The Fighting 8th!
The Los Feliz Improvement Association has been working for more than a century to build a better Los Feliz. One of the ways they did this in 2025 was by sponsoring a porch as part of Porchfest L.A., which took place the first weekend in November. Originally held in Ithaca, New York, in 2007, Porchfest music festivals began as a way for community members to put the spotlight on local musicians by providing porches where they could perform. Longtime Los Feliz resident Hélène Udy brought Porchfest to Los Angeles in 2024, after spending years turning her own porch into a local landmark through the long-running cabaret show “Was Ist Das?” This year, under Hélène’s guidance, the second annual Porchfest L.A. featured performers appearing in front yards and parking lots, coffee houses and businesses throughout Los Feliz, Silver Lake, East Hollywood and even Culver City and Mar Vista. Those audience members who trekked from locale to locale were no doubt rewarded with a veritable moveable feast of a variety show, wherein they were treated to not only musical acts, but comedy, mentalism, clowning, poetry, and perhaps, even more!
When I asked Los Feliz Improvement Association President Debra Matlock why the LFIA participated this year, she began that “Los Feliz organizations have historically been very insular and territorial.” This I certainly know to be true from my many years serving as both a trustee and an officer and eventually the president of the Los Angeles Breakfast Club Foundation (the charitable arm of the Los Angeles Breakfast Club). It was a reality both I, and my wife, Lily (the longest-tenured president in the history of the LABC) worked hard to counter. By the time we stepped away from the Breakfast Club, we certainly had established relationships with many leaders of like-minded civic organizations and community institutions. In fact, I stepped away from the Breakfast Club largely to free up enough time and energy to dedicate myself to celebrating those principles of community that had traditionally been embodied by the Club, and to do so on a scale larger than those who presently run the Breakfast Club would ever allow.
First as a member of the Los Feliz Neighborhood Council, and later during her tenure as president of the LFIA, Debra has, in her words, “tried to build a broad coalition”. That is one of those political-sounding phrases that are definitely beyond my grasp. So, Debra further explained that she embraces any opportunity where she can work with other community groups in support of events that celebrate Los Feliz, or which create “the opportunity to connect with neighbors” she has yet to meet. She described Porchfest as what “seemed like the perfect way to meet people literally where they are, walking down the street, and share the experience of hearing music together.” All this was lovely to hear, though the short answer about why she and the LFIA participated probably could have been summed up by the fact that I asked them to participate!
I was a big fan of last year’s event. I simply strolled the neighborhood the one afternoon I was in town that weekend and took in as many different porches as I could for as long as I could. With no advertising budget to speak of and very little in the way of a staff supporting her, Hélène had created an unqualified success. Through the Los Feliz Neighborhood Council Cultural Affairs Committee on which we both serve, I became acquainted with Hélène and volunteered my support. In an advisory capacity, I suggested the concept of having organizations “sponsor” porches. These organizations would elevate the visibility of the event through outreach. They would create a more welcoming environment for unsuspecting passers-by as well as for those in the know. The organizations would also document the two-day event through photos and video clips that could be used to not only promote next year’s third installment of Porchfest, but which could be provided to the artists for their own purposes.
Thanks to Debra and her husband, the stalwart first gentleman of the LFIA, Brad Grossman, all these aims were fulfilled. Another goal of mine was that each porch would have designated emcees, provided by either the sponsoring organization or by Porchfest, and that these emcees might work with the sponsor as well as the owner of the residence or business providing the “venue” to give that porch its own unique personality. Not only did I volunteer to emcee the LFIA porch, but also I sort of threw a bit of a tantrum to make it happen! The idea had been for me to be a kind of roving “ambassador”, going from porch-to-porch to speak about the larger event. As the event approached, however, and it was clear that the LFIA needed an emcee, and it was just as clear that all I wanted was to get to station myself at one location for the entire weekend and enjoy every single act that performed there, the executive decision was made.
