It’s not been a secret that the future of rock is female. Whether it was Boygenius or the Hayley Williams-fronted Paramore ruling the rock categories at the Grammys, hard rock group The Warning killing it at the VMAs, or The Last Dinner Party and Wet Leg having critics abuzz. Women are ruling the once male-dominated arena like never before and there’s no end to this wave (nor should there be) in sight.
Recently I reported about young rocker Devon Thompson, who continues to gig around Los Angeles, and last Friday I was able to check out another up-and-coming all-female group, The Anti Groupies, who drove up from Long Beach to open the night at the famous Whisky A Go Go. Composed of Cassidy Fleeman (vocals/guitar), Isabella Broersma (guitar), Sydney Moore (bass) and Kyla Foster (drums), the group sounded right at home at the famous Sunset Strip venue as they channeled the glammy, hard rock sound of groups that graced the walls of the venue in photos and memorabilia.
With only four songs currently released, the band shared seven additional unreleased originals in their set. Tracks like the hard-edged “Social Battery” and catchy “Regret Me” showed off that the band were a well-oiled machine, sounding tight and in-sync. Even though Fleeman admitted to having lost her voice, her bluesy vocals still shined on “Voicemail”. Each member of the band held their own, with Broersma ripping a few skillful solos, Moore dropping some complex bass parts with style, and Foster absolutely demolishing the room with her percussive talent.
Lyrically, the girls had some shots to fire at predatory men (“Nice is Not an Invite”) and vainglorious a**holes (“Read the Room”). They carried plenty of attitude in their songs and delivery. The only thing I would say that was missing, and which the band can still work on, is simply having some fun on stage.
While some bands put on wild performances, sound and musicality be damned, The Anti Groupies have gone in the opposite direction; learning how to play as a tight unit that can bring their songs to life, but without much performance element yet. While Moore showed off a bit during her bass solo, and Fleeman and Broersma occasionally lined up alongside each other to show some camaraderie, I would love to see them incorporate some bigger, visual moments that many of their hard rock forbears have done so well, to really solidify their presence on stage. When Fleeman put down her guitar to carry the mic on “Cigarette Slut”, she missed an ample opportunity to stalk the stage and truly own it (as the band’s Instagram shows their Paramore fandom, certainly Hayley Williams would be a great example of how to do this).
This is of course something the band can continue to develop as they grow more comfortable and confident as a live act. For being so young (I was told Moore is the youngest at 15), they already are on track to hit the next level with their songwriting alone. I look forward to seeing them conquering stages a few years from now.
Listen to their latest single “Read the Room” here!
The Indy Review 