Screaming Females at White Eagle Hall (photo by Ray Rusinak)
Screaming Females began throwing their annual Garden Party in 2016 at WFMU’s Monty Hall. The two-night affair features some of the best rock/punk/post-punk/indie music that New Jersey (and nearby) has to offer, with the Screamales headlining both nights. The event’s popularity required them to move it down the road to the bigger Jersey City venue, White Eagle Hall, a few years back. (And of course a couple years were lost to the pandemic.) But, this year’s event continued the raucous tradition admirably with Truth Cult, Nina Nastasia, and Armand Hammer on Friday night, followed by Gel, Catbite and Laura Stevenson on Saturday. I was among the enthusiastic revelers the second night this past weekend, and although I traveled from Brooklyn to catch the fun, I definitely got caught up in the Jersey pride vibes.
The NJ hardcore act Gel started out the evening with frenetic intensity, as singer Sami Kaiser growled and bounced all over the stage, the crowd up front moshing away. Gel’s debut album, Only Constant, is coming out on Convulse Records on March 31, and the band will be touring in support of it for the rest of the spring. They certainly started things out right by shaking White Eagle Hall before hitting the road. You can catch them in New York for a pair of shows soon, 4/21 at TV Eye and 4/22 at Saint Vitus.
Philadelphia’s Catbite took the stage next, bringing their super high-energy ska, and the audience shifted from slam-dancing to skanking like crazy. Mid-set, vocalist Brittany Luna demonstrated the band’s signature dance move, which involved making like a pissed off cat scratching toward the ceiling, and suddenly the hall was full of raised “claws.” Catbite too has a busy year of touring ahead and immediately after this show left for an Australian tour. They will then return to the US for some dates (including SXSW), bounce over to Europe, and then come back to the States again where they will head all over the US in the months to come, I’m tired just having typed that! (And yes, they’ll be back in Brooklyn this summer.)
Up third came songstress Laura Stevenson (not originally from New Jersey, but signed to Don Giovanni, so close enough). She quipped that she and new guitarist/bandmate Lily Mastrodimos were going to bring it down a bit, and that they did, with perfect harmonies in a more subdued but beautiful opening. The rest of the band (drummer Samantha Niss and bassist Mike Campbell) quickly joined them on stage after the first verse and chorus, and the rest of the set brought the full range and power of Stevenson’s gorgeous indie folk rock. The audience seemed to appreciate the chance to catch their breath and sway, and Stevenson hypnotized the crowd, demonstrating her prowess as a songwriter and performer.
Laura Stevenson at White Eagle Hall
Last but certainly not least, Screaming Females instantly seized the audience’s attention with “Brass Bell,” the first single from their first album in five years, Desire Pathway. The album was released by Don Giovanni the day of the first show, giving this year’s Garden Party a special celebratory energy.
In addition to showcasing songs from the new release, the Screamales rocked through many older favorites, including “I’ll Make You Sorry,” “Glass House,” and “Black Moon” all from their 2018 double LP All at Once. The adoring crowd went bonkers from the first note, and the crowd-surfing was plentiful, and fittingly, mostly non men. Marissa Paternoster was riveting, as always, shredding through her guitar solos like a woman possessed. Bassist “King Mike” Abbate and drummer Jarrett Dougherty churned out a storm of driving rhythms throughout the set as Paternoster wailed magically above it all like the punk-rock siren she is. The band seemed especially pleased with the audience’s intensity, and Paternoster rewarded the audience by matching their energy with her screams during “Boyfriend” at the end of their set and by letting the fans up front pass around her guitar. (I was elated to strum one of the strings as it drifted by! See below for a video.)
Screaming Females leave this week for an extensive tour of the US, Europe and the UK, but these Jersey heroes know that the Garden State is where their heart is, as this year’s Garden Party more than demonstrated, giving them a perfect send-off. And even though I snuck in from across two rivers, I’m going to make sure that the Garden Party is my annual tradition now too. (If anyone asks, I’ll say I’m from New Brunswick.)
Scroll down for fan shot videos setlist, pics of the show (photos by Ray Rusinak)
Laura Stevenson setlist: Living Room NY, Triangle, Don’t Think About Me, State, Torch Song, A Shine To It, Continental Divide, Wretch, Sky Blue Bad News, Jellyfish
Screaming Females setlist: Brass Bell, Black Moon, Beyond The Void, I’ll Make You Sorry, Wishing Well, It All Means Nothing, So Low, Let Me Into Your Heart, Desert Train, Doom 84, Deeply, Boyfriend Encore: Glass House, Fall Asleep
CATBITE
GEL
LAURA STEVENSON
SCREAMING FEMALES
