Upcoming events.
Western Electric album release night one
Paul Bryan, Jay Bellerose, and Josh Johnson come together to celebrate the release of their collaborative project, spearheaded by Bryan, Western Electric, for two nights at Healing Force of the Universe in Pasadena on May 9 and 10. As individuals, the trio has garnered Grammy's for contributions to the musical universe as producers and players and toured with many established acts in their careers. They're all legends and if you're on the east side of Los Angeles and a fan of music you're probably aware of their existence.
Western Electric album release night two
Paul Bryan, Jay Bellerose, and Josh Johnson come together to celebrate the release of their collaborative project, spearheaded by Bryan, Western Electric, for two nights at Healing Force of the Universe in Pasadena on May 9 and 10. As individuals, the trio has garnered Grammy's for contributions to the musical universe as producers and players and toured with many established acts in their careers. They're all legends and if you're on the east side of Los Angeles and a fan of music you're probably aware of their existence.
Jess Kallen, Will Fox, Mackin The Destroyer
Jess Kallen is a musical artist, instrumentalist, and educator living in Los Angeles. Kallen thrives in mischievous multitudes. Toggling between simmering folk grooves and seething guitar groans, their indie rock album Exotherm shines as a singularly weighty, tuneful debut. An accomplished sideperson as well as solo artist, they have played with Olivia Rodrigo, Alex Lahey, Rosie Tucker and many others.
Will Fox, born in Houston, TX and raised in London is a vagabond. In his songs you'll hear his lifetime's array of influences compounded from the intricate fingerpicking of Nick Drake and Leo Kottke to the romantic croon of Chris Bell. There's a timelessness to his afffect, a kind of ageless otherworldliness one can only achieve through experience.
Mackin the Destroyer is an indie-rock songwriter whose style is soaked in folk sensibility with jagged melodies. This artist's music transforms and grows when seen live, and his performances are not to be missed.
$11 adv/$15 at the door. $5 off in-store purchases the night of the show.
Force Majeure in May
Force Majeure is a comedy & music variety show that Lorraine is hosting on Tuesday, May 14 with musical performances by OCOASTensemble and DeeJayKMAN and comedic performances by Gay Virgin, Lisa Wallen, Ryan Clagg, Chike Robinson, and Kat Toledo.
Doors at 7:30
Show at 8
$8 adv or $11 at the door
Epstein, Harrington, Kowalksy
Healing Force is stoked to welcome back Gregg Kowalsky - who has created one of our most listened to albums since it came through the Healing Force doors back in December - and Dave Harrington, a multi-instrumentalist who graced our stage with his presence during the Phi-Psonics residency. Alongside these two, composer, songwriter and improvisor Will Epstein will make his debut. Join us in the space for a night to remember.
Gregg Kowalksy (solo)
Will Epstein & Dave Harrington (duo)
Epstein, Harrington, Kowalsky (trio)
Final Girl Dinner Party
Join us for a night of music, food, and community at Healing Force of the Universe for a Final Girl Records Dinner Party! Bring your favorite dish to share pot-luck style as we celebrate our love for music and good company. Please add what you're bringing to the RSVP comment and bypass payment by selecting "already paid." Can't whip up a dish? No worries! Simply grab a ticket for $15 and join in the fun. Midnight Prisms will be spinning vinyl all night. Come prepared to discuss your favorite records and share your favorite song of the moment. Let's gather, groove, and connect! <3 P.S. All guests will receive $5 off any in-store purchase made at Healing Force of the Universe the night of the event! RSVP HERE
Summer of Soul Screening
Over the course of six weeks during the summer of 1969, thousands of people attend the Harlem Cultural Festival to celebrate Black history, culture, music, and fashion. Questlove's Summer of Soul uses deftly interweaving incredible live footage with a series of revealing interviews, it captures the spirit and context of a watershed moment while tying it firmly to the present. This film isn’t just music history—it’s Black history. This film is an invitation to "come home" and absolutely essential for those who want to relive the coming of age of Black music.
