Lonely Little Kitsch Light Up the Dark Stage at Sneaky Dee's

Mar 154 min read

By: Jay Broderick

Toronto, ON - In March of 2023 (crazy that this was 2 years ago) during LoudTO's infancy (well, only 2 years in, we're still really young), an email came across my laptop from a Niagara Region band called Lonely Little Kitsch. They were sharing their first single "The New Scene", and you know how sometimes things just click? Well that was the situation for me, and I was super stoked to share my thoughts. It was only the 7th post in LoudTO history. Since then, we have stayed fairly close with the band, providing coverage for a couple more of their new single releases.

The next thing for us to do was get out to watch Kristen Goetz, Nolan Jodes and the rest of their bandmates in a live setting. Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts never afforded us the ability to get out to see any of their shows... at least not until Bitch Fest 2025 brought the band to Sneaky Dee's on March 13, 2025. Bitch Fest is a Toronto based Festival that is currently in their 4th year. Brought to you by S.T.M.V. Entertainment, Bitch Fest celebrates female, and LGBTQ+ community musicians.

Lonely Little Kitsch

Kristen Goetz preforms live at Sneaky Dee's. Photo By: Jay Broderick

Good ol' Sneaky Dee's! Man, this place just screams Rock and Roll. But as a photographer, I hate it! For my line of work, red, dark lighting sucks, and makes my life very difficult! For a music fan and concert goer? The red, dimly lit music venue is gold! The graffiti laden walls, with holes in the drywall the size of a human body is the epitome of live music. It's cool as hell! I meet up with the band for formal introductions ahead of their set. We share a couple laughs about nothing and before you can say "kitsch" (poor in taste but appreciated in an ironic way) it's time for the show.

To date, LLK doesn't have a massive library of original songs (although their debut album is in the works, and expected later this year), so they start their set off with their version of The Kills' "Desperado" (which yes, is a cover of the Rhianna original). Tonight, the band is plugged in for the typically unplugged song, and in this live setting at Sneaky Dee's, the band sounds great for the slow tempo track. Kristen's voice is warm and rich. It's a great way to start off their set.

Nolan Jodes performs live at Sneaky Dee's. Photo By: Jay Broderick

Next up is the band's most recent video single "How Did We Get Here". Now, we've all heard recordings that we love, only to be disappointed when we get into a live setting. Recording in a studio gives the artists an opportunity for many takes to get it perfect. But when you're live, there's only that one moment. There aren't any takebacks. But damn, LLK nailed this. It sounded just like the recording, including guitarist Nolan Jodes' backing vocals. It makes me think of Country artist Chris Stapleton (whom I love, but am adamant that he is blues and southern rock). Seeing a live performance as good as the recording? Priceless! At the track's conclusion, Kristen thanks Ashes, the lady behind the event. "This is the first show that I've played where I'm not the only female artist."

As the band progresses through their set, I watch drummer Waz Jenko behind the kit. Man, this guy is having a blast, smiling the whole time. Jodes is also energized, kicking legs, bending down to the stage as he riffs his Ibanez 6-string, and loving every second of it! The band's front lady also gets into the groove during "Monster" as she gets right into the camera for a close-up. Let's not forget bassist Dave, who as it turns out is not the band's usual bassist Dave Haley... he's a different Dave. Goetz playfully shares "... but he's not the real Dave who couldn't make it, so we found another Dave." Regardless, this Dave is also feeling the groove. He stays back for the most part, but I keep my eye on him. He's feeling the vibe, as is the whole band.

With songs like new track "Wolf Like Me", "Vices", and the one that started it all "The New Scene", Lonely Little Kitsch's performance at Bitch Fest 2025 was amazing! They sounded great, and they brought the energy to open the show. Basically 2 years in the making, this was a long time coming. Damn, it was well worth the wait! With a short opening set, I just wanted more. And despite the brightness that LLK brought to the stage, I selfishly want better lighting. I guess we can't always have it all!