Sketched Stations

Round 2 of Sketched Sounds Presents is in the books, with LA’s Cowboy Destroy, Pony Talk, and podcast regulars Paradise Vultures. This one rubbed me the wrong way. Photos by Justin Bieggar

I started planning this one about a month ago. After a halfway decent turnout for my first show at dba256 in Pomona, I wanted to try again at another regular spot – Old Towne Pub in Pasadena. I love this venue. It’s a true dive held together by the dive bar wallpaper of every sticker of every band anyone might recognize. I see the familiar names; Memory Milk, Utopian Voids, Charm School, etc. I’ve been more of a regular since teaming up with Karmic Tie Records for regular coverage of their showcases. They can pack them into this place. Why not host a show here?

That being said, I’m new to this side of the scene. I figure you read the room, book artists who fit said room as best you can, then canvass the internet with flyers. The first red flag was being told to drop the opening act, a dear friend embarking on an ambitious new project, because emo love ballads don’t them in off the streets. “Not the vibe”, says the one in charge. Two days before the show, no less. Not just a dick move but now I’m in a bind to fill a third spot, not just a fourth. We were able to settle for three but finding one was tough on time. But Pony Talk came through with the assist, bringing Cowboy Destroy into the mix. And who do they know at the show? Paradise Vultures. It’s coming together. Thanks to the generous offerings of a friend to backline the show, we’re back on track.

Any musician will tell you about the dead rooms they’ve played throughout their time. Most take it in stride and chalk it up to a free rehearsal with drink tickets, and they play to the crowd they want, not just the one they have. It’s a healthy mentality in a music scene, especially when you’re booked on a weekday. Downtown Pasadena or not, people have to work in the morning, and a $5 cover after wafting wall-to-wall dumpsters from the surrounding restaurants to hang in a loud bar doesn’t always sell itself.

Most of us at the show were, well, us. Bands, spouses, the bartenders – but also a handful of fans who either caught the last minute flyer change or wandered in. It’s like the afters, before. Cowboy Destroy open it up, spiking the volume immediately in a playful grab for attention. This is my first time seeing them live. I’d only heard of them the other day when they were recommended and breathed easy once I played some of their stuff. This will be a good show, I told myself as a cursed the process. This moment validated it. Everyone loved it and they stretched to 45 minutes with ease.

Up next was Pont Talk. I caught them back in April of ’25 at Harvard & Stone for a Swyndle showcase (they’re still running well). Fellow millennials, and I say that for their stage humor and general vibe. “Dog With A Bone” was the hit we all seemed to agree on. It’s not indie sleaze, but elder scenester gold. I had to see them again, and since they played only one or two shows since then, I had to make a point to book them myself. Worth it? Of course. They didn’t disappoint and even got those few people out of their stools. Before the set, they were telling me about their breaks. It had really been just a show or two since that last one. It was time for another, maybe more, but life happens! We’re adults. Shit happens.

Finally is Paradise Vultures and their self-proclaimed redemption set. They used to play here, and the last one wasn’t so hot. It had been a while since they’d been here. Just off a tour with Eagles of Death Metal, Tommy and Matty are the loudest by far. Matty is Animal on the drums, and Tommy? A 6’8″ showman shredder with a snazzy line for every one of us. At this point the crowd wanders. Most are inside but a few are on the patio checking out the merch, smoking, meditating. I’m on the edge of the stage sneaking action shots of the guys while new people walk past. I try not to be that photographer who’s always in the way, and mutual respect for space is abundant. I haven’t seen these guys since their show at Que Sera in Long Beach a couple of years ago. Those photos are unfortunately lost to the void. We had a good talk on the podcast somewhere after, where Tommy introduced his baking prowess with a gift of focaccia and the now fulfilled promise of new recordings.

Ultimately, a great show as far as performance. As for asses in the seats, a turnoff for the powers that be. We gently remind those of the original mission here: host shows, let people work out their material, anxiety, and let them showcase their art. The loud shows to empty rooms are like writing in your preferred candidate on a ballot. They’re invitations and reminders that the spaces exist and support is there.