Spend your Saturday night at Pasadena's Healing Force of the Universe on May 18th for our screening of Summer of Soul.
Acorn Series, no. 6. Music for Connection (Tuscon), Agnes Martian (SF), M.A. Tiesenga & Corey Fogal
Music for Connection is an experimental electroacoustic ensemble making hybrid performance/installation pieces that adapt in space and emphasize audiovisual improvisation and impulse. The group has collaborated with Laraaji, Rebeca Bollinger, Lori Goldston and Arrington de Dionyso among others in its expanding cooperative of players.
In May, the band will celebrate the release of 'Coincidence,' a new album recorded with Laraaji and Agnes Martian.
Alan Hampton
Alan Hampton is a bassist/composer/singer who’s toured, written, and recorded with [...] Rufus Wainwright [as musical director], Chaka Khan, Van Dyke Parks, Susanna Hoffs, Larry Goldings, Gretchen Parlato, Andrew Bird [playing on seven albums since 2011 and scoring two films], and Chris Thile all the way to the Grammy stage in 2019. In addition to writing and contributing dozens of songs for other artists, he has also released two albums under his own name: The Moving Sidewalk, and Origami For the Fire, which received critical acclaim from Ben Ratliff of the New York Times.
And on Monday, May 20, 2024 he’ll perform a set of his music with a sick band at Healing Force of the Universe. Shop opens that eve at 7:30. Healing Force is a new record store in Pasadena. We invite you to come and witness sets from these accomplished musicians while cruising our record bins. $5 off in-store purchases the night of the show with each ticket purchase.
Omar Velasco, Will Worden
Based in Los Angeles, Omar Velasco is an accomplished singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who draws inspiration from a range of artists including Stevie Wonder, Milton Nascimento, Mercedes Sosa and folk luminaries like Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake, Silvio Rodrigues, and Bob Dylan.
A captivating performer, Omar has collaborated and toured with acclaimed artists such as Jonathan Wilson, Jim James and My Morning Jacket, Poolside, and Father John Misty. He has performed on iconic stages such as Red Rocks, Ohana, Music Festival, Lobero Theater Santa Barbara, The Fillmore, The Troubadour, and many stages across Europe and the world.
Will Worden is a singer and performer, developed by roots, country-blues, gospel and tradition folk influences. Influenced by early Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich, Marty Robbins, Merle Haggard, Glen Campbell, etc. He grew up from the green grass of Sugar Land, Texas and left university to head west to California; now residing in the canyons of the Westside of Los Angeles.
He is currently working on his debut solo record, as well as a 45 release with Nick Waterhouse.
Apart from being a heavy contributor to the busy Los Angeles live music, you can enjoy his studio work as a session guitar player, recording with Sylvie, Lana Del Rey, Nick Waterhouse, and more.
Chelsea Rose, Golda May, Alice Sandahl
Chelsea Rose is a sophisticated pop record with a timeless sound touching on bossa nova, jazz, and 60s pop, with deep lyrical introspection reminiscent of the classic 70s singer-songwriter canon.
Golda May grew up soundtracking her own life. she writes and sings about insecurity, anger, sadness, the beauty and joy of life, loneliness, rejection, nihilism, and existential dread. her unique lyrical, melodic, production and vocal approaches create a golda may world where she hopes that people will be able to access hard-to-put-words-to feelings within themselves and perhaps feel some magic too.
Alice Sandahl has spent the last seven years working as an active musician touring with a band called La Luz as well as working on her solo projects. She has recorded with artists such as Ty Segall, Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys and has shared the stage with musicians such as Doug Martsch of Built to Spill and John Dwyer of Thee Oh Sees.
Sharon Silva, Cooper Wolken
The Los Angeles based Sharon Silva, known for her passionate presence in the Wild Reeds, sings with a direct pensiveness, nuance, and depth that can only come from real-lived experience. Her songs tap into a rich interior world, where feelings of loss, accomplishment, and love all coincide.
