Saturday, February 24, 2024

Gwen Stefani Cupcake

2012's Push and Shove is the last time No Doubt made us want to keep on dancing but Gwen Stefani has never really gone away. What with her solo career, a messy divorce with Gavin Rosedale, seven seasons as a judge on the singing competition reality TV show The Voice, marrying fellow judge from The Voice, Country music star Blake Sheldon and re-vamping her make-up line on top of being a boy-mom of three and a Las Vegas residency or two sprinkled in over the years, the 54 year old rockstress has kept herself busy climbing to the top. 


Gwen Stefani cupcake @ Bubba Sweets 


In 2022, more or less a year after marrying Blake Shelton, Gwen played shows with her new hubby including a country star studded event at the infamously famous country venue, The Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville Tennesse. That's a big feat for a SKA-rock queen from OC.
A few weeks later in November, Stefani performed at the 37th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Industion Ceremony. Shortly after that it would seem that the platnium blonde fashionista was heading back towards her roots, playing Waterfront Music Festival in San Diego the weekend of November 18th, 2022. She hit a littler closer to home when she played the Beach Life Festival at Redono Beach last May but the closest we've seen Gwen Stefani get to her Orange County SKA, Punk roots
is when she headlined Staurday night at Cali Vibes on February 17th, 2024 in Long Beach. 





The weekend before Gwen's Long Beach apperance I remembered that a cupcake place not too far away in Huntington Beach has a Gwen Stefani cupcake. When I hopped on their website and saw that the No Doubt front woman inspired treat was served on Friday, Saturday and Sunday I was on the road before I knew it. Is there more appropriate subject to write about than a rockstar themed cupcake on a blog that reviews music and cupcakes?
I wasn't going to let this opportunity pass me by! 
There was no line at Bubba Sweets when I arrived and there they were, their Gwen Stefani cupcakes! The girl who helped me was very sweet and had no idea that that the cupcake name sake was going to be playing a music festival in Long Beach the following weekend. 





Rather than waiting to have cupcakewith my morning cup of coffee or save it for the next night I told myself to eat it that night and I am so happy that I did because it wouldn't have had it's fresh yumminess if I had waited. The cake was so buttery and so moist and so lemony it was basically a lemon pound cake but more buttery. The lemon was as fragrant as it was flavorful and the frosting was the thickest, creamiest, blueberriest frosting I've ever tried. 


Gwen Stefani cupcake from Bubba Sweets 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Like Gwen, this cupcake is astheticly pleasing. There's no doubt about it, this cupcake wants your attention and with it's purple frosting adorded with a yellow button of lemony goodness and a rim of matching purple, pink, yellow and white srpinkles it gets your attention. No matter what look Gwen is rocking we can always count on her outfit to be unique with have a pop of color, something unexpected and fun accessories. Sometimes she looks so good you think to yourself, "she's going to actually perform?"and this cupcake is almost too cute to eat...almost. While blueberry lemon is a unique pairing for a cupcake it's not totally unheard of. 
When cupcakes have a lot going on the quality of how the cupcake tastes tends to go down. It could be that there's  a lot of flare but no flavor or way it's overly sugary or the frosting hits but the cake misses.
Not this time. 




As stated above the frosting was the thickest, creamiest, blueberriest frosting ever. It is in fact blueberry buttercream frosting and there is real blueberries mixed in it! You can taste it and see it, not just the light purple hue but little slivers of blueberries, too. Though flavorful the frosting wasn't as flavorful as the lemon cake and that's a good thing. Too much of a good thing is too much and the flavor ratio that Bubba Sweets found for their Gwen Stefani cupcake puts it at the top of the charts. 


Gwen Stefani cupcake from Bubba Sweets 
photo by Nikki DeMartini





Inside the lemon cake was a healthy portion of blueberry filling. Don't speak, I know what you're thinking...overload, right? Wrong! The blueberry filling wasn't very sweet at all according to my sweet tooth and really made the cupcake all the more scrumptious. Like Gwen going from rock band to solo career to Country starlette, this cupcake with it's blueberry filling goes into pie territory a little bit. If there was one thing I wanted more of from this cupcake it's more of the tangy lemon jelly that sat on top. 








