Sweet Sound Bites: April 2023

Fox Theater Pomona 4/12/2023
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Earlier this year when the return of Boygenius was announced it seemed as though everybody who was anybody who even remotely cares about music was excited. Having only released an EP when they surfaced five years ago, the all girl indie trio would return with a debut album and tour in support of it. As the news broke and buzz grew at eceptional speeds, the faces of the girls of Boygenius: Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus started to pop up everywhere. From Nirvana inspired Rollingstone Magazine covers to internet articles and billboards, there was/is no escaping them (genius?).

Then the Coachella 2023 line-up was dropped and after that the unveiling of local chella shows and Boygenius was featured on both. Ahead of their tour, which kicks off June 2nd at the Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, Boygenius were set to play the Outdoor Stage on day two both weekends of Coachella. But before that, the first place fans saw Boygenius back on stage was at The Fox Theater Pomona on Wednesday April 12th, their first official show of their triumphant return!

After working a 12 hour day prepping for Coachella weekend 1, I was a bat out of hell leaving site headed to Pomona. The more I drove the more my NorCal showed as I had not realized how far Pomona is from Coachella Valley, though I should have guessed it was 100+ miles.
I heard the faint hum of live music in the warm night air as I ran a couple of blocks from my parked car to the venue. I wondered if the show was sold-out and as I turned the corner to The Fox Theater Pomona the anwser lit up right before my eyes, Boygenuis sold-out spelled out on the marquee for all to see.

Boygenius at The Fox Theater Pomona 4/12/2023
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Phoebe Bridgers of Boygenius at The Fox Theater Pomona
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Boygenius was already on stage and the place was packed! If The Fox Pomona was anything like The Fox Oakland I knew there'd be a straight shot down the right and or left of house that leads pretty much to the photo pit, side stage. I b-lined it down the house left side and I was right! I found myself right up front just in time for one of my favorite tracks off the new album, "Satanist".

The three ladies had their respective bass or guitar in hand and being that I was house left I wound up closer to Phoebe Bridgers who played a dope looking BC rich, Eddie Muson Stranger Things guitar. An awesomely aporopriate guitar to play on an aptly titled song.
The roar from the crowd when at the top of the song was loud and the roars only got louder from there. People were spilling out of isles on the floor and standing in their seats up in the balcony. Each new song brought thunderous roars of admiration, the next louder than the last.

There were a lot of debuts that night at The Fox Theater Pomona. Not only was it Boygenuis' first offical live show of 2023 but The Record which dropped March 31st is the band's offical debut studio album which means that a lot of the new stuff they played that night was a live debut: "$20", "Satanist", "Leonard Cohen", "We're in Love", "Anti-Curse", "Letter to an Old Pet", "Revolution 0".

Boygenius at The Fox Theater Pomona 4/12/2023
photo by Nikki DeMartini

"True Blue", another one of my faves from The Record garnered one of the biggest, most enthused cheering and applause of the night. It left me in awe as the whole venue seemed to be singing along in almost perfect unison. It was then I noticed how young the crowd was which kind of surprised me because of how mature Boygenius' sound and style is. But, I reminded myself, it was a pre-Chella show.

Julien Baker donned a banjo and lead the way on vocals for the meloncholy love song "Cool About It". She gave me chills as she sang and my chills multiplied as the song went on as Phoebe and Lucy each took a verse on lead vocals before all three blended their singing voices in what was the loveliest harmonizing of the night. Phoebe and Julien fell back into the shadows, giving Lucy the spot light for "We're in Love". The house went dark, the crowd got quiet and Lucy almost stole the show with this slow-tempo number before turning things back up a few notches with "Anti Curse" with Julien at the helm.

Boygenius at The Fox Theater Pomona 4/12/2023
photo by Nikki DeMartini

I've read that Boygenuis was formed as sort of a felmale power group, each solo artist individually praised for her musicianship joining forces to bring us more good music.
The way their styles and sounds blend together is a work of genius.
Their harmonies? Near flawless.
Transitions? Seamless.
Stage presence? Reserved yet personalable at the same time thanks to the smirks and laughs that slip out on stage.
They play together as if they only play together as Boygenius not three solo artists doing a side project.
The show will warm your heart while their music gives you goosebumps.

The crowd at Coachella weekend 1 got their treat now it's Coachella weekend 2's turn before the girls of Boygenius hit the road on their own tour this Summer!

Phoebe Bridgers of Boygenius at The Fox Theater Pomona
photo by Nikki DeMartini

set-list 4/12/2023

1. Without you without them

2. $20
3. Satanist
4. Emily I'm Sorry
5. True Blue
6. Cool About It
7. Souviner
8. Me and My Dog
9. Leonard Cohen
10. We're In Love
11. Anti Curse
12. Letter to an Old Poet
13. Not Strong Enough
14. Old Wound
15. Bite the Hand
16. Revolution 0
17. Stay Down
18. Ketchum, ID

Last year on March 3rd Ilya "Ilich" Prusikin and Sonya Tayurskaya of the DJ duo, Little Big, packed their bags and moved from Moscow to Los Angeles to show their support fro Ukraine against the Russian invasion.

These punk-punk-ravers hit pause back in 2018 after releasing the second instalment of their forth album, Antipositive, teasing new music with the single "Generation Cancellation" last year.

Photo credit Karim Belkasemi and Alina Pasok, tour flyer

Today they're celebrating 10 years of music making!
Little Big is keeping the celebration going on April 12th when they release a brand new song "Pendejo" and accompaning music video before hitting the road this Summer!

Little Big North American Tour