with the bright, upbeat title cut No Will Power and then took over keyboard duty. Through out the set she alternated between keyboard and guitar, with the band in full compliment. One exception was her sultry a cappella cover of Someone To Watch Over Me.
Her set included, among others, the soul-searing Go Find Her and the monumental U2-esque To Return To You. Unfortunately, it was a "showcase" night, only affording Kat a short set to show off her musical talents, which are many. She has an astounding vocal range that is equally suited to pop-driven melodies, torch songs and powerful ballads. Her sets are infused with her wit, charm and quirky, often comedic intros to her songs; she has a great rapport with her audience. Kat is a real talent that you should check out when she comes to a club near you. See her website for upcoming dates.
We left there and drove across town to one of our favorite eateries, Amalfi Ristorante. We went there with the plan of having a late dinner (9pm) from their incredible menu of Italian cuisine. When we walked in the door, we bumped into the beautiful, talented Sally Jaye of Paper-Sun, who proceeded to quickly lead us upstairs to the Room 5 Lounge where she promptly put us on her guest list. We grabbed a table in the darkened lounge, ordering off the menu by candle light. By the time we arrived, Emile Milar had already taken the stage and was filling the crowded room with his songs. Every night is different and one never knows what they'll find at Room 5. Emile and his band were quite good and a great musical appetizer for what was to come.
Dinner arrived, and with it, the next band. For my dining pleasure I chose the delicious Pesto e Pollo pizza from Amalfi's kitchen. For our aural pleasure, we were fortunate enough to be treated to the music of C. Duck and Nate. They were a 3-piece band featuring C. Duck Anderson and Nate Richert, accompanied by the lanky, stoic, and barefoot (while onstage) Michael Starr on fiddle. Their set started with C. Duck on guitar and handling lead vocals, while Nate played banjo and took care of the backing vocals. Throughout their set, C. Duck and Nate would take turns playing banjo and taking lead vocal duties. C. Duck has a voice that is eerily reminiscient of Lyle Lovett. Nate, for his part has a weary-sounding voice, like a lonesome wind that has been drifting across the plains since the beginning of time, picking up wisdom and stories along the way. Their voices and harmonies are perfectly suited to their music.
Their style of music would equally fit in with the talented musicians found on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, yet some of their songs sounded like something you'd expect from the Civil War era. It was a great set of music, and not something I expected to hear at Room 5.
The last set of the evening was Sally Jaye's (remember her from 3 paragraph's up?) new band, the name of which I never caught. All I can say is WOW! Sally has an angelic voice, which was beautifully backed by the haunting voice of Irish chanteuse Naimee Coleman. Unfortunately, Sally & Co. hit the stage after 11pm and some in our group had to be up at 4am, so we only stayed for the first 3 songs. Sally Jaye is a frequent performer at Room 5, so I know we'll be seeing her again. One of the things I truly enjoy about Room 5 is that many of the musicians there know one another, and often sit in with their friends on stage. From what I've experienced, no one has an ego problem; everyone is willing to take a back seat to their friends and help them out with their gigs. It is a great music scene for up n' coming performers. All-in-all, last night was a great night of music, food and the company of good friends.
posted by George Willis at 8:51 AM
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