The Hotel Cafe in Hollywood holds a special place in the hearts, minds and souls of music lovers- carrying a strong reputation as a haven for truly talented musicians to reach the ears of Los Angeles listeners.
The anticipation for Monday evening ran high and the artists did not disappoint. Much has already been said even ahead about Sinem Saniye's thoughtful approach to her show http://www.examiner.com/music-in-los-angeles/sinen-s-la-concert-and-japan-relief, providing proceeds to Japan and her performance included strong substance and spectacle, backed by a solid band. Her set included a beautiful Kimono, an emotional speech about her concern for welfare of people in Japan during this continued crisis and a fitting choice of the John Lennon Beatles song "Across the Universe" from Sinem- who is a winner of the John Lennon songwriting contest (chosen by Yoko Ono).
Not even a moment of time seemed to go by before Jennifer Quiroz then took the LA stage with infectious joy. And so she sang and played rock n' roll the way it is meant to be performed- heartfelt, passionate and driven by a tight band. Jennifer's humor came across on stage and her confident stage presence impressed the crowd. The characters in this singer-songwriter's songs came across with all the hope, heart and drive that gives great music its rhythm of truth and its soul of the honest search for meaning.
Jennifer's camaraderie with her bandmates had a comfortable ease to it and the range of apparent influences was impressive, drawing from country, punk, folk, pop, straight ahead rock and roll and more. The songs had a beautiful ebb and flow of arrangement, directing themselves effortlessly from moments of acoustic confessional singer-songwriter energy, then building a bridge back to hard rock. Even at their hardest the songs had ambiance and even at their softest they held punk intensity.
Comparing Jennifer to anyone would not fully capture her in recognizing her self-awareness of who she is and her outstanding originality as a performer and writer. That being said, she sounds like the best: the low, dry, alluring vocals of Hope Sandoval, the catchy Memphis classic country pop-rock of Sheryl Crow, the honest search to learn about oneself from one's own songs one perceives in Bruce Springsteen's truest moments. Jennifer Quiroz and her band at the Hotel Cafe Monday embodied great songwriting backed by vital rock n' roll. Interview http://www.examiner.com/music-in-los-angeles/quiroz-ready-to-rock-roxy-june-4th-and-more
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