Tag: Soaring Solo

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Artists Worth Checking Out Monday Mashup Women in Entertainment

Monday mashup 2018: vol. 39

It’s that rare fifth Monday, and we have a very special Mashup for you today.  We are proud to debut a new single that is being released tomorrow, in advance of the release of the artist’s first novel on November 6, which is based on notes from her ten years of touring in Los Angeles and San Diego.  We are in the process of reviewing the book and think you will love her new sound and new stage name.  In addition, we have five new singles and five new music videos to share, so let’s get this party going.

TABITHA RHYS TO RELEASE FIRST NOVEL

Tabitha Rhys is a long-time indie artist who has taken her experiences from touring through Los Angeles and San Diego to write her first novel, Love Music Madness, which is being released on November 6.  Check out the book trailer:

That song you hear in the background was written by Rhys.  Since she no longer has a band, she enlisted the help of Stereium to create the “Lana del Rey” sound.  The song is being released TOMORROW, but we have a sneak preview for you today.  We really love her style, and can’t wait to review the novel and any more music that follows.  You can purchase the single on iTunes.

LA MUSIC CRITIC LAUNCHES INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN

Our very own LA Music Critic has launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise money for his first solo show, scheduled to premiere at HFF19 in Los Angeles next June.  Please check out his campaign and support him if you can.  We thank you for whatever you can contribute.

NEW SINGLES

Our first single comes from another amazing artist from Blue Élan Records, whose new album V will be released in January 2019.  In the meantime, enjoy the southern charm of The Vegabonds‘ new single, “I Ain’t Having It.”

Next up is “Hiya”, the latest offering from TNEO (The New Electronic Orchestra).  They wanted to say hello to all their current and future fans with this delightfully upbeat song.  You can’t help but be uplifted by this beautiful pop/classic sound, and we think you’ll soon become a fan if you aren’t already.

Our third single comes from one of our favorite female indie artists.  Jess Klein has consistently delivered amazing songs, and her new single, “Mammal,” is no exception.  Enjoy this one, and be free to be you.

Our next single comes from Perth, Australia-based artist Frankie Crea.  We think you will love his new song, “Dream.”

Our final single this week is from Canadian band Victory Chimes.  Check out “Halos” from their forthcoming album, due for release next month.

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

Our first video this week is from Ziggy Alberts, another amazing Aussie indie artist.  We love the simple and sweet sound of “Stronger,” and think you will too.

Next is “Killah,” the visually stunning music video from indie folk artist Frank James.  This one should become one of your favorite jams, as he mixes hip-hop with folk to create a truly unique sound.

We are so proud to present our third video from the amazing Jane Ellen Bryant, who we recently reviewed in our Get it or Forget it series.  Check out this incredible video for her song, “Too Smooth.”  We think it truly describes this artist.

Our fourth video is likewise smooth, with the groovy R&B/soul sound of Dom Marcell.  Here is his song, “Thats Whats Up.”

We close out this week and the month of October with this video from Germany-based trio The Trouble Notes.  This is one of the best pop/classical songs we have heard and we love their video for “Grand Masquerade.”  We think you will truly love both the sound and the cinematography.

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out Hollywood Fringe Festival Monday Mashup Women in Entertainment

Monday mashup 2018: vol. 27

It’s our final Monday Mashup of the month, and we have some great new music to share with you.  Check out the latest news as well.

LA MUSIC CRITIC TO DEBUT SHOW AT HFF19

Our very own LA Music Critic, Bob Leggett, will be debuting a solo show at next year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival.  Inspired by the amazing productions put on by the Soaring Solo Community, he has hired Jessica Lynn Johnson to help him develop his show, Livin’ the Dream, which will debut at HFF19 next year.  The show is the story of his life and career, focusing on not just dreaming about great things, but accomplishing them as well.  Watch for the Indiegogo campaign being launched in August, and support him on his latest adventure.  We are very proud to be a part of what should be a great show.

VK LYNNE RELEASES AUDIO BOOK OF POETRY

VK Lynne, the lead single of multi-LA Music Critic Award winning band The Spider Accomplice is releasing an audio book containing 35 of her poems, read by a plethora of her friends.  Entitled The Release and Reclamation of Victoria Kerygma, the audiobook is available on Bandcamp.

NEW SINGLES

Our first single this week is from Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, members of the Mountain Home Music family of artists.  They have created a beautiful song that is being released to support the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Trust Fund which, like the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, provides support for struggling artists.  We think you will love this beautiful arrangement and we hope you will likewise support these organizations that help indie musicians.

Our next single is an upbeat pop tune from Mike Edel.  He was featured in our March Ten Great Singles article, and this time around, he promises he will “Go With You.”  We think this one could be a huge hit, and look forward to what’s still to come from this amazing artist.

Our third single is being released by Elkka through Femme Culture, and is an upbeat dance tune called “Stay (warm edit).”  We think this one goes hand in hand with our previous single, and should help get your Monday off to a great start.

