Residency Diaries are exactly what they sound like: the thoughts, musings, and scribbles of rock bands as they host a series of month-long shows in various Los Angeles venues. This month’s R.D. entries are from The Steelwells, whose sunshine crush of melodic indie rock and pop can be heard every Monday night for free in January at the Silverlake Lounge.

By Joey Winter (vocals/ acoustic guitar)

Let me get this out of the way quickly here. This Monday night with us, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band (awesome!!), Mississippi Man (Boom Killa!!), and Eugene & the 1914 (Ninja Assassin!) all at The Silverlake Lounge.  Be there.

OK, I’m going to answer a few questions that keep coming up. Whenever someone asks about our residency at Silverlake Lounge the most popular question seems to be “How do you make that long drive from Orange County?”  Which we all find pretty funny when it’s a quick 40 minutes to get there.  The only thing that is not so much fun is going to bed at 2:30 am and waking up at 6:30 am. Yeah not fun.

Another common question that amuses us is where we are from. Let’s see if I can help out for those who are genuinely curious about where we come from.  Over the past 30 years I have lived for no less than a year in La Habra, Brea, Thousand Oaks, Long Beach, Yorba Linda, the Philippines, San Mateo (CA), Corona and Fullerton. I’ve moved a bit. The rest of the guys all live between Fullerton and Yorba Linda. We have a practice space in Anaheim where we spend most of our time writing music. So where are we from? Uh…North Orange County…maybe?

We were just having this conversation about how bands move to LA or Long Beach so they can avoid being labeled as an OC band. It seems to be that you don’t get any credit if you say you’re from wherever you’re really from. Well, I’ve been all over the place so in my head the whole thing is just silly. I would say that experiences and not so much location has more to do with interesting music. Orange County, believe it or not has got a lot to offer musically…and stucco houses that are too close together…and Lauren from “The Hills.” Regardless, if we move to LA it will be solely to avoid that 40 minute drive.

In The Steelwells we all bring our own experiences to the music. Speaking for myself I have a good number of them most of which I have not even begun to dig into lyrically. This is why I feel so good about what we are doing.  As long as we can keep our heads on straight and do what we do then I think we will find it difficult to run out of ways to express our thoughts both musically and lyrically.

So, in a nut shell, we are from North Orange County, and it takes us 40 minutes to get to LA, and Orange County has good music. On that note come see us perform on the last night of our residency at the Silverlake Lounge with Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, Mississippi Man and Eugene & the 1914. I’m baking cookies again so come early to grab one…or two.

Residency Diaries are exactly what they sound like: the thoughts, musings, and scribbles of rock bands as they host a series of month-long shows in various Los Angeles venues. This month’s R.D. entries will be from Mississippi Man, whose barroom brawl of guitar-driven ’60s rock and folk-tinged Americana can be heard for free every Monday night in November at the Silverlake Lounge (presented by KXLU and The Fold).

By David Knight (guitar/ vocals)

“Hey man can we borrow an amp?” “Vox or Fender?” “Always Fender like Dick Dale.” Pre-show banter that we’ve been forced to start because we’re short an amp. Four speakers short-circuited all at once and left us stranded with one amp, two guitars, and a bad taste in our mouths. Now we have three new speakers and almost have a fourth. We’re going to celebrate once that reverb drenched tone eminates from our Super once again. Up next, Mississippi Man playing surf rock. It’s going to be huge. Until then, we’ve been lucky to play with the coolest dudes who are willing to loan us an amp for our set. I think we’ve only blown a couple of them.

I’ll tell you who doesn’t need that thick Dick tone. Whispering Pines. We were fortunate enough to get them on our residency after a band bailed on us. Standing in front and watching those guys made me think of the first time I heard Duane Allman playing “Statesboro Blues.” I could of sworn I’d heard some of their songs spinning on my record player years ago but I didn’t care. These guys were obviously meant to be playing this music. Real southern rock n’ roll isn’t dead after all. Maybe we should trade band names with them. They sang some mean southern harmonies and really got into it. I also discovered that we both love the (not so) secret venue in the desert, Pappy and Harriets. I’ll definitely have to see them there sometime and break out the Jack.

A lot of our friend’s bands say that the residency flies by but in our case it seems to be going in slow motion. Granted, we have an extra night that most bands don’t get but either way it seems like the residency should have been finished a while ago. Not that we’re getting tired of it but I just found that interesting. Another interesting fact: we all aspire to be troubadours. Or maybe matadors. I can’t remember which one it is. Stumbles and Fumbles would probably go first though and nobody wants to see that happen. El toro sin cuernos no es un toro real.