Cooper Wolken is an indie folk artist whose voice floats above the instrumentation, conveying raw emotion and vulnerability.. Wolken's debut solo album Chapters translates the duality of darkness and sublime beauty with intimate personal vignettes.
The two will be performing at Healing Force of the Universe on Friday, May 24th.
Bakia Collective Live Film Score performance
A live/improvised film score performance at Healing Force of the Universe. Michael Sachs on woodwinds, Marta Tiesenga, Ian Gottlieb on cello, and Zach Nestel-Patt on upright bass.
Valley Queen, Lila Forde
Propelled by Natalie Carol’s "bracingly afflicted, mountain-vaulting dream-country yodel" (Rolling Stone), Valley Queen reemerges, bringing their sound to Healing Force of the Universe on May 26th. Valley Queen has gathered comparisons as iconic as Florence Welch, Dolores O’Riordan, Neil Young and acclaim from top-tier tastemakers including NPR, Rolling Stone, LA Times, Stereogum and beyond. Valley Queen has toured alongside the likes of Social Distortion, Justin Townes Earle, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Laura Marling, and Heartless Bastards.
Singer-songwriter and The Voice finalist Lila Forde will also be bringing her mesmerizing smokey vocals to the space. Forde has been coached by John Legend himself, who has referred to her artistry as heavenly, cinematic and transcendent.
Leon Guallart
Leon Guallart came into the store on an overcast late winter afternoon with copies of his album, Comfort, wrapped in red wax sealed-red tissue paper under his trenchcoat. He offered one as a gift to the store: a deep red vinyl packaged with intention, a red string that closes the two fold sleeve with a beautiful book of photographs in the insert depicting wintry scenes that set the tone for the landscapes his record exemplifies.
Lush, yet sparse production - the warmth of a fireplace in the bleakness of a blizzard - the record feels like a lonesome walk home through a snowy field at dusk.
We're gonna pretend it is still winter and celebrate this release at Healing Force on May 5. Guallart, a recent transplant from Barcelona, plans to recreate the soundscapes live with accompanying visuals from our baby grand piano on stage. Come get cozy.
GET TICKETS HERE - $10 (+dice fees) gets you $10 off Guallart’s album, Comfort, or $5 off other in-store purchases.
Big Shapes Trio, The Stubbs Project
If y'all ain't know you may need to get out of the house. These players are all students of the jazz game and collaborate in various configurations across Los Angeles, each bringing their unique strengths to the stage. Stoked to welcome back Dave Harrington (electric guitar and many guitar pedals) and Jake Chapman (vibes and vibraphone) to the Healing Force stage as well as the rest whom we've been moved us elsewhere.
Big Shapes Trio:
Jonathon Haffner (bass)
Dave Harrington (guitar)
Max Jaffe (drums)
The Stubbs Project:
Nicole McCabe (sax)
Jake Chapman (vibraphone)
Francisco Ojeda (bass)
Lauren Ellis (drums)
Matt Stubbs (clarinet)
$15 adv or $20 at the door.
Kolumbo, Lapland Library Music
Since he was a landlocked Dallas, Texas kid, beach culture has held a tropical mystique for Kolumbo composer, arranger, keyboardist Frank LoCrasto. Family trips documented by camcorder videos, featuring slinky jazz-fusion soundtracks are etched in the Brooklyn-based artist's memory. In his mind, there will always be a fantasyland replete with wicker furniture, pristine beaches, swaying palm trees, the smell of vanilla-scented suntan lotion, and breathtaking aqua water expanses.
These days, LoCrasto uses his imagination to create dreamy musical locales with the Brooklyn-based, Troppically-minded Kolumbo. The tiki-jazz torchbearers released their debut full length, Gung-Ho, in June 29, 2022. The 8-song album conjures the lush sounds of symohonic 1950s and 1960s exotica, and jazz-pop orchestral albums recorded in Capitol Records' famed studios.
Kolumbo performs at Healing Force of the Universe in Pasadena on Friday, May 3, with Lapland Library Music. Healing Force listening to LoCrasto's tune "Simple Times" from his 2011 album, El Dorado, and joining us on this special night.