Our fourth single continues the positive spin as CJ Hooper releases his first track from his forthcoming album.  “When we Rise” is the perfect remedy for the Monday blahs.

Our final single this week comes from Caibedo Island.  They encourage us to be “Stronger,” and we love the sentiment.

NEW MUSIC VIDEOS

Our first music video comes from an artist we reviewed last week, Roger Len Smith, who was introduced to us by a long-time friend Bobbo Byrnes, lead vocalist of The Fallen Stars.  Here is “Raining on a Sunny Day.”

Next up is the latest video from Grammy-nominated artist Janiva Magness for the title track from her latest album on Blue Élan Records, Love is an Army, featuring LA Music Critic Award winning artist Bryan Stephens.  We hope you enjoy this one as much as we do.

Our third video this week is a political statement about gentrification of our great cities.  Nick Ferrio releases “I Don’t Know How Long” and we totally understand his concerns.

Our fourth video has the rhythm of the islands as Constanza Herrero talks about “Packing Up.”  This video should get your juices flowing and get you on the dance floor.

Our final video this week is the R&B and soul sound of Roxanne Tataei.  Here’s “Crimson Eyes.”  We hope this firmly places your Monday in a good place.  Have a great week and we’ll be back soon with our articles on the Ten Amazing Videos and Ten Great Singles released in July.

 

 

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Fringe Shows Hollywood Fringe Festival Reviews See it or Skip it Theatre Women in Entertainment

HFF18 day 14 – see it or skip it

Just arrived back in Montana, and realized we hadn’t published reviews for the final day of Fringe.  We had a remarkable time this year, and can’t believe that we have to wait another year before we do it all over again.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Yarn

VENUE:  Broadwater Second Stage

REVIEW:  This show applied for our sponsored award, so I was expecting a play that included music.  Imagine my surprise to arrive and find out it was physical theatre with no words and limited to no music.  Not only that, but it was supposed to be 45 minutes long, and when it reached 55 minutes, we had to leave to attend another show.  It definitely had its moments of slapstick humor, but it seemed like they didn’t know when to quit, and it just went on and on and on.  Needless to say, we were not impressed.

RECOMMENDATION:  If we had known that this was not a play, we would have been better prepared, and probably enjoyed it more.  As it was, the audience seemed to love it, and The Broadwater gave it an extension.  It was not one of our favorites, but at least it has found its audience.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Maddy’s Musical

VENUE:  Three Clubs

REVIEW:  Three Clubs has been running a show called Mimosas and Musicals on Sunday afternoons during Fringe, but decided to change it up for the final day of Fringe.  They brought back their “MadLibs” game show from a couple of Fringes past, and called it “Maddy’s Musical.”  The concept was for the audience to pick a collection of 10 songs (solos, duets and group numbers) and then the cast would have five minutes to create a narrative that would tie those songs together.  The event was hosted by Le Phantom (Nick Rubando) with piano accompaniment and sidekick comedy by Cheedo.  The cast contained original members Kate Bowman, Lauren Byrd, Nathan Ondracek and Reagan Osborne and had guest stars of Alli Miller and Adam Lau.  Needless to say, it was pure chaos and magic, and the audience had a blast.  This is the stuff that Fringe legends are made of.

RECOMMENDATION:  If you ever get another chance to see these guys do what they do best – sing and improv, then you would be well advised to see it.

TITLE OF SHOW:  My Own Private River Phoenix

VENUE:  Asylum Studio C

REVIEW:  For our final show of HFF18, we decided to see another Jessica Lynn Johnson directed show.  This show was the perfect one to close out this year.  Ai Yoshihara was hilarious as she explained how she had fallen in love with River Phoenix when she was nine years old, but had to change her plans when he died at the age of 23.  She began her quest for her very own version of him, and with the support of her family, left Japan to seek him out in America.  She used her unique humor, as well as cute audio-visual clips and fun character impressions to deliver a compelling story.  We had a blast and so did the audience.

RECOMMENDATION:  We would love to tell you that you still have another chance to see this remarkable show, but alas, she did not win an encore.  Nevertheless, it was wonderful and we would gladly see it again.

We’ll be back tomorrow with our Best of HFF18 list, including our own award selections.

Categories
Fringe Shows Hollywood Fringe Festival Reviews See it or Skip it Theatre Women in Entertainment

HFF18 day 13 – see it or skip it

As we wrap up our coverage of HFF18, we find ourselves slowing down and more fully savoring the beauty and talent of the available shows, and Saturday was a perfect example.  We had originally packed our schedule but ended up only seeing two of those shows, opting instead to check out a couple of additional shows that had a lot of buzz and for which we were personally sought out to attend.  It proved to be the perfect remedy for our last full day of fringing this year.

