Jam bands at Birkenstock bars

Based in Vista and founded in 2016, the Lost Monarchs is an original jam band which cites among its influences Gov’t Mule, Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, Phish, Pink Floyd, Spafford, and Twiddle. They’re currently booked for at least a half dozen area gigs through July at Birkenstock bars like Winstons and 710 Beach Club (as well as the Birkenstock-infested Del Mar Fair). “What really defines the band is the live show, where jams grow and change from night to night,” according to the group. Last year saw the release of their self-titled debut album, and they recently shot a couple of music videos with Garage Mahal Sessions. In the tradition of fellow sonic tripsters like the Dead and Phish, their website includes an extensive archive of concert recordings. “Like all good tapers do, each show is edited, tagged, and uploaded so you the fan is able to download the files or play them live thru a web player which works on almost all devices. Also, you can search ‘Etree Mobile’ on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to download the LMA player.”

Before this year’s incarnation of Jefferson Starship takes the Belly Up stage for a two night stand, local violinist Alex DePue plans to make the most of the opening slot he was unexpectedly offered last week. “I’m configuring this 30 minutes of solo show, and let me tell you, no one present will ever forget what’s about to happen,” he says of the set he describes as “a series of miracles from one feat to the next, through use of what’s called a loop station.” In performance, DePue tapes a base track live on stage. “That freshly recorded track continues to be heard by the audience, while I add the next instrument, on top of what was laid down initially, until the audience begins to realize a full-on rock band coming from just one person, one instrument, and in this case, just one lil’ ol’ violin.” DePue - who first came to widespread notice touring with Steve Vai – says he’ll be doing a cover of Starship’s “We Built This City,” as well as “an original arrangement of ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’ by Yes, morphing into Michael Jackson’s ‘Smooth Criminal.’”

“I just found out that Bent Duo — David Friend and Bill Solomon — are flying to San Diego on the 10th and leaving on the 12th, which obviously means they’re coming to San Diego just to perform for Fresh Sound,” says Bonnie Wright in advance of the final seasonal concert of her adventurous music series. Bent Duo is an emerging NYC-based project investigating the limits of chamber music for piano and percussion and the innovations that happen at the outer fringes of their repertoire. Founded in 2015, the duo has performed at a wide variety of venues and is equally committed to works that exploit the performers’ virtuosic instrumental technique as it is to those that are developing entirely new performance techniques. “Their music is creative and imaginative,” says Wright, “two things I like a lot — and fun, always good. I chose to book them as Fresh Sound presented David Friend, solo piano, some time ago and I loved his concert. So, when he asked that he return as part of a duo, I said yes.”

2019 SDMA Best New Artist nominee Julia Sage has been a songwriter since very early childhood. Playing Chilean folk, blues, and Americana, she performs around town as a solo artist, as well as with Grampadrew’s Flim Flam Revue, and fronting her own band the Bad Hombres. The Hombres include Flim Flam vets such as Drew Douglas (Grampadrew), Matthew Strachota (Trailduster, Bartenders Bible), Chad Pittman (River City), Tom Peart, and Natasha Cruz. A fairly new ensemble, they entered the studio to record their first single at the end of August last year. Their debut album, Desnuda, is being sampled generously in performances for a monthly second Monday residency at Bar Pink in North Park. Her website offers streams of several tracks likely to be heard - “Ni de Aquí, Ni de Allá,” “Tentación,” and “Este Año” – and videos easily found online include a riveting solo acoustic performance of “Amante Egoísta.”

British indie pop star Amber Vain, aka the Japanese House, first began racking up accolades while working with the 1975, who booked her first tour by hiring her as their opening act in 2016. Her first four well-received EPs, released between 2015 and 2017, feature her playing guitar, synth, and keyboards, as well as singing, songwriting, and co-producing. She’s currently touring in support of her debut full-length Good at Falling, released in March and co-produced by Vain alongside George Daniel from the 1975 and BJ Burton (Bon Iver, James Blake). Four singles are so far available, all streaming online: “Lilo,” “Follow My Girl,” “Maybe You’re the Reason,” and “We Talk All the Time.”