Kimon Kirk brings his country-driven fusion rock to the Cinema Bar this week, so he told the News about what he has in store for Culver City…
When did you start playing and performing? When did the band form?
I started performing while I was in college in the late ‘90s, playing bass in a blues band. Moved to Boston in 2000, played bass with lots of folks there and then started writing songs on guitar and played shows with a band (and still do) in the Boston area, and have ever since about 2007.
Describe your sound…
Well… I love melody and harmony, loud guitars, quiet guitars, early and later rock ‘n’ roll, ‘60s jazz, country and western, electronic music, out music, music that makes you think, music with and without words, stuff that makes you want to dance sometimes and stuff that makes you want to drift off to dreamland, too.
What are your career highlights so far?
Wow, so many highlights… touring and recording with Aimee Mann and Gaby Moreno, playing with Van Dyke Parks, writing and recording with Robbie Fulks, producing Dennis Brennan and Amy Correia’s albums, working with so many heroes in music. I could go on and on, and thanks for asking.
What recorded music is available — particularly the most recent?
My latest album is called Altitude and it came out in 2021 during the pandemic; a recent single called “Pasadena” is also out now and will be on my upcoming double album.
Have you performed at Cinema Bar before?
I’ve played the Cinema Bar a few times and love it. I did a show with my band and the great artist Amy Correia there a couple years ago, and have also played bass with the great Tony Gilkyson there a few times — always a blast. I did my first-ever band show in LA there in 2011 as a release for my album Songs for Society, so that’s something I’ll always remember.
What can we expect from the set this time?
We’re gonna play three sets on Saturday August 2nd – a lot of tunes! It’s giving me a chance to dig into some older songs I haven’t played in a while, and my band is very generously agreeing to learn a bunch of new stuff just for this show. They are truly great: Michael Eisenstein, from Letters to Cleo, on guitar; Jebin Bruni, most recently from Meshell N’degeocello’s band but whom I know from playing with Aimee Mann, on keys; Rob Douglas (a Cinema Bar stalwart who has played with and produced Tony Gilkyson and worked with people like Chuck Prophet) on bass, and my rhythm section mate Sebastian Aymanns on drums – we play together in Gaby Moreno’s band and have also worked with Aimee Mann and Grant-Lee Phillips together. There may even be some jazz-oriented instrumentals.
What else do you have coming up?
Coming up, I’ve got a new single and video for a song called “Dashboard Hula Doll” that I wrote with Robbie Fulks that’s gonna come out this fall, and I have a new album (two discs-yikes) that’s mixed and mastered that I hope will come out by the end of the year. I’ve also recently recorded a pair of my favorite Gene Clark songs and they’re gonna feature Tony Gilkyson, and I’m in the midst of recording a single with the great writer Lori McKenna that we wrote several years ago but have only just recorded.
Kimon Kirk performs at 9 p.m. on Saturday, August 2 at the Cinema Bar. Go to thecinemabar.com for more information about the venue.
Elsewhere this week
The Culver Hotel will be hosting the likes of Sylvia & the Rhythm Boys and and Scotty Bramer. Go to culverhotel.com for more info.
The next concert at Boulevard Music is on August 9, with In the Big Round. Go to boulevardmusic.com for more info.