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Pete RG, The Lamps, Billie Gayle, Forest Bees
Free
First Fridays are always FREE at The Uptown.
The bar opens for happy hour at 5PM, show starts at 9PM.
21+
Pete RG:
Bio:
“Speckled with hints of Neil Diamond, Leonard Cohen and Matt Berninger, RG is blessed to have a voice so unique, so enchanting and so captivating. It is that voice and its intrinsic charisma that will carry RG forward in the months and years to come.” – Absolute Punk
“The warmth of a troubadour brought up on the traveling spirit songs of The Boss, and other canonical idols brings about a spark that rests in a kind of a warm subtle glow with a brightness to entrance the glass windows of a lantern.”
-Impose Magazine
Pete RG’s rich baritone voice is at the center of his distinct sound, one that has reached fruition on his debut full-length, Tender Souls, released on September 23rd. To accompany the announcement, RG shares the earnest title track.
“As a songwriter, I’m always trying to express myself as best I can, lyrically and musically,” RG says. “On Tender Souls I feel I was able to do that without cutting corners or falling back into ambiguity. It’s a really good picture of where I’m at, with a lot of experience under my belt but also a lot of optimism.”
Born in Los Angeles to Greek immigrants, Pete RG (nee, Peter Argyropoulos) grew up in a musical household. As working musicians, his parents inspired him to learn a variety of instruments and start playing band gigs while in college. Beginning in 1998 and up into 2007, he was the principal songwriter and lead singer with the popular indie band, Last December.
During that time he also laid the foundation for his solo career, with years of live shows that most recently included a 50+ show 2016-17 US tour with Candlebox. In its review of one club date, Pancakes And Whiskey pretty much summarized all that RG offers to his audiences: “high quality rock with honest and engaging lyrics, a hammering backbeat plus gorgeous harmonies.”
Live Performance Video:
https://vimeo.com/
Links:
https://www.pete-rg.com/
https://twitter.com/
https://www.facebook.com/
https://soundcloud.com/
https://www.instagram.com/
The Lamps:
Bio: Too many cooks in the kitchen, or the ideal concoction for creating perfect audio alchemy? San Francisco indie rock trio The Lamps decidedly prove it’s the latter! Formed in 2016 after getting to know one another as service industry coworkers, band members Joe Krahling (drums) and Harrison Laver (guitar/vocals) began their post-work musical collaboration and formed the basis for the band, later snagging bassist Drew Dowling to round out their burgeoning sound.
The threesome immediately felt a musical camaraderie based on their similar tastes, but also challenged and
stretched one another with their corresponding differences
in genre preferences and background influences. The
guys soon found themselves effortlessly mixing these various musical roots. “We’ve been able to combine
our different musical tendencies together in a unique way that produces natural, all-organic, jams,” adds bassist Dowling.
Guitarist/vocalist Laver further explains, “What I love most about the band is the ease in which we present ideas to one another and give each other feedback. I never feel uncomfortable bringing a new song, sound or concept to the
table. That fluidity of musical communication is priceless.”
As a result, The Lamps have created their own straightforward take on Indie rock, expertly weaving in elements of Jazz, Surf Rock, Blues, Punk and Garage Rock. The band’s sound and style is comparable to popular Indie rockers like The Strokes, Real Estate and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. The Lamps have been steadily gaining a local SF Bay Area following and regularly play to enthusiastic crowds at Brick & Mortar Music Hall, Stork Club and Neck of the Woods, among other concert venues. The band’s debut four-track EP is due out Spring 2018.
Links:
https://
Billie Gayle:
billiegayle.com
facebook.com/
Billie Gayle began as the solo, singer-songwriter project of Beth Garber in Seattle, whose guitar-picking style and lyric-heavy songs are reminiscent of Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake, and whose lilting vocals bring Doris Day, Francoise Hardy, and Ilene Woods to mind.
As Billie Gayle has developed into a band, with a relocation to the East Bay and the addition of Adam and Justin Wayne on guitar and drums, and Eric Shawn on bass, influences like Slowdive, David Bazan, and St. Vincent have shaped Billie Gayle’s sound into a tapestry of melody, shiny guitar riffs, and backbeat, while staying true to the original, story-driven style.
Blending the grit and glamour of the Bay and the contemplative, rainy day rock of the emerald NW, Billie Gayle intertwines roots of singer-songwriter folk, leading lady vocals, shimmery guitar riffs, and a densely melodic drive.
Forest Bees:
https://
Forest Bees is what happens when you take the daughter of Indian immigrants; feed her on a steady diet of Bollywood, Suicide and shoegaze; strand her as one of the few women of color in a sea of white indie boys playing guitar; drop her into the warm lap of motherhood; write her off as ‘boring and domestic’; fire her up to reform her band which only inspired her to start something new. And that leads us to these songs about identity + fluidity + the mindfuck of realizing that who you are is not always who you are allowed to be. Songs about growing up never seeing anyone who looks like you on tv or in magazines (Off Color); the loneliness of marriage (Independence Day); post-partum depression (Hollow Bones); inarticulate longing (Golden Dream); and the ultimate revenge fantasy of being about to turn your back and walk away from it all (Dust).