Photos by Chloe Gonzales
After a rough day, my photographer, Chloe Gonzales, convinced me to not be a pussy and come to the Mannequin Pussy concert, which I’d been looking forward to covering for months. Since joining the Mannequin Pussy wave in 2021, I had been searching for the opportunity to attend one of their concerts. I was not sure what the night would bring to me, but I knew at the end of the night my poor mood would be fixed one way or another. As I made my way to the Bellwether in downtown Los Angeles, I couldn’t help but notice how warm of an October night it was. It felt like a night of infinite possibilities.
Opening the show tonight was Margaritas Podridas. Hailing from Hermosillo, Mexico, the quartet’s music is heavily inspired by ‘90s rock bands. Whether it be shoegaze or grunge rock, Margaritas Podridas incorporates an array of genres. Once the opening strums of the electric guitar echoed throughout the auditorium, a crowd quickly grew on the floor. Throughout the duration of their forty-five minute set, their jagged screams into the microphone grabbed my attention. Their refusal to adhere to the English language was a compelling aspect of their performance, and spoke volumes to their character and dedication to remaining authentically themselves.
After Margaritas Podridas left the stage, the crowd waited anxiously for the main act, Mannequin Pussy. When the lights finally dimmed, I was shocked to hear “Slut Me Out 2” by NLE Choppa play through the speakers as the band walked, ready to wow the crowd for the next hour and fifteen minutes.
Hailing from Philadelphia, Mannequin Pussy formed in 2010 with their noise rock and punk sound. The band consists of vocalist and guitarist Marisa “Missy” Dabice, drummer Kaleen Reading, bassist and vocalist Colins “Bear” Regisford, and guitarist Maxine Steen. They are currently touring for their newest album, I Got Heaven, an album rich with themes of love and politics as well as religious undertones. The band’s sound on this record reflects a new era for the group, becoming more fleshed out yet firm in their punk roots.
The ensemble started their set with “I Don’t Know You” from their new album. The song describes the enamor of meeting someone new; of having a crush. That night, we were their crush, the new people that they had the excitement of meeting. “I Don’t Know You” has dream-like elements to the track that made it feel as whimsical as a spontaneous meet-cute. Following the opening song, the band proceeded to play “Sometimes” from the same album. The jagged contrast between the two songs created a departure from the melodic world we were introduced to with “I Don’t Know You” into a world of chaos and angst that would reside for the rest of the concert.
Dabice, the group’s frontwoman, did not shy away from interacting with the audience. At one point she asked the men in the audience to scream “Pussy!” and screamed “Pathetic!” back at them, a moment reminiscent of Gwen Stefani’s performances of “Just A Girl” in the ‘90s. Dabice told the audience how the word should be liberating and not so censored. There was a moment with primal screaming that echoed throughout the venue. Her spiel on the word “pussy” was not the only reference to social activism. Throughout the set, Dabice and Regisford voiced other political issues such as the rights of Palestinians, the capital disparities in the United States,and the policing of women’s bodies. At some point in the night, Regisford gave a shout out to the Black and Brown audience members due to the stigmatization of these marginalized communities in the rock genre and asked for them to scream before the following song. To this, I screamed because I had felt seen as one of the very few Black girls at the concert. The band made sure to stay true to their purpose of bringing people together and speaking for those who cannot.
By the end of the night, the massive crowd was truly wowed. The concert was filled with electrifying instrumentals and vocals, with spectators raising their hands with the classic rock symbol and moshing to the music. Nobody wanted to leave the venue as Mannequin Pussy ended their glorious set with “Romantic” from their 2016 album of the same title. The energy throughout the night was exhilarating. Lyrics were loudly sung along to each song, participation was high throughout the night, and the screams from the crowd and bands filled the auditorium. Needless to say, I was taken to heaven by the end of the night.
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