Photos: Chinese New Year Festival, live music stage (and more)

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Valley Queen playing the closing set at the Chinese New Year Festival's live music stage (Photo by Bronson)
Valley Queen playing the closing set at the Chinese New Year Festival's live music stage (Photo by Bronson)

Chinatown celebrated the Year of the Monkey on Saturday with a huge, sun-splashed crowd enjoying the 117th Annual Golden Dragon Parade and plenty hanging around the LA Weekly Live Music Stage for performances by nine L.A. artists.

Valley Queen closed out the night with a tight set of euphoric roots-rock, frontwoman Natalie Meadors’ soaring into the night. Before that, Kid Bloom rocked through cheers and confetti cannons; Veronica Bianqui — a full band with horns and backup singers in tow — stormed through a set of her new tunes; and Los Angeles newbies James Allen Spirit, playing their first local show, unveiled an infectious, Britpop-inspired sound.

Show-stealing teenagers the Slightlys, proficient beyond their years, inspired a bout of mid-afternoon dancing; Molly Moore and Brandyn Burnette, performing as a duo, did a set of poptastic songs, some off her new EP and some off his new EP; Jubilo Drive jammed through a pre-parade set highlighted by Hayden Vaughn’s sexy sax; and Nightair kicked off the afternoon with some Strokes-inspired garage-rock.

The lineup was curated by Buzz Bands LA. The live music stage returns to Chinatown in June for 2016’s first Chinatown Summer Nights; watch for an announcement.

Photos by Bronson