Water From Your Eyes @ Zebulon [5/14/26]

Photos by Lauren Kim  No two projects from Water From Your Eyes sound the same. The only throughline in the two-piece band’s discography is their funky spirit and dedication to experimentation. The dance-pop/art rock band was formed by vocalist Rachel Brown and producer Nate Amos.  The pair met in Chicago, were once lovers but are…

American Football @ The Wiltern [5/23/26]

Photos by Dylan Simmons It seems that on the internet, the classic riff from American Football’s “Never Meant” is inescapable. But to alternative rock fans, the riff alone is the anthem for the midwest emo subgenre. In case you’re unfamiliar with their emo impact, American Football is a four-piece rock group that formed in Urbana,…

Mei Semones @ The Wiltern [5/23/26]

Purple lights filled the Wiltern as the crowd slowly grew in size and cramped together. As the opener of American Football’s tour, Mei Semones’ role that evening was to warm up the crowd for what was to come, and I can assure you she did just that.  Opening with “Itsumo,” released in 2025, the stand-alone…

Lorde @ The Kia Forum [5/14/26]

Photos by Kiara Mack It was just days after my fifteenth birthday when Lorde released “Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen it All),” a sentimental song reminiscing on when she “couldn’t wait to turn fifteen.” I blinked, it’s been five years, and it feels like my entire adolescence has led up to my 19-year-old self…

Operelly @ El Cid [5/11/26]

Photos by Lauren Kim Singer-songwriter Olivia Austin, known onstage as Operelly, makes music for the tenderhearted. Her eclectic lyricism and quirky arrangements have forged a pop sound that feels familiar yet experimental, a delicate balance that music platform Nina Protocol has referred to as “matured nursery rhymes.”  Operelly’s sound is not to be siloed. Her…

Snuggle @ Zebulon [5/8/26]

Photos by Lauren Kim  You’d probably drive past Zebulon without thinking twice. Just past a bridge and nestled between two freeways, Zebulon’s plain white facade houses a dimly lit bar. Inside, scattered conversations hum over the muffled sound of music. Enter the back room, and you’ll find a routine gathering spot for music lovers in…

Panchiko @ The House of Blues [5/7/26]

Photos by Georgie Ampudia For years, Panchiko existed more like an internet rumor than an actual band. In 2016, a user on 4chan uploaded a heavily distorted CD they had found in an Oxfam charity shop, asking if anyone recognized it. The album, D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L, contained almost no identifying information beyond a few first names buried…