L7 rocked a packed Regency Ballroom in San Francisco and proved that sometimes it’s less about nostalgia and more about still kicking ass.
Taking the stage to the Village People’s “San Francisco,” L7 quickly picked up their instruments and proceeded to deliver a heavy guitar-driven set of the classic songs that have influenced a countless number of bands followed in their footsteps.
Opening with “Deathwish,” the band steamrolled their way through “Andres,” “Fuel My Fire,” “Diet Pill,” and “Shit List,” maintaining huge smiles and interacting with their fans in the front row. The duel guitar tones of Donita Sparks and Suzi Gardner were just as fuzzy as ever. By the time they wrapped everything up with “Fast and Frightening,” it was quite clear that L7 can still deliver the goods.
Opening the show was the quintessential San Francisco punk rock band Frightwig, who once again proved to be the perfect choice to open the show, just as when they played with Faith No More a few months earlier. Led by the thundering bass tone of Deanna Mitchell, the glorious noisy guitar of Mia Simmans, and the pounding drumming of Cecilia Kuhn, the band put on a set of songs that surely had more than a few old schoolers in the crowd flash back to see the band tear up the On Broadway, Mabuhay Gardens or the Tool and Dieback in the day.
National Rock Review photographer Raymond Ahner was on hand to report.
L7
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