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by Wolfgang Mowrey, KUCR DJ

Hollywood is unquestionably the loneliest neighborhood in a city comprised of lonely neighborhoods – several dozen cramped blocks of tourist traps, manicured apartment complexes, and fast food chains, all packed with hopefuls and those who’ve lost hope alike. Pandemic notwithstanding, the arteries of Hollywood and Sunset are bustling, as one would expect on a Saturday night. A pack of teenagers giddily exit Amoeba Records holding hands, goldenrod bags in tow. Families on vacation take pictures next to a giant-sized Elvis movie poster, boldly emblazoned atop a tiny apartment until the next blockbuster takes its place. A young man, wiry, unshowered and unshaven, plays the theme from “The Godfather” on a trumpet outside the Pantages Theater as hoards of strangers pass by. 

I’ve been summoned here tonight to crawl into the Henry Fonda theater and write about the latest tour stop from beloved UK rockers The Zombies. Amid the burst of mid-60s British Invasion acts, none may have emulated the West Coast pop sound as eloquently, and enmeshed it with a distinct British-ness. A classic album, a handful of hit singles, and a trove of rarities and post-breakup trail that led to more unexpected success has endeared the Zombies with something more than the typical Boomer guitar worship, big riffs and all. Soft-psych whisperers who layered harmonies and brewed them with melancholy, the Zombies became an archetypal rock nerd band, known for their flashes with fame but beloved by legions of weird kids and bespectacled older men who hunt down 45s. 

After traveling to find nearby parking, I resort to slogging down to Santa Monica Boulevard, and make the 20 minute trek back to the surface on foot. Outside the box office, a middle-aged man in a baseball cap is asking passersby if they have a spare ticket, as his last-minute purchase has been deemed a fake. Having had no luck myself in wrangling any acquaintance to tag along as a plus one tonight, I offer it to the stranger. Elated, he video calls his mom and introduces me to a kind bed-ridden octogenarian all the way in Montreal. “How old are you?” she asks. “27”. “You look 15.” 

There is an unmistakable generational divide in the theater tonight – clusters of young women excitedly jump up and down while belting out the chorus to each tune from opening act Rooney, while someone who looks like their dad limps around with the same grating expression you would imagine they have at the DMV. I find Rooney’s music to be pleasant and unobtrusive. If one was staying at a hotel, it would make sense to have Rooney playing in the background, massaging guests’ brains with playful pick-me-ups. There are shades of Lin-Manuel Miranda, The Killers, and late-era, Mayor Pete-backing Panic! At the Disco throughout their setlist. This is not a good thing. You can almost pinpoint a direct correlation from their most saccharine moments to the outpouring of “stomp clap” acts that dominated the early part of the 2010s. 

Rooney are best known for the single “When Did Your Heart Go Missing?”, a bubbly power-pop belter which has a memorable needle drop in the 2000s classic TV series “Gossip Girl”. Frontman Robert Schwartzman, he of the Coppola Schwartzmans, was once part of the family business, appearing in cousin Sofia Coppola’s “The Virgin Suicides” and most notably, “The Princess Diaries” as the love interest for Anne Hathaway. Like the Zombies, Rooney are a melange of nostalgic loose ends of their decade – guitar rock revival, coming-of-age romance –

and their fans have come to tap into the well of Y2K nostalgia. Like the crowd for the Zombies, the most dedicated of Rooney’s fans are devotees, and are familiar with the entire catalog. Contrary to any male music fan arrogance, perhaps my own included, they are as legitimate Rock fans as anyone, and are clearly having more fun than the couple standing on the far side of stage right, decked out in the kind of outfit last spotted on a Guitar Hero avatar. 

The Zombies take the stage with their touring band, and break into an hour and a half of covers, hits, and fan favorites. At one point, keyboardist Rod Argent tells a story about Tom Petty covering an early forgotten B-Side, “I Want You Back Again”, solidifying their lineage as patron saints of the “Nuggets” crowd. Among the walls of the Fonda, decked out with scenes from Bosch’s “Garden of Earthly Delights”, the whimsical vignettes from their 1968 opus “Odessey and Oracle”, the making of which Argent and vocalist Colin Blunstone delightfully recall, feel at home. Certainly, someone’s night was made by hearing Argent share his recollection of going into Abbey Road studios to record “Oracle” and discovering that The Beatles had left their equipment there, leading Argent to record with John Lennon’s mellotron, one of the first of its kind. 

