The Petrojvic Blasting Company Seen @ Hillsboro Village
I was in Hillsboro Village the other day making my daily rounds (which consists of wandering the streets observing all of the eccentric locals and frequenting the vintage clothing and book stores, all with a camera in hand, of course). On my way to one of the clothing stores I frequently visit, I happened upon a spectacle I can only describe as folk, gypsy street music. Surrounded by 10-15 standing viewers, and about two dozen others sitting and watching in shops nearby, were members of Nashville-bred, Los Angeles based indie folk group the Petrojvic Blasting Company.
They were playing some refreshingly, impressive tunes, blasting on their horns and accordions as if their lives depended on it.
With the conclusion of each song followed generous applause. and bills of various kinds made their way into the violin case laying at the feet of the trio. Amazingly, it didn’t occur to me that perhaps I should record a song or two of them performing until one by one, many individuals around me started whipping out their cell phone cameras to document the magic that was unfolding mere feet from us.
Unfortunately I was only able to capture one of the more mellow songs they performed. I wish I could have recorded a video of them performing with the high energy of a fast song. Fortunately though, street performances are nothing new to the Blasting Company, so you’ll have no problem finding more stuff online. As a matter of fact, they are so well-known in L.A. for their street shows, that often only end when the cops show up, that they’ve been featured in several Los Angeles publications (LA Times, LA Weekly, etc).
Given their widespread reputation, it’s amazing how down to earth these guys are. Selling $10 dollar CDs out of their violin case, they announced to the crowd that they were playing a show at a venue nearby later that night.
After an hour or so of watching them, I departed with a smile on my face. A smile induced by such genuine talent and sincerity.
