Wild Ones, Elliot Moss, Smoke Season, and Riothorse Royale light up Club Bahia in Echo Park

Wild Ones

It was a very interesting night at Club Bahia in Echo Park this past Wednesday. There was a great lineup at the new indie club, but unfortunately there was a slim turnout. I don’t know if it’s the new-kid-on-the-indie-block jitters, seeing as the Echo and Echoplex run game on indie/breaking shows in Los Angeles, but the crowd was sad. Sad, as in not there. And it’s such a shame because all the acts that performed were excellent.

The headliner of the evening were Wild Ones out of Portland, Oregon. I personally had never heard them before, but my first impression was a good one. The band’s dose of synth-driven indie pop is absolutely infectious. With a lead singer exuding a most delightful voice (seriously, sweet like honey) and a band that creates gorgeous sounds, Wild Ones hit the sweet spot. Check them out on here on Bandcamp.

Riothorse Royale

Starting off the evening was Riothorse Royale. I had checked these ladies out once before. They opened up for Waters at the Roxy a couple months ago and I was quite impressed then, and I remained impressed at Club Bahia. Emily Greene and Madi Diaz contrast well with one another. While one dresses with a hip style, and the other fashions a bit more business casual, the ladies come together in perfect harmony with their stunning voices. It is hard to believe that they have only done about 10 shows since September, according to Greene. The girls definitely have a bright future ahead of them.

Directly after Riothorse, Smoke Season came out to get people moving… Well, if there were people to move-and-groove, they would have been moving. Gabrielle Wortman and Jason Rosen are fairly hypnotizing to watch on stage, especially Wortman. It’s as though she is in a trance herself on stage, fully lost in the music and bestowing that same energy on the crowd. This is my third time seeing them live, and I’ve definitely become a fan.

Smoke Season

Elliot Moss came up just before Wild Ones and once again, had their been a crowd the people would have been transfixed on the music.

Overall it was a great night of music. It is really unfortunate that the house was not packed because all four bands deserved to be watched and applauded for their talents. It seems that this is a new thing that Club Bahia is doing and so maybe the next show will have a bigger audience once the word is out. Sure, last night’s Dave Chappelle show at Bahia sold out in minutes, but this venue needs to pack the house for the breaking and indie acts it’s starting to book if it wants to become a legit contender in Echo Park. Hopefully with time, things will start filling out.

Words and photos by Wes Marsala

Elliot Moss