The Zombies’ biggest hit, “Time of The Season”, makes spiritualism feel as seductive as it might have 55 years prior. Hearing Argent’s keyboard riffs and Blunstone’s “ahs” while standing 20 feet apart, you understand why that became a chart juggernaut – like many great songs, it is a call to arms, but without the heart-beating urgency, instead oozing a laissez-faire cool. There is no rush to “Time of the Season”, because the season is for loving, and thus, it is always the time of the season. 

Closing out the setlist is “Hold Your Head Up”, a song written in 1972 for Argent’s band after the Zombies dissolved, the aptly named Argent. After disclosing another “Behind The Music” gem with the audience, that the chorus is in fact “Hold your head up, woman” and not “hold your head up, woah”. “There’s a lot of tough times right for women”, Argent says, eliciting scattered cheers but sadly comatose indifference from many. After running through the main verses, the band breaks into a fiery and inspired solo section, and then you truly understand what set the Zombies apart from so many imitators. The influence of Jazz is peppered throughout many of their tunes, be it the punching Soul of keyboard maestro Jimmy Smith or modal groove of Joe Zawinul. The steamy bounce of “She’s Not There” has traces of Southern Soul as well as much of the Bossa Nova that was filtering into Western pop. From “Odessey and Oracle” and beyond, the Zombies have been constantly curious, and such curiosity has indebted them to legions of musicians and obsessives. 

Exiting the Fonda, I bump into the guy from earlier. He profusely thanks me again, and tells me how much he loved the show. Outside, groups take pictures posing next to the marquee and street vendors prepare hot dogs, and I grab one for the long walk back to my car. Walking down El Centro, past successive blocks of permit-only parking and a slinking line to get into a nightclub that circumvents several tents, the grease of bacon and bell pepper lingers on my

tongue alongside the familiar neighborhood loneliness I think of the dedication it takes to not only make something as expansive and challenging as “Oddesey and Oracle”, but to continue performing it, to continue going out on the road sharing your past with strangers, night after night. Many artists struggle to capture whatever lightning in a bottle they once had, and falter to understand how to connect with listeners who discover them much later. The Zombies do not seem to have this problem, because they are as curious writers as their audience are curious listeners, totally locked in a mutual search for togetherness. I think that’s pretty special, and it makes Hollywood feel a little less alien tonight.

Syd at Novo in L.A. in June 2022

Written by DJ Kiki of Girl Problems, KUCR

After the release of her album, Broken Hearts Club, I’d been more than eager to hear the album live and see Syd during her first solo tour. Anticipation grew as the first show was postponed due to Syd feeling sick, but I was excited to know she’d be closing the tour in her home city of Los Angeles. I arrived just before she came on and as we waited for her to come to the stage I noticed rapper Too Short hanging out at the bar. You know it’s going to be a good show when rap icons are there to see R&B acts. Syd came out in a biker hat and cargo pants, her fashion reflecting her down to earth vibe. As she went through her setlist she moved from song to song as if she was telling a story and kept the crowd engaged throughout the whole thing. She began with Tie The Knot and included some of my favorite tracks like Got Her Own from her previous album. She even sang YOU’RE THE ONE a classic Kaytranada track. Her band gave an exceptional performance and she even brought out rapper Smino for the track Right Track. The crowd was filled with lovers holding hands and friends dancing along to every beat. Syd gave a wonderful performance and I can’t say I expected anything less. 

KUCR Comedy Apocalypse 15!

On Thursday, May 19, from 7:00pm – 9:00pm  

Featuring 3 comics — diverse, unique and original comedic talents — all rising stars from the LA comedy scene.  

LIVE! IN-PERSON!  

IRENE TU is named one of Netflix Is A Joke Comics for 2022 and Vulture’s “Comedians You Should and Will Know.” Her album “WE’RE DONE NOW” debut at #1 iTunes Comedy Charts March 2022. Irene Tu is a stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. The San Francisco Chronicle singled her out as an “artist on the brink of fame,” on the heels of being named one of the “Bay Area’s 11 Best Stand-Up Comedians” (SFist) and one of 20 “Women to Watch” (KQED). Paste Magazine praised Irene’s “quick wit, relaxed stage presence, and hilariously off-the-wall observations” She has performed at numerous festivals including SF Sketchfest, Comedy Central’s Clusterfest, RIOT LA, Bridgetown Comedy Festival, and Outside Lands. Irene has opened for comedians such as Patton Oswalt, W. Kamau Bell, Brian Posehn, Anthony Jeselnik, Gary Gulman, Judah Friedlander, Hari Kondabolu, and Aparna Nancherla. You can see her on season 2 of “Take My Wife” and on VICELAND’s “Funny How?”  Irene’s recent STAND-UP FEATURING set is the most watched reel on Comedy Central’s Stand-Up’s Instagram page, with over 2.7 million views. 

