S.Lo on February 7th, 2022

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If there is a word for rage-filled elation, Saturday night’s Kills Birds show skyrocketed the Lodge Room to 10th nirvana. Mentioning a couple of times that it had been two years since the band headlined a show in their hometown in L.A., frontwoman Nina Ljeti was more than ready to move on from the, well … “let’s not talk about it.”

Beyond words, the band tore through their sophomore album, “Married,” and self-titled full-length debut, throwing open a wave of rage that’s long been at boiling point.

Turning the distortion up to 11 with great use of choreographed lighting, guitarist-sound alchemist Jacob Loeb and bassist Fielder Thomas — joined Saturday night by Kaz Mirblouk on guitar and Griffin Kisner on drums — leaned hard and heavy at the beginning of the set, with Ljeti bringing a live intensity to the newer songs with a powerful roar and a boundless energy across the stage. The head-banging audience reveled in it all and were duly rewarded with tracks from the band’s beloved debut album, as well.

Mid-set, the singer thanked old friends and supporters and welcomed the new ones before the band launched into the staunchly fond “New Friend.” From the primal howl of procreation in “Good Planning” to the somber, reflective title track, “Married,” to self-defeating anger over past abusive relationships in “Rabbit,” Kills Birds continues to be a singular voice in U.S. post-punk and alternative rock with an adult female perspective (with all its angst and frustrations) while avoiding today’s omnipresent narcissism and self-glorification. All heart and passion is what they give and from the youthful moshpit (of many ages) at the end of Saturday night’s show, the same was returned to them tenfold.

Raucous South Bay quartet Slaughterhouse and earnestly melodic quintet the Shaking Hands opened the show.

Kills Birds set: Reasoning, Rabbit, Cough Up Cherries, Natalie, Glisten, Ow, Jesus Did, PTL, New Friend, Good Planning, Woman, Wallowing, Married, Worthy Girl, Offside and Volcano

Recap by S.Lo
Photos by Notes from Vivace