Lake Street Dive & Islands at Queen Bees: 2012
Lake Street Dive and Islands performed at Queen Bees in San Diego's North Park neighborhood. This double bill brought together two very different but equally compelling indie acts - Lake Street Dive's jazz-influenced soul-pop and Islands' baroque indie-pop.
Queen Bees
Queen Bees (now The Merrow) in North Park is the kind of venue that makes local music scenes thrive - small, affordable, good sound, and willing to book interesting indie acts before they blow up. In 2012, it was a crucial part of San Diego's indie music ecosystem.
The intimate size means you're close to the performers. You can see facial expressions, hear nuances in the vocals, and feel like you're part of something rather than just watching from a distance.
Islands
Islands, led by Nick Thorburn (formerly of The Unicorns), brought their baroque indie-pop to the stage first. Thorburn's songwriting is intricate and emotionally complex - songs that shift moods and tempos, lyrics that are simultaneously whimsical and melancholic.
Their sound incorporates strings, keyboards, guitars, and Thorburn's distinctive voice - slightly nasal, expressive, carrying melodies that stick with you. Songs from "Return to the Sea" and "Arm's Way" showed the band's evolution from lo-fi indie to more polished (but still quirky) pop.
What makes Islands interesting is the balance between accessibility and weirdness. The melodies are catchy enough to hum along to, but the arrangements and structures keep things interesting for people who want more than simple pop.
Lake Street Dive (Before They Were Huge)
In 2012, Lake Street Dive was still building their audience. They'd formed at New England Conservatory of Music, they had a devoted following in Boston, and they were touring constantly. But they hadn't yet had their breakthrough to wider recognition.
Seeing them at Queen Bees, before they played "Tonight Show" and sold out major venues, was special. This was a band with extraordinary talent that hadn't yet been fully discovered.
The Performance
Lake Street Dive's sound is immediately distinctive - Rachael Price's powerhouse soul vocals, upright bass, guitar, drums, and trumpet creating a vintage soul sound with contemporary sensibilities. They sound like a 1960s Motown or Stax act, but the songs and energy are completely modern.
Rachael Price's voice is stunning. She can belt with the power of classic soul singers, but also knows when to pull back and deliver subtle phrasing. Her stage presence is confident and joyful - you can tell she loves performing.
The band's musicianship is exceptional. These are conservatory-trained musicians who can play anything, but they choose to make soul-pop because they love it. Their cover of Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" (which later went viral on YouTube) showed their ability to honor classics while making them their own.
Original songs like "You Go Down Smooth" demonstrated their songwriting chops. The melodies are strong, the arrangements are clever, and the vintage soul aesthetic never feels like cosplay - it's genuine love for the music.
The Upright Bass
Mike Olson's upright bass (he's since been replaced, but was with the band in 2012) gave Lake Street Dive a distinctive sonic signature. Upright bass provides a warmer, more organic sound than electric bass, and it visually reinforces their vintage aesthetic.
Watching someone play upright bass is part of the show - it's physical and visual in a way that electric bass isn't. Olson slapped and plucked, creating rhythm and melody simultaneously.
The Contrast
The double bill of Islands and Lake Street Dive showed two different approaches to indie music. Islands are cerebral, quirky, and somewhat melancholic. Lake Street Dive are joyful, physical, and focused on groove and soul.
Yet both bands share commitment to musicianship, strong songwriting, and refusing to be limited by genre conventions. That's what makes good double bills - acts that are different but complementary.
Pre-Viral Era
This was before Lake Street Dive's YouTube video of "I Want You Back" (filmed on a Boston street) went viral and changed their trajectory. Seeing them in a small venue like Queen Bees, playing for a few dozen people, feels significant in retrospect.
They had the talent, the songs, and the work ethic. They just needed the break that would introduce them to wider audiences. That break was coming, but at Queen Bees in 2012, they were still grinding it out in small venues.
The North Park Scene
North Park in 2012 was San Diego's hub for indie and alternative culture - dive bars, coffee shops, vintage stores, art galleries, and music venues like Queen Bees. The neighborhood supported local and touring indie acts, creating a community around independent music.
Venues like Queen Bees are essential for that ecosystem. They book interesting acts, charge affordable covers, and create spaces where music fans can discover artists before they're playing arenas.
The Verdict
Lake Street Dive and Islands at Queen Bees represented indie music at its best - talented musicians making music they love, touring in small venues, building audiences one show at a time. Islands brought baroque indie complexity, and Lake Street Dive brought soul-pop joy.
Seeing Lake Street Dive before they became widely known feels special in retrospect. Their talent was obvious even then, and they deserved the success that came. But there was something magical about seeing them in a room of 50 people, playing their hearts out.
Thank you to both bands for choosing to play small San Diego venues and for showing that great music doesn't need major label support or viral fame to matter.