Due to unforeseen extended traffic issues coverage of opening band Radkey did not occur.
Thursday, October 13 marked the appearance of multi-decade female group L7 at Newport Music Hall in Columbus. Newport was a stop on the Brick Are Heavy Anniversary tour. A celebration trek, playing their widely regarded third record start to finish.1992’s Bricks Are Heavy is widely seen as the L.A. based bands goliath mission statement and most known record, with single “Pretend We’re Dead, with the tour also celebrating the limited edition reissue of Bricks. Their initial run went from 1985-2001, reforming in 2014. Stories about the bands history can be seen on the Pretend We’re Dead documentary. .
With seven records to their name they’ve toured widely around the globe with many, modern day all-female bands and singers paying praise, respect and gratitude to the ladies. They also share common ground with all active bands featured on Headbangers Ball and MTV. That night they graced the Newport Music Hall stage in view of an anxious crowd ready to relive the grungy early ‘90s days of MTV and all era’s of L7.Also, how many bands can say they were in a Kathleen Turner movie?
The first part of the show featured Brick Are Heavy start to finish, with vocalist, guitarist Donita Sparks making a joke, before playing “Pretend We’re Dead” that if anyone left after the next song they’d be escorted to the back alley and dealt with. Though it was unsure if they were joking or it’s actually happened. The ladies opened the show as loud as ever, surrounded by blinding lights and a screaming crowd.
The guitar gnarling of “Wargasm” began the lyrical brick throwing getting the packed house to move. The heavy groove started on “Scrap” An MTV, Headbangers Ball, 120 Minutes flashback for generation X’ers and those older came on “Pretend We’re Dead.”
Guitars screamed out the slow, dragging addictive popping seductress “Diet Pill” narrative bringing back memories of esteem and figure issues. “Everglade” stabbed notes still drawing fresh blood decades later. “Slide” said bye, bye, baby, bye-bye to losers, haters and fakes while “Mr. Integrity” amped up the beat, kicking up the surf-punk energy..
The “Shitlist” still stood for haters, internet trolls, spammers and anyone that left after the third song. “This Ain’t Pleasure” ended the first set.
It was a non-stop performance, work-rate and experience going right into set two with material from classic, recent and modern day records. The 11 songs showcased albums Hungry for Stink, Smell the Magic, The Beauty Process, Slap-Happy, and 2019’s Scatter the Rats. With one-two song selections from each, gave a well-rounded, loud history of the band to satisfy long-time fans and young ears.
“Andres,” told the nasty, grungy North Hollywood tale of the guy, everyone remembered. They heralded that haters and assholes like you still “Fuel My Fire.”
“Shove,” screamed and screeched with feedback to get out of the way with timeless attitude. “Stadium West,” still held the road-tested club feel with party vibes and musical strobes.
Things calmed down a bit to almost lighter/cellphone-ballad glow on the jamming “Non Existent Patricia,” as the rats scattered and ran “Fighting the Crave.” Televised “Drama” is always better than the real thing. Eddie and the Subtitles got some love on “American Society.”
The Ministry flavored, gnarled sneer of “Fast and Frightening,” brought up the speed and movement several miles before “Suffragette City” ended the party with some Ziggy and Bowie.
Images by Mike Ritchie