Growing up, Gwen Stefani was one of my favorite rockstars in one of my favorite bands. TRagic Kindom was one of the first cassette tapes I owned. Seeing No Doubt at The Fillmore in SF right before Return to Saturn was released was one of the best concerts I've ever been to.
A lot of ladies my age grew up on No Doubt and idolized the band's front woman. She was a rock goddess and she dressed so cool. Gwen was a trend setter in more ways then one. 


Gwen Stefani cupcake from Bubba Sweets 
photo by Nikki DeMartini



Last year after Tom DeLonge re-joined Blink 182 and made a surprise appearance at Coachella before impromptly headlining weekend 2 then launching on their own reunion tour the rumor mill started turning with murmurs of a No Doubt reunion.
In early 2024 when the Coachella line-up announcement finally came so too did the announcement that No Doubt is scheduled to play.
Now, I may be walking on spiderwebs here but will there be a No Doubt reunion tour announcement post-Coachella? If so will Bubba Sweets create a No Doubt cucpake because both of those things happening would be hella good.

Gwen Stefani set-list Cali Vibes 2/17/2024 
1. Sweet Escape 
2. Sunday Morning 
3. Hey Baby 
4. It's My Life 
5. Bathwater 
6. Cool
7. Purple Irises (duet with Blake Shelton) 
8. Underneath It All 
9. Hella Good 
10. Blow Ya Mind 
11. Used To Love You 
12. Wind It Up 
13. Light My Fire (duet with Sean Paul) 
14. Rich Girl 
15. Luxurious 
16. True Babe 
17. What You Waiting For 
18. Don't Speak 
19. Spiderwebs 
20. Just A Girl 
21. Hollerback Girl 

Friday, December 29, 2023

Frosted vegan cupcake: Chocolate Mint

The December menu at Frosted Cupcakery in Long Beach, California has traditional holiday time flavors that are every where this time of year, the ones that get the festive feeling flowing: Gingerbread, Egg Nog and good ol' chocolate (pepper)mint.
But what about the vegans on your list, you ask? Their vegan Chocolate Mint cupcake is a tasty gift for every vegan on your list!

vegan Chocolate Mint cucpake from Frosted Cupcakery LBC
photo by Nikki DeMartini

I tend to stear away from chococake cake based cupcakes because it seldom seems to hit the mark, that is except for flourless chocolate cakes. When I saw that Frosted cupcakery in Long Beach has a vegan chocolate I had to see for myself if their vegan chocolate cake hits the same or close enough to flourless chocolate cake. 

The cake and frosting were a little more dense than usual, a strong start for the cake! At first taste I could tell that this vegan chocolate cake was more chocolaty decadent than standard, non-vegan chocolate cake. What is it about missing ingredients that makes chocolate cake more yummy?

The flavor combo ratio was on point as mint can be overwhelming but not at Frosted Cupcakery. The frosting wasn't as creamy as I would have liked probably because I didn't get around to eating it until two days after buying it. For two day old frosting on a cupcake that was crafted fresh in store it was still nice, not naughty at all. And for the cupcake gift that keeps on giving, had I not known this cupcake was vegan I wouldn't have guessed otherwise, that's when you know it's a good vegan cupcake. 

The chocolate mint vegan cupcake is available through December so get your holiday flavor fix while you can! If you've never tried a vegan treat this could be your sign to try something new heading into the New Year! Cheers!



Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Sun Room @ The Fonda Theatre 11/29/2023

 By the time I got to The Fonda Thetare last Wednesday night I knew that Sun Room, the headliners, were already on stage. It was just past nine o'clock and as I jotted across Hollywood Blvd I could hear a deep, rolling bass rocking from inside. I rushed in to find the balcony closed and the floor filled with rambunctious twenty somethings, a far cry from the setting cast at the sold-out show for The Japanese House at the same venue a week prior. It almost felt like two different venues when I walked into an atomosphere a kin to a dive bar last week. 


