Ansel Avenue’s first livestream: streets ahead!

 As the coming end of 2020 approaches faster than expected, there is surprisingly much to look forward to. Musicians have found curious and creative workarounds to get music to people, and in times where the music industry’s frail frame is being rattled more vigorously than a skeleton in my bio professor’s lab during an earthquake, it’s heartening to hear home-brewed records and stories of upstarts making the most of nowhere to go. 

Enter Ansel Avenue. Alumni of UC Berkeley and founding members of the on-campus organization Songwriting at Berkeley, Conner Wright, Pierre Carrillo and Marcus Lee decided during Stay-at-Home orders to start up their own grassroots music studio. After a few months of set up, recruitment, and recording, they hosted their first livestream on October 9th. With five acts, this fledgling project showed off its promising stable of artists:  Lucy Eaton,  Kaahan Radia, Lee and Wright each had solo sets, and Shilpa Shah joined Carrillo as The Match.

Not having been an audience to many live streams, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The performances were pre-recorded, easing the worries of bad connection, lagging, and the works. The only drawback was a lack of that exciting, live feel. The videos were so clean that there wasn’t much of a feel for anything spontaneous, but these aren’t punk rock bands or professionals, they’re young singer-songwriters who are still figuring everything out. As for the purpose of showcasing new talent, this format was perfect— the live introductions ensured that you saw some personality beyond performance. 

Kaahan Radia kicked things off with a smoothness and technique fitting of a rising star. Citing jazz great Charlie Parker and singer-songwriter Iron and Wine as big influences, Kaahan’s  pop songwriting carries greater weight through his pining vocals, which doesn’t crush the music. The man’s a solid guitarist. His performance of “Choices” summed it up: a song filled with contemplative lyrics and a sweet, sliding guitar hook. Its simplicity wasn’t amateur, but controlled. Of course there’s room for growth, but I can appreciate the workmanship and the evolution of his tracks. “It’s Called Money” takes the listener to a darker place, while the song “Surf” is a brighter, time shifting piece. A pleasureful set with my sign of approval, although he surely doesn’t need it. 

The Match was up next; a handsome couple who discovered a great musical chemistry through a Tinder match. Carrillo’s guitar provided a smooth cloud of sound for Shah’s vocals to glide on. There was the feeling of musicians at work, but never did anything feel out of place or forced. 

I suppose if there’s one criticism, it’s the last song in the set, where Carrillo showed me what kind of a betrayal it must have felt like to watch Paul McCartney perform “Yesterday” for the first time without the Beatles. After the playful pair played through “Art Addicts” and “All Good Things,” they performed “Cool Cat,” a surprising change of pace with Carrillo at the mic supported by a backing band. Does it work? Of course! With his signature charm he easily pulled off the cheesy number. But where was Shah? It was understandable, especially as a founding member of Ansel Avenue, to get his own separate performance. However, the song is still credited to The Match, not “Pierre and the boys.” It only left me missing Shah and wondering if she is a necessary other half to The Match.

Carillo’s smooth performance was just goofy enough to segue into Wright’s set. The former accordionist may be the most able multi-instrumentalist of the five performers, quickly recording and looping percussion and bass lines for his one-man band, then proceeding to riff and mouth trumpet his way through his hot jams. “Fast Lane” was the “coolest” track Wright performed, hiding behind shades indoors to ensure his skillfulness still has a joking, sanded-down edge. The reggae of “Roses” and the acoustic bliss of “Cherry Lips” made Wright’s set as stylistically diverse as it was impressive. 

Eaton, having just released her debut single, “Rotten Love” was already popular within the livestream chat. Of all the live introductions, hers was the most interesting, especially her appreciation for her mother’s honest and insightful opinions on her art. Maybe it’s the cynic in me, but anyone who performs understands the frustration from showing your work to people who know you: the softness and sometimes phoniness of the compliments, sometimes sincere, but not nearly as helpful. Although I too feel this way, I do not have much criticism to provide Eaton. “He’s Not Over” was a start, although when Lucy broke into “Sing to me/ breathe into my mouth,” there was real energy there. The part of my brain dedicated to memorizing lyrics buzzed with an idea reminiscent of Talking Heads’ “This Must Be The Place” that cuts out the middleman— sing directly into my mouth, please. 

The songwriting is clever and her execution is interesting enough for me to stay tuned in. Really what Lucy has done here is provide, at least in subject matter, the feminine equivalent of The Rolling Stones’ “Beast of Burden,” and I think it’s about time we flipped all our coins in this way. Rather than the masculine insecurity of the inability to satisfy, this is the feminine analysis of and rightful frustration with male indecision—ultimately, greed. 

All overanalysis aside, “Just Kiss” was my favorite. Anyone who can channel Dolores O’Riordan’s spirit as Eaton did during her chorus is obviously blessed, and her cheeky narrations are a treat. “Rotten Love” was a slower piece and the words carried more weight to match. Though I surely didn’t understand all of the references, what I did understand was the venture into more fantastical imagery (see: “we’ll put red velvet cakes in every drawer” and “I’ll buy you sugar and cream… and a better mood”). The repetition of “money” so close to its first use dragged a bit, but other than that, the butterflies remained aflutter.

Lee, the founder, was very modest in his introduction, but one thing pained me. As a musical influence, he referenced Ed Sheeran. Luckily for Lee, he proved to be quite the opposite to the man who played the embodiment of all that is wrong with popular music in Yesterday (2019). He carries the singer-songwriter torch with an earnestness indicative of his clear work ethic. The introduction promised sadness that doesn’t match up with Lee as he was presented, yet he still managed to be as sincere as if he were only recently heartbroken by the love of his life.. 

“If I Never Come Back” was particularly melancholy. He had the guitar chops to back himself up, and as someone who has fumbled around on the six-string myself, he may have inspired me to continue. It wasn’t flashy, but rather had a folksy sound that toned down any brightness to a fine, rustic polish. “Just Wish You Cared” shifted the tone with a backing band: an anthemic rumbler with a truly wistful performance. If he records an album, I hope it closes with this.

The livestream was an entertaining showcase for a new studio’s stable of talented young artists. My favorite performance was Eaton’s, but I think this is a bright little fire starting in the Bay Area music scene, leaving me to only imagine what a great concert it  would be in the next era. I am sure there will be much to come from Ansel Avenue throughout 2021, even if it is only by Marcus’s industriousness.

Written by Stanley Quiros