By Avery Parrott
sitting out front, watching you weed the sassafras
the afternoon drenches us in heat, as cars pass
hell’s bells never sounded so melodic
you’re standing so tall in your big boy boots
and i’m covered in pollen
tear my hair up from my head
like you’re ripping up dead grass
from the earth
take me apart
calculate my worth
i have waited for so long
break my bones oh my god
how do i find you when i’m gone?
Interview by Corynne Fernandez
Photos by Kayla Fernandez
Up and coming all-girl band, Pinky Pinky, composed of Anastasia Sanchez (lead singer and drummer [19]), Isabelle Fields (guitarist [18]), and Eva Chambers (bassist [18]) sat down with Lucid Dreams amid the party-filled Echo Park after their set for Echo Park Rising. Listen along to hear us chat about their upcoming EP, South African urban legends, and Jimmy Carter!
Listen here!
Photos of Pinky Pinky’s Set at Echo Park Rising
Follow Pinky Pinky:
Poem by Avery Parrott
stop covering your ears
stop covering your ears
why do you insist that i’m innocent?
what are others guilty of that i am not?
i saw the way your face changed
when i told you about that wet dream i had
shame grows on me in branches
covered in fungus
amongst the moss and bees
and ferns and oaks, flowing free
i am the most beautiful tree in the cemetery
may all your tears dry
and may all my tears
be patched and stitched together again
these seams were stronger before i knew you
i keep biting the inside of my cheeks
and getting home way too late
this isn’t sustainable
when you call so deep into the night
i can hear your smile
do you hear mine too?
By Sara Valenzuela
King Shelter and friends rocked the Metro Gallery, bringing Baltimore some fun on a hot friday night. King Shelter is an independent indie/alternative rock band based out of Southern California. They’re currently touring with The Frights and On Drugs on their Wet Hot Summer Tour, up to September 9th (get your tickets here). The band has been pretty busy this year with the release of their new singles ‘Gimmie Knowledge’ and ‘Gholy Host’, also touring the west coast with their friends The Frights and Hunny. Hope to see more of King Shelter in the DMV in the near future, they’ll keep us waiting till then.
Follow King Shelter on Twitter!
Listen to King Shelter on Spotify!
Buy King Shelter’s Merch!
Photos and words by Kayla Fernandez
Hailing from Denton, Texas, Neon Indian (Alan Palomo) made his way to starry-lit downtown LA to perform a sold out gig at the Teregram Ballroom. Palomo’s endless energetic dance moves kept the crowd alive. From performing older hits like “Mind Drips” to covering Prince’s “Pop Life”, Neon Indian kept the audience on their toes. Palomo never missed a beat and carried that charisma throughout the entire set, inspiring the crowd to try and mimic his hip swaying dance moves. Having seen Neon Indian before, I can say this is the best I’ve seen him yet; he illuminated the room with laughter, cheers, and the audience’s echoes of his songs.
Review and Photos by Corynne Fernandez
As the crowd poured into The Echo last night for Reno natives, Current Joys sold out show, there was an all-encompassing sense of excitement and eagerness. Prior to Current Joys taking stage, Gap Girls and Bane’s World opened up the night, both giving dreamy performances that made the audience swoon for every note.
By the time Current Joys made their way on, everyone was teeming with bottled up energy, and as soon as Nick Rattigan—lead singer and guitarist— started with one of the many songs on their diverse set list, the room transformed into a jumping frenzy. Songs like ‘New Flesh’ and ‘My Motorcycle’ ignited a mass sing-along only adding to the night’s vitality. What was really distinct about the whole evening was the understanding between the audience and the band—each one fed off what they gave the other. That notion proved to be more true as the set drew to a close, with Nick performing the last few songs solo. While the venue was already pretty intimate, everything fell into place perfectly for those final moments leaving everyone on a high.
Review by Lilli Banks
Photos by Sara Valenzuela
A Friday night in Washington, D.C. is never a dull one. Frank Iero and the Patience (consisting of Frank Iero: Lead Singer + Guitar, Evan Nestor Guitar+ Backup Vocals, Alex Grippo: Bass, Matt Olson: Drummer + Backup Vocals) brought their sound to U Street! On their US run, they promoted sophomore album, “Parachutes” released last October. In the fall, the New Jersey based band will be heading to Europe and the UK to promote their music overseas.
Frank, the lead singer and guitarist, started various projects after the breakup of the world known band, My Chemical Romance (MCR). Frank Iero and the Patience released their debut album, “Stomachaches” in 2014, still keeping the alternative rock scene that he brought to his past work.
Loyal fans that reign from MCR continue to show support to his new music! The dedicated fans from DC mentioned how they saw him back in MCR and they were thrilled that he was back. The band put all their energy into their electric performance and interacting with the audience! Frank was overjoyed at the crowd and the enormous support he has received since.
After the show, a few preview photos were released to get our readers excited for what’s to come. Frank’s fans quickly saw and the internet was ecstatic! They made sure to comment on his recent ‘hair makeover’. The first photos to debut it were the buzz on Tumblr and other social media!
Needless to say, the band put up an impressive performance and won DC over. Their fan base is strong and continuing to grow. We hope to hear great things from Frank Iero and the Patience soon. DC will definitely be waiting for their return to the local stages.
Keep up with the band on Frank’s Twitter
You can find their upcoming UK and European tour dates here.
By Lilli Banks
New Zealand’s own BROODS stopped at Rams Head Live in Baltimore last month while on their 12 date North American Tour! BROODS are known for Georgia and Caleb Nott, brother and sister, as they started the band together.
Georgia, lead singer, mentioned how they have heard stories about Rams Head Live being a venue that many people love and are eager to play. They were more than happy to be in Baltimore.
Georgia moved along the stage with her exquisite dance moves and connecting with each side of the audience. All their fans were in awe and singing along happy as ever!
A trend with Rams Head Live is that it holds the same types of people that you see: the jocks, couples, loners, fanatics. Each person is different with how they react to seeing a concert.
Lots of people let their hair loose and danced more than other shows I have seen, especially in Baltimore. BROODS music makes you want to dance with your friend and enjoy the night!
They took a chance to slow down the night. They wanted to connect and talk to the audience since the venue allowed that intimacy. They mentioned a little bit of how they came together. They sang “Mad World” which was a song that helped initiate the band. The crowd helped them sing and it brought such a wondrous smile to the bands faces!
They were more than thankful for the crowd that came out and put on a show that makes you want more.
If BROODS comes to a city near you, bring a group of friends, prepare to let go and enjoy yourself!
Listen to their second album titled, “Conscious” which was just released last year here.
by Sara Valenzuela
The Nashville-based indie pop band, Arlie, went on their first tour in May of this year and they made sure not to forget DC. These happy boys made the crowd dance with their recently released debut single “Big Fat Mouth”; Only released this past February, they seem to offer a promising future in the music industry.
Follow Arlie!
By Hailey Zaragoza
It’s finally Summer!! We’ve all been though a lot since last summer and after what feels like forever,it’s time to relax(or at least try). I’ve curated a playlist filled with the songs I always come back to during this season along with some great new releases. I hope that this playlist is the perfect soundtrack to all of your summer from the late night car rides and adventures to your dog days.
https://open.spotify.com/user/1295333775/playlist/4EcDPFyKIfuXOVwM4oasnn
afterlifemagazine.com 
