Photos and review by NOTES FROM VIVACE
LOS ANGELES – On a perfect summer day in Los Angeles, Echo Park Rising used a mile-long stretch of Sunset Boulevard (and a side street or two) to celebrate LA’s local music scene. Although music was the focus, it’s worth noting that the event began early in the morning at Echo Park Lake. The highlight was the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, which entertained children and young-at-heart adults with a puppet show.
By midday, lines were forming outside The Echo and Sticky Rice to see bands like Jen Awad. The Blushes at The Semi-Tropic entertained the crowd with their cheeky humor and catchy pop-punk songs. Dream Phases and their psychedelic rock also caused a stir at The Semi-Tropic.
The focus of Echo Park Rising wasn’t just on The Echo/Echoplex, Sticky Rice and The Semi-Tropic stages. Cantiq was the hottest place at 4 p.m., as Fangerbanger took the stage with their anime, video game and punk mashup and packed the house. The band had to be included in the festival’s top five. At the far west end of the festival, Ki Oni of PF Candle Co. played a meditative set while people bought candles, and at the far east end, Scary Pierre rocked the open-air stage at Bar Henry as cars sped by on Sunset Boulevard. Bar Flores, in the middle of the Sunset section of the festival, opened with singer-songwriters Priscilla Perry and Jill Ryan (who played saxophone for festival headliner Miya Folick later in the day). And those who wanted a taste of Americana country could join Stories in the afternoon. Groups of people were seen walking up a lonely stretch of the boulevard to get to the Douglas stage. It was noticeable that some people were simply following the sound of the music. “I hear music, let’s go in that direction,” was heard.
The Echo was packed when 60juno played their set at 6:30 p.m. There was no room to squeeze people in, so security directed people to the larger Echoplex. Over at Sticky Rice, the crowd was milling around MACKandgold’s outdoor stage, there was a line of people trying to get in to see her set, and people were standing three rows deep on the sidewalk on Lemoyne St. Basically, just like last year when she played the same stage. And why not? MACKandgold has some of the catchiest tunes in the Los Angeles music scene, which entice her fans to sing along to the choruses. And sometimes she just tricks them into singing the lyrics at the “wrong” moment. It’s also worth noting that MACKandgold booked the lineup for the stage, so she had double duty at the festival.
In the evening hours, Nitefire took the stage at Echoplex. Nico Geyer is the band’s frontman with a charismatic attitude and relaxed approach to their pop-rock jams. “LA’s Got Gorgeous” is a song that says everything about this band. At the end of the set, Geyer jumped off the stage and the crowd surrounded him as they happily formed a mosh pit.
The focus of the festival was Miya Folick at the Echoplex. Most of the stages, including the upstairs one at The Echo, had their last sets at 9pm, as if that was a hint that everyone needed to be in one place by 10:15pm. Her 9-song set included a trio of songs from her 2023 album “Roach,” as well as six songs from her upcoming album. Judging by the crowd’s reaction, it’s sure to be a hit, especially the song “La Da Da.” One thing to say about Folick is that she is very tolerant of drunk people. She found one person particularly amusing, who wasn’t standing between the legs, but was drunkenly disruptive. She was familiar with the joke that she was dealing with someone who had way too much to drink during the festival. Everyone laughed with her. She also mentioned her fond memories of hanging out at The Echo/Echoplex sometimes five days a week. A hometown crowd. A festival from the home town.
As a note, Sticky Rice had a Sunday program that was well attended. Perhaps an attempt to expand this festival to two days in 2025. Let’s hope so.
