A couple Saturdays ago I went to the EP release show for Orange County band, Island Apollo. This was somewhat of a last minute decision for me, going to this show, as I had only recently been getting into Island Apollo, coincidentally after hearing their song “Pure Love” on our own station! I liked the sound of this one song so much, that I quickly listened to the rest of the band’s self-titled EP, and even more quickly bought my ticket for their Constellation Room Santa Ana show! I am beyond glad that I did
The night started slow and sweet with an acoustic set by Ethan Hulse of the band Lowly Spects. Accompanied by a friend, the duo wooed the full room, with a mix of sad and genuine songs. I especially fell in love with “Don’t Ask, Just Let Me Know,” listen below.
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Up next was Moxi, stunning the crowd with synthy pop, making me swoon when they ventured into a darker side, with my favorite, “Closer”
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iPhone photo of Moxi–I didn’t have press but couldn’t resist capturing this mesmerizing band!
The stage chemistry and emotion felt between members Andy Toy and Anna Nelson allowed the audience to really feel connected to the music, and kept our focus on their entrancing performance.
I captured this powerful stance of singer Dan McCollister in the middle of City City’s set!
Los Angeles band City City then took the stage, and took it by storm! The six-piece, synth-poppy band danced their way through their set, featuring both old and new music, including their next single, “Moving Through Life.” I had kinda chatted with the band on Twitter before the show, and expressed how much I loved their song called “Silver Stars,” which was their opening song! Meeting the band after the show was one of the happiest bits of merchandise-purchasing I’ve ever done, and they mentioned that indeed they did play “Silver Stars” first for me! That basically made my night!
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Finally, headliners and triumphant EP Debut-ers Island Apollo came out. I’m a huge fan of suspenseful, exciting stage entrances by bands, and Island Apollo, with bars of light and bass tones, really delivered. From that point on, there was no loss of energy or hype. Island Apollo ran through their rock tracks, including a brand new song, one that we in the audience were the first to hear, called “Give You the World”! After their show the band was eager to meet their fans, equally eager to meet them. There was a collective happy tiredness shared by the audience and the band alike, as we had danced all night.
Check out their self-titled EP below!
ALSO! This band will be headlining KX’s Sound the Sea in May! Make sure to stay tuned to kxfmradio.org for more details!!