Because of the Cultural Event happening on Hollywood Boulevard, the street was closed between Highland and Western.  We decided to come around the north end, travelling down beautiful Laurel Canyon Boulevard and then south on Santa Monica.  It only added about 20 minutes to our trip, so we had time to stop at Eat This and enjoy their breakfast special with scrambled eggs, mixed with bacon and cheese.  So worth it.  From there it was over to The Lounge Theatre to start our day with a pair of Jessica Lynn Johnson solo shows.

TITLE OF SHOW:  SQUIRREL!!

VENUE:  The Lounge Theatre

REVIEW:  Soaring Solo and Johnson are becoming synonymous with quality Fringe shows, and this one was no exception.  Sarah Rose Reynolds is a force of nature, a comedic actress who can sing and does both with an unforgettable flair.  She wears her ADHD like a badge of honor, and gave us not only an incredibly funny and refreshing show, but revealed herself to be a wonderful human being as well.  It was also amazing how our two worlds intersected, as we discovered we had several friends in common, including The Groundlings’ Tracy Newman and indie music queen Abby Posner.  We even had the same taste in Fringe shows, as we met up later in the day for another amazing musical treasure at Three Clubs.  Reynolds earned herself an encore, and will be back next weekend.

RECOMMENDATION:  Reynolds only performed three shows during Fringe, two of them before we arrived in Los Angeles, so we were privileged to get to attend her closing show.  Thank goodness for you LA that you will have one more chance to see her next Saturday, June 30 at 5 p.m.  Get your tickets now because she is almost sold out, and you don’t want to miss this masterpiece of solo theater.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Wild at Hart:  A Tale of Trauma & Triumph

VENUE:  The Lounge Theatre

REVIEW:  This show was the 14th one we reviewed for our Larry Cornwall Award, and it was a true image of beauty.  Kamakshi Hart has a beautiful voice, whether chanting her mantra or singing out show tunes.  Her story, although full of pain and trauma, is told so beautifully that the audience can’t help but be uplifted by her unquenchable spirit and her ability to triumph over that tragedy.  Of all the #metoo stories at this year’s Fringe, hers is the most touching and powerful.  Johnson has once again left her mark upon an actor with this compelling tale of incest, rape, and abuse and the ultimate freedom obtained through dealing with that trauma and learning how to help others faced with similar pain.  Hart’s ability to bounce back and conquer her shame is an encouraging story and model for us to emulate.  We are so thankful that we had the opportunity to take that journey with her and to be able to apply it to our own personal battles.

RECOMMENDATION:  Like Reynolds’ show, this one was only performed three times.  We hope for your sakes that it is extended.  If it is, do whatever it takes to see this one.

We threw out our schedule for the rest of the day, and decided to check out a couple of shows that we had really wanted to see.  Rasika Mathur joined us, along with Johnson and Reynolds for our next show at Three Clubs, one of the best venues for Fringe.

TITLE OF SHOW:  Stages:  Girl Meets Boy, Boy Meets Boy, Girl Meets Drink

VENUE:  Three Clubs

REVIEW:  Emily Goglia is one of the most gifted voices and talents we have ever experienced in our eight years of doing Fringe.  You’ve probably seen her on NBC’s Grease Live! or if you’re a fan of a capella music, on The Sing-Off as the lead singer of Element.  At any rate, she is a voice that you will never forget, and we are privileged to get the chance to see her perform so intimately on the small stage of the Hollywood Fringe.  When she’s not singing in Los Angeles, she tours the world with the USO show, entertaining our troops.  Stages is a work of art and beauty, capturing the essence of the five stages of grief with a powerhouse performance that has literally taken Los Angeles by storm.  You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll drink plenty of alcohol, and anxiously await the chance to do it all again.  We’re just sad that we didn’t discover the amazing talent earlier, but now that we have, we will tell the world about her.

RECOMMENDATIONS:  Be on the lookout for the next chance to catch her, as this was her closing performance.  By any means necessary, don’t miss her next show.

TITLE OF SHOW:  The Parisian Dream

VENUE:  The Assistance League Playhouse

REVIEW:  The venue was one of the most beautiful we have ever seen, and perfect for this amazing show by Cabaret Versatile, who we had not experienced since 2012.  Director Lola Ohlala has assembled a remarkable troupe who truly understand and demonstrate the beautiful art of French cabaret, and took the audience on a sweet journey to Paris.  The dancing by troupe members Natalie J. Davis, Ohlala, Sarah Marquelle Krueger and Julianne Kusmierczyk, and British newcomer Georgie Leahy was breathtaking, while Krueger and Ohlala also mesmerized us with their singing voices.  They were supported by the acting of Evan O’Brien and Aaron Stiles, who truly complemented the troupe with their comedic mime.  This was a true Fringe event and must be experienced.  We will treasure the memories of this performance until the next time they return, which we hope will not be another six years.

RECOMMENDATION:  If you EVER get the chance to see Cabaret Versatile, we highly recommend you jump at that opportunity – they will give you a show that you will never forget.