If you’ve tuned into NBC’s The Voice lately, then you might have seen star coaches Kelsea Ballerini and Michael Bublé fawning over our very own Jessica Manalo (spoiler: she’s Team Kelsea). During a blind audition, the Las Vegas-based singer-songwriter came out swinging with a cover of Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy.” She’s since gone viral.
“I’m so grateful that The Voice gave me this opportunity to share my craft. I’m forever grateful to the Las Vegas community for letting me sing my butt off for years in this beautiful city,” Manalo tells the Weekly. “All I’m thinking is that the hours spent playing in several venues here have been worth it. So thankful for all the love that’s pouring in.”
Manalo has been slowly building momentum over the last couple years, following her 2021 EP Magic. This season of The Voice marks her second time on the show after auditioning in 2020.
“This time just felt different. I felt ready,” she says. “I felt more confident with who I was as a person and as an artist. This experience has definitely inspired me to write more of my original music. I am actually recording new music right now.”
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Martin Boynton at Sinwave.
The Arts District is still grieving the loss of Sinwave, a goth and metal music sanctuary that permanently closed in January after months of financial struggle.
“We really loved the idea of being a community space, a home for people and a friendly neighborhood venue,” says owner Martin Boynton. “We tried to treat the bands right and the customers right. And the employees all just loved being there. They would come on their days off. It was really special.”
Open since early 2024, Sinwave quickly became Main Street’s go-to for everything from concerts and wrestling watch parties to vampire galas and heavy metal yoga. Boynton set out to create something of “a metal-based retreat center,” inspired by his own holistic experiences and his love for music and its many scenes.
Sinwave’s run was cut short, but Boynton’s vision remains the same. Equipped with new investors, the devoted metalhead plans to open a new venue elsewhere. The timeline is still being discussed, but he’s certain Sinwave’s original crowd will follow: “We’ve got a lot of goodwill and a lot of support, so I think that’ll be the easy part, getting people to come back.”
Shows to see, songs to spin
Bel-Aire Backyard has announced a new poolside concert series at the Durango, featuring alt-rockers The Fray and electronic duo Thievery Corporation in May, plus swaggering Brit band The Struts in September. More information and tickets are available at belairebackyardlv.com.
Pineapple Fest, a music and art showcase founded by local band Secos, debuts at Sammy Davis Jr. Festival Plaza at Lorenzi Park on March 29. More info and tickets are at secosband.com.
Politically conscious rapper Kurian has released his third album, Iron Kurtain. It’s available on Spotify.
Local post-hardcore band MSMRS teamed up with Asteroid M. Records’ Cody Leavitt on a live version of its 2024 EP, Six Inches From A Bullet. It’s available on streaming platforms and at msmrs.bandcamp.com.
Damned By the Night’s horror-based rock cut “Fangoria” is worth a scream—er, a stream. It’s available on Spotify and at damnedbythenight666.bandcamp.com.
