Aux Meadows / Strange Pilgrim / Holy Matter

Please join us in the Lecture Room at the Philosophical Research Society for performances by Aux Meadows, Strange Pilgrim and Holy matter!

Ticket price: $20 (in person event only)

Please email [email protected] or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.

Please Note: The PRS Lecture Room is only accessible via stairs. PRS wants all guests to be able to enjoy our events safely and comfortably. If you require any accessibility accommodation, please reach out to [email protected] before showtime and we will be happy to assist you.

Aux Meadows is an instrumental cosmic Americana trio from Oakland, California. With lap steel, synthesizer, and guitar, the group creates a distinctive blend of rustic country traditions and ethereal new age sonics.

Their latest full-length, “Draw Near,” was released in March of 2025. Described by Aquarium Drunkard as “gorgeously dusty instrumentals that conjure wide-open spaces”, the album has been featured on best-of-2025-so-far lists by Bandcamp, Raven Sings the Blues, and Aquarium Drunkard.

Aux Meadows began in 2021 following a post-vaccination jam, where new techniques acquired during lockdown were juxtaposed against fresh musical influences—which led to an evocative sound that was equal parts ‘astral and twangy.’ After a year of writing and home-recording, the group self-released their eponymous debut in 2022 to unexpected praise. The “Dust Kingdom” EP followed on Perpetual Doom in May of 2023 (hailed as “roots music for Zen practitioners” by Petal Motel).

In recent months, Aux Meadows have become a steady live act in the Bay Area—performing with Luke Schneider, Julie Beth Napolin, Jeffrey Silverstein, Joseph Allred, Katsy Pline, Michael J. Tapscott, Donald Beaman, and Seawind of Battery among others.

Strange Pilgrim is an indie-rock band based in Portland, OR. Led by multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Josh Barnhart, the band crafts a unique sound that blends timeless psych-rock influences with modern dream pop, balancing introspective lyricism and restless musicality to create something both intimate and expansive. Their music captures a spirit of quiet exploration—thoughtful but never insular, wandering yet profoundly grounded.

The band’s current lineup includes drummer Pat Spurgeon (Rogue Wave, Federale, Dandy Warhols), bassist Elliott Kay (Elliott OK, Joe Kaplow), and guitarist Eliot Chamberlain (Chamberlain / Gonzalez), in addition to Josh Barnhart (Port O’ Brien, Two Sheds, Caleb Nichols). Thriving on collaboration, their collective experience and distinct musical perspectives shape Strange Pilgrim’s sound—a blend of driving rhythms, melodic bass lines, and textured guitars.

Since releasing their debut album on Oakland’s Royal Oakie Records, Strange Pilgrim has become an active participant in the Pacific Northwest music scene, playing regularly in Portland and throughout the region. From intimate venues like Turn Turn Turn and The Fixin’ To, to coastal getaways like the Sou’wester, the band has built a reputation for compelling live performances. They’ve also expanded their reach with West Coast tours and a recent run in Italy supporting Caleb Nichols.  

Following up their critically acclaimed debut album, the band released the Embers EP in March 2025, and is set to release their sophomore album Too Bright Planet on September 26th 2025 via Royal Oakie Records. Building on the kaleidoscopic dream pop and psych rock of their debut album, the band spreads their wings on Too Bright Planet, incorporating influences ranging from The Grateful Dead to Brian Eno and The Velvet Underground.  

Holy Matter is the pseudonym of Leanna Kaiser, a musician and experimental filmmaker living in Los Angeles. Beauty Looking Back is her debut album, featuring nine songs that draw from psych-folk, hypnagogic pop, and experimental noise. Originally from St Louis, Kaiser co-founded the ambient duo Frances With Wolves before moving out west to study filmmaking, eventually making music videos with Jessica Pratt, Allegra Krieger, Dean Wareham, Papercuts, and more.

Named after a painting by Hishikawa Moronobu, Beauty Looking Back finds Kaiser exploring the changing seasons of life and the passage of time. Whether through the autumnal psych-folk of “Autumn’s Envy”, the tropicalia of “Wishing Well”, the hypnagogic pop of “Eve’s Hollywood”, or the cathartic crescendo of “Lore Green and Blue”, Kaiser explores the concepts of time unfolding and moving in a circle throughout the album. “It seemed an appropriate title because this is a collection of backwards looks, a survey of emotions and moments, written between 2020 and 2023. I think a lot about the past, how a life is built up of all that came before it. There is a comfort in nostalgia, as the future can seem so uncertain. But really everything is cyclical, when it comes down to it” says Kaiser.

Fittingly, the album features contributions from Kaiser’s collaborators past and present, drawing from both her circle in Los Angeles and her origins in St Louis. Former Frances With Wolves bandmate Andy Kahn contributes keyboards, guitar, and bass, while Kate Bollinger contributes backing vocals, and Kaiser’s partner Matt Popieluch (Big Search) contributes classical guitar, 12-string guitar, and violin. One song in particular, “The Spirit of St Louis” ties it all together in a particularly meaningful way, “Andy, Matt and I are all playing guitar at the same time, so it’s such a mixture of my past and present, and all our parts really intertwine in this lovely soft way. It’s about coming to terms with myself, acknowledging past parts of me that haven’t been so pleasant and trying to make sense of it all” says Kaiser.

Meanwhile, executive producer David Glasebrook (Patti Smith, Michael Nau, Sugar Candy Mountain) mixed & mastered the album, bringing a few of his collaborators into the fold as well, including drummer Raphi Gottesman (Sonny & The Sunsets) and upright bassist Josh Housh (Michael James Tapscott). Although the bulk of the album was tracked by Kaiser at her home studio in Los Angeles, a handful of overdubs were done at Santo Recording in Oakland, CA and at The Sinkhole in St Louis with engineer Matt Stuttler.

Looking back on the album Kaiser says, “Holy Matter comes from Leonard Cohen’s novel Beautiful Losers, which had a big impact on me after the first read. There’s one passage that has stayed with me, since - a page with the repeated mantra “I change; I am the same.” This, I would say, is the best description of what this album is about.”

ACCESSIBILITY

PRS wants all guests to be able to enjoy our events safely and comfortably. If you require any accessibility accommodation, please reach out to [email protected] before showtime and we will be happy to assist you.

REFUND POLICIES

All sales are final. There are no refunds or exchanges for PRS events, except in the event of a medical emergency, including but not limited to a positive COVID-19 test.

In the event that PRS is forced to cancel an event entirely, tickets will be refunded or vouchers offered for a rescheduled event.

PARKING

Parking is available in both front lot (entry from Los Feliz Blvd. when heading east) and back lot (entry from first alley way, off Griffith Park Blvd. from intersection with Los Feliz Blvd.), as well as ample street parking on Griffith Park Blvd.

PRS EVENT POLICIES

• We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.
• Events are subject to change without notice, including guest speakers and/or performers.
• We encourage you to arrive at least 30 min. before the scheduled event start time to find parking, enjoy the Bookstore and take your seats.
• Please turn off all mobile devices before the show. Talking and texting are not allowed during the events.
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• There is no smoking permitted on PRS grounds.
• We strongly encourage guests to wear masks to PRS events to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
• PRS allows Service Animals into the facility under ADA and state guidelines. For further details please visit www.ADA.gov. No animals permitted whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support, under ADA guidelines and CA Health Code.
• Please do not bring outside food or drink into PRS events.
• Weapons are strictly prohibited at PRS events.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Philosophical Research Society, 3910 Los Feliz Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States