Written by Abbi Zepeda, CityHeART’s Art from Ashes Creative Intern
The importance of music was ingrained in me from a young age; I would spend hours wandering ever so slowly through the aisles of record stores – weekends spent with my dad running my finger across the spine of CD jewel cases as I searched for whichever band had become my adolescent obsession. Long Beach has no shortage of those stores – packed to overflowing with hyper-underground albums from artists you would never hear of outside of that moment. Plugging the provided headphones into the wall and listening to snippets of “staff favorites” albums out of anachronistic music players that were already on the outs of technological advancements when I was growing up in the 2000s. It’s been a big part of my life – and as I’ve become more and more connected to the rich musical culture of my city my love for it has only grown.
Similar to record shops, Long Beach has no shortage of unique and upcoming local musicians – and as my music tastes have grown in range and in depth I have come to connect with and really delve into the world of artists waiting for me within this community. Through those connections I found myself at a collaborative house show over the weekend – showing up to support a band which I had only just rediscovered a few weeks prior. Listeners of CityHeART Radio might recognize the name Garden Patrol, who I had the pleasure of meeting and delving into their stories. It was through that opportunity that I found myself drawn to them and their music – the earnest way that they talked about music and the abundance of references to local Long Beach landmarks had me hooked and I wanted to immerse myself even more.
They were warm when they greeted me – offering drinks and chairs for me and my friend where we could enjoy the set from the band performing before them. The location was in one of the band member’s backyard – dressed up with blankets and pillows and old seemingly-broken TVs to capture the indie vibe of the event – and the attendees were all seemingly close friends of the bands (although the atmosphere was enough to make anyone feel like they had known everyone there for years). There is a comfort that comes with seeing live music in this way, removed from the traditional setting of stadiums and arenas that people typically associate with performers and instead grounded in reality. Here it felt like this was the heart of the music scene in Long Beach: couch cushions pulled outside to make for the best seating arrangements, quiet conversation barely audible underneath the music, an open gate inviting people in to come and listen – community.
I was only able to stay for a few songs from co-headliner Ruby Electric – introduced with a quirky one-liner and cheers from the audience each time – and even then returning to the “outside world” felt like popping a bubble that had formed around me sitting there in that backyard. Storytelling happens through music – and Long Beach is a city full to the brim with storytellers sitting behind guitars or keyboards or in house shows introducing the next song to a crowd of captivated friends and fans. My only real hope for the future of music in Long Beach is that I am able to hear those stories – and that they continue being shared.
Give this playlist a listen!
