Genre: Country
142 Pacific Coast Hwy,
Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
21+ Only
Pokey LaFarge: After crisscrossing the nation for the last half-decade looking for a home, Pokey LaFarge found himself in Mid-Coast Maine. Upon arriving, the Illinois-born singer/songwriter/actor pursued a major life change, working 12-hour days on a local farm—a turn of events that catalyzed an extraordinary burst of creativity and redefined his sense of purpose as an artist. On his new album Rhumba Country, LaFarge reveals his newly heightened devotion to making music that channels pure joy. “There was a time when I glorified sadness because I lost sight of who I was, but now I understand that creating and expressing joy is my gift, and gifts are meant to be shared,” he says. Reclaiming his voice, LaFarge has recorded his boldest album yet.
Cicada Rhythm: When Cicada Rhythm hit the road in support of their 2015 debut, they were a homespun, stripped-down folk duo, armed with songs that mixed acoustic instruments and soft dynamics with the intimate charm of two harmonized voices. Three years later, bandmates Andrea DeMarcus and Dave Kirslis have upsized their sound considerably with Everywhere I Go. Recorded in a string of studios across the southeast, it’s a snapshot of a band on the move, with new members filling their lineup and a louder set of influ ences propelling their sound forward. There are roots-rock tunes, slow waltzes, politically minded lyrics, front-porch folksongs and backwoods ballads, all delivered by a group of road warriors who’ve cut their teeth not only in the writing room, but onstage, too.