Sun Room @ The Fonda Theatre 11/29/2023 
photo by Nikki DeMartini


The 4 guys who comprise the band are Southern California bred which was made blantently apparent by excited screaming for the band, most notably shouting for Thomas, bewteen every single song. Their shared, amphlified excitment easily elevated the experience for everyone else at the show. And it probably made it that much more fun for the guys of Sun Room, too, albeit kind of embarassing. 

The first thing I noticed was how loud they were paired with that fact that they sounded good without being able to escape the feeling how badly these guys want to sound good. To be good.  In button down shirts, cardigans, neck ties and leather jackets  they looked the part and their collective pouring of passion into their music/live show had them playing the part, too and well. 



The next thing I noticed was the backdrop: a large, colorful custom tapestry in a patchwork fashion showcasing a friendly sun and their name across the top. It's an eye catching piece to say the least and it gives the band, and their live show, a sort of retro feel. One might expect to hear some western twang with this dusty desert and tumbleweeds type of vibe but Sun Room is all about the surf and garage rock. 

Sun Room @ The Fonda Theatre 11/29/2023 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Some songs where more garage rock driven, heavy on the lo-fi guitar and bass while others struck a balance between surf and garage, a musical take on a surf and turf plate if you will. A little something for just about everybody. For instance, things got a little bit more beachy when they played "Kicking Rocks" off of their recently released EP, At Least I Tried. For as cliche as it may be, the floor was alive with a youthful exhuberience. There was movement in the crowd. More movement than I have seen at a show in a while.
 The song "Fun" from their first EP, 2020's Sol de Sur starts with a whole bunch of Ooooh Ooooh Ooohs and by the time they got around to the first verse the place had erupted into a sea of heads bopping up and down. They grew louder as they played on and as they played on there was more crowd surfing. Ironically enough, the show took a grungy garage turn when they played "Cadillac" and, yep, it was louder than the previous song they played.
While each song brought it's own flavor, Sun Room's ability to waver within genres and delicately blend genres without breaking from their signature sound is admirable, especially for an up and comers still establishing themselves as a band. They did in fact only form three years ago during the 2020 quarentine. 

It was hard not to notice the keen attention to deatil in the lighting as bright bursts of color were coreogrpahed to go with each song. From dark indigos and swirling rainbows and pirecing strobe lights, Sun Room's lighting is undeniably a part of their live show. 


Sun Room @ The Fonda Theatre 11/29/2023 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

















Sun Room @ The Fonda Theatre 11/29/2023 
photo by Nikki DeMartini
















As the end of the show drew near, more and more mosh pits started circling and Sun Room only seemed to get louder and louder. Frontman Luke Asgian introduced the second to last song as a new one from their forth coming EP due out that same night! The song, louder than the last, weighed in as the night's heaviest guitar driven that they played because you literally could feel it rumbling and roaring with vigor beneath your feet. It was so strong I wondered if it was actally coming from one of them on-stage or some playback off stage.

Everyone was riled up by the time Sun Room wound down to their final song of the night, playing my personal favorite track off of their new EP, title track "At Least I Tried". 

I could see Sun Room playing sets you wouldn't want to miss at Summer Music Festivals next Summer: they know how to get a crowd going and they continue to bring it. Their's isn't a new sound but Sun Room's core sound is that of an old rock soul, tapping into the best of both worlds from surf rock and garage rock with an emphasis on playing loud

Tour continues for Sun Room later this month and into next year in Australia! 

The Fonda Theatre Marqee 11/29/2023 
photo by Nikki DeMartini







Tuesday, November 28, 2023

The Japanese House at The Fonda Theatre 11/20/2023

On November first, English, indie, dream-pop songstress Amber Mary Bain who's known as The Japanese House embarked on a North American tour of 30 show days. Starting off with a sold-out show in Philly and ending in Boston on December 10th, last week marked the halfway point with four sold-out shows in California, one of which I happened to find myself at.


The Japanese House @ The Fonda Thetare 11/20/2023 
photo by Nikki DeMartini




The Fonda was still filling up when I got to the venue last Monday night.  Quinnie was a few songs in as she comfortably positioned herself as an angelic sailor, cooing to the crowd with her sweet folky songs laced with swear words.
The crowd looked to be around my age (middle) and conversations seemed to grow louder the more Quinnie played and as more people showed up. 






