Frosted gingerbread & Eggnog cupcakes

When you think of Christmas flavors what comes to mind?
How about gingerbread and eggnog?
Both make me think, "Christmas!" and they just might be seasonal flavors that are the most synonymous with the holidays to me.  

Eggnog and Gingerbread Cupcakes from Frosted in Long Beach 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

I peaked into Frosted Cupcakery to see what handcrafted Holiday time cupcakes they had and was delighted to see they had an eggnog cupcake! People either love eggnog or hate it, I love it and was excited to finally try an eggnog cupcake.
Like many other cupcake places, Frosted has a  Chocolate Peppermint cupcake this time of year but their December flavor of the month rang yuletide more. Gingerbread. 

Eggnog cupcakes from Frosted in Long Beach 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Both had sprinkles on top of their buttercream frosting: the eggnog cupcake with bigger colorful confetti sprinkles, the gingerbread with small colorful sugar crystal sprinkles that remind me of sugar plums dancing in sleepy heads. 

Gingerbread cupcakes from Frosted in Long Beach 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Rich and creamy buttcream frosting topped both.  The frosting on the eggnog cupcake was tinted with the Wintery drink in flavor as well as color while the frosting on the gingerbread cupcake had a merry and bright zest of lemon in every bite. 

The eggnog cake was so buttery and I can't tell if the frosting was more eggnoggy or the cake itself. It's almost like a vanilla cake with a little Christmas spirit boost. 

Eggnog cupcake from Frosted in Long Beach 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Gingerbread cupcake from Frosted in Long Beach 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The gingerbread flavor was just as subtle in the gingerbread cake. It also wasn't as buttery but maybe that's because I waited a day to eat it. 

Christmas time can be overwhelming but there's no overdoing it with these two Christmasy cupcakes from Frosted in Long Beach!

Courtney Marie Andrews @Troubadour 12/14/2022

Courtney Marie Andrews @ Troubador 12/14/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Courtney Marie Andrews brought her velvety, story telling vocals to the historic Troubadour in West Hollywood on December 14th. She'd been on the road since November 2nd in support of her new album Loose Future, of which the tailend found her at one of my favorite venues in San Francisco, The Independent the night before she played in LA and would bring her to the Casbah the follwoing night. 

It was a chilly Wednesdsay night in LA  but it was nice and cozy in the qaint music venue that boasts of a 500 capacity which is hard to believe once inside. It's small stage, wood paneled walls and dive bar lighting reminded me of that favorite San Francisco venue of mine only smaller, much smaller. 

There was a meager crowd for the opener Johnny Fritz who served a comic relief before the headliner, mixing folky guitar playing with humorous lyrics. The place filled in a little bit more but was by no means full by the time Courtney Marie Andrews and her band took the stage right before 9:00. She was dressed in all white with slithering snakes down each white long sleeve which could have, and were, easily mistaken for tattoos. Her and her four accompanying bandmates comfortably fit on the stage under swirls of purple, blue and crimson lighting. 

Courtney Marie Andrews @ Troubador 12/14/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

With her smooth, calming voice a nostalgic feel wrapped around the room as soon as she started singing. First up, "Burlap String" off of her 2020 realease Old Flowers. The 33 year old from Arizona has been busy. She's released seven albums since her 2008 debut, Urban Myths, making this year's Loose Future this country desert song bird's ninth album. 

Her soothing sound strikes as country but without the twang: a slow drawl with a gentle delivery, painstakingly painting a new picture with each song.
An Americana woman of our time, Andrews serendipitously manuvers through the murky waters of emotions navigated by steadfast singing and humble accoustic guitar playing. She's a young woman with an old soul, that of which is heard through her music. 

Sharing excitement for her first headling show at the Troubadour, Courtney Marie Andrews showed fans in LA her lighter side quite a bit with bountiful banter between songs. She prefaced a new song by saying it should be enjoyed with a paloma in hand before telling us that that was what all of them were drinking that night. Then, the light percussion, easy strumming o f guitar strings and whimsical singing of "These are the Good Old Days" swept us away to an island somewhere with the likes of Jimmy Buffet. 