The LFIA and I were responsible for Porch #8 (which I quickly dubbed “The Fighting 8th!”) on 4419 Russell Ave. in Los Feliz, the home of Cynthia Freeman and Josh Goldstein. Josh and Cynthia were fantastic hosts, providing a porta-john, bowls of (leftover) Halloween candy, and boundless energy in support of the performing artists. When there was a hole in the schedule in what was to be the start of day 2, Cynthia even took it upon herself to arrange for one of our day 1 performers to return! Throughout the weekend, we had probably 400 people stop by for at least a little while, and at times, we had a yard, driveway, and sidewalk full of locals enjoying the free musical performances, and on a couple of occasions, the crowd even spilled into the street. Some people turned out to support specific artists, many of whom had advertised the event on the various social media platforms. Some were those who had learned about that particular porch thanks to the outreach of Debra and the LFIA. Some were neighbors who lived in close proximity. Many, however, were those simply walking or driving by, who could literally hear the music, but who, I believe, in my heart of hearts, were drawn by the good energy, the “vibes”, if you will.
In fact, at one point during the weekend, I shared the story of visiting the rather astonishing “place of giants”, a megalithic temple complex from the Neolithic era on the island of Gozo in Malta. These ancient temples (almost 6,000 years old) were once believed to have been built by a race of giants that disappeared when they were discovered by Bronze Age settlers. Because remains are frequently found in great numbers in and around these sites, their importance as burial places is emphasized, but the various rooms of what remains, really came to life to me at one point as I recalled what I was once told about Angkor Wat. That temple complex in Cambodia was described to me as a transmitting station and that is exactly what those island temples felt like. Situated at the top of a hill that literally opened up to the Mediterranean, that locale must surely have felt like (and may have actually been) the center of the known world. There, people would gather for sacred rituals, including storytelling, and the insights experienced and the wisdom expressed would travel outward, down the hill, across the water, and around the world. I shared this story, because I felt we were engaged in the same sacred ritual. Community was coming together and the meaning created by musician and audience was traversing down the gently sloping front yard at 4419 Russell Avenue and spreading throughout the neighborhood. It’s the only way I can adequately account for the number of souls who accidentally found their way to us. We were all participating in an ancient and ongoing conversation.
At the end of the weekend, as we were packing up, an older couple came up to thank me for my work as emcee. I wholeheartedly thanked them because they had been front row for every act all weekend long. I genuinely wanted them to know how much their presence and their spirit mattered. After all, presence and spirit is everything when it comes to building community. The gentleman said to me that it costs a lot to live in southern California, and especially in our area, but what makes it worthwhile, he said, is to be surrounded by so much talent. I could have cried. I found that sentiment to be so beautiful. Of course, as he was leaving, walking down the driveway, he called out over his shoulder, adding, “Oh, yeah, and the weather!”
But he mentioned TALENT first!
The festivities at Porch #8 kicked off at noon on Saturday, November 1st, with the deep cut covers band The Pali Music Collective. Featuring several friends who grew up together in Pacific Palisades, the band’s blend of classic rock tunes from the 60s, 70s and 80s, took on special meaning given the still fresh memories of the Palisades fire. No matter what neighborhood one lived in, during 2025, you felt like Pacific Palisades, and Altadena, were home, too. After the music by these alums of Palisades High, we went “Lowe”, Brianna Lowe, to be precise. Brianna is a singer-songwriter, and an excellent piano player, though due to the logistic challenges posed by playing in someone’s front yard, she chose to accompany herself on ukulele that afternoon, and her set was nothing short of delightful. I felt bad that there weren’t more people in attendance to see our first two acts, but someone had to get things started and I truly felt that as the day wore on and other artists were treated to larger and incredibly appreciative crowds, The Pali Music Collective and Brianna Lowe were part of those experiences as well, for they had planted the seeds of community, had laid the fertile ground, from which all that we would experience throughout the weekend would bloom.
Each of our first two acts received encore sets, and by 2 pm, the party at Porch #8 was in full swing. Singer-songwriter Andrew James played a set that downright astonished me. He was simply too young to be playing his guitar with the virtuosity he demonstrated. The blues licks he incorporated into his set were sufficient to make my jaw drop, and as I listened to Andrew’s terrifically emotive vocal performances of his original tunes, I had no doubt that someday I will hear people speak of falling in love for the first time while listening to his music. What’s more, given the emotional depth he seems interested in exploring, I would wager that still others might fall out of love for the last time while Andrew’s music accompanies them on their journey.
