We found a pre-album live performance of “Sound of Waves” Live at ProjektFest 1997 that we just had to include on the 25th anniversary reissue of ‘Flux.’ This video features more goodies from the LSD archives including proof sheets of photos taken of Ryan and Suzanne performing at The Vic in Chicago on the very night of this recording. The photographers are Katie McIntree and E. Katie Holmes.
Stream the ‘Flux Deluxe Edition’ playlist on YouTube Flux (Deluxe Edition)
Do you remember when the X-Files had that episode with the Chupacabra? Well, it made a big impact on Love Spirals Downwards back in the day. Suzanne commented on its spooky power in this infamous story told live on-stage at the Projekt Festival on 8/1/1997, held at The Vic Theatre in Chicago, IL. Classic Suz stage banter!
Read Ryan’s original post about ProjektFest 1997 mentioning the rowdy crowd issue. There’s some great performance photographs, as well.
Got back from Philly last night. We enjoyed ProjektFest more than we anticipated. It was nice to hang with Audra and Mira at the after parties, and to see old pals like Roachie, Johnny, Lisa etc… There’s some talk of us doing a West Coast tour with Mira this Summer, which would be really cool! We especially hope to hit Portland and San Francisco, where we have friends and family. Keep posted to our news section for updates!
Here’s some photos from Lovespirals whirlwind weekend. From the top left, Lovespirals doing soundcheck at The Trocodero Theatre, Ryan playing his new semi-hollow body guitar during our set, Ryan, Anji, and Doron performing at The Trocodero Theatre, Ryan and Anji doing a stripped down set at the Bizarre Bazaar, meeting fans at the Bazaar.Special thanks to Tome Wilson for photographing us — and for picking us up at the airport in a limo — and thank you to everyone who came out to see us!
Lovespirals will play the headlining slot of the 3-day festival’s opening night, as well as an intimate, stripped down performance the following evening for the Merchant’s Bazaar. Get more information from the ProjektFest site. This will be the live debut of the new lineup with guitarist, Ryan Lum, vocalist, Anji Bee, and guest saxist, Doron Orenstein.
Mean Streets So Cal, March 1998, Volume VIII – Issue 9
PROJEKT FESTIVAL: One of the most dramatic and beautiful nights of music awaits you…
By Ned Raggett
About 2000 years ago. plus a few, the Ides of March proved to not be a pretty good day. At least for a balding fellow named Julius Caesar. However, that was Rome and two millennia away, not Los Angeles and the middle of this March.
At the El Rey Theatre on Sunday, March 15, the third Projekt Festival will be hosted for many an appreciative fan, likely providing one of the most dramatic and beautiful nights of music for years. Organized by Projekt main man Sam Rosenthal, the festival, previously held in the in the label’s headquarter city of Chicago, will feature two of Projekt’s flagship bands— Los Angeles’ own Love Spirals Downwards and Rosenthal’s group Black Tape for a Blue Girl — and Santa Barbara’s faith and the Muse (who though not on Projekt are closely associated with the label via Darkwave distribution). Tickets can currentIy be purchased via Los Angeles at Retail Slut on Melrose, in Orange County at Ipso Facto in Fullerton, and through Projekt at 1-800 CD-LASER. All very well, you say, but why should you care?
Simply put, quality, combined with a driving desire to steer away from an easy and obvious norm. Projekt has evolved throughout the 90s as the closest possible equivalent to the 80s glory days of England’s 4AD label — a record business dedicated not to the commercial quick kill but to an overall aesthetic of lush beauty in appearance and sound, shaded throughout with the dark emotional touches too easily summed up and dismissed as “goth.” While it’s no secret that Projekt and associated bands have been far too often seen as a goth label — Rosenthal has jokingly referred to himself as a crazy uncle of goth — in response to such charges in the past, while Faith and the Muse’s William Faith wears white make-up and haystacked black hair like a pro — the three bands featured each have their own specific style and much to offer to the open-minded listener willing to put aside clichéd descriptions in favor of the actual music itself.