 

Courtney Marie Andrews @ Troubador 12/14/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

There wasn't too much action on stage but there didn't have to be with Miss Andrews steering the ship. The small crowd needed nothing more than to be spellbound by her singing stories carried by the Troubadour's spot on accoustics that night. 

Courtney Marie Andrews @ Troubador 12/14/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

It was a solid show.
There's no denying that she can sing when you listen to her music but seeing her live, hearing her sing live,  is something else.  She's set to hop the pond for a UK tour next year but will the new year bring her back to some stages in the US? A Courtney tour might be fun: Courtney Marie Andrews opening for Courtney Barnett.  We'll have to wait and see what the new year brings! 

in the spirit of giving thanks: Harry Styles @ The Forum 11/15/2022

Thanksgiving dinner, get togethers and turkey trots.
Black Friday.
Small business Saturday.
Cyber Monday.
Giving Tuesday.
All of this year's Thanksgiving festivities are over but the spirit of giving is still in the crisp Autumn air and I'm still in the spirit iof giving thanks. 
 There have been a lot of great concerts this year, a lot! Too many to name and so many to be thankful for.

I was fortune to be a part of some really awesome shows either as an attendee or as a cog in the production to bring the live show to life or to review it. I am thankful for each and every one of them, big and small.

Today in particular I give thanks to Harry Styles' Love On Tour. 

I worked Coachella this year and Harry Styles was one of the headliners. My shift started early on show days which means I was cut early on show days, two and a half hours before the headliners go on to be exact but "When will I ever get the chance to see Harry Styles again? And for free?" I thought to myself. So, weekend two, I took a nap in my car afterwork and dragged my sleepy self back to the Empire Polo Feilds to see some Harry. With a theatrical decent down a "Gone with the Wind" styled staircase,  he opened with "As It Was" the first single off of his third album, Harry's House which would drop shortly after the festival.  I wasn't fimiliar with the song at the time but never the less it eleated me. It's catchy, sparkly hooks have that feel good power. Plus, there's something about being in the thick of thousands of screaming adoring fans that really gets those juices flowing. And of course, there's Harry himself. 

I only stayed for two and a half songs cause a working gal has got to get her beauty rest sometime but this was the moment I knew I was in trouble because I knew then that I was a Harry Styles fangirl. 

Fast forward to November 2022.
After residencies in New York, Austin, Toronto and Chicago, Harry's last North American Love on Tour stop was at The Forum from October 31st - November 15th and I still can't believe that I was lucky enough to be at the last show of his residency. 

I made it to Harry's House!

The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The perimeter of The Forum was laced with specs of rainbow colored boa feathers wiggling in the breeze left over from past Harry's House guests. Lyrics like "In a LA mood" from songs off of Harry's House dressed up the columns outside the building in case anyone needed to increase their excitement before entering. Inside, the oblong stage was in the center of the floor and over it was a jumbo tron flashing numbers to text for different things like ending gun violence and volunteer opportunities. 

The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

As I made my way on to the floor, or the pit as it was being called, The Forum was a buzz with chatter and the occasional oburst of bloodcurtling screams in the wake of possible celebrity sightings (still haven't gotten use to that aspect about seeing shows in LA).  
I was beside myself with excitement as I stood  shoulder to shoulder with young Harry Styles fangirls waiting for the show to start in utter disbelief that this was my life.I didn't care at all if I was the oldest person in the pit.  

Finally, Harry Styles graced the stage, opening with "Daydreaming" but all that could be heard was screaming fans singing along, word for word. One minute he was out of sight, doing his thing across the stage to the other side of the room and the next minute there he was, right there in front me and then he was gone again. It took my breath away being that close. 

Harry Styles @ The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

His band was situated on either side of the stage, creating a makeshift cat walk for Harry to perform to either side of the room. When he performed the slower, sad love song "Satellite" he walked an actual cat walk that extended out into the crowd just to the right of where I stood.
He was lively and charsmatic, smiling as he made his rounds accompanied by enthusastic kicks, fist pumps, hip swivels and flailing arms encouraging fans to cheer louder.

 Harry Styles is a great showman.
Pauses between songs were filled with chants from the crowd that sounded like barking dogs. Still not sure if that's a Harry Styles fangirl thing or a One Direction fangirl thing but I did not partake. 

