SoundDiego LIVE stormed the world-famous Casbah on Thursday night with Kolars, Alex Lilly, Sea Base, host Tim Pyles and a craft-beer happy hour courtesy of Mason Ale Works.
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The Kolars-headlined Feb. 21 show was our 64th SoundDiego LIVE! Can you believe that!? Maybe we should be getting into the event-planning biz, too...
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Three great bands, free beer (if you RSVP'd) and an entire night of fun? Yeah, it's worth celebrating.
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Our craft-beer partner, Mason Ale Works, had the suds a-flowing. If you RSVP'd beforehand, you got a couple brews gratis -- so if you missed out, now you know for next time; be sure to get on our guest list!
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Sea Base -- a local band featuring three bassists (!!!) and a drummer -- brought the low-end rumble (as you can probably imagine).
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The beloved Tim Pyles, 91x's "Mayor of Local Music," played a perfect party host (as he always does).
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While weather had been pretty stormy throughout the day, it had cleared up nicely by the time the VIP happy hour rolled around!
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If you come to any of our SoundDiego LIVE parties, chances are extremely good you'll be rubbing shoulders with some of our friends from NBC San Diego / Telemundo 20 -- like T20's Fabiola Berriozábal and Maria Duran, and NBC 7's Danielle Radin and Christina Bravo (pictured left to right).
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We don't know about you but it's kind of awesome to finally be able to break out some of that rarely-used winter wardrobe while in SD. These folks have layered nicely, obviously!
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Kalani -- SoundDiego TV reporter and member of Bad Kids (who rock our SoundDiego TV theme song every Saturday night on NBC 7 after "Saturday Night Live") -- was on hand, hangin' loose (pictured right).
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The Casbah's always a great place to meet your idols; it's so small and a lot of musicians hang out at the bar or in the lounge before and/or after their sets (as seen here with Kolars' guitarist Rob Kolar, left, and drummer Lauren Brown, right).
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Pyles was a busy man throughout the night -- along with his show-hosting duties, before each band's set, he'd also do an on-screen interview that'll be airing on an upcoming episode of SoundDiego TV!
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Sea Base played the first set of the night -- and as expected, it ruled.
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Sea Base's Marc Balanky pounded the skins.
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So meta!
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Sea Base's Mike Santos, Tom Perry and Mark Sgarbossa, pictured left to right.
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YOU get a shirt! And YOU get a shirt! And YOU get a shirt!
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Our memories are a bit foggy -- but we still remember the moment that first sip of Mason Ale Works' Mexican lager, Respeto, hit our lips. So good!
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Coming to a flatscreen near you: Pyles interviews Alex Lilly for an upcoming episode of SoundDiego TV.
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Lilly had us rapt throughout her set -- in a recent New York Times review, they wrote: "Lilly’s songs are full of musicianly gamesmanship. They’re synth-pop built around a decidedly human protagonist; they use hopscotching melody lines, shifty meters, subtly intricate counterpoint and spongy, unconventional synthesizer tones."
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After spending years prior performing as a touring musician for Beck, Lorde and a long-standing tenure in the Bird and the Bee -- Lilly's finally set out on her own and her music has been worth the wait.
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Her new album "2% Milk" has been receiving glowing reviews. Flood Magazine wrote recently that it's "packed with deliciously dreamy pop-positivity that recalls influences Kate Bush and XTC, with unexpected nods to mid-’80s Trevor Horn production (see album opener 'Confucius Says') and 'Borderline'-era Madonna. In a landscape littered with overwrought pop stylists banking on social media currency, Alex Lilly is the genuine article."
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Fader called one of her new songs, "Distracting Me," "pretty freaking awesome." Indeed!
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We have a hunch our party at the Casbah might have been the last chance to see her in an extremely intimate venue.
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The brothers Monzet -- Peter and Sean (NBC 7 San Diego's Director of Integrated Media), pictured left and middle -- rolled through with their bud!
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With planes arriving to the San Diego International Airport overhead, Kolars chatted up Pyles outside the club for SoundDiego TV before their set.
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The duo put on one of the most energetic, fun sets we've seen in ages!
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The group just released their latest single, "Turn It Up," earlier this week! (Brown pictured)
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It's out via HockeyTalkter Records, helmed by none other than Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready! (Kolar pictured)
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At every show, Brown stomps and tap-dances on this kick drum!
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The band's sound has elements of "desert disco" and "glam-a-billy," but they say most of their music is rooted in punk rock.
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“As a kid I listened to a lot of punk music and it inspired me to start singing and writing songs," Kolar (pictured left) said in a recent interview with Flood Magazine. "It’s a culture that embraces imperfection and values authentic expression, which is empowering to someone just starting out."
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The group released their self-titled debut album in 2017 to vast critical acclaim (Paste Magazine wrote "Kolars play their unique blend of '70s glam rock, '90s grunge and twangy country with every inch of their body") and have performed more than 400 shows since 2016!
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Many thanks to Kolars, Alex Lilly, Sea Base, host Tim Pyles, Mason Ale Works, the Casbah, and all those who made it out for another successful SoundDiego LIVE party! We'll see you at the next one!
