The Vespertines. Photo by Chris Walker.
The Vespertines and The Black Noise, two veteran Long Beach-bred indie bands, are collaborating on a new monthly showcase at OSSO in LA’s art district.
Called Club Catapult, each month pairs an act from Orange County with a band from Long Beach. The idea, explained Black Noise frontman Donovan Brown, is to provide a fresh platform for the best acts from both scenes.
The Black Noise, an R&B-soul-rock project founded by Brown and guitarist/producer Victor Ujadughele, has been active for six years, performing around both Long Beach and Orange County. Their experience jumping back and forth between the two areas indicated a need for an event like this, he said.
“There’s no cross-pollination of any kind,” Brown said. “They’re all kind of staying in each city. So we tried to figure out a way to get different people interested in different music so they can know what’s happening.”
The idea for Club Catapult was conceived last year when The Vespertines, The Black Noise and Orange County-based indie soul/rock group Asleep At The Gate discussed starting a monthly residency together. The discussion eventually developed into creating a new middle-ground scene that bridges together the various segmented music scenes in the area.
Last month’s kickoff show was a giant success, Brown said, with performances from Anaheim-based R&B singer Cameo Adele, The Black Noise and DJ Bryan Woods. OSSO was at full capacity with strong representation from both Long Beach and the O.C. That night, Club Catapult was officially green-lit by OSSO for a monthly residency.
The Black Noise. Photo by Ester Park.
This month’s show, which takes place Saturday, will feature The Vespertines and Charles Fullwood, a one-man soul-electronic act from the O.C. The Vespertines, a jazz-influenced prog-rock group founded in 2009 and fronted by vocalist/trumpeter Vanessa Acosta, will be performing their first set in months, fresh out of their studio hibernation, putting the final touches on a new EP.
“I cosign on all the music that we bring,” Brown said. “Everything that we bring for Club Catapult is like objectively good, and I’m a fan. The idea is to build a scene where only objectively good music of different styles is there. That’s probably the one thing I want to see out of Club Catapult — just cultivating a scene of dopeness.”
The next Club Catapult takes place Saturday night at OSSO DTLA with performances from The Vespertines, Charles Fullwood and DJ Bryan Woods. The event is 21+ and free. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1089851954410893/.