L7: May Daze Tour 2024
Empire Live, Albany NY, May 16, 2024; Electric City, Buffalo NY, May 17, 2024
How has it already been a year since my sister and I made the great trek to upstate New York to see one of our favorite bands? These two shows hold a very special place in my heart because we didn’t just see L7 twice, with both shows opened by my guitar hero, Gina Volpe of the Lunachicks— we also made friends with some of the greatest people I have ever met, and for that, I am so thankful for L7 for bringing us together. The only way to describe the weekend is that it was kismet. It was a weekend I will remember for the rest of my life. Not only does L7 bring the energy, they bring the love, too.
L7 means so much to me as a band because they’ve always done what they wanted to do. They write their own music, they rock harder than most bands, and their lyrics range from “fuck you, I’m doing it my way” to addressing depression and mental health and even putting to words how senseless war is. The band has gone through so much shit, and yet, they have never really had to compromise their work or force themselves to be palatable. However, that isn’t to say they aren’t for everyone; I even made my mom a fan— she listened to The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum for like three months straight, and I’m pretty sure she knows all the words now.
Since L7 was playing the Welcome to Rockville music festival in Daytona, FL, they decided to make their cross-country journey worthwhile, making a mini-tour out of it— which made us East Coasters very happy. The two closest shows to us were in New York, with Albany being the nearest. We first purchased tickets for the Albany show, booking an incredibly cheap airbnb, but the Buffalo show kept calling our names. We debated the pros and cons to going to the Buffalo show and couldn’t come up with one con, plus once L7 announced those shows would be opened by Lunachicks’ lead guitarist, Gina Volpe, it was a done deal! Volpe had released her album Delete the World earlier in the year, and it was all Caroline and I had been listening to. It was a no brainer that we had to go to both shows! So, we found a cheap hotel in Buffalo, requested our time off from work, and began gearing up for a weekend that was more fun than we could have ever imagined.
Gina Volpe Set List:
Time To Come
Drink Me
Delete The World
The Plan
Secret Weapon
Until I Arrive
Chaos Agent
Different Animal
Even The Doomed
Escaped From The Lab
L7 Set List:
Deathwish
Andres
Everglade
Mr. Integrity
Uncle Bob (first verse during sound issues)
Shove
Stadium West
One More Thing
Scrap
Slide
Fighting the Crave
Human
Bad Things
Monster
Fuel My Fire
Non-Existant Patricia
Freak Magnet
Dispatch From Mar-a-Lago
Wargasm
Pretend We’re Dead
Shitlist
Encore:
Scatter the Rats
Fast and Frightening
May 16, Empire Live, Albany, NY
We left early Thursday morning, knowing it would take us about three hours to get to Albany. The entire ride we blasted L7, Lunachicks, and Gina Volpe. We usually try to avoid listening to the artist we are going to see, but with such a long drive, and with so much excitement, we couldn’t help ourselves. We arrived in Albany with enough time to find a sandwich shop, and gather some provisions before finding our way to the garden-level (which is a fancy way of saying basement) airbnb. Thankfully, I am killer at parallel parking, and snagged a spot right outside the place. However, my car did not go unscathed. After settling in, eating our sandwiches, and getting ready for the show, our pre-concert nerves had us bouncing off the walls. We were so ready to rock! So much so, that we watched nearly the entire L7 set from the Hollywood Rock Festival from 1993 in Rio de Janeiro.
We arrived at Empire Live right as the doors were opening which ensured we would get a spot close up since were were just as exited to see Gina Volpe as we were L7. The club feels divey without feeling shabby, making it a great spot to see rock shows. The way the space is structured allows a great view no matter where you’re standing, which is impressive since the room can hold up to 1,000 people. I really liked the space, it reminded me of how Lupo’s used to be before it turned into The Strand in Providence. Once we surveyed the space we took advantage of our great timing and approached the pit to find a spot near the barricade. I wish I could have experienced the days of shows without barricades because they suck. Some are better than others and fortunately at this show the barricades were close enough to the stage that it didn’t feel like there was too much distance. If you watch L7’s documentary, Pretend We’re Dead (2016), you’ll see how crazy the shows used to be, with punks running onto the stage like maniacs, even crashing into Donita. I’ll never forget the clip of her shoving this dude off stage so hard while somehow still managing to shred. So I can’t say I don’t understand barricades, but I still don’t like them.