Lionmilk, Inner Alignment, Grump
Grump: an avantguard flute player/producer opening with some ambient lush sceneries.
Inner Alignment: a modern mexican/southamerican prog rock / fusion / punk / avant - guard, group. It is led by drummer, Isaias Medellin, and keyboardist, Thomas Contreras. Hailing from Texas, this group manages to blend late 70’s and early 80’s South American Fusion, World Music, and Avant - Guard elements, like (Azymouth, Grupo Um, Pedrinho Sampaio, Litto Nebbia, Urbano Moraes, and Spinetta Jade) with a modern, heavy execution. Inner Alignment also takes inspiration from (Magma, Mahauvishnu, Henry Cow, Jon Hassel, Laraaji, and Alice Coaltrane) and mixes late 70’s spiritual jazz, fusion, avant - guard, and 80’s ambient elements with modern sounds inspired by (Tigran Hamasyan, Pedro Martins, Jon Bap, Juuwah, and Dj Harrison) to create lush epics.
Moki Kawaguchi aka Lionmilk: closese out the night with some special feel good soulful funk/Brazilian influenced jazz.
Eric Gorfain, Marko Kurtovic, Blair Sinta, Sebastian Steinberg
Eric Gorfain (electrified violin), Marko Kurtovic (electric guitar), Blair Sinta (drums), Sebastian Steinberg (bass and maybe an interesting keyboard) come together for a second time at Healing Force of the Universe in Pasadena on Wednesday, May 1 at 7:30 PM.
These players are all insane and you may want to come experience the healing force they create with us.
Jim Oblon Trio feat Alex Balderston, Jay Bellerose,
Jim Oblon Trio featuring Jay Bellerose on drums and Alex Balderston on bass (aka monochord) returns to Healing Force of the Universe on April 23 and 30, 2024 at 7:30 PM for two sets each night.
This trio is at the top of their game and these performances are not to be missed. Oblon toured and recorded with Paul Simon for the past decade or so on guitar and drums and is a recent Angeleno coming most recently from a long stint in the guitar town of Nashville where he was hailed as one of the best. He's gearing up to hit the road this spring with Andrew Bird as a trio with Alan Hampton rounding out Bird's trio. Getting to witness Bellerose, who collaborates with T-Bone Burnett regularly and tours with Robert Plant and Allison Krauss currently, at the helm in this blues setting is deep. And the level of gutteral groove glued down by Balderston, (whose credits include Cam, Beyoncé, Selena Gomez, Leila Forouhar, Rocksmith 2014, Russ Irwin) on the monochord is gripping.
How??? album listening party
How??? is the new project by Alex Tebeleff (Gold.fix) and Matt Dowling (Swoll). Following work on the last album from longtime DIY touring stalwarts Paperhaus, the production duo moved their home base to a studio in Los Angeles. Built on two core principles - stron songcraft and utilizing the studio as an instrument from the outset - the Americana Electronica sound that came out of the process is both refreshing and familiar. Their self-titled debut album is set to release on April 26th via Misra Records.
And we'll be listening to it in-store with How??? at Healing Force of the Universeon April 28th following their west coast tour and release party show the night before in Los Angeles.
Mike Watt & The Missing Men
The Missingmen are an American punk rock trio fronted by Minutemen/Firehose/Stooges bassist Mike Watt. The band features Watt, guitarist Tom Watson (Slovenly, The Pair Of Pliers, The Jom And Terry Show, Red Krayola), and drummer Raul Morales (FYP, Killer Dreamer, The Leeches, Mike Watt and the Secondmen).
The band's name is a humorous reference to the fact that during a 2005 European tour behind Watt's album The Secondman's Middle Stand, neither of the original Secondmen (Pete Mazich and Jerry Trebotic) were able to participate.
