LOS ANGELES, CA- On April 28th, 2022, Blurred Culture returned to the stage at Madame Siam for the second time since local covid ordinances/rules eased up, and boy… did we throw one rager of a good time. Our friends in the band KingQueen wanted a place to celebrate the release of their self-titled, debut EP, and we worked with them put together an exciting line-up that would rock our stage late… real late… into the night.
KingQueen’s lead singer, Sabrina, suggested kicking off the festivities with the outrageous talents of Landa Plenty. Sabrina’s suggestion was gold. Landa had whole the room laughing and dancing with her as she warmed up the crowd with her gregarious humor, spirited dance moves and perfect lip-syncing. The most memorable part of her performance was when she interacted with a girl in the crowd and asked her if she had ever met a drag queen before. When the young woman admitted that she hadn’t, the comedic repartee commenced, playing on the anxious nervousness of the young lady, and gradually getting her to laugh uncontrollably like they were best friends.
I met KingQueen earlier this year when they performed at an L.A. Rock Collective showcase at The Hard Rock Cafe. Our paths would cross again month later when they were added to a Fan Girl Cafe lineup at The Troubadour where some of my photography was displayed. I guess that was just fates way of telling me that I need to get to know these guys.
When they asked me about the chances of getting night at Madame Siam, I jumped at the opportunity. These guys are fantastic live. This quintet knows how to work a stage, and their front-woman, Sabrina Petrini, has stage presence for days.
Their 5-song EP, which was digitally released at midnight following their performance, is a solid debut effort. Clean production value with catchy hooks make these 5 songs a joy listen to. They are at their best when they summon huge 80’s rock licks to accompany their undeniable melodies. A favorite track of mine is the Heart-esque “Romantic” is a power-ballad which absolutely slaps.
KingQueen have been busy getting putting their music out to the masses. With a just announced appearance at this year’s NAMM Festival, and the recent drop of the new music video for “It’s Raining”, KingQueen is well on their way to making their mark on 2022.
The next act to take the stage was Tamara Kumbula, and she brought something fierce to the Madame Siam stage. I thought that Tamara killed it with her hip-hop infused bangers. Although I wasn’t too familiar with her full repertoire, I was fully invested in her music and even more invested in her undeniable presence on stage. Although there was apparently a bit of an issue with the sound in the monitors, Tamara’s sass and confidence on stage really hid any sonic deficiencies. A true class act performer.
Two notable observations of Tamara’s performance: (i) towards the end of her set, she brought a surprise guest on stage, Kalcatraz (I think) to perform a song (“2021″… I think… again… I’m not too familiar with Tamara’s repertoire just yet), and (ii) when she performed her last song, hearing her fans in the crowd sing/chant lyrics along with her was testament to her knack at writing music that resonates with people.
I’ve got to give Jasmine Crowe some serious props. Due to soundcheck, and the time I had originally allotted for change-overs between sets, running a lot longer than anticipated, Jasmine’s performance started considerably later than I had planned. Despite the late start time, Jasmine brought her A-game to the stage and absolutely crushed it. I told her this after her performance, but Jasmine’s a rock star. A performer’s performer. Her bandmates, Tina Hughes and Aubrey Harris, were equally as rocking, and they all deserve a huge round of applause for bringing the heat to shut it down.
Even when there were feedback issues in the monitors, Jasmine stayed focused on the music that she was singing, never breaking from her persona on stage. Despite the limited space on the stage, Jasmine still used every inch of her body to express the messages and feelings in the lyrics that she was singing. I was doubly impressed when she bust out her electric violin, demonstrating to me that she’s more than just a singer. She’s a musicians.
First impressions can leave a lasting impression, and Jasmine left an incredibly indelible one on me. I’d gladly host another one of her performances in the future… except next time, we’ll figure out how to stop all that feedback…. and I’d guarantee her that she won’t have to perform so late next time. Cross my heart
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Our next showcase is May 26th, 2022. Put it in your calendars! We’ve got another group of amazing artists lined up to take the Madame Siam stage! Flasch, Boyu and Tay. This is gonna be a good one. Trust us.
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