Wednesday is right around the corner and you know what that means? Yes, another fantastic installment of The Standard, Hollywood's Desert Nights! Check out who's on the line-up for this week:
BK Honeycrisp: Ben Knight has been playing guitar in bands in Los Angeles for most of his adult life. He has played in The Tyde since they formed last century and after many years as an auxilary member, Ben is a part of the reformed Beachwood Sparks. Over the past few years, Ben has hosted and performed in many jams at Mollusk Surf Shop in Venice and plays guitar with Farmer Dave's Club Pacific Band. Venice resident Lauren Sarmir has played flute in numerous settings since before she was a teenager, including spending time in the University of Texas Band. One of them can read music, the other cannot. Together, they form BK Honeycrisp, a gentle offering of vibed out melodies and harmonies.
Aura Bakker: Raised in both California and the Netherlands, Aura took early life lessons in Indian music and jazz. After completing a BA in music at the Maastricht Conservatory in Holland, she moved to London for two years where she performed regularly and found her voice in songwriting. Aura has toured around the world to places like Malta, where she sang at the renowned Teatru festival, Fiji, Hawaii, and the US. She recorded and produced her debut EP 'Glow After illumination' in 2010 while living in Amsterdam. Her US tour to promote this release incorporated live looping, samples and woodwinds by Adam Weiss. Aura is currently based in Los Angeles California where she has also begun to colaborate with other artists such as Daisy McCrackin for whom she plays percussion. Aura's music is innate and authentic. The depth and tacit honesty of her lyrics are striking, and they draw on themes uncommon in popular music. Her voice has a warmth that has been compared to Norah Jones' timbre and a sincerity that evokes Joni Mitchell..
Steve Taylor: With a sound steeped in the sunlit tones of Laurel Canyon, the mid 60's pop and R&B of the Brill Building, and the lo-fi synths of early prog rock, Los Angeles resident Steve Taylor makes heartfelt soul music that pushes the envelope of the singer/songwriter genre. A multi-instrumentalist with a remarkably diverse background, including stints in black gospel churches, avant-garde psych-rock bands, The Jackie Greene Band, and the Brushfire/Universal band Rogue Wave; he layers vintage organs, pianos, analog synthesizers, and dead drums, creating a sound that's both modern and thoroughly informed by 70's AM rock.
What is Desert Nights?
Desert Nights is a weekly gathering at The Standard, Hollywood, hosted by KCRW’s DJ Valida. Every Wednesday, Valida curates three acoustic musical acts to perform a set in the Cactus Lounge. The vibe is warm and intimate, evoking an impromptu jam in a musician’s living room. The music begins at 7:30pm, it’s always free and always a good time. Guaranteed.