Tyler Ballgame, Gal Musette, Stephie James
Tyler Ballgame was releasing music to crickets back in Rhode Island til he worked up the courage to move to LA. Upon his move, Ballgame played every open mic and backyard gig until Jonathan Rado of Foxygen caught an ig story performance and reached out. The two started making a record with collaborators Ryan Pollie, Wayne Whiteaker, and Amy Eileen Wood. The record became the debut Ballgame album - live to tape. For Ballgame, the game all about the moment of surrender during a live performance.
Gal Musette is a singer-songwriter from So Cal whose melody-driven indie-folk songs combine the spirit of French chanson from the early 1900’s with a folk flare. At age 14, inspired by The Magnetic Fields’ triple album 69 Love Songs, Gal recorded her own collection titled 70 Love Songs, which caught the attention of the band, and won her an opening slot on their Midwestern U.S. tour dates.
On tour from Nashville via Detroit, songwriter Stephie James’ debut 2024 full-length album, As Night Fades exudes sparkly, starlit evening motifs, shot through the lens of dreamy doo-wop and romantic Americana rock n roll.
Tatsuya Nakatani / Patrick Shiroishi duo
Patrick Shiroishi is a Japanese-American multi-instrumentalist & composer based in Los Angeles.
Tatsuya Nakatani is an avant-garde percussionist, composer, and artist of sound. Active internationally since the 1990s, Nakatani has released over 80 recordings and tours extensively, performing over 150 concerts a year. His primary focus is his solo work and his large ensemble project, the Nakatani Gong Orchestra. He teaches master classes and lectures at universities and music conservatories around the world. Originally from Japan, he makes his home in the desert town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. With his activity in new music, improvisation, and experimental music, Nakatani has a long history of collaboration.
Throwaways, Max Jaffe
The Throwaways are:
Mike Gamble is an adventurous guitarist and multi-instrumentalist whose work with electronic modes of composition are integrated endlessly into his set up. Gamble has spent the last 20 years immersed in the creative jazz, experiemntal rock and improvised music scene primarily in NYC and his current home base, Portland, Oregon.
Classically-trained, jazz-weathered, and eclectically inclined, Machado Mijiga left the proverbial creative "box" at an early age, with access to many instruments and a diverse musical background brought about by an intercultural heritage.
Tony Barba is an award winning saxophonist/educator/producer whose career has cultivated a diverse resume of musical experiences that continue to occupy him as an in-demand sideman and bandleader over the last 25 years.
The music of multi-instrumentalist Spencer Zahn is marked by openness: spacious sonic landscapes, rich with contributions from his creative community. Zahn’s newest album, Sunday Painter, is a refined step forward for the New York City-based musician — a lush collection of instrumental songs that undulate along waves of jazz, ambient pop, Americana, and neo-classical — pulling from Zahn’s established musical background and collaborative ethos.
Max Jaffe opens: Jaffe's powerful solo performances exploit the physicality of the drums to create narrative through movement, defying visual expectations and logic for what a “drum solo” can express.
Jim Oblon Trio feat Alex Balderston, Jay Bellerose,
Jim Oblon Trio featuring Jay Bellerose on drums and Alex Balderston on bass (aka monochord) returns to Healing Force of the Universe on April 23 and 30, 2024 at 7:30 PM for two sets each night.
This trio is at the top of their game and these performances are not to be missed. Oblon toured and recorded with Paul Simon for the past decade or so on guitar and drums and is a recent Angeleno coming most recently from a long stint in the guitar town of Nashville where he was hailed as one of the best. He's gearing up to hit the road this spring with Andrew Bird as a trio with Alan Hampton rounding out Bird's trio. Getting to witness Bellerose, who collaborates with T-Bone Burnett regularly and tours with Robert Plant and Allison Krauss currently, at the helm in this blues setting is deep. And the level of gutteral groove glued down by Balderston, (whose credits include Cam, Beyoncé, Selena Gomez, Leila Forouhar, Rocksmith 2014, Russ Irwin) on the monochord is gripping.
Silt Trio ft. Luke Stewart - bass, Brian Settles - tenor, Trae Crudup - drums.
