SCENE REPORT: POMONA
RECAP OF THE FIRST SHOW ON THE EIY SPRING (INTO ACTION) TOUR
Getting the motor started on a tour is always tough at first, and can take a few days before it’s humming nicely and you can put things on cruise control. This tour, however, is especially challenging because (A) it’s not just another themed package tour with a bunch of bands and sponsors; (B) we are trying to achieve more than one main goal with each event; and (C) it’s never been done before. This tour was a leap of faith on the part of Kevin Lyman and the Warped Tour, as well as all the promoters and venues involved, so it’s important to me that I lock everything into place and get word out to the world, that “Hey! It’s working!”
I didn’t know what to expect from the first show in Pomona, and it turned out to be a much better send-off than I could have imagined! Kids started showing up an hour before the meet-up, excited to see what it was all about and to sign up for the Warped Tour street team. Kevin Lyman took time out of his day to drive from Los Angeles and hang out during the meet-up to answer questions and share his advice and insight with the 15+ kids at the meet-up. My friend Chris a.k.a The Video Mouse came out and filmed the entire day/night to make a trailer for the tour (that will hopefully help illustrate just what this thing is all about). We had a great meet-up and talked about all kinds of stuff with Kevin. The showcase was a blast, and we got to see some great bands from the region ranging from punk to electropop to ska. I got to meet people who are passionate and excited about music, and eager to get more involved on a local level, and best of all: we got a ton of pledge cards from kids who are going to help promote the Pomona Warped Tour date!
The Video Mouse trailer should be done in the next day or so, and that will give you a glimpse of what’s going to be happening this month on the EIY Spring (Into Action) Tour!
Here’s my cell phone photo recap from the first show!
Venue: Alladin Jr II in Pomona, CA
Super cute greek food place with an all-ages venue space off to the side, right down the block from the Glass House. It has a stage, brick walls, artwork on the walls, and is a nice little room that has all kinds of shows. You’d need to rent or bring a PA to throw shows there. Eric Gonzo was the promoter who put on the show, and he works with a few different venues in town.
Band: The Bogarts from Thousand Oaks, CA
Fun, energetic four-piece straightforward punk band, a la Against Me!, Rise Against, and Anti-Flag. These kids are only 18-19 and are already great players, super tight, and writing some really catchy choruses. Give them a couple years to hone their skills, songwriting, and high-energy live show and they’ll be packing all-ages punk venues. Check them out HERE.
Band: Greenhorse from Wyoming (currently living in Los Angeles)
Normally I would tell a band to stay in their own local scene and become the biggest band in their region before making the Big Move to LA or New York, but I can understand why these guys decided to give it a try. Silverlake is going to love these guys once they get ahold of them. Lazers, smoke, drum machines, synthesizers, sunglasses, and three guys who are super fun to watch, with dance-worthy songs to boot. Check them out HERE.
Band: yOya from Los Angeles
This band provide evidence to support the case for going to college for music. The singer/guitarist for this two-piece band actually went to school for guitar, and it shows in the songs, which all have the kinds of intelligent chord progressions, bridges, and harmonies that only people who know music theory would be able to put together. I’m excited to see what this band does in the next year, because their first album is already on regular rotation in my iTunes. Check them out HERE.
Band: The Bohunks from Los Angeles
An apparent favorite of the promoter and the handful of people who waited all night to watch them, The Bohunks brought the ska party and ended the note on a drunken high note for the 21+ attendees. I don’t even know how many people were on stage, but they were all having a blast. Horns, three-part harmonies, female vocals, and lots of that SoCal beach punk energy. Check them out HERE.
After careful consideration, we decided to go with two bands from the showcase to play their local “EIY Spot” on the Vans Warped Tour Kevin Says Stage this summer. Congratulations to The Bogarts & yOya — you deserve it!
Thanks to everyone for getting involved, and being part of the first meet-up and showcase at the first-ever date of the first-ever EIY Spring (Into Action) Tour. Keep in touch, and we hope to cross paths with all of you in the near future!
Love,
Sarah & EIY
Leave a Reply
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