I was extra excited to show off my vintage L7 Hungry for Stink balloon boy t-shirt that someone had decimated with a pair of scissors at some point which was great news for me because it stripped the value of the shirt down enough to suit my price-range. Seriously, these shirts go for hundreds of dollars depending on the condition. There’s an “Off the Wagon” tee being sold for over $1,000 on eBay— it’s no joke! Luckily, this shirt was cut-up enough that I paid under $100 for it! There is nothing like a single-stitch tee— if you know me, you know how much I love those paper-thin single-stitch shirts. As Caroline and I walked up to the front of the stage we stood behind a motley crew of L7 diehards who had beaten us to the rail. I knew I liked them already. After standing there for all of 2 seconds, the crew turned around and immediately noticed my balloon boy tee, which was met with wide eyes, and the question on everyone’s mind: WHERE DID YOU GET THAT? It was exactly the reaction I was looking for, not because I wanted the attention, but because I had a hunch it would help me connect with fellow L7 heads. My plan worked. Soon Caroline and I were being introduced to the gang: Mel, Nik, Renee, Kat, and Emily. Honorable mention to Kat’s best friend Tamika, who wasn’t an L7 diehard, but flew in from Texas so she might be a diehard fan at this point. These people have been friends for years, and they made room for two more crazy punks, letting us be part of the jokes, stories, and all-around debauchery that ensues at an L7 show.
Gina Volpe and her band, who had only played one live show together before Albany, put on one hell of a show to start off the night. Volpe, known for playing lead guitar in the Lunachicks, shreds so hard!!! She is also a big part of the reason why I play an SG, which Kat and I bonded over. #SGsForLife. Delete the World is an album I play over and over again and never grow tire of it. Produced by Barb Morrison, the concept album is full of surprises and packed with emotion. Volpe’s first single released from the album, “Drink Me” takes the listener on a spiral that most people who have had too much to drink will surely understand. As someone who no longer drinks alcohol, I find the song incredibly relatable, as it deftly encompasses the embarrassment and self-depreciation that can come with overconsumption.
Volpe’s riffs are intoxicating. My personal favorites from the album are “Until I Arrive” and “Low.” The melody in “Until I Arrive” is one I want to throw myself directly into; I want to be inside that song. And watching her play is insane the way she makes it look so easy— it’s not! To think Volpe never took a guitar lesson is a testament to her natural-born talent. I just want to be half as good— and even that feels like I’m asking for a lot.
Additionally, her band was so much fun to watch. Drummer, Caro Moore, typically plays on Broadway, doing shows like Six The Musical. Moore’s huge smile the entire time they played was so great considering most rock’n’roll drummers put on that classic mean mug. The band was clearly having a blast, even when bassist Meghan Rose got tangled in the cables and mic stand. Fortunately, Jennifer Finch was there snapping pics and was able to untangle Rose mid-song without any slip-ups. The set was incredible, starting the show with “Time to Come,” and ended with “Escaped from the Lab.” Though the first song was a single from 2019, it helped to bookend the set with an apt introduction and closing song to the experience that Volpe has invented for us. If you haven’t listened to Delete the World yet, I highly urge you to do so. Furthermore, in addition to her talent, talk about a badass chick!
L7 walked onto the stage to their signature intro song: Link Wray’s “Rumble.” A fitting song, that was once banned from the radio out of fear of the song’s title— ooouuu so scary! The audience was warmed up from Volpe’s killer set, so once “Rumble” started playing the club’s energy continued to inflate the space. The band began their set with an eruptive “Deathwish.” The heavy bass over the low-toned riff bring the lyrics to life, making this self-sabotaging anthem perfect for head banging. This was one of my favorite sets that the band has done. I think “Deathwish” is the perfect opening song and “Fast & Frightening” concludes the show like no other track. I do have my own drafts of my dream L7 set list, but this one comes pretty close to being perfect.