Luke Stewart's Silt Trio (Luke Stewart, Brian Settles, Trae Crudup) performs at Healing Force of the Universe on Sunday, April 21, at 8 PM. Heapcat (Sharon Chohi Kim, Kathryn Shuman, M.A. Tiesenga, Patrick Shiroishi) opens at 8:30. Luke Stewart is a musician, performer, improviser-composer, organizer, and writer-researcher whose work represents a deep reverence for the history and tradition of Creative Music: a tradition which encompasses the diverse styles of expression within the body of Black Music in the United States, Africa, and throughout the world. Stewart’s regular ensembles include Irreversible Entanglements, SILT Trio, Exposure Quintet, and the experimental rock duo Blacks’ Myths; he also performs regularly in numerous collaborations.
Stewart holds a B.A. from American University and an M.A. from The New School, where he is also an adjunct professor in the College of Performing Arts. Stewart is a co-founder and artistic director of CapitalBop, a Washington, D.C.-based jazz nonprofit.
Mike Gamble in-store
Creative minds collide in 2uo, an experimental ambient project featuring collective improvisations between guitar loopist extraordinaire Mike Gamble and multi-instrumentalist Machado Mijiga— A veritable sonic buffet of colors, textures, and moods; 2uo is a must-see spectacular sonic experience for open ears from Portland.
2uo will do an in-store performance in the afternoon at Healing Force of the Universe to celebrate their recent debut album release after many years of collaboration. We hope you'll come enjoy this performance and cruise our bins and enjoy the company of fellow listeners. All ages and free.
Celebration at Big Sur Screening
Held in September 1969 on the grounds of the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, only one month after Woodstock, was the 6th of an annual music festival curated by Joan Baez. Joni Mitchell performs, only a month after Woodstock, where she had not accepted the invitation. Young joins Crosby, Stills, and Nash in one of thei first live show appearances, rocking hard on “Down By The River.” Stills breaks into a fight and gets “loved out of it.” Face-painted hippies living in school buses and other freaks dance naked and are livin’ the dream, man. How perfect that we’re screening this on 4-20. The first of a monthly music film series. And the gospel number “Oh Happy Day,” led by Dorothy Combs Morrison and the Combs Sisters, makes a perfect finale! See you there brothers and sisters! - Susan Littenberg.
$10 (+dice fees) tickets here or in-store before the event.
Record Store Day: Gregg Kowalsky performance
Gregg Kowalksy’s 2023 ambient album, Eso Es, out on Mexican Summer, has been one of our most listened to albums at the store since we discovered it in a pile of Mexican Summer releases we received back in December. Super stoked to find that Kowalksy lives in Los Angeles and is as chill as his music comes across. He’s agreed to come celebrate record store day on ~4/20~ with us at Healing Force for an afternoon performance and we couldn’t be more stoked.
Josh Johnson Unusual Objects album listening party and Q&A
Josh Johnson is a saxophonist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and Grammy Award-winning producer. On Saturday April 20, Johnson will be at Healing Force of the Universe for an afternoon listening party and Q&A around his most recent release, Unusual Object, ahead of his evening live performance at 2220 Arts & Archives.
His second solo album, Unusual Object, a striking work of futuristic jazz and modern composition, was released April 5, 2024 on Northern Spy Records. This spare work for processed saxophone and subtle samples shows Johnson further sharpening his unique compositional voice. Unusual Object, Johnson says, “is a development and documentation of a more personal world of sound. What’s it like for me to create the context for my sound, to frame it myself?”
His solo debut Freedom Exercise (Northern Spy) was featured in Rolling Stone’s Best Music of 2020 and Bandcamp’s Best Jazz Albums of 2020. Pitchfork called the record “excellent, daringly melodic” and PostGenre praised it as “a songwriting marvel”.
Johnson produced and appears on Meshell Ndegeocello’s 2023 album 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘮𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 which was awarded the 2024 Grammy for Best Alternative Jazz Album.
Phi-Psonics live recording residency (night 6)
Phi-Psonic's Seth-Ford Young brings in a revolving cast of musicians with whom to perform and record at Healing Force of the Universe on Wednesday nights in February, March, and April. INCYMI: these shows will be recorded live.
