Bruce Ray White boogies into the Cinema

Local roots rocker relocated to L.A. from Louisiana

Friday, July 29 will see Bruce Ray White bring his blend of Americana, country, folk, bluegrass, blues and boogie to the Cinema Bar, so he sat down with the News to discuss his career so far.

When did you start writing and performing music, and when did it get serious?

I started late. I didn’t start learning guitar until I was 27. I started performing in my 30s (I’m old now!) I’ve always been more of an Interpreter than a songwriter. I have just a handful of songs that I’ve written (a couple of them are pretty good, though).

What are your career highlights so far?

Just being able to play with the good musicians around. Sometimes I feel very fortunate to live in L.A. to be able to play with some of these people. A few times, I’ve played back home in Louisiana where I grew up – that was always fun, but I much prefer to play with a band.

Do you have any recorded music available?

Well, yes and no. I have an old CD from my first band, Random Joe Citizen. which was a folky acoustic recording. The stuff we do now is [with a] full band, with two electric guitars, electric bass, and full drum set. We’re kind of a bar band, and try to get people dancing.

Have you performed at Cinema Bar before?

Yes, I’ve been playing there since the late 1990s. Everybody I play with, I’ve met through networking at that bar. One of the best memories from there is back in 2017, [when]we played there when there was a full moon. There happened to be some pretty women at the bar that night. There was a lot of lust and emotion in the air, and at one point, we had the entire crowd moving and dancing – none of the chairs or barstools were occupied. I think it has less to do with us than the fact that there was a full moon and lust in the air — it was a great time. Just one of those fleeting moments in time.

What can we expect from the set this time?

Some boogies, some country, and hopefully, some carousing and dancing!

What else do you have coming up?

We’re playing there again on Saturday, Sept. 3. That one should be good. Dalen Daniel on drums, Teresa Cowles on bass, and Dylan Thomas on bass. It’s called Bruce Ray White and the Random Band, because I never know who’s gonna be in the band from gig to gig.

The event takes place at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, July 29. Visit thecinemabar.com for more info.