Harry Styles @ The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Introspective songs like "Keep Driving" and "Little Freak" built up the first half of the night with it's fearless leader galavanting around like it was the first night of tour. After introducing his amazing band and bringing out the horn section they all turned things up for the second half of the set with "Sushi For a Sushi Resturant", one of my favorites off of Harry's House. I danced. I Sang. I closed my eyes letting it sink in though I still couldn't believe it when I re-opened my eyes. New songs filled the night but there were some off his first and second albums, including of course the incognito risque "Watermelon Sugar" and even a One Direction song. 

Harry Styles @ The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Harry Styles @ The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

A little more than half way through the set Harry stopped and had fans hold up signs. Like magic the place was full of homemade signs on posterboard with handwritten messages in magic marker instantly.
Another fangirl thing I had no clue about.
He picked three lucky signs out of the crowd and read them, each one garnering roars from the crowd. From a far he engaged playfully with each fan who's sign he read and the crowd roared. One sign asked for his helpcoming out to someone's mom which was very heartwarming. 

Sensing that the end of the set was approaching, as much as I didn't want to leave I also really really really didn't want to get stuck in egress madness and traffic so I started heading out.

In an appropriate way to wrap up seeing Harry Styles live in LA, as I slowly made my way out, looking around at all of the happy faces in the pit and all of the people up in the seats, I spotted Olivia Wilde, Harry's now ex-girlfriend enjoying the show.

Harry Styles @ The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

When he left the stage in prepperation for the encore I knew it was time to go otherwise I wouldn't be able to leave if I saw him on stage again.

Right before exiting the building I heard the faint sounds of my favorite track off of his first album, "Sign of the Times". Turns out that was the most appropriate way to end my night seeing Harry Styles. If I was still in the crowd I for sure would have cried like the girl behind me did when he played "Matilda". Leaving early ended on a high, as I walked to my car with a smile on my face that wouldn't go away.  

Love on Tour went on to spread the love in South America and will pick up again next year in Australia. Not before returning to The Forum in LA for three nights in January 2023 to make up for the shows he had to skip because he was sick, though!

Thank you for a great night Harry!

The Forum 11/15/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

11/15/2022 set-list

1. Day Dreaming 

2. Golden 

3. Adore You

4. Daylight 

5. Keep Driving 

6. Matilda

7. Little Freak 

8. Satellite 

9. Cinema

10. Music For a Sushi Restaurant

11.Treat People With Kindness

12. What Makes You Beautiful 

13. Late Night Talking 

14. Watermelon Sugar 

15. Love of My Life 

encore

16. Sign of the times

17. Medicine 

18. Boyfriends 

19. As It Was

Gustaf open for Foals @ Brooklyn Bowl in Vegas 10/28/2022

Foals have been wanting to return to life on the road for some time, reportly postponing and inevedbatly cancleing a tour with Local Natives in 2021. 2022 is the year of Foals triuphant return with the release their seventh studio album, Life Is Yours in June and a subsequent North American tour.

Brooklyn Bowl in Vegas 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The tour got underway on October 28th at the Brooklyn Bowl in Las Vegas, inviting New York garage rockers, Gustaf and an LA underground fave, Inner Wave to share the stage with the 5 piece British headlining rock band. 

Brooklyn Bowl is infamous for not posting set times anywhere or giving set times even if you call ahead as I learned first hand making timing tricky for ticket holders. Fortunately, bands these days can take these matters into their own hands by way of social media. Sure enough the three bands started posting set times on their respective Instagram stories the closer door time got. Unfortunately for me, the incorrect set time was originally posted for Gustaf causing me to miss some of their opening set.

Gustaf @ Brooklyn Bowl in Vegas 10/28/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Gustaf @ Brooklyn Bowl in Vegas 10/28/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

In 2018 five friends in Brooklyn New York got together and formed a band. In 2020 the four girls and one guy now known as Gustaf released their first songs: "Mine" and "Design". In 2021, they realeased their debut album, Audio Drag for Ego Slobs and now, in 2022 and Gustaf  is currently on tour opening for Foals.

