The Linda Lindas at Bowery Ballroom
7/25/22
The Linda Lindas were terrific last night.
Their hit single “Oh!” gets a lot of play, is catchy, and when this LA band announced some New York shows I went all in on tickets for their gigs in Williamsburg and Manhattan. I didn’t know much about the band, but I figured they’d put on a good show.
So, it turns out that The Linda Lindas are a four-piece rock band consisting of young ladies Bela (age 17), Lucia (14), Eloise (13), and drummer Mila (11!). They play a style that blends punk, pop rock, and new wave that sounds to me like the Go-Go’s and The Ramones.
They sound great — perfect timing, very tight, and fun to watch. They act like they’ve been doing this for 10 years. They’re talented, love what they’re doing, and crank it out loud. Best line of the night: “I’m entering 10th grade in September, and we’re so thrilled to be playing here in New York!”
The crowd was loaded with parents who brought their kids with them — some of whom had the same or better Linda Lindas shirts as mine. My music buddy Eric, who takes great rock photos, and I were trying our best to “not be creepy old guys”, but I’m not at all sure it worked.
Their hour-long set was a blast, featuring a number of songs from their “Growing Up” album, including “Oh!” of course. They also played terrific covers of the Go-Go’s “Tonight” and Bikini Kill’s “Rebel Girl”.
Check out some of their best stuff here:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2etH9lGQHboyXDlApTc2yS?si=tRPJcJg2SKOx4p4P7ALDPw
The warm-up band, Bacchae, hails from Washington, DC and put on a strong set, too. Bass player Rena Hagins drives the group, whose style is a blend of punk and grunge that sounds a bit like the B-52’s.
Check out a few of their songs here:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2s741xrAPgEZbDgDHiSN38?si=py4eLLp2RNayNPG8FglVyQ