Doors at 7. $12 tickets here.
Expect musical performances by: SETH FORD-YOUNG, BASS, JAY BELLEROSE, DRUMS; SYLVAIN CARTON, SAX & FLUTES; JOSH COLLAZO, DRUMS; DYLAN DAY, GUITAR; ROCCO DELUCA, STEEL GUITAR; RANDAL FISHER, SAXOPHONES & FLUTES; GARY FUKUSHIMA, KEYS; SHEILA GOVINDARAJAN, VOICE; DAVE HARRINGTON, GUITAR; MATHIAS KUNZLI, PERCUSSION; MINTA SPENCER, HARP; ZACH TENORIO, KEYS; SPENCER ZAHN, BASS; AND MORE TBA
Jordan Patterson and her many soundmakers
Singer-songwriter Jordan Patterson will be joined by her many soundmakers to showcase her new album on Tuesday, April 16th at Healing Force of the Universe in Pasadena.
$5 in advance/$5 at the door
Azalia Snail POWERLOVER release, Heather McIntosh, Frieda's Roses
Avant-garde singer-songwriter Azalia Snail (dubbed the "Queen of Lo-Fi") and her husband rock/jazz musician Dan West celebrate the release of Snail's newest album "Powerlover" by bringing their sound to Healing Force of the Universe in Pasadena, on Sunday April 14th. The pair will be welcomed to the stage by multifaceted musician and composer Heather McIntosh, and pop-rock trio Frieda's Roses.
Healing Force is a new record store and event space in Pasadena. We invite you to come experience this moment in time and experience the healing force of the universe in our living room space, for this all-ages, free show.
The Tailor, a play reading, written by Craig Wright, directed by Johana McKeon
When Terry Buonforte, a seasoned hit man in the Chicago Outfit, gets out of jail and is ordered by his boss to have a bespoke wardrobe made by the mob boss’s own tailor, the process unexpectedly leads him to self-reflection, romance, and — just as he’s about to find happiness — his own death.
Directed by Johanna McKeon, written by Craig Wright
Alex Amen, Lady Apple Tree
On Friday April 12th LA-based folk sing-songwriter Lady Apple Tree and Alex Amen come to Healing Force of the Universe in Pasadena. Lady Apple Tree has contributed to releases and performances from Sam Burton, Drugdealer, and Sylvie while writing and recording her own material. Amen is working on a new record, and from live performances we've gathered it'll be sprinkled with strong nods to the Laurel Canyon ethos.
Ronan Delisle, Meernaa
Ronan Delisle is a guitarist and composer living in Los Angeles, CA. As a guitarist he has released music with Hunter Gather, Thousands and bassist Abey Blackwell's RAE. His first full length record as a leader, Write To Me A Coda, was released in early 2021 and features close collaborator Raymond Larsen. Delisle's work as a songwriter can be heard with Senor Fin, as well as on Bandcamp under the moniker Totems of Home.
Meernaa pairs songwriter Carly Bond's dusky, dexterous vocals with sensual, refined compositions that reference neo-soul, classic R&B, and the pasionate side of indie-pop with influences as diverse as Sade, Cate Le Bon, Minnie Riperton, and Talk Talk.
Scout LaRue Willis, Janelle Kroll
Scout LaRue Willis is an artist, musician and writer - but really, she is a Magician, a devotee of the Muse and Venus herself. Scout rides the emotional waves of life with a seeker's heart and tenderly molds each experience into the perfect offering - her songs.
Scout's 2022 self-titled album beckoned us into her temple and bestowed listeners with a treasure trove of rare gems - the type of tracks to keep you company and carry you through your own peaks and valleys. Scout‘s upcoming album is a brewing storm on the horizon, a coming stampede that will take you on a ride and reconnect you to your deepest pleasures. Her live sets are ceremonial spells, casting cosmic rays that fan the inner flames. Be blessed by her bewitching and angelic gifts, and accept her invitation into your own remembrance. And buckle up, darlin - there's so much more to come. She brings her magic to Healing Force of the Universe in Pasadena on Sunday April 7th.