Rachel Scanlon is an LA-based stand-up comedian, host, writer and actor from Minnesota. Ray has performed all over the country and legend has it, is the best comedian to ever live. You’ve seen Rachel from her sketches on Comedy Central, watched her on “Two Dykes and a Mic” and “Apologies in Advance“, and seen live on stage performing with the biggest names in the game, colleges, and numerous festivals including -Queer Portland Queer Comedy Festival, SF Sketchfest, Best of the Fest at Burbank Comedy Festival. Buckle up, this comedian is high energy, absurdly positive, and your new comedy crush.”  

Ellen Harold is a stand-up comedian, actor and writer who was born on a craps table in Atlantic City in the mid ’90s. As a young girl, she learned that she had a civic duty to humiliate herself in front of others in order to bring laughter to the world. As a result, Ellen grew up to become a stand-up comedian, current based in Los Angeles. She is the creator and host of Abbot Kidding, the premier comedy show on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, CA and performs her stand-up throughout LA.  

NOTE: LIVE STAND-UP COMEDY MAY INVOLVE ADULT LANGUAGE AND SITUATIONS.  

KUCR Comedy Apocalypse 14
Featuring 3 comics — diverse, unique and original comedic talents — all rising stars from the LA comedy scene.
Thursday May 12 7:30pm BARN
LIVE! IN-PERSON!
DANIELLE PEREZ is a Los Angeles based comedian, actor, and writer personal and biting stand-up has been featured on Stand Up NBC, CBS Network Television, Sundance, Hear To Slay, NPR‘s Ask Me Another, CNN, The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine called her one of the “13 Powerful Women Who Are Making L.A. a Better Place.” Time’s Up, MTV’s DECODED, Comedy Central, A Little Late with Lilly Singh!, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM (HBO), SPECIAL(Netflix),RUSSIAN DOLL, DIARY OF A FUTURE PRESIDENT.

EVER MAINARD is a non-binary, award winning actor, writer, and comedian, whom Variety Magazine describes as a “Wildcard,.. Hysterically funny and a force one can see a mile away…” for their performance in Netflix’s The Feels. Ever has also been seen in Paddelton, Conan O’Brien’s new digital series, Meet the Staff. Ever has written for Scy-Fy, E!, Huffington Post, The Guardian, Wilshire Studios. Ever was rated as one of the Top-3 U.S. Imports in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for their one-person show, Let Me BeYour Main Man, and has performed stand-up across the U.S. and Europe.

Madison Shepard is a stand up, writer, and actor based in Los Angeles, cited by Comedy Central and NPR as an “up and coming comic to watch.” She’s opened for Maria Bamford and her standup was featured on WhoHaha, Funny or Die, and Buzzfeed. She can be seen in Comedy Central’s The New Negroes, HBO’s Barry, and she plays Gail on Freeform’s new series Single Drunk Female. In 2020, she was on the creative team for the 72nd Primetime Emmy’s, written for seasons 4 & 5 of Netflix’s The Circle, and currently is writing on the Roku Original’s Roku Recommends. Madison’s debut EP “Goodnight Silverlake Lounge” .She studied acting at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and The Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, in London.

A partial list of the comedians the KUCR 88.3FM Comedy Apocalypse series has presented at the Barn—

Jerrod Carmichael, Shane Maus, Willie Barcena, Ian Edwards,Zack Selwyn, Al Madrigal, Jesse Joyce, Rod Man, Billy Randolf, Dean Edwards, Brent Weinbach, Nate Bargatze, Greg Fitzsimmons, Jimmy Dore, Paul Gilmartin, Bobby Miyamoto, Omar Nava, Jade Catta-Preta, Kevin Shea, Dan Levy, Sidney Castillo, Ron Funches, Gene Pompa, Dwayne Perkins, Robert Yasumura, Rory Scovel, Alice Wetterlund, Beth Stelling, Hampton Yount, John Roberts, Emily Heller, Byron Bowers, Matt Braunger, Baron Vaughn, Ramin Nazzer

May 12, 2022, 7:30 – 9pm. UCR Students — FREE ADMISSION. The BARN.