Destruction, à la Indigo De Souza
INDIGO DE SOUZA @ THE FONDA [12/05/23]
aja monet + the surrealists album release show [07/14/2023]
In a sense of oversimplification, poetry is to language as jazz is to music. These respective artistic pursuits hinge on an artists’ courage to abandon established formalities, a nature of creative rule bending that forges the bridge between art and activism with poetry and jazz resting at its center. An artist combining the two seems…
Um, Jennifer? @ Yeah, Yeah, Yas [12/13/2023]
Photos by Chloe Gonzales & Dylan Simmons 10:30 PM I mean we were heading to an event called “Yeah, Yeah, Yas,” I knew what to expect. Drive the freeway, look around the block twice and miss our turn to find the event, stop, take a couple of tries parallel parking, and struggle to find the…
TV Girl @ The Observatory OC [12/17/23]
“Think about the average TV Girl Fan. They’re lonely. They’re depressed. They’re morally bankrupt. They’re actually bankrupt. They have no friends. They don’t go outside. They’re addicted to their phones, and honestly they don’t smell very good most of the time! That’s who listens to TV Girl.” As said by none other than lead vocalist…
Snow Strippers at The Roxy [12/1/23]
For me, nothing signals the end of another year quite like music fans and critics alike beginning to release lists ranking the best albums of the year. When looking back on my own favorite projects of 2023, one sticks out above the rest. Something about the shoegaze tinged balls to the walls EDM club tracks…
Gabito Ballesteros @ Peacock Theater
As I’m walking through downtown Los Angeles on a Tuesday night, all I see are Mexican tamborazos and bandas playing live music in the street with hundreds of people lining up waiting at the Peacock Theater’s front doors with the smell of hot dogs grilling filling the air. When a regional Mexican super star such…
Ruminations on Love, and the Sorrows of Its Slow Passing: Faye Webster @ The Novo [11/09/23]
Photos by Chloe Gonzales I wouldn’t say that love is at the forefront of my mind these days, but when I listen to Faye Webster’s music, it’s the only thing on my mind. You know that feeling you get when your crush smiles at you? Your face slowly flushing, the hot blush blooming across your…
Durand Jones @ The Fonda Theatre [11/6/2023]
Photos by Luna Seng–Lay I’ve always loved the rain. Growing up on the Northern California coast, in the small beach town of Half Moon Bay, there were very few days during the year when the sun shone through without the distraction of the clouds and fog. For my parents, Southern California natives who spent their…
Madeon @ The Shrine Auditorium [11/17/2023]
Photos by Lily Stockton Looking at the crowd outside the Shrine Auditorium, it would’ve been fair to assume that they were waiting for a blockbuster movie premiere, not a concert. Fans dressed in identical black cloaks, technicolor Hawaiian shirts, and oversized bolero hats joyfully exchanged fan merch and made conversation. Topics ranged from compliments on…
Noname @ The Wiltern [11/06/23]
Photos taken by Luna Seng-Lay In the middle of Koreatown, boxed inside the neon lights of The Wiltern, we waited on a carpeted floor between a pair of ornate art deco walls with gold details and a purple glow. A bouquet of bucket hats, bandanas, and overgrown hair swerved and bobbed while a murmured chorus…
Genesis Owusu @ The Fonda [11/06/23]
Photos taken by Amber Xu The Fonda Theatre was not prepared for the spectacle that was about to unravel on the night of November 6th. The central stage, flanked by baroque pillars standing underneath an intricate cupola, stood still with its velvet curtains drawn. The crowd slowly rumbled in anticipation as the clock crept forward.…
Current Joys @ The Vermont Hollywood [11/05/23]
Before the show had even begun, with the likes of Lil Peep and XXXTentacion blasting throughout the cavernous Vermont Hollywood, it became clear that Nick Rattigan, under the moniker “Current Joys,” would be departing from the melancholy indie pop that dominated his early career. This inclination was reinforced by Current Joys’ latest release, the album…
Lauryn Hill @ Crypto.com Arena [11/04/23]
In the vibrant city of Los Angeles, an air of anticipation surrounds the legendary Lauryn Hill as she graces the stage at the Crypto.com Arena. Arriving at the venue, I am feeling giddy and restless as I imagine witnessing a woman who has impacted so many artists in generations to come. Tonight, we are celebrating…
Beach Fossils @ The Novo [11/02/23]
“I was thinking about the lyrics like, ‘goddamn’ can’t cry cause you gotta sing” (Dustin Payseur). Payseur, the frontman of the Indie rock band, Beach fossils, succinctly encapsulated not only the relaxed, confident mannerisms of the band itself with this statement, but also facilitated rumination on the dichotomy between Beach Fossils’ danceable, hazy productions and…
Fred again.. @ The Shrine Expo Hall [10/31/23]
Photos by Julian Bajsel It’s not everyday that you witness a concert crowd adorned in fairy wings, an unapologetic amount of cat ears, and… Oscar Mayer cosplay? But on Tuesday, October 31st, the sixth night of Fred again..’s unprecedented residency at The Shrine—that’s exactly what the average concert-goer witnessed. And it was incredible. On Halloween…
Joji @ Crypto.com Arena
As the Los Angeles Pandemonium tour show vacillated from a romantic atmosphere to a rave-like experience, Joji demonstrated that regardless of how eccentric, playful, and even vulgar one can be, we all experience the intense depths of emotions from love and loss. The October 6th concert at the Crypto.com Arena began with openers Lil Toe…
GUM @ The Lodge Room [10/26/23]
Overhead outside the Lodge Room: “I always wondered where the cool people in LA went…” Depending on your definition “cool,” he wasn’t wrong! By the time GUM, aka Jay W. Watson took the stage, the eclectic venue was packed to the brim with handlebar mustaches, overgrown haircuts, patchwork tattoos, and loafers. It was exactly the…
GAYLE @ El Rey Theatre [10/25/2023]
Nestled in the heart of Los Angeles, the El Rey Theatre stands as a charming gem in the city’s vibrant tapestry of music venues. This historic theater, with its iconic marquee and intimate ambiance, has long been a beloved destination for music enthusiasts and artists alike. The lights draping its walls are colorful and ethereal,…
Cherry Glazerr @ Little Secret [10/21/23]
Inspired by the sounds that have historically dominated house shows and alternative spaces, Cherry Glazerr’s raw and powerful discography fuses elements of lofi with grunge and punk rock. A veteran of the LA indie rock scene, Cherry Glazerr frontwoman Clementine Creevy is playing her first show following the release of her fourth studio album, I…
Macklemore @ The Hollywood Palladium [10/18/23]
After taking a 50 minute bus ride from Westwood, I’ve arrived at my destination: Macklemoreville, CA. Tonight, Macklemoreville is conveniently located within the Hollywood Palladium. This is my first time at the Palladium. I’m very impressed by the venue. It’s beautiful and everyone here is ready for a show. I stop by the bar to…
DOPE LEMON @ The Bellwether [10/16/23]
Unlike its title, DOPE LEMON’s song “Kids Fallin’ in Love” is not an accurate picture of the millennial crowd that flocked to the Bellwether Monday night. Despite the cityscape that surrounded the venue, the group matched the aura of the band’s music and dressed in bohemian attire reminiscent of a desert music festival. The band’s…
Slow Pulp @ The Teragram Ballroom
To experience Slow Pulp’s music is to plant oneself beneath a warm summer sun, luxuriating under thick beams of light despite an impending tornado promising to wreak havoc on an ephemeral peace. Masters of metaphor, the Chicago-based, indie band’s productions echo the emotional roller coaster that is life, bolstered by hazy shoegaze riffs and an…