Photos + Review by NOTES FROM VIVACE
LOS ANGELES – How do you know that a band has connected with and expanded their fan base? When the doors open at 8 p.m. and you see the merchandise table on your left and there’s already a line that goes up the Fonda Theatre stairwell and ends near the bathrooms on the second floor and the line continues to be there during the opening band.
When the crowd sings the lyrics of the first song louder than the band, “I know one, two things I have heard about you . . . “ When the band asks for screams from those who are seeing the band for the first time and most of the crowd screams their heads off.
When the band ends with their final three encores and the crowd rushes to the merchandise table again and the line once again twists up the stairwell and the final sales occur an hour later. That’s the fan response that met Philadelphia-based Mannequin Pussy when they took the stage at the Fonda Theatre as part of their 30-stop tour in support of their recently released I Got Heaven album.
The venue was sold out with fans packing both the floor and balcony. When the curtains rose at 10:15 p.m., the crowd roared. There was a release of excitement as the crowd recognized the very first notes of “I Don’t Know You” and started to sing on cue to the desired fill pangs where hypnotic repetition of the band layered just below the vocals. As the song ended with “but I don’t know you,” the music gradually drifted towards silence.
The band dedicated half their set to playing songs from their new album. In fact, they played 9 of the 10 songs from the album. The set with encore was 19 songs so that left plenty to play from other collections, which included “Patience,” “Romantic,” and “Perfect.”
The song “Drunk II” from their album Patience hit the right notes for the crowd that responded to every change in the beats. The screams of anguish from the end of a relationship “I’ve been going out almost every night. I’ve been drinking everything I can get my hands on. I pretend I have fun” had the crowd swaying from right to left. The softer tones of pain “And everyone says to me ‘Missy, you’re so strong’” had the crowd bobbing their heads. The band had the crowd in the palm of their hands to reflect on a painful breakup.
“Hi, Los Angeles,” lead singer Marisa Dabice said in a breathless whisper.
Prior to their title track “I Got Heaven,” Dabice had a criticism of (and perhaps even acknowledgement of own personal belief) Christianity, “To anyone in your life who has ever tried to make you feel ashamed of the person that you are. Why do they try to make you feel ashamed, because of some fucking book that they read that was written a thousand years ago. Maybe at one time, yes, the Bible may have been the word of God, but that word was translated by men, those words were translated by kings, those words were translated to make you feel shame. So that they can control you. And so that they can control you to be exactly the type of person they need you to be instead of the person that you are. I have no respect for worship that does not respect everybody.”
The song “Aching” went full punk with rapid fire guitar play and spitting out of lyrics, that sped to a conclusion in less than two minutes, had the crowd jumping.
A shout out was given by the band to friends who were getting married the following day. Unfortunately, the band wouldn’t be able to make it to the wedding as they were heading up to San Francisco for their next stop.
Before their song “Claims,” Dabice discussed the Israel / Hamas conflict, “A world that is unfair and intent on making us feel as powerless as possible. I think that all of you here recognize just how dangerous this country is, just how full of lies it is. Wars are something meant to be fought by soldiers on the battlefield. It is not indiscriminate bombing against civilian populations . . . and well they may not be listening to us, we stand here as a reflection of what you see, to end the genocide against the Palestians people. Because for what, for what, for what. The people in power in this country, they are not politicians, they are warlords . . . and they have tried very hard to convince us as though they are to be respected, but I do not think they deserve any of your respect.”
“Welcome, my sweet little babies, welcome.” The band closed out the set with the energizing “OK? OK! OK? OK!”
The band left the stage, but quickly returned for a three song encore. Bassist Colins Regisford took the lead vocals for “Pigs is Pigs” and reflected on how ten years or so ago the band played in front of twenty people at a Los Angeles venue close to the Fonda Theatre. As they powered through the song, the floor shook. For the final encore, the band played the fan favorite song “Romantic.”
Soul Glo opened the night. The hard core punk band had the floor of the Fonda Theatre turn into a massive mosh pit. Lead singer Pierce Jordan spent much of the initial part of the set in the photo pit, singing right in the faces of those at the barrier.
The band put on a show with guitar tosses and a paper airplane that landed in the audience. Yet, one has to point out that the bassist took it all in stride and played it cool amid the more animated antics of his bandmates. Jordan does have a sense of self-deprecating humor.
When he needed help from security to push him up from the photo pit floor and back onto the stage, he turned to the audience and said, “I only have so much upper body strength. I’m 31.”
Mannequin Pussy Setlist: I Don’t Know You, Sometimes, Nothing Like, Patience, Drunk II, Control, Softly, Cream, Loud Bark, I Got Heaven, Of Her, Aching, Everything, Perfect, Clams, Ok? OK! OK? OK! Encores: Pigs is Pigs, Emotional High, Romantic.
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Soul Glo setlist: Rolling Loud, Hear My Cry, B.O.M.B.S., Coming Correct Is Cheaper, Jump! (Or Get Jumped!!!)((by the future)), We Wants Revenge, 19, If I Speak (Shut The Fuck Up), John J, Driponomics, Real Ass Life.
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