L7’s branding banner hung big and Pavlovian behind the drum kit on the Black stage Sunday night, daring its namesake foursome to take the stage. “Hi, everybody! It’s great to see you!” casualed frontwoman Donita Sparks, her gold-toothed smile instantly sweeter than her Teflon-tough image.
The recently regrouped Californians commenced Sunday’s set ablaze on “Deathwish,” bolting back to 1990 breakthrough Smell the Magic with pitch-black wit and grit funneling punk nihilism through a metallic march. Hungry for Stink single “Andres” glowered doomier, a zombie lurch for the headbanging set. Suzi Gardner’s lead vocals scraped like asphalt on skin.
Barefoot and magenta-haired, bassist Jennifer Finch pogoed through the hourlong set. Now in their early 50s, the ladies reconvened last year following a decade-plus hiatus, joining the likes of reunited era peers Sleater-Kinney and Babes in Toyland. Hammy and hardcore, they dished power grunge as naturally as during their Nineties heyday.
“Fuel My Fire” and “Freak Magnet” revisited Stink, but the performance pivoted on platinum breakthrough Bricks Are Heavy supplying “Scrap,” “Pretend We’re Dead,” “Diet Pill,” “Everglade,” “Slide,” “One More Thing,” and “Shitlist.” Slow (“My diet pill is wearing off”…) to rumbling (“Everglade”), L7 rocked with the inevitability of an armored caravan.
The pit grew thick with super fans and crowdsurfers. One lady raised her worn edition of the band’s 1993 Spin cover. Nostalgia, sure, but Sunday’s Fun Fun Fun set was fresh, raw, and riot grrrl defined.
Magic cut “Fast and Frightening” closed, as Sparks hurled herself from the top of the drum kit, all smiles. “Thank you, Austin! We love you so much!”
This article appears in November 6 • 2015.