Reckling, Badlands, and 2M8O host an intimate benefit show at Plant Material for environmental activism organization No Canyon Hills

Lined with meandering pebble pathways and protected by a canopy of overarching foliage is Plant Material, an idyllic nursery specializing in plants and greenery native to the Los Angeles area with the intent of preserving natural flora landscaping as an alternative to the impersonal expanses of generically thirsty suburban lawns. Within this tiny oasis and nestled beneath the fronds, a gathering of local musicians coalesced for an intimate benefit show in support of No Canyon Hills, an organization dedicated to protecting the biodiversity and ancestral lands of the native Fernandeño Tataviam and Gabrieleno Tongva peoples from the encroaching march of yet another cookie-cutter mini-mansion development. At this intersection of activism and artistry, an evening of powerful performances blossomed like canyon hillsides after the rejuvenating torrents of springtime rains.

The evening began with the first ever live performance by 2M8O (pronounced "tomato"), a new project by The Paranoyds' Staz Lindes and Vaguess' Vinny Earley that ruffled up jangly indie with scruffy edges and warm, fuzzy undertones. Slower songs were permeated with a kind of tangible sadness and resigned acceptance of the status quo while faster numbers rolled with a mellow insistence, filling every measure of the spectrum in between with a uniquely Los Angeles perspective that elicited claps of endorsement from the audience and punctuated with approving barks from several of the canines in attendance. The incorporation of metallophone melodies made a direct connection to similar tones in Folk Implosion's thematically analogous "EZ L.A." and stood in brilliant contrast to the band's percussive rat-tat-tat. A fine first showing, indeed.

Occupying the middle slot with a performance that pushed the tiny PA to its limits, Badlands delivered a powerful and affective set that ran the gamut from songs of sadness to hopefulness to unbridled joy and everywhere in between. Celebrating the wonder of the natural world with instrumentation tinged with surf-styled inflections and shout-and-answer verses, Badlands projected a leather tough attitude that wasn't afraid of exposing the softness beneath the armor. Moments of punky outbursts ripped like a classic Honda motorbike at full throttle, channeling outsized emotions into hyperfocused diatribes aimed taking down the evening's land developer Big Bad and expansive love songs to the majesty of Mother Earth in all her immeasurable abundance.

Known for aggressive on-stage posturing and riotous live shows, Reckling made the surprising turn of morphing their full-bore punk onslaught into a largely stripped down set that didn't sacrifice an once of impact despite the more subdued arrangements. In fact, the inherent melodic quality of the compositions was allowed to shine, brought front and center as a showcase of the poetic lyricism that fuels their typical electric bombast. The fresh minimalism highlighted the rawness of the songs themselves, burning off excess noise like a wildfire tearing through open grasslands, the earth below scorched and bare but primed with the thrilling potential for life to spring anew, more vibrant than ever. The blistering slow-burner "Verbalize" gained new heft as an almost-ballad loaded emotive potency, and a measured rendition of "In My Hair" stole the set as the track's white hot steel was tempered to a brilliantly polished and perilous radiance.

Benefit shows can often be held back by the weight of the evening's message, but the venue and artists that came together in support of No Canyon Hills exemplified the true nature of the project - to preserve and celebrate the diversity of Los Angeles' landscape through a showcase of the variety of voices that make this place, both its people and its land, a unique and beautiful thing worth conserving.

Learn more about No Canyon Hills by visiting their website and following the organization on Instagram. Stream 2M8o on Spotify. Stream Badlands on Spotify and follow the band on Instagram. Stream Reckling on Spotify and follow the band on Instagram. Visit Plant Material and follow the nursery on Instagram.