Photos and Words by NOTES FROM VIVACE
HOLLYWOOD, Ca. – Since music started back up in June 2021 in Los Angeles, I’ve kept a mental list of all the bands, venues, promoters that I wanted to go and support. We are into 2022, and I am still going through that mental list.
Recently I went out to knock two more off that list. First, Talker (real name Celeste Tauchar) was having her EP release show for In Awe of Insignificance. Second, the show was at School Night. The two together made for a perfect match.
School Night is held at Bardot in Hollywood and the space was packed for Talker’s set. Talker’s music can soar like the song “IRL” Then there are songs like “Summerlin,” which is about the wistful feelings around a breakup (good news is that they’re back together), that draws you into the emotional pain. She also has the most brilliant lyrics in songs such as “Sad Chick” that goes as such: “at least my clothes are clean, but I still got nothing to wear, I washed them last week, and they’re still in there.” I can relate to that. It can take me weeks to get around to ironing my clothes.
The set had a level of excitement that was palpable. Familiar faces were seen in the crowd. Photographers were out. The crowd was packed up close to the stage. Constant cheers and screams erupted from the audience as Celeste’s vocals easily switched between rocker snarls to singer songwriter tenderness based on the song.
To lighten up the mood from “Sad Chick” type lyrics, there was a moment of levity during the Talking Heads cover “Burning Down the House.” When a portion of the lyrics were forgotten, they were replaced with, “something something something.” All too soon, 30 minutes had gone by. It was a thrilling way to cross items off the list.
Also on the bill was Marisa Maino with her pop vibes, Woolfy with ’70s throwback sounds, Oliver Malcolm with dance sounds that got the audience throwing arms up in the air, and Charlotte Jane with her UK pitch-perfect vocals.
