Not Too Fancy Will Headline La Crescenta’s ‘Oktobercrest’

It is a dark September night in Vernon, just south of Downtown Los Angeles, but it’s not quiet at all.

Glendale band Not Too Fancy is barefoot and sweaty inside a tapestry-covered recording and rehearsing studio. They pump out California, gypsy punk in preparation for the Oktobercrest, a celebration Saturday, Oct. 13 at The Crest, also featuring deejay sets from L.A.-based Robots From the Future. 

This crew of 20-somethings started out performing in area parking lots, cars and their parent’s apartments and houses. They experiment with lyric story-telling, incorporating tambourine, psychedelic guitar riffs and body-slam drums.

Art Arakelyan is part voice, dancer and snake charmer who owns the stage. High-energy drummer Sipan Ghahramanians met Arakelyan at Glendale High School. Ghahramanians later met George Koshkaryan in music theory class at Glendale Community College and started making music together. 

“It just clicked and the song writing works like no tomorrow,” Ghahramanians told Patch.

George came with a special set of skills. Most notably: the man can play guitar with his teeth.

“It’s one of those moments when it’s a solo and I get really into it,” George said.

Bassist Aram Gabriel, Jr. is now the fourth member adding his heavy, calculated sounds into each chord. 

“It’s like tiny, mini-rock operas,” Gabriel said.

In the middle of a song, the band picks up speed, hits the road and plays Armenian folk. 

“We like listening to our own songs,” Arakelyan said.

The playful group is currently writing and testing. Oktobercrest will be held at local craft beer joint, The Crest, which also hosted 'The Crestival' this summer and the JPL Mars Curiosity Rover team.

Entry to Oktobercrest is free starts at 9 p.m. The Crest is located at 3645 Foothill Blvd., La Crescenta.  

To learn more about Octobercrest, Not Too Fancy or Robots From the Future, click HERE.