Live Shows: Grrrl Gang, Horrendous Downplay, and Little Miss Echo, Warehouse XI, Somerville, MA 3/19/26

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Thursday was one of those nights where a bunch of shows were happening all over the greater Boston area. Some nights it's hard to decide which show to go with, but when a band is coming all the way from Indonesia for their first U.S. tour, that's the one I had to go with. I had assumed Grrrl Gang would never make it to Boston, so their show was the obvious choice.

Opening the show was Boston's own Little Miss Echo. The trio played a fun set of their sunshiney dream pop and indie rock. Their songs had this great dichotomy of being light and poppy sounding while having the slightest edge of aggression. They have a great 90's influenced style while still sounding modern. They played a fun, short set that set the mood for the evening perfectly.

Thursday night's show was wonderfully curated, and up next was Horrendous Downplay. They had a similar sound to Little Miss Echo, but with an artsier vibe. Their music was noisy and beautiful, with an engaging delivery. As discordant as their music was at times, it was always infused with a sense of melody. It was intense indie rock along the lines of Slint and early Smashing Pumpkins.

Closing out the night was Grrrl Gang, making the drip up to the northeast after SXSW. Thursday night was in the middle of spring break for the majority of Boston's colleges, which lead to the show being lightly attended. That didn't dampen Grrrl Gang's spirits. They said it felt like a cozy house show, and put on an amazing set. Hearing songs from all of their releases all together showed how wonderfully diverse their sound is. The catchy alt-pop-rock of "Lap Dog," the punk of "Spunky!," and the dream pop of "Guys Don't Read Sylvia Plath" were all represented. The Indonesian quartet put on an amazing performance despite the size of the crowd. Anyone who was at Warehouse XI Thursday night will be talking about this show for years, and we'll all be checking Grrrl Gang's tour dates hoping for a return to Boston.

On Repeat...

Liam Kazar - "Shoes Too Tight"

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Photo by Alexa Viscius This may be Liam Kazar's debut single, but the Chicago based musician already has an impressive resume, having worked with Jeff Tweedy, Chance the Rapper, Steve Gunn, Daniel Johnston, and others. "Shoes Too Tight" features childhood friend Spencer Tweedy on drums, Lane Beckstrom on bass, and Ohmme on vocals. It's an absurdly fun and groovy little song that is a party waiting to happen. What he gives us here is a timeless song that could truly have been released any time since the 1960's (ok... maybe not the 80's...) There are elements of classic rock, 60's crooners and R&B, indie rock, modern Americana... it's really just packed with everything in a cohesive song that maintains the vibe the entire way through. You can watch the video for "Shoes Too Tight" below. For more on Liam Kazar, check him out on Instagram and Twitter . He's also raising money on his Bandcamp for Constellation and The Hungry Brain. ...
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Izzy Heltai - "Father"

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Photo by Joanna Chattman I've been referring to Northampton, MA based Izzy Heltai's music as mainstream modern folk with just enough of a unique spin to keep it appealing to music snobs, too. His latest single, "Father," might be the perfect example of that. It's a quiet, deeply personal song that starts off painfully sparse but ever so slowly builds and builds as it goes on. It walks that line between accessible/mainstream and indie expertly.  You can watch the video for "Father" below. Father , the upcoming debut album from Izzy Heltai, will be out October 9. You can pre-order a copy here . For more on Izzy Heltai, check out the artist's website .
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J Mascis - "See You At the Movies"

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Photo via Instagram Any time J Mascis releases new music will always be a big deal at If It's Too Loud... November will see the release of Elastic Days , his new solo album. Judging by the first single, "See You At the Movies," Elastic Days  will be exactly what we expect and want in a Mascis solo album. The first single is much prettier than Dinosaur Jr is. Mascis's solo work tends to be calmer and almost folky. "See You At the Movies" is exactly that, and is even almost orchestral in some places. You add in some of Mascis's guitar solos (a more tame version than Dino Jr's thunderous ones), and you've got a classic Mascis solo track. It's a typically great song, but at this point I'd like to see Mascis mix things up a bit. You can listen to "See You At the Movies" below. Elastic Days will be out November 9 on Sub Pop Records. There are some pretty reasonable pre-order bundles available, including a CD and t-shirt for $24....
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