Released over the summer on June 30th, the tour is in support of their critically accalimed sophomore album In The End It Always Does. When I gave it my first listen it stirred a resemblence to Boygenius and even HAIM a little bit...something about the riffs and harmonies. The fact that there were a lot of guys at the show that night, seemingly on thier own accord and not in tow with someone else was not lost on me as we waited for the headliner to take the stage. The Japanese House is proving to be a power player on the optomistic "sad-girl" indie trend.

Any space on the floor when the opener left the stage was inconspiculously occupied and before you knew it the place was as stuffed as a Thanksgiving turkey.
 After nearly forty minutes, the change over that didn't want to end finally did! Cheers filled The Fonda as the house lights dimmed and The Japanese House took the stage. The curtains opened up to a minimalistic stage design of one large white, wrinkled sheet stretched out longbehind the 5 piece band with Bain front and center. 


The Japanese House @ The Fonda Theatre 11/20/2023
photo by Nikki DeMartini

For as solemn as her sound can be it was refreshing to see Bain smiling as soon as the room laid eyes on her. She beamed on stage with her guitar in hand and band by her side as they kicked off the set with "Sad to Breathe" a track off the new album. 

It was clear quite quickly that there was good reason for the long change over. The Japanese House sounded impecable. Her vocals, calm amd collected were smooth as butter and the instruments clear and crisp. Causing a stir at the top of the next song, "Touching Yourself" fueled cheers as well as some movement in the crowd. Rainbow colored lights illuminated the white sheet backdrop, lightening the mood of the night. People around me knew the words, becoming cooly jubilent as they quietly sang along. The audience participation sparked a visible bliss on stage between Bain and her mates as well as between her and her fans. 

Bain, still smiling, greeted the LA crowd, expressing that it'd been too long.
In 2019 she released her first LP, Good at Falling,  that was also the last time she played in LA.
Peersonable enough, she went on to introduce the next song, "Something Has To Change" joking at the end of it that something really had to change when she had wrote the song.  


The Japanese House @ The Fonda Theatre 11/20/2023 
photo by Nikki DeMartini


They played a couple songs off the first album before coming back to new stuff and as the sixth song of the night was qued, Bain declared, "this one is for all the queers". "Boyhood" is easily one of my favorite tracks from "In The End It Always Does". It's serene and soothing for easy listening, relatable not only for those in the queer commuinity but anyone on the journey of learning who they are and finding their voice. A delicate song for a delicate dance. 

As promised by Bain herself, the mood shifted to a more meloncaly one before "Friends" picked things back up. I couldn't have been the only one there hoping that The Japanese House would play "Morning Pages", another  favorite off of the new album and I definitely couldn't have been the only one there totally shocked when MUNA, who's featured on the track,  joined The Japanese House on stage to preform the song live!?! Or was I? Being from the Bay I wonder, does this sort of thing happen all the time in LA?
 Everyone there was elated and that wasn't the finale! The Japanese House had six more songs in store for us! 

This show made staying out late on a Monday night well worth it. For as reserved as their sound is, The Japanese House live show will blow you away if they sound anywhere as near as good as they did their headlining show at The Fonda. Friends mentioned that they had tickets to see The Japanese House in San Francisco and Seattle and I them that they were in for a treat! 


The Japanese House @ The Fonda Theatre 11/20/2023 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

set-list 11/20/2023

1. Sad To Breathe 
2. Touching Yourself 
3. Something Has To Change 
4. Follow My Girl 
5. Saw You in a Dream 
6. BoyHood 
7. You Seemed So Happy 
8. Baby Goese again
9. Over There 
10. Friends 
11. Morning Pages (ft. MUNA) 
12. Chewing Cotton Wool 
13. Maybe You're the Reason 
14. Dionne
 
encore
15. Super Trooper (ABBA cover)
16. One for sorrow, two for Joni Jones 
17. Sunshine Baby 




Thursday, November 2, 2023

Cupcake muffin from CHÖK in Madrid, Spain

Back in August with a week off between working music festivals,  I decided to treat myself to a week off in Spain!  After I wrapped up load-out at Outside Lands in San Francisco I un-packed and re-packed, as I'm use to, only this time I'd be boarding my very first flights to Europe to meet up with one of my best  friends who was already there!

