Angela Mae O’Neill
Bandleader, Angela O'Neill and the Outrageous8

Can you tell us a little bit about what you do?
We are an eight-piece jazzy little big band called Angela O’Neill and the Outrageous8. The name came about as a homage to those late ’50s little big bands and even rock and roll bands that were JUST as outrageous as we are 🙂 And most of the band are founding members that attended the very first rehearsal…and are still with the band today. (So grateful!)

We started the band in 2017, rehearsing at the Veterans of Foreign Wars on Magnolia Blvd in Burbank, and entertaining the participants of that VFW!  BIG shout out to all who supported us at The USS GUDGEON Ship 8310…we love ya!  As we continued rehearsing every Wednesday evening, some people who loved the music at the VFW suggested we do a show there, so we started putting on small shows in an effort to get more business for the VFW and help pay the band–and we loved it. The response was tremendous! Harry Smallenburg, a founding member and a very prolific big band arranger, plays trombone in the band…and also over these past few years has written our custom arrangements of American Songbook music, made specifically for the Outrageous8! Today, nearly every arrangement in our book is by Harry Smallenburg or our keyboard player, Rocky Davis…it gives us a distinct sound and style. 🙂 We do shows, events, and this past October we played a fundraiser for the Catalina Club in Hollywood…to help keep that club open!

The big band jazzy sound is pretty popular.  And we love playing for the people who love our music…in Burbank and all around Los Angeles.  In fact, we have our first show back since the shutdown this coming Saturday, July 10th at 1pm at Vitello’s in Studio City. We’re calling it our BIG BAND BRUNCH–and we are thrilled to be playing a this world famous club!  Since some folks are not QUITE ready to come out to see music at a club, we have the option to livestream at the club!

Also during the course of the pandemic, individual band members and I have begun putting together solo projects.  Enriching and supporting music is one of the Outrageous8 and Outrageous8 records!

How did you first become interested in music?
For myself, my family still calls me Lala…because even when I was a very little girl, I used to sing La la la la all day long! My family all love music, and I was raised by teachers, who had a fantastic love for music. Music was always playing in our house. I began playing the oboe in third grade and played that until college, at which time I started moving over to vocals.  I have loved and NEEDED music in my life…ever since.

How does art enrich a community, and what are some ways people can engage with art in Burbank?
I have lived in Burbank for most of my life…and LOVE the Tallyrand–it’s my second home!

I think Art and Music REALLY enrich the experience of living in any community, and Burbank is no exception!  The Outrageous8 rehearses at the Music Union in Burbank, Local 47. (YAY Local 47…thank you for all you do!) We love playing out in Burbank and would adore more opportunities to play locally and at events in Burbank.

If you could share with our community one thing about art, what would it be?
Well, for me, Art–including movies, TV, music and painting, ALL forms of art–are so many things. It’s relaxing…it’s pleasurable to the senses.  It sometimes can be life changing.

When I think about the last year and a half…when all of us were in shutdown…what would we have done without art?  Movies, TV shows, and music?  For me?  A lifesaver…and an inspiration.

To find out more about Angela O’Neill and the Outrageous8’s work, visit her website (and sign up for the mailing list!) at http://www.angelamaeoneill.com/, or follow her on Instagram @angelaoneillmusic.