Matt Wallock on February 14th, 2022

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It was a hot week followed by a hotties weekend in Los Angeles, as local favorites Illuminati Hotties lit up the Highland Park Ebell Club on Saturday and Zebulon on Sunday, both shows in support of their latest album, “Let Me Do One More.”

Sunday night’s show offered an evening of head-banging bliss and hometown pride as singer-songwriter and producer Sarah Tudzin and her bandmates fired off a flurry of their self-described “tenderpunk” jams for an eager crowd in Frogtown. Revelry was already in the air following the Rams’ fourth-quarter victory in Super Bowl LVI just a few hours earlier, and Illuminati Hotties took that energy and ran with it.

Tuzdin greeted the audience with a salute before diving into “Let Me Do One More.” The catchy, cathartic “Pool Hopping” hit especially hard, as did “MMMOOOAAAAAYAYA” and “Kickflip.” Joined onstage by drummer Tim Kmet, guitarist Sapphire Jewell and bassist Zach Bilson, Tuzdin peppered her high-energy hooks with cackles and screams and snarls, inviting plenty of sing-alongs. This is the thrill of Illuminati Hotties’ live show: They manage to sound both super tight and super loose, which perfectly complements their sound (think jumpy, jangly art-rock meets power-chord-forward pop-punk).

Illuminati Hotties performed in front of a giant blue banner that said “ALL RIP’RS,” which may as well be their slogan. Their set was mostly rippers, but a notable exception was the quietly devastating “Growth,” which Tuzdin performed by herself in a setup similar to the album version. Finally, in a sweaty encore, Tuzdin ushered in Valentine’s Day with a directive to “grab someone you love and dance.” The band tore through “u v v p,” then closed the night by resurrecting their 2017 hit “(You’re Better) Than Ever,” punctuating the end of a joyful, rambunctious set with an exclamation mark.

Bristol indie rocker Fenne Lily and her band warmed up the crowd with fan favorites “Laundry and Jet Lag,” “Birthday,” “I Used to Hate My Body and Now I Just Hate You” and “Berlin,” all of which appeared on her 2020 album, “Breach.” An earlier set by Katy Kirby showed the Nashville singer-songwriter delivering a stripped-down performance with guitarist Logan Chung. It was a far cry from her full-band set at Koreatown’s massive First Congregational Church back in September, but it was just as rapturous. Lily and Kirby each played an unreleased song, with Christian Lee Hutson joining Lily for a new tune.

Kirby brought understated humor from the start: “Thank you to the Super Bowl for opening this show,” she said before playing “Fireman” from her debut album, “Cool Dry Place.”

“Congratulations on the sporting achievement,” Lily added during her own set. Deadpanned Tudzin later, “I was nervous to come after Dr. Dre, but I feel better now.”

Also memorable: Lily revealed that she and Kirby had previously dated the same guy, and that several songs in her set were about him. To which Tudzin rejoined: “I don’t know who everyone dated before, but I’m going to fucking slash their tires.”

Setlist: Free Ppls, Knead, Pool Hopping, MMMOOOAAAAAYAYA, Threatening Each Other re: Capitalism, The Sway, Joni: LA’s No. 1 Health Goth, Kickflip, Patience, Cheap Shoes, Sandwich Sharer, Ppl Plzr, Growth, u v v p, (You’re Better) Than Ever.

Photos by Notes From Vivace