During “Shove,” Gardner tried to communicate with Sparks that her guitar was having a sound issue. However, Sparks missed Gardner’s attempts and began the song before realizing the rest of the band wasn’t playing. It took a minute for the techs to get Brownie’s (Suzi’s Gibson Melody Maker) sound back, during which Sparks, Finch, and Plakas filled in the silence with “Uncle Bob,” one of my favorite songs from their first self-titled album. It was awesome to hear the heavy sludgy riff live, but it was clear the Gardner was frustrated which sucked to see since her guitar skills are incredible. However, once her sound was back on, she continued to kick ass, as she does!
The security at this show was phenomenal. They knew exactly when it was necessary to step in and more importantly knew where to stand to not be directly in the way of the band. During the encore songs, the pit started to get crazy. Some dude came plowing through, and just as fast as he had appeared was removed in seconds. I’m not joking, it was like ballet. It was pretty obvious this dude never listened to the song “Everglade” by the way he was acting up. DON’T. CROSS. MY. LINE.
By the encore, our new friends let me and Caroline get rail, which is actually one of the kindest gestures that someone can do at a punk show. The energy was insane; L7 has a way of making that happen. I love that “Scatter the Rats” was played since each member, besides Plakas, has a verse. The song is dark while at the same time exuding an almost spiritual kind of feel to it. A battle with the rats. A battle with the rats, won. It’s transcending, but it’s also funny. That’s L7 for you in a nutshell.
After the show, we ran to say hi to Gina Volpe, who is one of the kindest people I have met in the music scene. Talk about guitar heroes! We all told her we’d be at the Buffalo show to which she generously offered tickets if anyone needed one. Of course, Caroline and I, plus our new gang of friends, had purchased our tickets months in advance.
We also were able to meet Donita Sparks who came out briefly after the show to make her rounds. Sparks was a joy to meet, smiling big to take a selfie with us— which we printed out and made into keychains the second we got home. After talking to Sparks for a minute, my sister decided she has english/art teacher vibes; meaning she radiates a thoughtful and caring aura without compromising who she is. Meeting Sparks was such a highlight for the both of us. We also ran into Finch on our way out of the venue, who quickly took pics with us before running off to meet up with old friends. It really felt like a “pinch me, I’m dreaming” night. L7 is more than just a band, which fans already know. They are groundbreaking rockstars who deserve all the credit in the world. They refused to be a “chick band,” they refused to be pinned into a genre, and they refused to be stepped on, even starting Rock For Choice, a fundraising music festival for abortion rights.
May 17, Electric City, Buffalo, NY
After hearing so many terrible things about Buffalo— allegedly a murder capital, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I also wasn’t interested in confirming it being a murder capital until our drive back home. Truthfully, I don’t have much to say about the city, except that I had a great time. I was in great company, which I’m sure had something to do with it. Caroline and I were exhausted from the night before, a combination of staying up late from the show and from the broken bed at the airbnb we had stayed at. Don’t even get me started on airbnbs—major scam, major eye roll. But we had another show to get to!
The drive to Buffalo from Albany took about four and a half hours. It was long, but our spirits were high. Luckily the journey was mostly driving through farmland, providing a lush and verdant scene thanks to April’s rain. Oftentimes when bands announce tour dates, the comment section is filled with people complaining the band isn’t coming to their town. As someone who lives in the smallest state, where all the clubs have turned desolate, I understand the struggle. However, if you care about a band enough, you will make the drive. Touring is insanely demanding for the artists, so if you’re able to make a mini-roadtrip, I highly recommend.
