It's been a month since Brooklyn based Sunflower Bean has been on the road touring in support of the third instalment to their catalog, Head Full of Sugar. The new album dropped on May 6th and on June 2nd the East Coast garage rock three piece were in the West Coast playing a sold-out show at the Moroccan Lounge in LA.
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| Sunflower Bean at Moroccan Lounge 6/2/2022 photo by Nikki DeMartini |
Shortly after the opening band --- finished their set, the doors of the room where live performances are held opened and the crowd spilled out into the adjacent room where the bar is. Even with two rooms the Moroccan Lounge is on the smaller side which made a great setting for an intimate show, especially since it was sold-out. The change over didn't seem to last long as the crowd started making their way back into the performance room almost as soon as they had left it.
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| Sunflower Bean at Moroccan Lounge 6/2/2022 photo by Nikki DeMartini |
The air was thick in the dark room and as we packed in like sardines for the headliners I noticed that my friends and I were the only people I could see with masks on. At this point in the pandemic this shouldn't be surprising to me but it definitely strikes a cord.
Sunflower Bean: singer/bassist Julia Cumming, guitarist/back up vocals Oliver Faber and drummer Nick Kivlen, didn't make us wait too long, taking the stage a few minutes past 10:00. With Julia stationed stage left, Oliver stationed stage right and Nick tucked in the back, they opened with the title track of their new album, "Head Full of Sugar". Opening the show with what is one of their most psych-rock songs easily got the crowd into the same groove the band. It was also a great indication that we'd be hearing a bunch more from the album, Head Full of Sugar.
Under the surface of all the smug faces taking in the psychedelic live music moment a need to rock-out was bubbling. Alas, the chill aesthetic continued on to new song number two of the night, "In Flight".
Sunflower Bean's music is wise beyond their 20 something years, more so now than their 2016 debut,
naturally. On their 2022 release, they tackle existential life contemplations which were probably magnified by the pandemic as many can relate to, with a sense of youthful maturity heard not only in their lyrics. The harmony of Julia on bass and Oliver on guitar is a profound driving force while Julia also takes command as front-woman effortlessly.
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| Sunflower Bean at Moroccan Lounge 6/2/2022 photo by Nikki DeMartini |
Looking very 90's grunge/early 2000's emo in a old torn up sleeveless T-shirt that could pass as a dress and hard A-line hair cut, Julia introduced the third song as one from a few years ago called 22. She then asked if anyone there was 22, rallying the 22 year olds there to make their presence known. As a circle pit formed and thrashing began, their presence couldn't be ignored. From that point on it was pretty much a full on garage-rock, rock show complete with mosh pits, thrashing and elbows being thrown.
As the band played on, more and more of their new music coursed through the crowd including Julia's proclaimed favorite track off the record, "Other Side" and my two favorites "Baby Don't Cry" and "Roll the Dice."
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| Sunflower Bean at Moroccan Lounge 6/2/2022 photo by Nikki DeMartini |
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| Sunflower Bean at Moroccan Lounge 6/2/2022 photo by Nikki DeMartini |
There wasn't too much action happening on stage and it wasn't needed, their innate passion for playing a live show was all that fans needed and wanted. But as the end neared, Julia riled the crowd by getting into the crowd, causing a flurry as she wailed. Their last song that night is also the last song off of their new album, "Feel Somebody". When a band releases a new album then hits the road, fans expect to experience that new music live and that's what Sunflower Bean did. From the set-list, to the venue to the stage presence and minimalistic set up Sunflower Bean is on the road bringing fans what they've missed, an intimate garage-rock show.
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| Sunflower Bean at Moroccan Lounge 6/2/2022 photo by Nikki DeMartini |
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