Burning Manilow Performs At Celebration Of Eagle Rock Music

Burning Manilow playing "Don't Think"

Burning Manilow was the last band I went to see perform before the pandemic shut everything down in March of 2020. It was my birthday. A last hurrah before things descended into uncertainty. Now, nearly three years later (and with the pandemic still going, I might add), I had a chance to see them again. They played last night at the Center For The Arts in Eagle Rock, as part of the NELA Music Series. They were on a bill that also included Joal Ryan, Joel Jerome, Eagle Rock Isolation Band and Dan Olivo. And actually, there was one other band that kicked off the night, but I arrived a bit late and missed that set. There was a fairly wide range of music performed on the stage last night, with all the artists having in common the fact that they are based in the Eagle Rock section of Los Angeles. I have heard it said that Los Angeles has no sense of community, but that just isn’t true. There are several vibrant communities spread throughout the city, as events like this concert demonstrate.

The show was scheduled to start at 7 p.m., and must have begun on time, because when I walked in at 7:30 the first band was just wrapping up its set. This was the first occasion in quite a while that I had to show my vaccination card to get in, but I was happy about it because it meant it was likely going to be a relatively safe environment. The show was all ages, and while adults had to pay ten dollars to get in, children were allowed in for free. And they were also free to run around inside. It was a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. There was alcohol available, and the money went to support the place, so I had a beer.

There wasn’t a long time between performers, and Joal Ryan was soon on stage, with her husband joining her on guitar. She played some songs from her recent release, All The Things. My favorite song of her set was “Who’s Got It Better Than Us.” Joel Jerome followed her, his four-piece band covering songs like “All The Young Dudes” and “Our Lips Are Sealed,” and delivering a kind of punk rendition of “Strawberry Fields Forever,” which worked surprisingly well. Next up was Eagle Rock Isolation Band, which opened with the theme song from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, performing it in earnest. They also played “Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard” and “The Weight,” along with one original composition. But the highlight was their rendition of 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up.” This show was sort of the group’s first real gig, and they joked about it: “This is the first time we’ve been on a stage. Every other stage was a lawn.”

Burning Manilow then took the stage. For this gig, they had a different drummer (Frankie Martinez) and different keyboardist (Karyn Dale). They did a short set, just five songs, kicking things off with one of my favorites, “Don’t Think.” I always love that moment when this song kicks in for the chorus. This is a great choice for set opener. They followed that with “Old Shoes,” with Laura explaining afterward that the lyric is “spit and feathers,” not “spittin’ feathers,” as some have heard it. That was then followed by “Nobody Knows,” which had such a good groove. Next on the set list was “I Can’t Go,” a cool song that kind of creeps in and then just takes hold of you. This song, for me, was a highlight of the night. They then wrapped up the set with “Forever Project.” And it was all over much too soon.

But the night was not yet complete. There was one more artist on the bill, Dan Olivo. As his band was setting up, I got excited because there was a standup bass and trombone being brought onto the stage. Dan Olivo soon demonstrated his vocal talent, opening his set with “Day By Day.” In addition to trombone and bass, his band included guitar and drums. And they did a short set of standards, including “Fly Me To The Moon.” They ended the set by taking us down to New Orleans with a fun rendition of “Bourbon Street Parade.”

Here are a few photos from the night:

Joal Ryan

Joel Jerome

Eagle Rock Isolation Band

Burning Manilow playing "Old Shoes"

Burning Manilow playing "Nobody Knows"

Burning Manilow playing "Forever Project"

Dan Olivo

Dan Olivo

Dan Olivo

Dan Olivo

The Center For The Arts Eagle Rock is located at 2225 Colorado Blvd., in Los Angeles, California.