Kera and the Lesbians
This past Monday, Kera and the Lesbians kicked off the first night of their February residency at the Echo with support from local acts Santoros, Mr. Elevator & the Brain Hotel, and Crown Plaza. Despite the chilly temperatures, fans came out in large numbers and brought some serious body heat into the venue. Sparking the evening’s exuberant line-up of music were L.A. newbies, Crown Plaza. As the side project of So Many Wizards’ lead singer and guitarist, Nima Kazerouni — Crown Plaza deliver a sunny dose of indie rock that warms up your soul real quick. As soon as the band hit the stage, the Echo began to plump up — not bad for an early 9 p.m. slot.
With an all out glorious assault of psychedelic rock, Mr. Elevator and the Brain Hotel took the stage next. We had just covered these guys a few weeks ago at Froth’s record release show, and they never disappoint. While most psych bands tend to put you in a hypnotic state of near sleep, Mr. Elevator burn with ferocious energy delivering a throbbing set of psychedelic rock ‘n’ roll, heavy on the organ. While they blasted away on stage, the crowd had grown quite dense at the Echo.
Greeting us with smiles and charm, were Kera and the Lesbians. Front-woman Kera is probably one of the most endearing artists we’ve ever seen on stage. She bubbles with warmth and loves talking to her fans, but as soon as the stage banter is over she delivers a fiery set full of old timey sounds, soulful croons, psychotic screams, and all-around charm. The girl’s even got some moves. We loved watching her shimmy across the stage as she danced with her guitar. I can’t tell you how many times I overheard both men and women praise and compliment Kera as I made my rounds across the floor. From slow almost foreboding strums, to chaotic crashes of cymbals and guitars, watching Kera and the Lesbians perform is like playing Russian roulette — you never know what’s gonna shoot out of her, but trust it will be something damn good.
Burning the midnight oil with a whimsical set of all things psych, garage and surf-pop — Santoros hit the stage. We recently covered them at El Cid and it’s always a pleasure to see these boys live. Transmitting those groovy vibes from the stage to your dome, Santoros rattle your bones in both Spanish and English.
Kera and the Lesbians have three more free shows every Monday this February. Click here to view the full line-up of supporting acts. Grimy Goods will be presenting two more Kera and the Lesbians residency nights on Feb. 17 and 24. We hope to see you there!
Words: Sandra Burciaga
Photography: Farah Sosa
Kera and the Lesbians
Kera and the Lesbians
Kera and the Lesbians
Mr. Elevator and the Brain Hotel
Mr. Elevator and the Brain Hotel
Mr. Elevator and the Brain Hotel
Santoros
Santoros
Crown Plaza
Crown Plaza
For more photos of Kera and the Lesbians, Santoros, Mr. Elevator & the Brain Hotel, and Crown Plaza — click through the photo gallery below.