 Their flare is funloving grunge. Carefree with an edge. Ready to rock, not too hard, and get the party started. As soon as I set eyes on them in the big open show room in the bowling alley/resturant/music venue I could tell they were from New York. 

A collective, evervescent non-chalantness oozes from their ora, underwhelmingly taking hold of showgoers gazes as their unconventional garage rock perculates in ears. Their unassuming creative approach to the punk scene doesn't really care if you stay or go just as long as you enjoy yourself. And you'll want to stay. 

Gustaf @ Brooklyn Bowl in Vegas 10/28/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The monotone style delivery of charasmatic lyrics could be compared to the likes of Wet Leg but there's a certain spark that Gusta has. A zhuzh if you will.
They're lively and comfortable on stage. They're as fun to watch as they are to listen to and they sounded great at the Brooklyn Bowl that night. 

Gustaf @ Brooklyn Bowl in Vegas 10/28/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

With guitarist Vram Kherlopian, the almost all girl group is enough to leave any crowd spellbound with a bassist, a drummer and a tambourinist but singer Lydia Gammil's instra-personal, playful banter hits. 

It's a Gustaf grand slam. 

Before the final song of their set, after welcoming supporting act, Inner Wave  and hyping fans up more for Foals, Lydia introduced the room to Tara on the tambourine, eplaining that she too use to work at a bowling alley disenfecting shoes. She went on to introduce the band, all the way from Brooklyn and how cool it was that they were playing at the Brooklyn Bowl in Vegas. 

And it was cool: they're from Brooklyn, a bandmate worked at a Bowling Alley, they were playing a show at the Brooklyn Bowl in Vegas to kick off a national tour with Foals. And, they slayed.

I have a feeling we'll be hearing more from Gustaf and seeing them more, too.

Gustaf @ Brooklyn Bowl in Vegas 10/28/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

It was a bummer I didn't catch all of their set because  as soon as I gave Gustaf a listen leading up to the show, I was a fan.  Like Augustus Gloop at the chocolate river, what I did catch of their opening act was great and left me wanting more!

Foals @ Brooklyn Bowl in Vegas 10/28/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Foals @ Brooklyn Bowl in Vegas 10/28/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Gustaf, Innerwave and Foals have  a few more shows to go on the Life Is Yours Tour, so don't miss out! Their last shows together are November 15th at The Fox Theater in Oakland and November 16th at The Palladium in LA!

Foals @ Brooklyn Bowl in Vegas 10/28/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Halloween cupcakes from Bubba Sweets in Huntington Beach

 It's that time of year when everything is sugar andspice and everything nice, especially pumpkin spice. It wasn't hard at all to find a pumpkin spice cucpcake and Bubba's Sweets in Huntington Beach was the spot I got my basic witch on. 

Pumpkin Spice cupcake from Bubba Sweets 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The stripmall storefront was in the Halloween spirit with spider webs and other festive decorations. They also had Halloweeen themed cupcake flavors! In addition to (just about) everyone's favorite spiced Fall flavor there was a cupcake covered in candy pieces like trick-or-treater's loot called Alice in Wonderland and there was another one with a pretty pink frosting with pink and black sprinkles called Elvira.

 

Elvira cupcake from Bubba Sweets 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The lady helping me behind the counter was very accomodating. Before going to the back to get me the  one Pumpkin Spice cupcake she asked if I only wanted one, at which point I said yes. She returned with it in a plastic clamshell sized perfectly for one cupcake. That's when I broke the news to her that I decided to get one Elvira cupcake, too. Trick-or-treat! 

Elvira & Pumpkin Spice cupcake from Bubba Sweets 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

I couldn't help but notice how perfectly round and smooth the frosting was on the cupcakes, both adorded with appropriate black and colorful sprinkles around the edge. Up first was pumpkin spice and I could smell its fragent flavor as soon as I removed it from it's packaging. The cake wasn't overly orange as is the case with some pumpkin spice cupcakes. I smelled the inticing blend of spices more than I tasted it.  It wasn't buttery or decodant, a pretty standard cake with a hint of Pumpkin Spice. The frosting was undeniably cream cheese frosting, the top choice for topping Pumpkin Spice cupcakes. These treats had a little trick though...

