Tag: Fonda Theatre

RSVP HERE: Mamalarky Play Bootleg Theater + MORE

Welcome to our weekly show recommendation column RSVP HERE: LA Edition– your source for the best shows and interviews with some of our favorite local live bands. For the month of February we will be featuring LA shows!

Mamalarky are fuzzy jazzy indie darlings who relocated from Austin to Los Angeles a few years ago. The nostalgic feelings their psych pop evokes can be attributed to how far back their band roots stem. Singer/guitarist Livvy Bennet met drummer Dylan Hill on the first day of middle school and soon became musical soul mates. Their keyboardist, Michael Hunter, was only a grade older than them, and found his way into the project after reconnecting with Livvy and having her play bass in his band Hip Modus. After relocating to LA, their lineup was rounded out by bassist Noor Kahn. Last month they released a new music video for their song “Fury” and will be making the rounds in their hometown of Austin for this year’s SXSW festival in March. Your next chance to catch them in LA will be at The Bootleg Theater on 2/23 with Girl Friday and Eyeshadow! We chatted with them about what they were listening to in Middle School, how SXSW has changed over the years, and their band B.O.

AF: What were your favorite records in middle school?

I really liked The Unicorns’ Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone, Proof Of Youth by The Go! Team, and Hello Avalanche by The Octopus Project! Big mix of loud jangly guitars and distorted highly compressed synth hooks!

AF: What’s the story behind your latest music video for “Fury?”

The story is it’s the quickest we’ve ever written, recorded, and filmed a video song haha. It felt like an exercise in spontaneity really. It’s pretty funny watching back and remembering how sweltering it was this summer bouncing on the trampoline!

AF: Why did you relocate from Austin to LA? What are your favorite venues and bands to play with in Austin and in LA?

I got a job at a now defunct record label right out of college, and wanted to try a new place after growing up in Austin. The weather was a big pull too, the beach…it’s a very busy place which I appreciate! In Austin, we love playing Cheer Up Charlies, Barracuda, and Mohawk, ideally with bands like Being Dead, Smiile, or Hey Cowboy!
As far as LA goes I feel like we’re still learning the scene here but we love playing The Bootleg! Local bands we really love are Guppy, Healing Gems, Rosie Tucker, and Jerry Paper! There’s a billion bands here, we’re always discovering more.

AF: If your live set was a perfume, what would it be?

No perfume, no deodorant, straight B.O. <3

AF: Are you going to SXSW this year? What’s been your most interesting time at SXSW and how do you think it’s changed over the years?

Yes! We are SXSW veterans and we’re really excited to be going back again this year. SXSW has changed a lot… the whole interactive/film side grew a lot which has been pretty hectic. The city has grown, so there’s lime scooters everywhere which is a blessing and a curse for South by haha. I think in general it’s a cool place for new artists to play a million shows in front of different audiences for a week. I’m really hoping we never grow out of it. Probably some of our most ‘interesting’ SXs were in the first year or two of us being a band, playing a bunch of house shows. That’s where the true fans are born :)

RSVP HERE for Mamalarky with Girl Friday and Eyeshadow on 2/23 at Bootleg Theatre. 21+ / $10

More great shows this week:

2/21 NO AGE, Wurm 2020, Milo Gonzalez @ The Smell. All Ages RSVP HERE

2/22 Metronomy, BODEGA, Faux Real @ Fonda Theatre. $32.50 RSVP HERE

2/23 Zig Zags, The Well @ Permanent Records Roadhouse. RSVP HERE

2/24 Hnry Flwr, Cardioid, Chazzy L. @ Moroccan Lounge. 21+ / $12 RSVP HERE

 2/24 Hit Bargain, A Deer A Horse, Enemy @ Permanent Records Roadhouse. 21+ / RSVP HERE

 2/26 Soccer Mommy @ Amoeba Records. Free RSVP HERE

2/26 Neil Hamburger, Special Guests @ The Satellite. 21+ / $8 RSVP HERE

2/27 Flor de Toloache @ Lodge Room Highland Park. 21+ RSVP HERE

2/27 Bundy, Bloody Death Skull, Fellow Robot @ The Hi Hat. 21+ / $12-15 RSVP HERE

LIVE REVIEW: The Internet @ The Fonda Theatre

I was running late to The Internet. It’s never a good feeling when you’re in line to get into a venue, look up, and see emblazoned on a rooftop wall a video of a band performing inside. “Is that them?”

Luckily, it wasn’t (not completely). Tay Walker, 1/5 of The Internet, was on stage when we finally got in. “This is for all my ladies, cause ya’ll are a blessing”, Tay said with a slow smile. Unfortunately his charm only partially worked the crowd. The audience chatted quietly as the band played; couples swayed back and forth in time to the music. As talented as Walker’s vocals are, each loungey R&B jazz song moved quite seamlessly to the next, with little to no variation of tone. I felt my thoughts trail off: Do I need to hold this spot? Is there one opening act or two? Wow, that couple’s really going at it. The vibe inside The Fonda was extremely chill and I was beginning to worry it would remain that way.

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Then Durand Bernarr hit the stage.

“I love you girl, but I can’t miss you if you’re always around.” The crowd roared at the lyrics to “Around”  from his new Sound Check EP, the energy immediately shifting from hotel-lobby calm to college-party raucous. Bernarr’s presence on stage felt like a punch to the gut; he moves like a sprightly and seductive honeybee, flicking his golden scarf about the stage, engaging the crowd at every turn . He has referred to his single “Fly on the Wall” as “Brown Sugar’s Nephew”, saying that he thinks “D’Angelo might have had his hand in there somewhere.” I dare say that D’Angelo would be down for that comparison.

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Out of breath from Bernarr’s dancing, I leaned against the sound board, completely elated. Yet I also became a little concerned: Would The Internet be a snoozefest or a party?

The base line hit my spine during “Special Affair” and I knew I’d been silly to worry. The Internet presents The Internet was a mashup of high tempo beats and slow jams, a combination of The Internet songs and new material from each band member. Overall, the show ended up feeling much more like a showcase than a strictly ensemble affair; each band member took their turn at center stage, the lighting focusing the audience’s attention. We sang along to the songs we knew and encouraged new songs with shouts and hollers.

“A lot of times women don’t-don’t understand like we don’t be knowing what be on your mind. We can’t read minds. It’s just like we just wanna know what the fuck you want. Is it that hard?” Matt Martians’ performance of “What Love Is” struck a high note in the night, eliciting some laughter from the intro. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Syd’s “All About Me” was seductive and devious, the perfect date night grind.

The Internet didn’t do an encore, they had the night planned out.

Check out Syd’s Fin, Steve Lacy’s Demo, and Matt Martians’ The Drum Chord Theory. All out now.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]