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(((folkYEAH!))) presents Blackwater Holylight with special guests SOM!Saturday, March 14, 2026
Doors: 8pm / Show: 9pm
$28 in advance / $32 day of the show
21+
*All sales are final
*Avoid scammers! Only purchase tickets from moesalley.com or ticketweb.com
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BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT
When the women of Blackwater Holylight left their hometown of Portland OR threeyears ago, their mission was to escape the gloom of the Pacific Northwest and theplacating comfort of familiarity. Aiming for the sunnier climes of LA, the band foundthemselves not only in a warmer environment, but in a blank slate landscape—onewithout jobs, longtime friend groups, and the easy retreat of old habits. And it was here,unencumbered by the contentment of security, that Blackwater Holylight began diligentlyworking on their fourth full-length album, Not Here Not Gone.
As with their previous work, Not Here Not Gone explores the duality of light and dark—menacing riffs provide the bedrock to beguiling melodies; dense walls of shoegazeguitars pair with lighter-than-air synths; and heavy subject matter is delivered by sirensong vocals. Across their work, the listener gets a sense of empowerment at one turn,vulnerability the next. As drummer Eliese Dorsay describes it, “some songs we’re thepredator, and some songs we’re the prey.” The juxtaposition of confidence anduncertainty is never in as such stark relief as when one makes a life changing decision,which may explain how the band’s relocation intensified their study in contrasts tointoxicating new heights on Not Here Not Gone.
The title is the perfect description of the band’s adjustment. “It’s one foot in, one footout,” vocalist and guitarist/bassist Sunny Faris explains. “It’s about how you can losepeople in your life but still have their presence and energy around you.” And indeed,listening to Not Here Not Gone, you get the distinct sense that Blackwater Holylightdragged some of the Northwest gloom down into Southern California. The openingchords of “How Will You Feel” are drenched in the muddy weight of perpetually overcastskies. But a Jacob’s Ladder of light shines through the scuzzy guitars in the form ofFaris’ lilting vocals and Sarah McKenna’s blissed-out ambient synth work, guiding thelistener out of the mire and into the garden.
SOM
SOM released their third full-length album, Let The Light In, on March 14th 2025 via Berlin left-field label Pelagic Records. With a unique sound dubbed “Doom Pop” by Metal Injection, SOM’s dreamy shoegaze roots are on display across Let The Light In, but there is heft at its core that’s bracing and ferocious. If the band’s debut album The Fall explored hitting rock bottom, and sophomore release The Shape of Everything grappled with the ever-darkening world around us, Let The Light In sees SOM turn their sights inward, towards our most primal impulses; seeking solace and reconciliation from the vibrancy within ourselves and the people we hold close.
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Event Venue
Moe's Alley, Santa Cruz, United States
Tickets
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