Continue reading Mean Streets on ProjektFest LAThe Los Angeles show that I referred to earlier, as some of you may have figured out, is the Los Angeles Projekt Festival at the El Rey Theater on March 15. Check Projekt’s Live Page for the latest info and details. I haven’t mentioned it here until now because the details of the show were constantly changing. The original idea for the show was supposed to be just us and labelmates, Thanatos. Now Thanatos is not playing and the show has become the “L.A. Projekt Festival.” Some of you know that Suzanne and I are not exactly blissful about festival shows, so this will be our last festival performance and your last opportunity to see us at one. Later in the year we plan to get back to doing our own shows again when we do some touring.
Interview and photography by Ned Raggett
It’s a beautiful name, Love Spirals Downwards. It calls up so many wonderful images, but the name would mean little if the band wasn’t so good as well. With Ryan Lum on guitars and other instruments and Suzanne Perry on vocals, LSD have created three excellent albums for Projekt Records over the past few years. The most recent, Ever, is quite something; a wonderful wash of Lum’s layered, exquisite acoustic and electric guitar work and Perry’s truly angelic vocals. LSD played an acoustic set on KUCI on Friday, November 15, after which they sat down for a talk about many and varied things — and during which they proved to have, as a duo, one of the best repartees around!
Ned: Ryan has mentioned elsewhere that he was trying to experiment more with electronics on this album. As the singer, what do you try to do on the new album that was different from the past?
Suzanne: I don’t know if ever try and aim for anything, I just see what comes out. The only aim is to do something different — or at least feels different. I don’t necessarily make something different, or consciously try to be different… I don’t know if this makes sense?
Ned: I’ve heard stranger explanations!
Ryan: I lost her!
Ned: Well, here’s another question for you, Suzanne…
Suzanne: Ask me a simple one, ‘cause I’m really stupid!
Ned: A simple one it is. Who are your influences, singing or lyrically?
Suzanne: Oh… (pause)
Ned: Never mind, that’s not so simple. Cancel!
We recently got back from another wonderful time in Mexico. After just dealing with a less than ideal audience in Chicago, the Mexico City audience’s enthusiasm for us, Lycia, and Arcanta was rewarded by great performances from us all (I’d say we all performed much better than in Chicago). The show was one of our best to date, with or without the electricity (those of you who were there know what I mean). The U.S. Projekt Fest audience could learn a few lessons from the Mexican audience, who really seemed to be there for the MUSIC rather than socializing.
After the show, Suzanne and I traveled to Cancun, on the Yucatan, for some relaxation and exploring. The highlight was visiting the pyramids and Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza.
Again, we had a great time in Mexico and look forward to the next time.
I would like to say thanks to everyone that came to see us at the Projekt Festival (and at our Border’s in-store) in Chicago. Suzanne and I had a fun time once again. For those of you who were trying to enjoy our set, I am sorry about all the rude loud motherfuckers that talked during our set and the sets of all the more quiet bands. Those people obviously did not come for the music and ruin it for those who did. If there is another festival next year, I hope to have a solution worked out with Projekt and the venue for dealing with such situations. Anyway, we’re just a fews days from the Projekt Festival Mexico, in Mexico City, with Lycia and Arcanta! I should probably go pack.
We have just two shows planned for this summer. First, we will be in Chicago at the Vic Theater for the Projekt Festival. We will play on the first night on Friday, August 1st. Tickets are on sale at the Vic box office, through Ticketmaster (Chicago only), or from Projekt. Along with us on night 1 of the two-day festival will be The Moon Seven Times, Ben Neill, Vidna Obmana, and Steve Roach. For more complete information on the Projekt Festival, check out the Festival pages.
Our second show of the summer will be in Mexico City on Saturday August 16, 1997 at the Cine Bella Epoca (located at Tamaulipas Y Alfonso Reyes S/N Col.Condesa). Fellow Projekt bands Lycia and Arcanta will be performing as well. This should be a lot fun and I (Ryan) am really looking forward to seeing our friends there and eating at every possible opportunity!