I knew with our next performer that we were getting a true original. I will make no attempt to describe the music of Baby Fischgrund. On their Instagram, they use the descriptive phrase “folk punk pop country rock music”. If you think that description had me scratching my head as to what to expect, imagine how I felt when Baby showed up in clown makeup. I had no way of knowing whether they were made up that way because of a Halloween party the night before, or if that was part of their musical look! Debra and I were both so taken by Baby, that we went to see them perform at The Fable in Eagle Rock a few weeks later, and did so in hope of inviting them to perform as part of our big “Viva Los Feliz: Tinseltown” show at the Autry on December 17th. Baby’s set at The Fable, featuring a full band (as opposed to her one accompanist, “Mike”, at Porchfest), did NOT disappoint!
Our next musical adventure at the Fighting 8th involved a journey into folklore, guided by a band calling itself Jenny Greenteeth (led by Ellen Rooney and Janet Housden). The Jenny Greenteeth of mythology was a river-hag who would pull children and the elderly into the water and drown them. Though not quite as scary as this legend, I did find the music of Jenny Greenteeth to be both spooky and haunting. Fortunately, a quick head count let me know that all elderly audience members, as well as all children, were present and accounted for when Ellen and Janet and their cohorts had finished their set. While definitely offering a thematic whiplash, Cowboy Poetry proved to be a tonally compatible next act. Particularly appropriate to Southern California, of course, the performance of western poems set to acoustic music proved to be both delightfully earnest and whimsical, a perfect blend for an event like Porchfest.
Porch #8’s penultimate act for day 1 was the charming duo Bandwave, comprised of Ariana Lenarsky and Jeff Pianki, who treated us to gentle folk harmonies. I was very appreciative of artists who promoted their appearances that weekend via social media. In the case of Bandwave, their promotion was probably a little bit too late to generate turnout, but it’s worth sharing the text of their Instagram post regardless:
We are on in one hour sorry I forgot to promote (crying emoji) but it’s sooooo cute here and everyone is having a good time and it’s under the best tree!
That tree not only provided lovely shade, but also gave us splendid fall colors, a true rarity in Los Angeles! A very nice crowd had assembled by the end of the day, and they were treated to one heck of a finale. Bob Boulding is both an accomplished and acclaimed musician as well a bit of a local fixture thanks to his founding of the Superpowers Music Academy in Los Feliz. Bob was the longtime guitarist for the Young Dubliners, and it was very cool to me that his former band mate with the “Young Dubs”, Bren (Brendan) Holmes turned out to watch Bob’s solo set of folk-inflected tunes. Just when I thought Bob was going to send us off into the early evening riding a blissful, relaxed wave of good spirits, Bren joined him under the tree for a few songs. That proved to be the most rousing finale you could imagine. We were treated to a mini-Young Dubs reunion and Bob and Bren had the entire, very large crowd jumping by the time they were done. It was a spectacular finish, and we still had one whole day of music ahead of us!
Because we had no opening act scheduled for day 2, homeowner Cynthia Freeman invited Bob to return the following midday. After being treated to such a large and appreciative audience at the end of Saturday, I thought it was incredibly generous for him to not only give us more of his time, but to do so when he knew the audience turnout would be light. His enthusiasm to do so, moreover, embodied to me what is so moving about Porchfest, and why it truly matters as a community-building opportunity. In fact, on Sunday morning, Bob brought along Deirdre Moncy to perform with him. Deirdre is one of the teachers at the Superpowers Music Academy Bob founded, though, unless I am remembering wrong, this was the first time Bob and Deirdre had ever played in public together. So, although those of us in attendance at noon on Sunday were not legion in number, we were mighty in our appreciation for the opportunity to witness two talented and generous performers form rapport with each other in front of our very eyes and ears.
Bob even hung out with us for a good while after his set, showing great enthusiasm for the next performer, Pascal Shrady. I, myself, was eagerly anticipating Pascal’s set, ever since my wife, Lily, had cheated on “my” porch and taken in acts at other nearby venues. She returned with Pascal’s business card and sang his praises, including the highest compliment of all. “His music made me cry,” she said. I greeted this information by explaining to her that there was nothing about any of these artists that she could tell me that I did not already know! After all, we had Pascal scheduled for day 2!