It was the trip and experience of a lifetime! One I wouldn't have thought for myself a few short years ago. It wasn't something I really planned the way people plan vacations. It was more of an: 


"I'm here, you should come." 

"I want to be there! I can be there on these dates."

 "Let's do it." 

"I'm going to SPAIN!"


The true meaning of  YOLO?
I think it is, yes. 


Guava, Strawberry, Mango cupcake from Chok in Madrid, Spain 
photo by Nikki DeMartini


We did what we do anywhere and everywhere we go together: we ate our way around town, we ate our little hearts out and it was devine. Everything was, and I cannot express this enough, suh good! One trip to Spain and I'm convinced everything is better in Spain and is better for you. Carbs?! Gluten?! Have no fear, over there they process their foods differently with little to no enrichment or fortified vitamins and minerals like foods here in the States (we fortify foods here because Americans don't eat enough fruits and vegetables so manufactuors strip foods of certain nutirents then microdose foods with other stuff). 






On one of our last afternoons in Madrid as we purused our cutsie little neighborhood as it bustled with warm air kissed by never ending sunshine & pleasantly content passerbys, we passed one (of many) cafe type spot with pastries on display in the window. It was in fact a small bakery named Chök the spelling of it's name distinctly similair to a local ice-cream shop Töto

Guava, Strawberry, Mango cupcake from Chok in Madrid, Spain 
photo by Nikki DeMartini


My eyes were glued to the window as our walk crept to a crawl and then it happened. My first cupcake sighting in Spain! Only, they're called muffins in Spain! 
These were no muffins. These were in fact cupcakes. 
Are they vegan? I didn't and still don't care either way! I knew what I wanted right away: one of the red ones with orange-ish frosting please and thank you! Though I asked the lady who rang me up about the flavors my excitement for the purchase must have made my thinking a little hazy because no matter how many times she repeated herself I cannot for the life of me remember if it's strawberry cake with gauva jam in the middle or visa versa. However, I do remember that the frosting is mango. Sold! There was no wrapper holding the cupcake in place but rather a melted piece of dark chocolate on the bottom of it of the cupcake. 


Guava, Strawberry, Mango cupcake from Chok in Madrid, Spain 
photo by Nikki DeMartini


Oddly enough for me and my enormous sweet tooth, I didn't eat this cupcake right away. "But, your review" my surprised friend inquired. Instead of hosuing it in the fridge for a night I took it out of it's perfectly customized single serving take away box and placed it on a plate on the kitchen counter. As I had the cupcake photo shoot with this one it donned on me that with it's red cakes and it's golden frosting it resembles the flag of Spain! 


Guava, Strawberry, Mango cupcake from Chok in Madrid, Spain 
photo by Nikki DeMartini





Come the next day it's frosting was a little stiff so I lived in the moment and dove in, saving the plate of jamon for later. This is the first two-teared cupcake I've had. Sure I've had cupcakes with dollops of yum in the middle but this cupcake was literally a cake of a cupcake cut in half and smeared with fruit jam in the middle. The cake was dense almost like a pound cake, but not and it was buttery but not over saturated like one might expect from a buttery cake in the States. The red hue was deep and consistant through out the whole cupcake though even while eating it I could not tell whether it was strawberry or guava flavored. The thick layer of jam in the middle is Spain's go to sweet fruit spread, filling, flavor guava which meant the cake had to be strawberry. Right? 

