Kevin Bronson on June 17th, 2013

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Chinatown Summer Nights kicked off in exultant fashion on Saturday night, celebrating Chinatown’s 75th anniversary with the unveiling of a 7-foot statue of Bruce Lee, a birthday cake and a lineup of music that climaxed with fans joining headliners Nightmare & the Cat onstage for a dance-party finale. The fivesome, who revealed they had just completed recording their debut album for Capitol Records, weren’t the only attraction on the LA Weekly Local Music Stage. Reconstituted pop-punk quartet the Furys, who have the distinction of having been the first rock band, in 1978, to play Madame Wong’s (which was only steps away from Saturday’s stage), packed old-school wallop, only minutes after Rainbow Jackson brought their youthful snarl to the stage. Earlier, Jutty Ranx won hearts with their ’80s-reminiscent rock; Sister Rogers bent ears with their samba- and bossa nova-tinted sound; and Cobalt Cranes launched the evening with dreamy waves of guitars and vocals. Meanwhile, in the Central Plaza, attendees got their dance on to fare from KCRW DJs, breaking to browse the district’s galleries and the festival’s cultural displays. The series continues on Saturday, July 20 – watch for a lineup announcement this week.

Photos by Carl Pocket

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