A Lesson In Penmanship
There aren’t many jungles in Oklahoma; in fact, there are none. And at first glance, it may not seem like there are any here at the beach either. Ah, but there is one jungle in the South Bay, so removed and protected it can take a person decades to find it. And when one does find or stumble into this beautiful, eclectic place, they run the risk of not finding their way back out. I’m speaking of that fantastical strip of beach way on the north end of town, whose greasy armpit yields Shack Burgers, where sun, surf, marsh, booze, medical marijuana, and restaurants galore are all within stumbling distance; I’m speaking of that little slice of Playa del Rey, aka The Jungle, of course.
Redondo Beach resident Kyle Boomer hails from Bixby, Oklahoma, but he’s currently guiding adventures of his own design deep in the South Bay’s jungle. Every Monday from 9 to 12 p.m. at the Prince O’ Whales bar in Playa del Rey, Boomer performs under his signature band name Penmanship. But there is no band.
“I play a one-man act in which I sing, play sax, and play guitar through a looping pedal,” says Boomer. “I solo guitar and sax over rhythmic loops… sing harmonies with myself… I sing and beatbox, and play a little theremin app on my iPhone.”
He expounds that the act is “an eclectic mix of covers and originals, ranging from jazz to hip hop, rock, and blues; but I feel that all of the music I play represents my style, hence the act is entitled Penmanship.”
Short on a band, Boomer creates the music of Penmanship single-handedly. Drawing on an array of musical influence from favorites such as Radiohead, Pink Floyd, My Morning Jacket, Beck, The Black Keys, Primus, Third Eye Blind, Interpol, and Cake, Penmanship attempts to create an original experience that caters to all levels of musical entertainment.
“I want people to feel free to chat, dance, or just listen when I play,” says Boomer. “I’m going for a laid-back kind of vibe… I hope it sounds like Beck, Radiohead, and The Flaming Lips all smushed into one guy’s act,” he admits.
Boomer embodies music. It’s carried him through life.
“I have been singing since I was a tyke, playing sax since I was 11, guitar since 14,” he says. “All of my musical education has been through private instruction and high school jazz band. I have taken over eight years of sax lessons and four years of guitar. I’m a musician because there is nothing else I’d rather do!”
At the age of 26, he’s also a certified audio engineer, having studied at the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences inTempe,AZ.He most recently produced a local session for Trey Comstock. The audio production whiz also teaches guitar and saxophone at Dietz Brothers in Manhattan Beach.
While for now it’s one guy’s act, Boomer does hope to expand Penmanship’s sound beyond his own imprint alone. He’s jammed locally at The Shore with Moi Ses and Tomorrows Bad Seeds, and has played with an up-and-coming indie band called The Lonely Wild, and is on the lookout for talented artists.
“I want to play with people who are open-minded, creative, and willing to bring something new to the project,” he says.
The current project is all Boomer, and he’s in the middle of pressing Penmanship’s debut record, “Corridor.” A release show will accompany the first record (TBA), and for now you can hear the album in full on Bandcamp and DirtyHippieRadio.com. In the meantime, welcome to the jungle baby…
Penmanship performs Aug 1, and indefinitely every Monday, at Prince O’ Whales in Playa del Rey. Corridor can be heard for free at penmanshipsounds.bandcamp.com. For booking, contact Kyle Boomer at boomsticktunes@gmail.com. ER