Pumpkin Spice cupcake from Bubba Sweets 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

You can't tell by looking at it but Bubba's Sweets whips the buttercream frosting! The cream cheese
flavor was on the sweeter side and was as light as air, like biting into a airy, spongey consistancy cloud of yum. The crunchy sprinkles all along the edge gave a nice juxtoposition to the texture. 

Elvira cupcake from Bubba Sweets 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

At the store I had guessed correctly that the Elvira cupcake was chocolate cake with raspberry frosting, another very popular flavor in the world of sweets. The lady who helped me told me that it also has a raspberry filling (like blood! How spookily fitting!) The chocolate cake was one of the better chocolate cakes I've had. Though the deep shade of dark chocolate might have been the richest part about it, it was just chocolatey enough plus, t paired really well with the frosting.
The frosting which was raspberry, was also whipped but it was thicker than the cream cheese frosting on the Pumpkin Spice cupcake. It's pretty hue of the pink was speckled with raspberry seeds which means that Bubba's Sweets using real raspberries in their raspberry frosting, mmm! I think this frosting is just spooktacular: thick, whipped, pink, fresh raspberries, fresh. My last couple of bites finally got me to the raspberry filling: a small dollop that I wanted more of.  

There are so many flavors of cupcakes to try at Bubba Sweets! They even have some that are named after musicans with flavors to match like the Jimmy Buffet pineapple cupcake. Perfect for concert and cupcake reviews here on Sweet Sound Bites!

cupcake from Bubba's Sweets 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Bubba Sweets in Huntington Beach will be serving their Pumpkin Spice cupcake through the end of December and you can treat yourself to an Elvira cupcake through the end of November. 

Happy Halloween!

Rebels & Renegades Festival 2022

 The inaugural Rebels & Renegades, the two day music festival that took place October 15th and 16th at the Monterey Fair & Eevent Center in the picturesque coastal coty of Monterey California, ineventibly took it's time getting to us. The creative minds behind the popular California Roots Music & Arts Festival also in Monterey, Good Vibez Presents, were initially going to bring us Rebels & Renegades a couple of years ago but Covid struck and best laid plans were shelved. That is, until this month. 

Rebels & Renegades is an homage to the rebellious spirit and story telling culture of Americana, outlaw country, bluegrass and folk artists of today. They surely made an impression right out of the gates with an eclectic line up featuring Cody Jinks, Trampled By Turtles, Orville Peck, Houndnouth, Nikki Lane and Shooter Jennings just to name a few. There was a good mix of well known acts as well as not so well known acts to keep all attendees busy and entained through out each day.nIt was a smaller foot print than other NorCal fests we're used to which was a pleasant relief to everyone's feet. With a line up like this, festival goers couldn't help but catch a little bit of every performance and because of the way things where set up scheduled you could choose to do just that if that's what you wanted to do. That isn't the case at most festivals, those rebels!

Of course Orville Peck stole the show on day one. With is tassled masked face and dark sultry country vibes how could he not?

Orville Peck @ Rebels & Renegades Festival 2022 
photo by Marc Fong

Orville Peck @ Rebels & Renegades Festival 2022 
photo by Marc Fong

Along with being a show stealing act, it was a subtle way of introducing the more rural demographic who might not  have ever heard of Orville Peck or realized that he is of the LGBTQ+ community. We're willing to bet that those who weren't aware and saw him at Rebels & Renegades fully enjoyed his set, how could you not? 

Orville Peck @ Rebels & Renegades Festival 2022 
photo by Marc Fong

Day two offered more great acts but unfortunately due to personal matters we had to miss out on all of the awesome live music that day. 

Rebels & Renegades Festival 2022 
photo by Marc Fong

Mark your calendars because the dates for year two have already been anounced! October 6th - 8th, 2023 Rebels & Renegades returns!

Trampled By Turtles  @ Rebels & Renegades Festival 2022 
photo by Marc Fong

Flipturn @ Teragram Ballroom 10/7/2022

Flipturn @ Teragram Ballroom 10/7/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Florida bred Flipturn turned things up as Summer slowly started to cooled down with the release of their debut album, Shadowglow on August 19th. Shortly after that the fresh faced, feel good pop-rockers  announced their headlining tour which would bring them coast to coast through the end of this year. 

