How does an unknown band, one that’s never headlined an established venue, manage to sell out their first show at the Echo in Los Angeles? For garbagebarbie, the quartet of Fletcher Milloy (singer/guitar), Daniel Karasev (drums), Anson Knopp (bass), and Braedon Huff (guitar), the answer was easy.
“We promoted the shit out of it,” says Huff with a laugh. “People online were commenting like ‘Man, you guys are really pushing this one.’”
Milloy, Knopp, and Huff met while playing in different DIY groups at house shows in Phoenix. After relocating to Los Angeles, they connected with Karasev, and formed a band combining glam, electro, Britpop, and French disco with influences as disparate as Gorillaz, The 1975, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and the Rolling Stones. Since self-releasing a five-song EP in 2023, garbagebarbie has steadily built a small but loyal fanbase. Over the last year, they’ve put out a string of singles, each with a decidely mechanical visual aesthetic. Themes of trash and technology are pervasive throughout their music. Together the EP, singles, and their artwork create a universe of interwoven narratives, featuring recurring personalities like badman, cellphoneeyesgirl, charlie, the title character of the song “garbagebarbie,” and most recently the android from “lovemachine.”
From the start, garbagebarbie focused on playing free shows in Los Angeles, sometimes with an open bar, at non-traditional venues like art galleries and Crawford’s, a laid-back fried chicken spot in Historic Filipinotown. They even hosted their own Valentine’s Day prom-themed party.
“We had friends help us find art spaces and warehouses,” said Knopp. “We shouldered all the costs ourselves. Just to build a community. You know, even five dollars is a lot for some people. We just wanted to get as many people in as possible.”
The strategy worked. The band quickly gained a reputation for intense live performances and wild showmanship. After the Echo’s talent booker caught garbagebarbie’s raucous set at the annual Echo Park Rising festival, they were offered the chance to headline the venue. This would be their first ticketed show so they went into social media overdrive. They spent two solid months on relentless grassroots PR. They used free AI software to make a series of fake TV news segments promoting the gig. Coworkers at hip Koreatown eatery Open Market helped spread the word. Friends started telling other friends to buy tickets. Pretty soon they were close to selling out.
On the day of the show, hundreds of hopeful fans stood in line at golden hour along Sunset Blvd. The Echo’s staff had to turn people away at the door. Milloy had to sneak his own mother around back.
Inside the venue, garbagebarbie had filled the stage with stacks of old tube televisions. Just as they started their set, an AI David Letterman appeared on the screens and introduced the band as if they were the musical guests on a mid-90s Late Show episode. In between songs, the TVs played vintage commercials. Despite all of the additional production and electronic elements, the band’s performance was overwhelmingly organic. They bounded around from song-to-song with joyful confidence. Their energy was bolstered by the packed crowd, who sang along to every lyric, particularly tracks like “paranoid/preaching” and “pieceofgarbage.”
“That song is so special to me.” says Milloy. “I had a friend who was in a hospital and he gave me his guitar that was passed down to him by his grandpa. He just couldn’t work with his hands and was like ‘Hey, man, this guitar needs to be played. Can you hold on to it for a little bit?’ So I held onto it for two years during COVID. Then, one day, I went on a walk and I came back and had it tuned to an open tuning. I turned on a camera and wrote the whole thing within 10 minutes. I added the lyrics the next day but the melody was already there. It was one of those songs where you just feel like there’s a portal above you, you know?”
Most of their artwork and songwriting has been collaborative, with each member bringing their ideas to Milloy’s home where they all usually cook dinner together and then record, occasionally getting help and feedback from producers Michael Coleman and Nick Leng. Sometimes they’ll wait to eat until after recording. Like one night when Karasev came in with the inspiration for “shakethepavement.”
“I remember listening to a lot of Blur on the way to Fletcher’s,” said Karasev. “I made a really bad recording on my phone. Then I got to Fletcher’s house and I was like ‘Fletcher, get your guitar!’ Then we built the song from there. Everyone just added the pieces.”
The band has recently signed with State of the Art, a boutique management firm that works with LP, Becky G, and breakout star Chappell Roan. A second EP is on the way. Another performance, at a bigger venue, with more theatrical video world-building moments lies ahead. But for now, the band remains primarily focused on bringing people together for a good time.
“We want all our shows to feel safe and welcoming,” says Huff. “We want everyone to be able to afford it. Those are the things that are important to us. Without our community, we wouldn’t have been able to sell out the Echo.”
“Seeing people make friends with each other at our shows, and then hang out outside of our shows is just the most rewarding feeling,” adds Milloy. “That’s what these songs and this music and this band is all about.”