We were all excited to see our friends, Olin & the Moon, who were playing right before us. As always, they failed to disappoint. We first met those guys at the Echo awhile back and I remember thinking that we needed to become friends. Well, here we are and they are some of the coolest cats in the LA music scene. Their music is soothing in a weird way but also very energetic. A cool combination. Closing the night was Wake Up Lucid who I hadn’t heard before but they play a cool straightforward blues rock. Hope to see them again soon. They are also from the desert. It’s weird how a lot of bands from the “desert” are starting to appear in larger and larger groups. Who knew growing up out there in that crazy place would yield so many connections?

Usually we head out to get a bite to eat after the show but instead we cruised over to Olin & the Moon’s shindig and hung out there for awhile. They might be giving us their old van which would be so cool. Carting everything around in the back of Crumbles truck is getting a bit old. Apparently it has a bed and some cool home-made stuff in it. So look out Mississippi Fans, we might be showing up to our next show in an old Ford. Let’s hope so anyways. Next week is going to be our last so if you haven’t come out yet, we’d love to see you there and talk and drink. I think I might shave the beard. Come let me know what you think of that.

Love,
Mississippi Man

Residency Diaries are exactly what they sound like: the thoughts, musings, and scribbles of rock bands as they host a series of month-long shows in various Los Angeles venues. This month’s R.D. entries will be from Mississippi Man, whose barroom brawl of guitar-driven ’60s rock and folk-tinged Americana can be heard for free every Monday night in November at the Silverlake Lounge (presented by KXLU and The Fold).

By David Knight (guitar/ vocals)

So it’s the third night of our residency at the Silverlake Lounge and it’s getting heavy. The cat from The Color Turning has some serious chops and here we are with 5 bands laying it down. That’s a hell of a lot of music for one night. I’m getting antsy from watching. Sitting below that weird balcony on that grimy staircase just watching.  I already watched Moostache and Threadspinner and now I’m ready to jam but instead I’m subjected to more music. Is it cool for a musician to get a bit tired of hearing music sometimes? Maybe Michelangelo didn’t lose his eyesight by accident. The bands are good though, heavier than usual but that’s alright by me.

The first band, Threadspinner, is from Santa Barbara I think. They start the evening early with some decent material while Poppa Bear and myself chat. Sweet Keys is doing his thing somewhere with the others.  I noticed the merch for Threadspinner is pretty nifty and is set up better than ours. So it’s now 9 but it seems like 10 as the second band, Moostache, takes the stage.

Their singer is young and looks it too but I like his voice. It’s a bit more mature than you’d expect. I heard their record before I saw them and dug it a lot. They’re definitely heavier live though with equipment you don’t usually see in the LA hip scene. I think they were my favorite support act of the night. Real solid and tight.

While they played, our friends from our rehearsal studio came in. That’s how it should be. Bands supporting other bands. There’s too much cutthroat rivalry in music. Too much pride. Past, future, present, past, passed…

The Color Turning is a band we’ve know for awhile through mutual friends. A few years ago they were one of the only bands playing good music in the area. Then this scene blew up with a new band a week but they were one of the pioneers. Let’s not forget that. They played with the sound of a tried band. Fluid and effortlessly. Heavy too. We didn’t plan it that way but it turned out to be a heavy night.

Maybe that’s why the crowd reacted a bit differently to us that night. We played in-between some heavier bands and didn’t sound as heavy. We’re heavy though, just listen. Our folk/pop sound is just a front. Those notes we play are dark and foreboding. Minor chords and murder ballads.

Spirit Vine took the stage after us and I watched as they played some good music. They have a cool take on the whole 70’s psychedelic sound which may or may not be an oxymoron. Not sure, I’ll have to look it up. We had to jet though so we took off for Taco Zone and, for those of you who haven’t been there, it’s an amazing taco cart in Echo Park on Alvarado. Look for our sticker and tell us about it sometime.

Until next week,
Mississippi Man

Residency Diaries are exactly what they sound like: the thoughts, musings, and scribbles of rock bands as they host a series of month-long shows in various Los Angeles venues. This month’s R.D. entries will be from Mississippi Man, whose barroom brawl of guitar-driven ’60s rock and folk-tinged Americana can be heard for free every Monday night in November at the Silverlake Lounge (presented by KXLU and The Fold).

