L7 Tear It Up at The Black Cat

“How many of you are seeing us for the first time,” Jennifer Finch asked the sold-out crowd at The Black Cat as more than a few held their hands up. A testament to the strength and relevance of the California-based band who formed back in the mid-1980’s, L7 returned from an “indefinite hiatus” in 2014 and has been on a tear since then, releasing a new album, Scatter The Rats in 2019.

Their seminal third album, Bricks Are Heavy, recently celebrated its 30th anniversary last year. So it was no surprise that on their DC stop at The Black Cat Monday night there was a line going down the block an hour before the doors even opened. Billed as the “In Your Space” Tour, L7 is back and hot on the heels of their recently released single, “Cooler Than Mars,” with the biting wit and social commentary we love.

I’ve seen L7 before, but this felt different. First, the crowd was ready to go from the start as openers Tarah Who? took the stage and put on one of the best opening sets I’ve seen in a long time. And even though it was a Monday it felt more like an extension of the weekend. In the midst of the older, grayer crowd (myself included) I saw some much younger fans (school night be damned!) who were having the time of their lives.

“We are L fuckin’ 7 from San Fransisco!,” Finch (bass/vocals) shouted to the crowd before launching into fan favorite “Andres.” And from that point on it was pure energy. Part of that intensity may have also been just being in a smaller club. “You’re very up-close to us,” Donita Sparks (guitar/vocals) remarked on the intimacy of the venue. “We just don’t want you to be mesmerized by our beauty.”

Although there were other things going on in DC on a Monday night, L7 made it feel like there was no other place to be. As Suzi Gardner (vocals/guitar) sang, Sparks and Finch rocked out, hair thrashing back and forth. And the power house drumming of Dee Plakas kept things rolling with a seemingly tireless source of drive.

Through the evening, L7 proceeded to play a string of heavy hitters from “Shove” and “Monster” to the massive hit, “Pretend We’re Dead” and “Shitlist”. And hearing “Mr. Integrity” it felt like the quintessential L7 song with the driving garage rock boom-chick-chick groove and the snarling refrain, “Don’t preach to me, Mr. Integrity.”

The bulk of the set came from Bricks Are Heavy and Hungry For Stink, the follow-up record. But there were others that we hadn’t heard in a while. “This next one we haven’t performed in DC in probably about 30 years or so,” Sparks told the crowd before starting “Can I Run”. “This is a song that goes out to anyone who’s been a victim of violence or stalking or any kind of creep factor.”

Watch the official video for “Cooler Than Mars” by L7 on YouTube:

As the band made its way through the hefty set list, they ended with a newer song they’ve been playing in recent years called “Dispatch From Mar-a-Lago” about a certain former Home Alone 2 actor. And they returned for an encore of “American Society” and an older tune, “Fast and Frightening.” An amazing performance – possibly one of my favorite L7 shows – by a great band. They have a few more dates in the US before heading out for a short South American tour.

The setlist included:

Andres
Fuel My Fire
Everglade
Scrap
Shove
Stadium West
Monster
Mr. Integrity
Human
Can I Run
Drama
One More Thing
Slide
Non-Existent Patricia
Fighting the Crave
War With You
Bad Things
Pretend We’re Dead
Shitlist
Dispatch From Mar-a-Lago