Janelle Kroll opens at 8.
Healing Force is a new record store and event space in Pasadena. We invite you to come experience this moment in time and experience the healing force of the universe in our living room space. Enjoy the $5 off in-store purchases the night of the show with each ticket purchase.
$12 in advance (+ DICE fees)/$15 at the door
House Band, Stephan Nielsen
House Band is an improv combo assembled by Brian Harding, custodian of the always entertaining Phish phan Instagram enclave PHILM, and guitarist Jason Abraham Roberts [...] The band’s debut, Aventurine, out January 7, is certainly jammy and shares Phish’s omnivorous musical palette, but the sounds here are more akin to electric-era Miles and the slippery post-rock of Tortoise, with heavy nods to the Beasties’ instrumental cuts on The In Sound from Way Out! Featuring a cast of players known for their work with Cat Power, Tim Heidecker, Grateful Shred, Bedouine, and Perfume Genius, the record is chock full of krauty minimalism, splashes of dub ambiance, and tangled guitar lines that evoke the Dead in full-drift mode. Since landing in my inbox late last year, it’s been on steady repeat [...].
- J Woodbury, *Aquarium Drunkard (bolds added)
House Band, Stephan Nielsen perform live at Healing Force of the Universe in Pasadena on Saturday, April 6. John Lee DJs. Doors are at 7:30 PM. $12.
Kenny Wollesen - drums, Jeff Parker - guitar, Joshua White - piano
Drummer and percussionist Kenny Wollesen (recorded and toured with Tom Waits, Sean Lennon, Ron Sexsmith, Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, John Lurie, Myra Melford, Steven Bernstein, and more) comes together with renowned guitarist Jeff Parker (Tortoise, Isotope 217) and pianist Joshua White (who has been praised by Herbie Hancock himself!) for a night at Healing Force of the Universe in Pasadena on Friday, April 5th.
Hush Money
#Five-piece #indie #garage #bluesband: drums, bass, lead guitar, harmonica/rhythm guitar, and female lead vox. $10.
Phi-Psonics live recording residency (night 5)
Phi-Psonic's Seth-Ford Young brings in a revolving cast of musicians with whom to perform and record at Healing Force of the Universe on Wednesday nights in February, March, and April. INCYMI: these shows will be recorded live.
Doors at 7. $12 tickets here.
Expect musical performances by: SETH FORD-YOUNG, BASS, JAY BELLEROSE, DRUMS; SYLVAIN CARTON, SAX & FLUTES; JOSH COLLAZO, DRUMS; DYLAN DAY, GUITAR; ROCCO DELUCA, STEEL GUITAR; RANDAL FISHER, SAXOPHONES & FLUTES; GARY FUKUSHIMA, KEYS; SHEILA GOVINDARAJAN, VOICE; DAVE HARRINGTON, GUITAR; MATHIAS KUNZLI, PERCUSSION; MINTA SPENCER, HARP; ZACH TENORIO, KEYS; SPENCER ZAHN, BASS; AND MORE TBA
Star Rover
"Star Rover, the Brooklyn twosome of guitarist Will Graefe and drummer Jeremy Gustin specializes in an alluring sort of pastoral punk that suggests a collaboration between Deerhoof and John Fahey." - Time Out New York
Star Rover is as much an engine for collaboration as it is a band. Since forming in 2013 over a love of John Fahey's music, the duo has recorded and toured with a long and wide ranging cast of musicians: Sam Amidon, Larkin Grimm, Benjamin Lazar Davis, Jesse Harris, Petra Haden, Tiago lorc, Ricardo Dias Gomes (Caetano Veloso), and many others. They've toured in Asia, Europe, and Suoth America, and played hundreds of shows in New York City, developing a repertoire of melodic-psychedlic songs mixed with a rhythmically aggressive, telpathic improvisational language.
Apophatic Melismatic Presents