LONG BEACH, CA- In the ever-vibrant tableau of Long Beach’s music scene, there’s a venue that stands as a totem to the nights of feverish revelry and raw, unadulterated rock – Alex’s Bar. A place etched into the collective memory of HBO’s “True Blood” enthusiasts and music aficionados alike, it’s where the undiluted essence of rock finds a home. On a drizzly evening, as the rain christened the streets, the true devotees, the hardy souls of the rock world, congregated within its hallowed walls.
The lineup was set to ignite the night, but with Jules and the Rollerz bowing out due to the unfortunate strike of illness, the other bands had to pick up the slack. I didn’t worry though. With Broken Baby, Tea Eater and IZBND ready to rock and roll, I knew they’d all pick up the slack.
Broken Baby is a band I have the pleasure of knowing not just as a musical force, but as friends whose talents I’ve witnessed bloom over the years.
Two years had passed since I last stood amidst the crowd, feeling the surge of their indie rock jams. Yet, the moment Amber and Alex hit the first chord, time melted away. Their music – a concoction of indie rock, with the glitz of glam and the raw defiance of punk – courses through the room, igniting every soul with a surge of adrenaline. It’s more than a performance; it’s an electric ritual, and a guaranteed transcendence into rock euphoria.
Onstage, Amber is nothing short of a tempest. Away from the limelight, she is grace and tranquility personified, but as the spotlight ensnares her, she metamorphoses into a force of nature. She owns the stage with the prowess of a seasoned rock deity, crawling, straddling monitors, and diving into the crowd, blurring the lines between the band and their followers.
Their current trajectory is a mirror to their onstage fervor. With an upcoming show at Permanent Records Roadhouse in Los Angeles on April 6th, Broken Baby is a beacon for the live music scene, reminding us that the soul of rock thrives on the stage.
Following Broken Baby was a revelation from Brooklyn – Tea Eater. Tara Thiessen, the architect behind the project, carries with her the pedigree of Sharkmuffin and Gustaf. Having missed Gustaf’s tour, I was primed for a taste of Thiessen’s genius. Born from the crucible of lockdown, Tea Eater is a testament to the power of community, both local and digital.
The debut album “Obsession,” released on October 6, 2023, is a mosaic of Brooklyn’s musical genius and the digital camaraderie of Twitch streams. It’s where the pulse of the city’s music scene beats in unison with the global digital heartbeat. Their performance? A relentless surge of energy, their garage punk and jangly art rock a raw and jarring symphony that infects you with its rhythm. Tara and her band have been performing throughout Los Angeles this month, and they have one last show at Genghis Cohen on Thursday if you can make it out.
The final act, IZBND, is the enigma of the evening. Izabella, the artist behind the moniker, weaves a tapestry of indie rock with the dark threads of grunge. Her music is an odyssey in itself, a search for sound that began in 2019. It’s clear from the outset – IZBND’s music resonates with the soul of indie rock, its grunge undertones a call back to a time when music was an act of rebellion.
As the night unfolded, the performances of Broken Baby, Tea Eater, and IZBND were not just shows. They were sonic narratives, each telling a story of passion, resilience, and the unyielding spirit of music. In the dimmed lights of Alex’s Bar, as the rain subsided outside, the echoes of the night’s symphony lingered on – a testament to the enduring power of live music.
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