By the time we got to Buffalo we were hungry, so we found a Greek restaurant nearby and ordered salads and fries. While we were waiting for our food we noticed a framed picture of the Goo Goo Dolls that the band had signed since they’re from Buffalo. It made us laugh knowing we were about to dine at John Rzeznik’s favorite Greek restaurant in all of Buffalo (I’m guessing!). Enjoy the video below courtesy of Caroline:
After resting for a couple hours and fueling up in the hotel room, it was soon time for us to get back to rocking and a rolling. We threw on our best band tees (Rock for Choice for me and Frightwig for Caroline), and ran down the long hotel hallway at full speed toward the elevator. Our new friends had sent us messages that they were about to head over to the venue, which fueled our excitement knowing we would have another night of headbanging together. It isn’t everyday that you meet people you like them. The rain had finally subsided, leaving the sky cloudy and the air cool; the grunginess of spring was beginning to clear. We found a parking lot nearby and nearly skipped over to the venue knowing we had a whole crew of friends waiting for us.
Electric City is a new venue with a 750-person capacity. The stage is sort of sunken in, creating almost a stadium-style setup with levels, allowing a great view wherever you stand. Additionally, the venue has a balcony/mezzanine level on the side of the stage for folks who prefer to sit and enjoy the show that way. I found the space to be clean, with a layout that accommodates all. Additionally, the acoustics were great, making the roar and rumble from the amps crisp without your ears paying the price for it later.
Caroline and I walked in and immediately saw Kat who greeted us with a big hug. She told us the gang was upstairs holding down our spot by the rail. Hell yeah!!! We ran upstairs to where the stage is like kids at an amusement park, finding our friends instantly. We were all wiped out, our bodies mixed up from too much Red Bull and not enough sleep, but it didn’t mean we weren’t ready to melt our faces off. The second the lights went down and Gina Volpe and her Volpes came out on stage, it was time to rock.
Below is a clip of “Time to Come”:
Gina Volpe and her band sounded even better than the first night. I think after knocking out the first two shows of the tour, by the third, they were locked in. Again, Volpe makes it look easy and effortless. Do not be fooled. She is truly one of the best guitarists out there, and so fucking cool! Furthermore, if you don’t know the Lunachicks, then I actually feel sorry for you because you’ve been missing out. Seriously, go listen to Jerk of All Trades (1995) right now (well, actually, wait until you finish reading this).
We chose to stand stage-right this night to show our support for Gardner since we stood on Finch’s side the evening before. Suzi Gardner is another guitarist that deserves far more credit. Being right between Sparks and Gardner was the place to be— L7 wouldn’t be L7 without their hard work and dedication. Truly, their talent as songwriters alone is proof they are bona fide rockstars.
The way the crowd explodes every time “Andres” plays feels like one big apology to the band’s friend, Andres. We’re sorry!!! The song has become one of L7’s more anthemic tracks, encapsulating an apology better than any apology I’ve ever heard. From what I know of the song’s origin, L7 is not directly to blame for the woes of Andres, but connected enough that they felt they owed him a song to sincerely apologize. Luckily for L7, the song is such a banger that Andres fortunately accepted their atonement.
Enjoy this clip of “Andres” which captures the true heat L7 brings:
“Human” was the song that was most memorable to me at this show. The sound at this club was so good, the way I got lost in the music during “Human” is one that should be studied. Gardner’s vocal range is wild, her growl is one to be feared, in addition to her other-worldly noises, that further add to the theme of the song: “it appears to be human… but it’s not.” I’m a big fan of their Slap-Happy (1999) album, I think it is wildly under-appreciated, and has some real killer tracks. Hearing “Human” live was a visceral experience, which is likely why I love the song more now than I had before. I wish I got footage during that performance, but I was so lost in the music that it would’ve felt sacrilege to have taken out my phone. It’s a fine line to walk during shows when you want to be in the present moment but you also want to document the show for history’s sake. Seriously, I don’t know who I would be today without the plethora of L7 footage from the 90’s.
The combination of playing “Dispatch From Mar-a-Lago” to then “Wargasm” definitely shook something within the Buffalo crowd. Between songs, an idiot heckler yelled to Sparks something along the lines of “who are you voting for.” Like I said, idiot heckler. Before “Wargasm” began, Sparks made a comment regarding the songs unfortunate relevancy, rolling her eyes seemingly at the dumbassery of the world.
