There are two people in front of me in line at Slipper Clutch, but, from my vantage point at the top of the stairs, I can see inside the venue’s top level bar. The crowd is solid, especially for a Thursday night downtown. Out on the streets, there’s no foot traffic. I can only imagine that downtown Los Angeles’ residents are safely tucked into their luxury apartments, broadcasting night time rituals or sleep hacks or whatever inanity is trending on TikTok this week. Inside Slipper Clutch, though, there’s a lot of life. The bar is bustling, people are walking towards the dance floor. I can hear a band play live, but at this point, I’m not sure which band that is.
I’m at Slipper Clutch to catch Cadal, a band from Santiago, Chile. For the past couple weeks, I’ve been listening to their album, Fiesta Nueva, which came out last year and is full of raw, dark punk energy. On this tour, Cadal is only playing two dates in the U.S., one of which is this show on a Thursday night in early November. It’s the sort of show you wouldn’t want to miss if you’re into borderline-goth, danceable indie bands. Plus, it’s just not that often that you can catch a stacked lineup with a headliner who has never played L.A. before for just $10 at the door. That’s the kind of show I’m compelled to support.
I pay the cover and head towards the dance floor, sliding up towards the front right before Poderosa, the duo that’s on stage, busts out a cover of “Lobo-hombre en París,” a 1980s rock en Español classic from the Spanish band La Union. It’s a good cover, a little spookier than the original, with more pronounced wolf howls. This is the first time I’ve seen Poderosa, who are from L.A., and I regret showing up so late into their set. They play an original single, “Adios,” that I really like as well.
Warsaw Pact, who are also local, follows Poderosa. They’re a post-punk band and one that I think is a bit difficult to pigeonhole because there’s so much going on in their sound. It’s a little ‘00s indie and a little ‘80s 4AD and probably a ton of other influences mixed together. They play a new song that I’m excited to hear again when it’s released.
DJs Felix and Pockets Macabre supply the jams in between bands. I’m not sure who dropped which song when, but the tunes are high quality throughout the night. The crowd is high quality too. I run into some DJ pals and other people I know from hanging out at L.A. clubs for just about my entire adult life. There’s very little talk about the events of the past few days. In fact, the election only comes up briefly in one conversation the entire night.
The news that dominates online is usually the news people want to forget IRL, so I’m a little reticent to bring up politics here. But, I should because politics are intertwined with indie shows. Right now, our timelines are controlled by mega-corporations and billionaires. They own the news outlets, social media platforms, streamers and search engines, essentially shaping worlds that we think have been algorithmically curated based on our tastes. The big picture is that loads of people will vote in favor of what they think are their own best interests, but are really in the interests of corporate landlords, tech bros and others that take pleasure in screwing over the American public.
On the hyperlocal, subculture level, though, it means that, even in a massive city like Los Angeles, any kind of alt or indie scene is essentially struggling to survive. Flyers get buried on socials, ticketing platforms and inboxes. The media outlets that once covered these scenes either no longer exist or are only concerned with viral hits. What’s replaced the old guard— influencers— is literally a pay-to-play model, which is antithetical to every music scene that is derived from punk. In this climate, it’s somewhat miraculous that people even know when indie shows are happening.
It was close to 1 a.m. when Cadal played, although it didn’t feel that late. The night has flown by and so does the band’s set. Cadal is tight on stage. The three members trade off vocals as they play fast and furiously. At some point, they performed “La Culpa,” the first song on Fiesta Nueva and the song that will suck you into their vibe. It doesn’t sound like a new song. In fact, with all of its dirgy, heavy angst, “La Culpa” sounds like it was pulled from the late ‘70s or early ‘80s. But, it sounds perfect for this current moment in time and I can’t stop dancing. I look around and note that I’m definitely not the only one dancing here.
Cadal’s set is longer than it seems. When they finish, I look at my phone and realize that we’re minutes away from the last call surge in rideshare prices. I hastily say my goodbyes and successfully grab a ride for a bearable rate.
If you’re lucky enough to even get people’s attention, you’re asking for time and cash from people who are already on multiple Ticketmaster payment plans for concerts that cost far more than they should and have who-knows-how-many subscriptions siphoning money from their bank accounts every month. Even though indie shows are generally lower-priced, and oftentimes free, you still have to consider the gentrification rates that parking lots charge and the rideshare prices that seem to always be on the rise, even when the drivers’ pay isn’t.
Really, our world today is designed to stamp out any kind of community that exists IRL and outside of the mainstream. It’s extremely difficult- perhaps near-impossible- to make indie shows happen right now. That anyone is still willing to take on this task is a testament to just how important these scenes are. So, props to everyone involved in making this night at Slipper Clutch happen.
Liz O. is an L.A.-based writer and DJ. Read her recently published work and check out her upcoming gigs.
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