Mandie & Ruby @ The Violet Hour in Fullerton

Lost in the labyrinth of The Violet Hour—a gallery featured in Downtown Fullerton’s ‘First Friday Art Walk’ each month—a faint crooning from the main room served as a guide out of the maze of paintings, sculptures, photos, and sketches. As the volume grew, accompanied by graceful strums from an acoustic guitar, I finally found the clearing and posted up in a plush velvet armchair to ingest the effortless sound of Mandie & Ruby.

The mood of The Violet Hour… unknowingly endowed, carelessly captivating, and perfectly disheveled… provided a faultless setting for the two humble talents. With singer Mandie Bee sporting Toms and guitarist Ruby Reginaldo in a worn pair of Converse, the pair radiated a sense of ease that was penetrable.

According to their Facebook band page, “Mandie & Ruby began out of a necessity to fulfill musical needs of both members,” and I can attest that the innate gifts these artists possess need to not only be realized, but more importantly shared.

Mandie’s voice is rare and radiant. The poignant notes that slip from her lips without visible exertion make an onlooker such as myself think I too could sing (key word: think). Likewise, Ruby’s calling is unmistakably musical. She participated in drum line during high school, can play different horns, bass and guitar—in other words she is the type of person who drives me crazy with jealousy: the self-taught genius who can nonchalantly pick up any instrument and naturally play.

Friday night’s set included a number of covers from both well-known and underground artists. Their rendition of The Beatles folk rock ballad “Rocky Raccoon” predominantly caught my attention. I am generally disinclined to most interpretations of my favorite bands (Zeppelin and The Beatles in particular), but Mandie & Ruby’s “Rocky Raccoon” captured the essence of the original while still staying true to their own sound.

They also played original songs, including “Sugar and Cream,” “Baby, I’d Let You Get Away,” and “Fast Asleep,” proving that their abilities span much farther than just being great performers. Their lyrics and melodies are equally notable and give Mandie & Ruby the potential to make a real footprint in the ever-vast world of “indie” music.

There were multiple forces threatening to drown out the pair during their final song, “Baby, I’d Let You Get Away”—a French Bulldog jumping up on my leg, an announcement that the owner of a black BMW needed to come to the front for their car was being towed, and a boisterous woman who had undoubtedly consumed one too many cups of “punch”—but I remained captivated and they played on unfettered.

Considering that Mandie & Ruby came together only a little over a year ago, the opportunities for growth and achievement of the pair are endlessly exciting. Whether they remain underground at coffee shops and bars, or eventually reach a broader commercial audience, these two are a delight to watch and shouldn’t be missed.