Five Gold Stars for Quinnie’s LA Record Release Show
Written by Eli Nava Photos by Tallulah Totten
On March 6th, Quinnie debuted her album flounder to an eager crowd in Los Angeles. The sold-out record release show was held at El Cid, an intimate venue located on Sunset Blvd. The passion and care put into the album’s debut show were evident. Released on February 24th, the excitement for flounder's live debut had been brewing, and anticipation filled the night. Fans waiting in line were given a zine put together by Quinnie before entering the venue. The zine contained hand-drawn album art, collages made with dried flowers, and handwritten lyrics to flounder’s 11 tracks.
The night’s opener, Mon Rovîa, played an acoustic set and had the crowd softly swaying to his melodic vocals. Strumming his ukulele, he sang about love, healing, and his own nostalgic experiences to a receptive crowd that welcomed him warmly with their cheers.
Quinnie took the stage shortly after, joined by a full band. Opening with the album’s energetic title track, “flounder,” the energy on stage was immediately palpable. Fans proudly joined Quinnie in singing through the chorus into the outro: “Now I'm happy I can be myself/Instead of somebody else / I'd never trade the beauty that I've seen.” While the studio recording of flounder is already a noteworthy debut album, Quinnie’s live vocals and synchronous energy alongside the band elevated the live debut of flounder even more. The crowd’s enthusiasm and excitement would continue throughout the night.
Keeping the energy and passion up, Quinnie played through flounder in its entirety (although in a shuffled order). With shorter, punchier songs like “get what u get” and softer songs like “popcorn and juice,” Quinnie balanced showcasing her vocal range and allowing moments for the band to shine. Between her crystal-clear vocals and the tantalizing guitar solos, the debut show kept the crowd captivated and wanting more. Nearing the last few songs, the audience erupted with excitement as Quinnie began to sing the lyrics to her most popular song, “touch tank.” Both Quinnie and her bandmates couldn’t help but smile as the crowd recited the lyrics back, even louder than the singer herself. The connection between Quinnie and her fans was evident as the night came to a close.
For perhaps the most memorable performance of the night, Quinnie saves “man” for last. Grasping the mic stand, she heartfully sings, “So fuck all your gold stars, the cherries in the backyard / No amount of sugar could sweeten such a bitter heart” into the crowd. In the final chorus, the audience joins her in singing, “No amount of nail polish could paint you a good man,” adding in the exasperated hah’s after each line along with her. The mix of Quinnie’s longingly cathartic vocals, the crowd’s voices, and the intoxicating guitar made for an overwhelmingly stunning performance that finalized her run-through of flounder. Almost as soon as she stepped off stage, the audience joined in unison to shout for an encore. Coming back with wide-stretched smiles, Quinnie and the band played “gold star,” a song from her first EP released in 2019 by the same title. It was the end of the golden live debut of flounder—and a night fans would surely treasure as Quinnie continues to prove herself as a bedroom pop powerhouse.