Serving Larchmont Village, Hancock Park, and the Greater Wilshire neighborhoods of Los Angeles since 2011.

Local Band The Engine Room Performing Saturday Night at The Edmon

The Engine Room, a local band,  is performing Saturday evening at The Edmon, located at Melrose and Wilton Place.

 

The Engine Room, a 5-piece band based in the Larchmont area, is performing this Saturday night at the historic Art Deco Edmon Bar and Kitchen. This is a return engagement for the band, which made its debut there earlier this summer.

The band was formed in 2020, at the height of the pandemic, by Windsor Square residents John and Natalie Richards, a father-daughter duo who have been singing together since Natalie was in pre-school. The Richards came up with idea of starting a band despite the pandemic lockdowns, and invited some fellow musicians from the neighborhood to join them.

“While we started under very trying conditions, rehearsing 10 feet apart with fans blowing and windows open, ” said John Richards, who plays guitar and sings, “once we were ready to perform, we could see the music was big hit with everyone.”

Performing in their driveway, Richards said, “it was obvious from the very beginning that COVID-19 had taken a toll on everyone, because from the first song, neighbors began coming out of their homes, streaming to the open space to hear the live music and to dance.”

After that, the band started holding backyard concerts behind the Richards’ house on Van Ness Avenue, which remained popular even as COVID restrictions were lifted. They have also played benefits for Alexandria House, a transitional shelter for women and children where mom Michele Richards run the development program.

John Richards, a Rochester New York native, has played in several bands in LA, New Orleans and Toronto. Daughter Natalie is the lead vocalist and also plays percussion.  Ben Zoldan plays drums, Matt Gallagher plays the bass, and Jay Roewe plays the keyboards. All have been friends for many years, and connected through local schools and churches.

The band members write their own songs, and the genre has been described as “Americana,” said Richards. The focus is on originals in a rock/blues-rock/dance vein, but they also play covers from artists as diverse as Otis Redding, Derek & the Dominoes, Concrete Blonde, and the Allman Brothers, he added.

If you’re intrigued, you’re invited to come see the show at The Edmon on Saturday, August 20th. Come early for dinner and stay for the music at 8:00 p.m. The Edmon is located at 5168 Melrose Ave. There is parking in the back.

“The drinks are original, the food is great, and the sound system is excellent,” said Richards.

 

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Patricia Lombard
Patricia Lombard
Patricia Lombard is the publisher of the Larchmont Buzz. Patty lives with her family in Fremont Place. She has been active in neighborhood issues since moving here in 1989. Her pictorial history, "Larchmont" for Arcadia Press is available at Chevalier's Books.

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