It was off to the Troubadour to catch a couple favorite bands: Eastern Conference Champions and Gliss. And along the way I caught Ruby Friedman Orchestra. It was a free night hosted by Rock ‘N Roll Glamour Show.
First up was the search for free parking. I tried my normal side streets, but didn’t come up with anything. I continued farther and farther east until I found myself all the way on La Cienega. If you know where that is, you know that it is considered one lovely hike from there to the Troubadour. It was so far that I almost considered the virtues of taking Bus Number 4 to the Troubadour. It was so far away, I swear I passed by three retailers with the name Palm or Palms. On my way back to my car, I counted only two such establishments plus a fortune teller who had “palm reader” painted on the window, but I swear there was a third with Palm in its name – maybe I drove past it versus walking past it.
I did get to the Troubadour with plenty of time to spare; however, I learned that my friends had all found better parking spaces. Perhaps I should practice more patience regarding circling around the neighborhood.
Eastern Conference Champions kicked off the night. You know ECC knocked it out of the park when you look over and see a 10-year old girl with the biggest smile, a smile that she held throughout the set. I know how she felt, because when I first caught Eastern Conference Champions in early 2010 I explained their set as a religious experience. That is perhaps over the top, but seeing is believing. And so when Sunset Junction 2010 came around, I convinced a handful of friends to make sure they arrived at Sunset Junction early enough on a Saturday to catch their set. Creating converts is a wonderful experience. In fact, I created stronger converts than myself. When they played Spaceland for their residency, I believe I went to two of their nights. My friends went to three or four of the nights.
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Ruby Friedman Orchestra was up next. As a friend mentioned to me, her voice has the sound that one might hear from a ghost (that was meant in a positive light, if you were wondering). Another friend mentioned that I should look at her shoes, because those were the tallest platforms around and how could she possibly move without tumbling over. And Ruby Friedman had the quote of the night, “I have two requests. Does anyone have a towel or tissue? And can I have a new microphone stand, this one broke? . . . Now no more pictures. My make-up is like I just woke up in the morning.” And surprise surprise, my friend Jodie from The Shakers showed up as a back-up vocalist for three of the songs. After the set, Jodie was surrounded by folks saying how awesome she sounded on stage.
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In between Ruby Friedman Orchestra and Gliss, was an interesting modeling/playful fashion runway presentation by Flame Angel Design. Hot women with men battling for their affection, ending in a gunfight brawl.
And next up was Gliss. I love this band. This was only the second time I saw this band. I first saw them at Silverlake Lounge and fell in love. When they were scheduled to play in Pomona, I was greatly disappointed that I had a conflicting appointment. In the end though, they had to cancel their set so I didn’t miss anything. Honestly, who cared if I walked farther than any normal Angeleno would walk. I love their ambient vocals. I love how they switch between instruments. And I love their song ‘Morning Light.’ I’m not even sure if it is a love song or a song of despair, but who cares:
Sitting next to me
Nobody could sympathize
Only in my dreams
Everything comes to life
In your heart
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All in all, a lovely Sunday night at the Troubadour that ended for me with Gliss singing Peter, Paul and Mary’s “500 Miles.”
Final thought. During Ruby Friedman Orchestra’s set, a random thought passed through my head while seeing at least a half dozen photographers along the stage, There are simply too many of us Los Angeles music bloggers. Maybe they weren’t music bloggers, but just photographers for the band, club or the host; either way, how do you distinguish yourself from the crowd