My family and I have gone to see the Linda Lindas play at least once a year for the last four or five years. It’s been good to see them grow as musicians in that time and still stay humble. Whether they’re opening for staples of the scene like Green Day or Jawbreaker or playing legendary venues varying in size and history, they always give a good show full of energy and positivity. Something that is much more present in the scene and not always so much outside of the venue walls.
This was my first visit to the Glasshouse in Pomona, mostly out of laziness, which can be a pain to get to due to traffic. Please note: it is not lost on me that my first time there would be on a Tuesday in my forties. It’s a pretty basic venue, with a bar on the back wall and a second story for merchandise and bathrooms, the decor is plain white walls with a wood floor and a disco ball hanging from the ceiling, placed directly in the middle of the venue. The downtown area around the Glasshouse has grown over the years with specialty stores and restaurants, art galleries, and even a pinball arcade carving out a nice little space in Downtown Pomona.
The night opened with the band Chicano Mosh from Corona, CA. These kids put on a pretty fun set with their reverby indie surf rock. Lead singer Bryan Bugarin led the band through songs like “Brown Cats” and “Ojos Flojos,” sung in both English and Spanish. Chicano Mosh held their own throughout their forty-minute set with varied moods in their songs, but always full of emotion and excellent arrangements. They would make a great addition to any lineup, and I can’t wait to see more from them.
Nashville, TN’s Be Your Own Pet was second on the bill. I had heard very little from them before, but was blown away by their energy. They played punk rock and riffy garage rock that reminded me of Black Flag in some places, especially on songs like “Goodtime!” They were fast, fun, and kept their set interesting with an urgent need to keep moving, even in the few mid-tempo songs. Lead singer Jemina Pearl’s constant moving and marching to the songs kept the set unpredictable in all the right places.
The Linda Lindas played a No Obligation album-heavy set; in fact, they played all of it. This would be a problem if the album wasn’t so damn good. It was the band’s first time headlining the Glasshouse, and they took full advantage. On top of playing all of No Obligation and hits from their first album, they fit in a few covers includin their Talking Heads cover, “Got a Job,” and “Tren al Sur” from Los Prisioneros. It’s great seeing them play their Spanish songs from their albums; they have become highlights, and I love seeing them incorporated into their set. They ended the set proper, as they do, with “Racist, Sexist Boy,” but came out for an encore, melding Green Day’s “When I Come Around” with Jawbreaker’s “Want,” “All in My Head,” and closing the night with their cover of Bikini Kill’s “Rebel Girl,” with all the bands joining them onstage to help sing. That summer with Green Day really tightened up their sound and helped with their nerves.
The crowd was great for the most part. It’s always endearing to see some of the Linda Lindas watching the bands with their fans in the crowd, no matter the size of the venue. As sometimes happens, a drunk guy tried to ruin the show by running up and grabbing people to jump into the pit, but he was dealt with very quickly when most of the people pointed him out to the band and got security to kick him out. The Linda Lindas pride themselves on trying to keep their shows safe spaces, despite how aggressive the music can get sometimes. The scene is evolving in more ways than one, and The Linda Lindas seem more than content to help.
