Kitchen Sink is a brand new concert and interview series taking place at Long Beach City College where performers from all genres will play their songs and do an interview.
The first performer to be featured on this interview series is a singer-songwriter known as Sideshow Stereo. His interview took place on March 17 in the P building of the LBCC Liberal Arts Campus.
Sideshow Stereo, whose real name is Joshua Dela Rama, came to LBCC to perform some of his original songs. His set included titles such as “Sunshine,” “Sweet Sensations,” “Spaceship,” and “I Can’t Move Any Slower.”
After the performance, the in-depth interview focused on the performer and how he got his start in music.
“I came up with it (Sideshow Stereo) around 2018, my name prior to it was Tie-Dye Mannequins which doesn’t roll off the tongue. So I had to replace that immediately,” said Dela Rama.
Even the Tie-dye Mannequins stage name also had a predecessor that came before. Another name Joshua Dela Rama had back in middle school was Drift-wood which was based on the milk carton brand that his school would get for student lunches.
“I went with Sideshow Stereo because I just kind of like the image of a, like in a carnival. There’s just a booth of a random stereo playing like just indie rock and that’s the whole exhibit just no one managing it, just a stereo playing crappy indie rock,” Rama explained.
Sideshow Stereo started playing guitar when he was 10 back in 2007.
“My dad taught me. My dad was in a band when we were in the Philippines. He had a garageband with his friends and he was also the lead singer and lead guitarist and he was also the main songwriter. So I thought that it was really cool that he kinda passed that on to me,” Dela Rama recounted.
His song “Sunshine” is largely a nod to his strong support system, his friends and family.
“They come to virtually all of my shows and they make my shows as fun as they are because they bring the energy and they bring alot of happiness and joy. Whenever I see them walk into a room, wherever I’m playing, I always have a giant stupid smile on my face…. So yeah, Sunshine is a shoutout to my friends and family,” Dela Rama said on the track.
Besides his dad, other musical influences include artists such as John Mayer, Daniel Caesar, Green Day, Blink 182 and Clairo, giving him a well rounded sound that is a blend of indie-singer-songwriter with just a dash of pop punk.
“I think Daniel Caesar as well would be cool. I think him and I mesh a lot in terms of sound. As I mentioned Clairo would be cool and honestly green day to go on tour with green day would be sick, honestly my childhood heroes, I have like two posters of them in my room,” Dela Rama mentioned.
In addition to “Sunshine,” Dela Rama also performed “Sweet Sensations,” a track that is considered to be the first ballad that he ever wrote.
“Sunshine” is out on Spotify and is part of his three song ep titled, Be My Sunshine, Baby. His other song “Sweet Sensations” is currently in the process of being recorded.
Dela Rama’s Kitchen Sink performance and interview is currently available on the LBCC Viking News website under Kitchen Sink Concerts.