Welcome new members to the monthly edition of Music Club! In the monthly edition, you get Last Month Today (a playlist that gets refreshed monthly), a Member Spotlight (a music member Q&A) and a batch of 2023 albums I highly recommend.
For this month’s Member Spotlight, please welcome the talented musician Ethan who created and hosts Bring Back the Music, an intimate and community driven concert series in Venice. The next event is June 24th and is a great way to discover new artists and meet new people in LA!
LAST MONTH TODAY *updated monthly with my favorite songs from May*
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT *Ethan of BBTM*
Bring Back the Music is an intimate concert series that you organize monthly in Venice. How did it start? What was the inspiration behind it?
For me, like so many musicians and music lovers, the seemingly endless pandemic months devoid of shows were soul-depleting. By fall of 2020, venues had been closed for over half a year, and yet small, outdoor gatherings and pop-ups, and sidewalk dining were providing glimpses of connection and normalcy. So on a morning coffee walk with my friend Sebastian, we hatched the idea of organizing a small concert on the spacious patio my fiancé Heather and I share with our neighbors. We could have 10, 15 people, masked and distanced, and safely put on a show. Heather and I spread the word quietly, and sold out almost instantly - that first October 2020 show was so special, unleashing so much pent up emotion. We knew we had tapped into something beautiful, and decided to organize another one. And then another one. We gave it a name, and BBTM became its own thing.
Now, nearly three years later, with the LA music scene back into full gear, Heather and I continue to host these shows. Aside from its pandemic origin, our intention with BBTM is to offer a space pretty rare in this city: a true listening-room environment for independent songwriters and music lovers in an intimate and beautiful outdoor setting, for artists to gain new fans and get paid from ticket sales. And because we host, each show is its own party; BBTMs have turned into picnics and bonfires and costume contests and hangs late into the night. Longtime friendships and creative collaborations have been born around the fire. The ethos of BBTM has always been about building community, and it continues to be such a joy to create this space month after month.
You just hosted the 16th concert and moved venues down the street to June Shine in Santa Monica. What does the future of BBTM look like?
Since we started, we have always been open to new partnerships - and our show at June Shine event hopefully marks the beginning of a new creative chapter for our concert series. We absolutely love the vibe of our patio, so we will absolutely continue to host shows at home (our next house show is June 24), while looking for meaningful opportunities to partner with local venues, organizations and brands and bring BBTM to a wider audience. Our next big idea is a potential west side music festival - a project I am working on with Venice producer and songwriter Josephine, who I also met through Music Club and BBTM. More to share on that project soon - and if you’re reading this and want to get involved, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
In addition to being the host of the show, you also perform under your monoker The Minnesota Child and are releasing an album this year. How would you describe your music and what is the album about?
My indie folk/pop artist project The Minnesota Child is all about finding beauty in darkness and light. My upcoming debut LP is a meditation on my struggle with anxiety, and embracing a new chapter of adulthood in the context of social, political, and environmental turmoil. The songs weave between moments both intimate and anthemic, exploring struggles that are both deeply personal and unavoidably collective. I had the tremendous joy of working with brilliant producer, multi-instrumentalist, and now dear friend Justin Glasco (Paris Paloma, Lone Bellow), whose creative genius helped me bring these songs to life in ways I didn’t know were possible. I was also so lucky to have an amazing crew of musicians join the project, including my brother, drummer Matt Buckner, guitarist Brandon Walters (Lord Huron), and vocalist/keyboardist Debbie Neigher (Marina, Suki Waterhouse). Making this record has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life, and I’m so excited to start sharing these songs with the world in the coming months.
If any members what to perform, how do they sign-up?
We are always accepting BBTM submissions, and encourage you to email bringbackthemusicla@gmail.com if you or someone you know would be a good fit!
When is the next show and where can people learn more about BBTM and The Minnesota Child?
Our next Bring Back The Music show is June 24th at 6pm in Venice, click here to RSVP! The best way to stay connected for upcoming releases from The Minnesota Child is to follow me on Spotify and instagram.
2023 ALBUMS Part 4 *and highly recommend*
Alison Goldfrapp | The Love Invention
Vocalist of English electronic music duo Goldfrapp + is her first solo album.
Kool Keith | Serpent
Album with American rapper Kool Keith & Real Bad Man, a LA collective of clothing designers & artists.
Jessie Ware | That! Feels! Good!
English disco-pop singer & song writer is back with another great album! Her 2020 album was in my top 10.
Okonski | Magnolia
Soul-jazz album from pianist Steve Okonski who is also a member of Durand Jones & The Indications
New to Music Club?
🎵 Check out previous Member Spotlights here