Along the way, their second stop in the golden state of California landed them at the Teragram Ballroom in LA . It was my first time at the intimate music venue on West 7th Street and it instantly reminded me of  August Hall in San Francisco, only more divey.

Flipturn @ Teragram Ballroom 10/7/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

If the show wasn't sold-out it sure felt like it was inside.
I made my way to the main room where music was happening and the place was packed. People were pushing past each other just to get a little closer to the stage for the headliners and practically no one had a mask on as they crawled over each other. The crowd was young and their exuberant energy was contagiuos as we waited for Flipturn to start. 

Flipturn @ Teragram Ballroom 10/7/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The cheering started as the band got situated on stage and it never really stopped once the music started. Fans simutaneously erupted when the first song hit their ears. Already all smiles, the band definitely fed off the energy the crowd was serving. Between the cheering, chanting, clapping and singing along like no body's business the fans were serving it! 

Their debut album, Shadowglow boasts a coming of a new wave of indie rock, one that's more lively with pop influence. With bands like Misterwives and Walk Off the Earth already paving the way, Flipturn has not only found their niche but they've also found their fanbase. 

The album highlights frontman Dillion Basse's strong falsetto and steady Modal voice  and that was no different seeing him live. He hit every note and the look on his face told everyone in the room that he was fully enjoying doing it. There was even a couple instances at the show where if I wasn't looking at the stage I would have guessed female bassist, Madeline Jarmin had taken over lead vocals. Madeline and Dillion have a great chemistry on stage and I could sense some how that female fans in the crowd appreciate seeing another lady up there rocking in an otherwise all male band. 

Flipturn @ Teragram Ballroom 10/7/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Flipturn @ Teragram Ballroom 10/7/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

"Sad Disco", "Playground" and other tracks off Shadowglow made up most of their set that night with "Chicago" from their Heavy Colors EP got one of the biggest responses from the crowd. The majority of the set was up beat, slowing things down a few times with tracks like "Hippies" Flipturn was able to flip things back to those feel good vibes easily. As the show went on, every song they played was met with a thunderous response and matched with jubilence from the stage.   

Flipturn @ Teragram Ballroom 10/7/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

And their not finished yet. Flipturn still has two more months of shows to go on their first headlining tour. Find them on the East Coast as they continue to celebrate their highly anticapted and well recieved debut album. You won't be disapointed if you're looking for a good time with up beat grooves. 

Yeah Yeah Yeahs at The Hollywood Bowl 10/6/2022

Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Hollywood Bowl 10/6/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

After working the return of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in beautiful Golden Gate Park in the heart of my beloved city of San Francisco then spending time with friends and family in the days that followed, I impromptly hit the road back down to SoCal. It had been eight years since their last album and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' September 30th release Cool it Down, was still hot off the press when I got word the night before their  show at the Hollywood Bowl that there was a chance I'd get in. So on October 6th I packed up, said bye bye to SF and headed to LA. 

It had been nearly five years since I last saw Yeah Yeah Yeahs live: they played a limited number of shows in 2017 including a night at The Fox Theater in Oakland over Halloween weekend.

Rocktober is the time of year they like to treat theur hungry fans with sweet little tours apparently!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Hollywood Bowl 10/6/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

I got to the Hollywood Bowl just as doors were opening. Throngs of people swarmed the surrounding streets as they made their way to the outdoor amphithear like bees to a hive. It was my first time seeing a show at the Hollywood Bowl and I quickly learned that parking is not a fun task there. 

Since they only offer paid stacked parking I opted to for paid parking outside of the venue to avoid being stuck at the end of the night. My co-worker friends both got stuck in traffic trying to find parking. which resulted in us missing both opening acts but without a moment to spare, we all walked in together as the house went dark for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs!

We found a spot to watch situated behind the sound board as the crowd's excitment audiably grew with each rythmic thud of the kick drum. It could have been a number of any of their songs gearing up and as the beat went on, Karen O introduced thousands of adoring fans to the band, "We're the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and we're back!" giving way to the first single off of their new album "Spitting Off the Edge of the World" with special surprise guest Micheal Alden Hadreas of Perfume Genius. 