“Shitlist” turned into the craziest scene ever, as some loser came plowing through the pit, attempting to rip a man away from the barricade. Here’s the thing, when you show up early to a show and get rail, it’s something that you have earned. This man had been standing dead center way before I had even gotten to the venue. While we were waiting for the show to start, he was showing folks nearby all the cool photos he had taken of the Lunachicks and L7 from back in the day. It was clear that this man had a huge appreciation for music and photographing bands (his pics were great). Thankfully, the crowd had absolutely zero tolerance for the asshole ripping through the pit. As the chorus hit, nearly everyone in the crowd turned away from the stage to face the dumbass, who was now in the pit surrounded by middle fingers and angry faces screaming the words to “Shitlist.” Seriously, this asshole gave us all a new perspective on the song, really bringing poetry into motion. It was hilarious and effective, scaring the loser away to go lick his emotional wounds from his crushed ego.
After the show, we all ran to the merch table to make sure we got our copies of Delete the World signed by Gina Volpe. We all took a group picture together which is etched in my heart for life. It was an odd feeling, knowing I had just met these friends only one day prior, but the feeling of community and belonging rang true. Once the venue kicked everyone out, we regrouped in the parking lot, linking up with Chez, another one of L7’s diehard fans. Caroline and I knew of Chez since he is very active in the L7 facebook groups, but also because L7 had shared some pics with him during the May Daze tour. Chez was following the band on tour from Florida to the tippity top of New York. Once we rejoiced over such a killer show, we realized that we had worked up quite the appetite. That’s when the word “pancakes” started getting thrown around. “Do you guys wanna go get pancakes?” Ummmm HELL YEAH WE DO!
The nine of us walked through downtown Buffalo like one big dog pack, avoiding the peculiar and seemingly endless tunnel, out of being overly precautious. As we made the big trek, passing a joint around, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was dreaming. This squad really took me and Caroline under their wings, making the weekend more memorable than we could have imagined. We ended up at Brothers Restaurant for pancakes and french toast, where the staff could not have been kinder. If you’ve ever worked in the food service industry, you know how much of a pain in the ass a large group can be, especially late at night. However, they put up with our enthusiastic spirits, serving up the freshest hot cakes, and piles and piles of bacon which all the vegetarians generously gave to Chez. We talked about our favorite L7 songs, albums, concerts, and our L7 origin stories. One thing that rang true for all of us was that L7’s music comforted us in a way that isn’t pacifying, but empowering.
After pancakes, we made the big trek back to where our cars were parked. Kat made sure that we all stuck together, because that’s what we do— we have each other’s backs! It was that moment that really sealed the deal for me, knowing our new friends made sure we were safe. Over another joint we bravely decided we should take the mysterious tunnel back toward where our cars were. It was in that moment that we realized mid-puff that the long, dark, scary tunnel, was actually well-lit and far shorter than we had imagined. Furthermore, the tunnel was pasted with upcoming theater posters, fliers of thespians in stage makeup with exaggerated faces, mocking us further into believing we might be in danger if we selected that path. It was a comical discovery that made the joint far more enjoyable knowing the coast was clear.
The next morning was a brutal one knowing we weren’t on our way to Pennsylvania for L7’s next show. The entire car ride back, Kat sent us songs to listen to, a lot of Brody Dalle, which helped make the near-seven hour drive go by with ease. Caroline took the liberties of driving the entire way back home, which I was so grateful for. The post-concert depression felt a little heavy because the weekend was so epic. There were fears that maybe after the weekend, we’d drift apart, knowing we all lived in different states— and countries! However, the L7 bond is stronger than anything I’ve ever experienced. I talk to this crew nearly every day! Caroline and I reunited with Renee at the Fast & Frightening Festival in LA last fall, and went to see The Lambrini Girls, and Amyl & The Sniffers with Nik. I’m so grateful to have met these rockin’ friends; music can really bring the best people together. We talk to Mel every single day, and share music with Kat, who has yet to impress me with a song recommendation.
A big thank you to L7 for the May Daze 2024 tour, it will live rent-free in my head until the day I die. Cheers to the next show— hopefully it’s sooner than later. Also, be on the lookout for my Fast & Frightening write-up coming soon.
Great piece, Elle!