Pool Party A-Go-Go caps magnificent Labor Day weekend of music feat. Bleached, Summer Twins and more

After not getting home from Burger A-Go-Go 2 until 3 AM on Saturday night, I wasn’t sure how I was going to rally for a sweet unofficial Burger pool party that was headlined by Bleached at a rad house in Eagle Rock. Once I got there it was easy to find the energy.

The party – for which limited tickets were sold – had about 60-to-75 people gathered with a nice cheap bar and free pizza. The pool had a sweet slide that was built into this piece of rock. Underwater, there were color-changing lights and speakers from which you could hear music. The layout of the house made it truly feel like you were teleporting back into the 1960s but armed with some of today’s technology.

Opening up the musical portion of the night were Regrettes, fronted by Lydia Night and Marlhy Murphy. These girls aren’t even old enough to drive yet but they are rock savvy well beyond their years. I got a chance to sit down and interview them after their set, look out for a feature on Grimy Goods.

Regrettes

Up next were Summer Twins, who I had already seen bits and pieces of twice in the past few weeks – first opening for Jenny Lewis and then at Burger A-Go-Go. Twin sisters Chelsea (guitar, vocals) and Justine Brown (drums) helped set up this special gig and delivered a memorable set that matched the old-school aesthetic of the house it was played at. If you looked up dreampop in an (online) dictionary, you’d probably find a link to their catalog of tunes.

Former Dum Dum Girls and Vivian Girls member Frankie Rose also took part in the evening’s festivities and helped make the time-traveling feeling resonate that much more. Her jangly guitar pop was very well-received. I’m pretty sure there was a song in the set called “Night Swim,” which a handful of people happened to be doing at the time.

Bleached

Last but certainly not last was Bleached, who I would be seeing for the second time in as many nights. Standing up front I was literally inches away from this awesome four-piece garage rock band. Along with favorites like “Electric Chair” and the set-closing “Dead In Your Head,” they mixed in three new songs, my favorite being “Keep On Keepin’ On,” as well as a cover of The Damned’s “Born to Kill.” During this song, lead vocalist Jennifer Calvin reached into the crowd and grabbed the forehead of an up-front fan and sang right to her. The whole band made use of the tiny “stage” living room area and at one point drummer Bosh Rothman put a hole through the bass drum from rocking out too hard.

Events like this are part of what makes LA’s music scene so diverse. In few other cities can you pull something off like a pool party concert in early September but this was a well-orchestrated event and something I hope returns in the future.

Words: Mark E. Ortega

Photography: Wes Marsala

Summer Twins