When I dove into this cupcake I did so with a knife and fork because it looks like a cupcake that demands to be respectfully eaten with a knife and fork. Also, the frosting made it a pretty tall order and I wanted to taste all of it's flavors all at once all at the same time. So I cut it into bite sized pieces. All of the flavors: mango, strawberry and guava were super light which was just right. It would have been too much if all three were full-on flavor town. The strongest of them was guava, then mango then strawberry. Like the cake, the frosting was also dense and I'm sure it's creamy when fresh. 
None of it was overinduldgent but overall the whole thing was induldgent. That's part of the magic of Spain. No single thing is overindulgent but almost everything is so genuinely beautiful, awe inspiring, inviting and welcoming that you want more, more, MORE! You want it all and you want to take it all in because it's all so good so you don't miss any of it, not a crumb! With each bite sized bite I took I thought to myself, "I'm eating a cupcake...in SPAIN!"

Ladies, pack dresses and sandles when you go to Spain and keep in mind, Barcelona is the hot spot but Chök in Madrid is the place to be! This was a fun trip down memory lane and now I really want to go back to Spain! 
Remember in the beginning of this post when I said a few short years ago I wouldn't have thought I'd be going to Spain? Me? Spain?!
They say money can't buy you happiness but not being able to afford a the bare minimum to live can be a major bummer. And forget about the finer things in life.
 Keep striving to live your best life, whatever that might look like for you. Keep working: work to pay the bills and work on yourself to be your best self so you can live your best life. Everything will fall into place if you move with that intent. The journey won't be straight forward and that's what makes it exciting. Don't forget to rest but don't give up.
How will you find the beauty that's literally all around us and learn how to make the most out of what you've got to live the best life YOU possibly can? Life is not easy but I have learned the hard way that it is also oh so sweet. 
Ready to take that leap whatever it may be? No? 
(that's the perfect time!) 
 Treat yourself to life itself! 








Tuesday, September 19, 2023

See Escape Artist Lovers for FREE tonight!

 Long time friends turned new rock duo, Escape Artist Lovers had some fun turning a lulluby into a sedated, fuzzy, garage-rock love song on their break through track, "Hey M*therfucker" out now! 










Catch them bring their rendition of 70's, 80's and 90's like-minded tunes to the stage at Gold Diggers in LA! They're playing a free show tonight with Sunday Mourners and Frankel, who's going out on a Tuesday? For free dollars you can't go wrong! 

RSVP here

Monday, September 4, 2023

Vanilla Latte cupcake at Vanilla Bake Shop in LAX

 Before I got on a plane on my way to Spain, I treated myself to a cupcake, imagine that. 


Vanilla Bake Shop in LAX
photo by Nikki DeMartini


The Vanilla Bake shop was rigth across the way from my gate so in an impropmtu-ish gestiture, living up to my best YOLO life I seemingly attempted to squash any nerves with a good dose of good ol' sugar. With 5 flavors on the menu at 5 dollars a pop, the Vanilla Latte cupcake seemed like a perfect little pick me up. The man behind the counter let me know he'd have to put the cupcake in a bag and with that I was back at my gate. 


Vanilla Latte cupcake at Vanilla Bake Shop in LAX
photo by Nikki DeMartini


It seemed greasy as I took it out of the bag to take a bite before boarding but it was butter that smoothered my finger tips. 

The toasted coloring of the frosting reminded me of Mocha Almond Fudge ice cream. With it's light brown hue sprinkled with a dark contrasting brown it's texture was that of store bought cupcakes frosting. Light and airy, melting away at the first touch of tongue. Sweet and creamy, it was a whipped confection of buttercream frosting. 


Vanilla Latte cupcake at Vanilla Bake Shop  in LAX
photo by Nikki DeMartini


I didn't notice how small the cake was until I removed the cupcake from it's wrapper. Up until then I thought 5 dollars wasn't too bad for an airport cupcake but when I saw the size of that cupcake it's pricing made more sense. The little golden cake was just that, little. The cake part of this cupcake was at least half the size of any other cupcake. Like one you bake at home that doesn't rise all of the way. 


Vanilla Latte cupcake at Vanilla Bake Shop  in LAX
photo by Nikki DeMartini


The spongey, buttery cake was a good mix with the sweet, creamy frosting with just a little bit of latte flavor peaking through. 


I don't know if a cupcake with coffee in it's flavor was the best choice to make before getting on an international flight but it sure did taste good! 


Vanilla Latte cupcake at Vanilla Bake Shop in LAX
photo by Nikki DeMartini