West Coast blues troupe The Healers perform at the Cinema Bar on Friday, during that sweet spot between Christmas and New Year. Denis Depoitre of the band told the News about what they have in store for Culver City…
When did you start playing and performing?
I myself started playing when I was pretty young-I taught myself to play the harmonica just through practicing via sound. No classes, nothing. I worked hard and continue to refine my craft. I started performing solo around 1999. This led me to make friends over time, which is essentially how The Healers formed. We became close friends as we started to find each other through different venues and decided to create this band. We officially began playing as a band in 2018.
Describe your sound/style?
Our sound is mainly West Coast blues, but we’ve also taken some inspiration from Chicago blues. All of us are pretty well-first in tons of styles, but I think this sound is what fits the Healers most.
What are your career highlights so far?
One moment that stands out for me is performing at Harmonica Blow Down in Long Beach with The Healers in 2022. That was pretty monumental. We also played in Loreto, Mexico, at a music festival there. That was a really rewarding experience—traveling to showcase our sound in another country and have people really enjoy it. Super cool, man.
What recorded music is available — particularly the most recent?
We released our first physical album called 2620 Sessions in 2022, and hope to have the album and some new songs available on streaming services soon.
Have you performed at the Cinema Bar before?
We’ve performed there multiple times! One really cool memory is playing in a completely packed house— we met this guy that asked us to perform at a music festival in France for a tour in 2025. It’s just amazing how the blues really connects so many people from all over. Other memories are mainly from just the experience of seeing people having a blast watching us perform.
What can the audience expect from the set this time?
It’s gonna be unbelievable! The last time we performed was a year ago, and we’ll be celebrating our late guitarist and dear friend Henry Carvajal’s life—the show will be dedicated to him. I think it’ll be energetic and passionate.
What else do you have coming up?
We’ve got a few shows coming up for the end of the year— a show in Hollywood at Harvard and Stone and at Club L in Anaheim. We’ll also be going on that Europe tour I mentioned earlier.
The Healers perform at 9 p.m. on Friday, December 27 at the Cinema Bar. Go to thecinemabar.com for more information about the show.
Elsewhere this week
The Culver Hotel will be hosting the likes of Sylvia & the Rhythm Boys, and Scotty Bramer. Go to culverhotel.com for more info.
Boulevard Music hosts Joscho Stephan at 8 p.m. on Saturday, January 11, after a break for the holidays. Visit boulevardmusic.com for more info.