Pascal’s set on keyboards and vocals was every bit as wonderful as Lily had promised. In fact, my wife made sure to be present for Pascal’s set for Porch #8, and again, she cried. The very funny comic and writer Kevin Brennan was next on the bill, but instead of delighting through comedy, he regaled us with some excellent and rather witty rock music, under the name of his sometimes-solo, sometimes-group endeavor The Irish Goodbye. From Irish goodbyes to Young Dubliners, Kevin was followed by Bren Holmes, who returned to Porch #8 to share some of his solo work, with good pal, and former Young Dubs band mate Bob Boulding offering musical support. Again, I cannot stress how lucky all of us in attendance were, and by now, day 2 was in full swing in terms of turnout. Not only did Bren and Bob offer up another infectious, indelible performance, but their willingness to come and be a part of both days really helped create an unforgettable atmosphere. I have hosted a lot of shows in my life, but listening to Bren and Bob, I felt really lucky to be a part of such an unforgettable event, celebrating talent, music, and community.
That feeling only deepened once Isaac Prado’s set began. As I had done with all the artists, I researched Isaac beforehand, availing myself of whatever clips I could find, and so I knew we were in for quite a treat. He did nothing less than turn the front yard at 4419 Russell Ave. into a sacred ground of sound. I am not sure when Debra and I knew that we wanted to make Isaac a part of our forthcoming “Viva Los Feliz” show, but the idea of having him officially open the proceedings was never in doubt. When he did kick off the show at the Autry, his opening number was something I can only describe as a prayer sung in such a way as to transcend cultural boundaries and traverse across the ages. While he performed, I experienced something remarkable. I was only a few feet from Isaac, off-stage at the Autry, in the wings, preparing myself for my opening monologue. My back was to him, and I remember suddenly thinking, “There must be six or eight people on that stage!” I stopped my preparations to peek, but, of course, it was only Isaac. Yet, I swear, I felt that stage to be very crowded.
Baby Fischgrund did, indeed, agree to participate in “Viva Los Feliz: Tinseltown” as well. Baby learned a special Los Angeles themed holiday song just for the occasion, and the audience loved them as much as Debra and I had hoped. It was a thrill to get to celebrate local talent like Isaac and Baby, as well as the Marshall High School Jazz Band, who greeted guests with a pre-show set in the courtyard of the Autry Museum of the American West. Hopefully, Debra and I will find future opportunities to put the spotlight on more of the artists we met at Porch #8, including those that followed Isaac, like Steven Charles with his pop-soul fusion, or the talented actress Olivia Berris, whose original compositions are incredibly touching. The infectious gypsy jazz of Gadjo Girasol would be a welcome addition to any show I host. My dear friend Céline Vacher beat me to the punch by booking Porch #8’s final act of the weekend, the indie pop duo Burn Party, for this year’s Los Feliz Holiday Extravaganza. Even the least experienced act to grace the yard at 4419, a duo named You Bad or Not, who were making their first ever appearance together, brought so much enthusiasm to playing that all in attendance were grateful to be able to celebrate their talent.
The truth is that throughout 2025, we gained a lot of momentum in Los Feliz bringing forth local talent through a wide variety of events …
There was the first annual Los Feliz Film Fest at the end of April.
There was the first annual Los Feliz Writers Festival in August.
There was Porchfest in November.
The annual Holiday Extravaganza took place in early December and was bigger than ever before.
And, of course, Debra and I have been thrilled to present amazing local talent as part of our ongoing “Viva Los Feliz” shows.
What all these Los Feliz events, and others, have in common is that they reflect an important truth. Namely, that when the prevailing cultural conversation is not nourishing, it becomes incumbent upon us to start our own. Vuk Mitrovic of the Los Feliz Film Fest, Sammy Ginsberg and Dawn Socha of the Los Feliz Writers Festival, Hélène Udy of Porchfest, Céline Vacher of the Holiday Extravaganza, as well as our Cultural Affairs Committee co-chairs Brian Morrison and Jon Deutsch, and many others, like LFIA President Debra Matlock, are doing just that. They are creating spaces where local talent can be nurtured and where that talent can nourish those in attendance.
I have no idea what the event was like for those elsewhere at Porchfest. Where Porch #8 was concerned, however, I know I am biased, but I honestly feel that of all the porches at Porchfest L.A. this year, the Fighting 8th was one of them. And I will fight anyone who disagrees with me.
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