Night two of the Burger-A-Go-Go tour was a completely different vibe from night one. For one, there were far fewer leather jackets in the crowd, and the bar was significantly less packed. The show started right at 8:00 p.m. this time, with Portland-based pop-punk group Patsy’s Rats taking the stage.
Around 9:00 p.m., Summer Twins were already on stage playing some feel-good indie pop. The project of sisters Chelsea and Justine Brown, Summer Twins are originally from Riverside and relocated to L.A. Their upbeat ’50s and ’60s inspired surf rock had the crowd moving around from the get go with songs like “Another Hit” and even performed a couple of new songs.
Los Angeles-based indie dream-pop outfit Winter took the stage, joined by the sisters of Summer Twins. The crowd watched intently as they let the dreamy sound wash over them. Donning glitter, they played songs like “Crazy” off their album Supreme Blue Dream and newer singles like “High School” and “Jaded.” Their songs have a carefree, relatable feeling about them that had the crowd swaying around as singer Samira Winter sang “I don’t wanna be jaded,” with backing vocals by the Brown sisters. “It’s our first time playing here… it’s a little sad because it’s the last night of our tour,” Winter shared. Between several of the songs, spoken loops like Cal Sagan’s Cosmos were played, adding an extra layer of dreaminess to their set. Before going into “Zoe,” Winter shared a special dedication to her cat, Zoe, as she sang “I feel alive, I feel alive where you are.” “Jaded” ended the set, with all three girls getting on the floor absorbed in their dreamy noise.
The true fans stuck around for a special, intimate show from Cambodian ’50s and ’60s inspired surf rock band and headliners Dengue Fever. “I feel at home tonight. Long Beach is my hometown,” singer Chhom Nimol shared with the audience as they clapped and cheered. They dove right into their set with “22 Nights,” a slower song with wailing keys and a sultry saxophone solo. But the pace picked up with “Tokay” and the crowd started moving to the danceable beat. Nimol wore a floor-length light blue Cinderella-inspired dress, standing as the clear center of attention from her bandmates. “Cambodia Rock Band is here tonight!” Nimol shared excitedly pointing toward the crowd. Several of the songs featured extended saxophone solos, like “Los in Laos,” in which the sax player got into the audience and wailed on his sax. The crowd really got dancing when they performed the popular “Tiger Phone Card,” which alternated the voices between Nimol and a man this time. The Tarantino score-approved “Mr. Orange” closed the set with a reverbed surf rock song and “oh ah ah ahs” from Nimol and the crowd. Dengue Fever played a three-song encore which, much like the previous night’s ending song from The Coathangers, ended in several of the band members from the lineup joining the band on stage, jumping around. They closed the set with the rock-forward “I’m Sixteen” and a jam session to close the night that left not a still body in sight.
The only thing that was missing from an otherwise second enjoyable night of music were the visuals from Mad Alchemy that were featured the night prior. Instead, the classic red curtain backdrop at Alex’s Bar was featured, leaving those who caught the visuals from the other night wanting more, visually. Regardless, the community vibe was very much similar to the prior night, as the band members embraced the audience and each other on this final night of the Burger-A-GoGo tour.
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