 

She shed her big, floppy, technicolored hat and matching cloak after the first song and the rest of the night the stylish songstress showed off the pink silk gloves featured in all of the press photos for their two 2022 shows. 

Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Hollywood Bowl 10/6/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The end of each song brought a new wave of excitement for the next.

With a smile splashed across her face and interminted awkward giggles while she sang, Karen O tiredlessly yet effortlessly worked the stage and engaged the crowd, even getting into crowd at one point causing a dancing frenzy as she passed. Her and drummer Brian and guitarist/keyboardist Nick were back in their element. All of this magnified the shared happiness of all the other fans being there seeing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs  again. 

Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Hollywood Bowl 10/6/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

As they weaved songs from 2003's Fever To Tell  "Cheated Hearts" and "Pin" with songs from 2022's Cool It Down "Burning" there was something distinctly different from the times I'd seen the Yeah Yeah Yeahs before. Karen O was more or less an instant lady in rock icon when the Yeah Yeah Yeahs hit the scene. She dressed the part. She acted the part. And with her grunts, growls and screaming vocals she sounded the part.

That night at the Hollywood Bowl she sounded great, perfect even. Yet, as I waited for her to go full on punk, especially on some of their older stuff,  I realized that time probably wasn't going to come. As heard through out their new album, Karen O's singin style has become what we heard from her on the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack. Poised. Polished. Passionate. Karen O's singing style is grown up and that's what she brings to the stage now. At one point she talked along the lines of learning who you are, finding your voice and being comfortable with it and that's what LA saw that night. How magical is that? There was couple songs were she ebbed and flowed between edgy and polished which was actually quite fun to hear.
And she's still got antics.
She didn't deep throat her mic or chug champange from the bottle then spew it in the air but there was some microphone love going on, some water spewed into the air  and a purple sparkly covered her head for half a song. 

Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Hollywood Bowl 10/6/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

As the end of the set neared it was as if everyone in the place got more and more excited, probably because bands typically save their most popular material for the end of the show. They had already played a few of my favorites: "Pin", "Zero" and one of my new faves, "Fleez". Sure enough after two back to back new songs the rest of the show was Yeah Yeah Yeahs classics. The intros to those last four songs were long and drawn out making the moment, that moment last just a little longer. "Maps" might have taken the cake for the longest intro with Brian and Nick teasing us with licks and riffs from one of their biggest, if not the biggest, hits of theirs. 

It was around this time that Karen O pointed out the fact that all three bands on the bill that night: The Linda Lindas, Japanese Breakfast and Yeah Yeah Yeahs all have Asian or Asian-American frontwoman. Her message was delivered with such love and vigor, then met with a roar of applause that I am getting chills typing about it. It was definitely somehting I noticed when the show was annouced and thought, "that's cool" but it's bigger than that. It's actually a huge deal, one many of us probably don't think about, realize or really understand. Heck one of my co-worker friends had no idea Karen O is Asian until that moment. Then after what felt like forever "Maps" song started and people were singing so loud I couldn't even hear the band. Before I knew it "Heads Will Roll" was playing and confetti was flying. Everyone that I could see in the crowd had a smile on their face. 

Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Hollywood Bowl 10/6/2022
photo by Nikki DeMartini

I have been a fan of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs since their first album, Fever To Tell came out in 2003 and as far back as I can remember, Karen O has been an icon since hitting the scene. That show that night was her shining moment. Yeah Yeah Yeahs brought The Linda Lindas and Japanese Breakfast back out on stage for the first of their two encore songs for a most memorable iconic rock show moment!

This show and the show they played in New York a few days prior come just one year shy of the twentith anniversary of Yeah Yeah Yeahs' first album which leaves me wondering...is there a 2023 tour hiding up those pink gloves of Karen O's?  

set-list 10/6/2022
1. Spitting Off the Edge of the World
2. Cheated Hearts
3. Pin
4.Under The Earth
5. Burning
6. Zero
7. Wolf
8. Fleez
9. Soft Shock
10. Lovebomb
11. Blacktop
12. Maps
13. Gold Lion
14. Y Control
15. Heads Will Roll 

encore
1. Kids in America
2. Date with the Night