By David Knight (guitar/ vocals)

We must have done something right on the first night. Maybe it was the way we talked to people. Maybe it was the music. Whatever the cause, people came. Wonderfully detached and strung up, some of them looking for the very thing that the big, glowing sign above the stage read. Salvation. I think I may have found it there on a few occasions but, as always, it slipped away when I left. And tonight, were we expected to bring this to people who had never seen us before? People who didn’t know us, didn’t know that we, like them, are all searching for the same thing. Music is such a beautiful curse.

The Fling knows, The Silent Comedy knows, we know. Make Moon canceled so maybe it got to them too. Either way, The Fling went up on stage and, without any visible worries, proceeded to save the entire crowd right then. They like 3 a lot, and so do I. They played a fantastic set and people kept coming in until I couldn’t see The Fling anymore. I just heard them play and watched the crowd as they stood and watched and maybe heard, I’m not sure. The band sage, Raymond Richards, was also present and we had some good conversation about things. That man can work his way around a monolithic tape machine like nobody’s business. Someday, we want to build a studio at the Casa in Joshua Tree with him. Someday.

The Fling finished with the crowd cheering and left the stage for the Silent Comedy to fill and somehow make it their own. They did and it left me astounded as to how. That band has some great stage presence with their guitar player hitting the overhang like a man speaking tongues at some southern tent revival. The salvation aspect was definitely working in their favor. People were still coming in and I decided to go outside for a brief respite from the stuffy, although excitable, atmosphere inside. After a quick break it was my turn to push through the crowd to set up and take the stage. We like having people stand close to us. It makes for an exciting show.

As usual, time stood still while we played and I sang and played and didn’t worry about saving people. Just playing music is enough for me. I’ll leave the saving part for someone else. I think that there was some applause though. My ears kind of shut off to any outside interference while we play. Maybe it’s some sort of weird survival mechanism. We could feel a lot of energy coming from the crowd which is always nice. It was a great night for music all around.

The night ended with a bang, literally, as the 4-foot condom that Dustin, singer from the Fling, was blowing up suddenly exploded. Those things are pretty resilient. Maybe I should put more faith in them. And with that, we all proceeded to pack up, by far the most horrible task of playing any show. Maybe we’ll have roadies someday. Who knows.

We’ll see all you salvation-seekers next week. Let’s talk and have some fun.

Residency Diaries are exactly what they sound like: the thoughts, musings, and scribbles of rock bands as they host a series of month-long shows in various Los Angeles venues. This month’s R.D. entries will be from Mississippi Man, whose barroom brawl of guitar-driven  ’60s rock and folk-tinged Americana can be heard for free every Monday night in November at the Silverlake Lounge (presented by KXLU and The Fold).

By David Knight (guitar/ vocals)

A guitar with a story. A real war guitar that’s seen a lot. It reads “Gibson” on the headstock but it speaks with real knowledge.  Shakey Graves is picking up on that knowledge as he delicately strums and sings with an eerie connection to the past. What a way to set the tone for the first night of our residency at the Silverlake Lounge. A real hard-working, soulful guitar. I need one like that.

And so Shakey Graves goes on and draws everyone into his songs. When he finishes, I breath a sigh of relief. Not because he wasn’t great, but because was making me feel as if in some way my music wasn’t as genuine. But then again, the knowledge lay in the guitar.

We had expected Dietra Kruschev to play first but as fate would have it, one of their members showed up late so we had to move them to the last slot. So Shakey Graves played first and educated the LA crowd in good rural folk. Up next, the country act fronted by Amanda Jo Williams.  I really enjoyed her set and was on my third or fourth by now and it had me going.  Real good stuff. She had everyone on their feet with her magnificently different vocal style. It was enhanced by our friend, Rob, from Lemon Sun, who played some great percussion with Amanda.

The next thing I know we’re getting our stuff on stage and, as those of you who have ever been to the Silverlake Lounge know, it’s not easy fitting a full 5-piece band on stage. However, we managed somehow and tore into our first song, “Mountain,” without any problems. Despite a missing bridge saddle for our 335, forty some minutes later, we declared it a great night and left the stage to make way for the last band of the night, Dietra Kruschev. A beautifully different name for the Long Beach based band who we invited after hearing some of their songs on the ever-popular, MySpace. They killed it with some great tunes and I hope to be hearing more of them soon.

All-in-all it was a great kickoff to our 5 night residency. We’ll see you all again next week and hopefully some new faces will emerge as well. We have some great acts planned and we look forward to it.

Your new favorite band,
Mississippi Man