Live music review: Philly punks Mannequin Pussy rocked sold-out Mohawk in rain on 420 Day
Sometimes, Austin music fans are stubborn. Austin’s legendary Red River Cultural District venue, Mohawk drew a sold-out crowd on a 420 Day evening when the weather forecast threatened to do away with the night’s concert festivities. Luckily for fans of Philadelphia punk outfit Mannequin Pussy, folks were ready to have floods of fun as the rain poured down right as the band took the stage. Coming off of their recently released, critically acclaimed 2024 LP, I Got Heaven, Mannequin Pussy has been re-established as an energetic rock act with considerable genre crossover, showing hints of art pop, punk rock, and hardcore in their released bodies of work.
Fellow Philadelphia hardcore act Soul Glo took the stage first, their third Austin appearance in just over a year. Since their latest record, Diaspora Problems, singer Pierce Jordan has become known for his frantic, rapid-fire vocal delivery that translates into the punk equivalent of a rapper like Busta Rhymes or Tech N9ne. The record received mass critical acclaim, showing the band as a polished punk act that isn’t without its DIY grit. Songs like “Gold Chain Punk (whogonbeatmyass?)” appeared, allowing the flailing Saturday night audience to rage about as the cut progressed into a slow, painful breakdown. At this point, Jordan surrendered the microphone to guitarist GG Guerra for a mind-numbing section of visceral vocal duties while the audience added every last drop of their voices to sing along with the eccentric Philly band. Newly released track “When I Speak (Shut The Fuck Up)” also appeared, showing promise for yet another fast and furious full-length effort from the group.
Mannequin Pussy posted on their Instagram earlier in the day that the show would indeed go forward despite the messy forecast. It looked like we were in the clear for most of the evening. Nope. About five minutes into MP’s set, the rain started to pour – hard. Marisa “Missy” Dabice has an angelic indie rock delivery that mixes well when things drift towards a raw punk rock freakout. The show’s pace started slow with the track “I Don’t Know You” opening the set, which was slightly confusing at first after the barn-burning Soul Glo performance the crowd had just witnessed. The tempo started to pick up with “Control,” which showed the entire ensemble assisting with energetic backing vocals. Mannequin Pussy takes an emotional indie rock angle to their explosive punk rock sensibilities. Sometimes this leads to the ensuing songs to erupt into d-beat monstrosities.
At one point in the set, Dabice comedically asked the audience, “Is it raining out there yet?” It was indeed pouring, and the audience continued to jump around and sing along as the water continued to splash. It was a moment akin to Death From Above 1979’s Levitation 2023 set, which also resulted in a wave-making endeavor. Bassist Colins “Bear” Regisford is also a joy to watch, assisting in the group’s power-chording pieces with a backboning sound that allowed for that much more of a punch.
As the rain continued to fall, the audience kept guessing when the venue would pull the plug. Every audience member was jumping and singing like it was the last song of the evening. The idea of lightning showing its face in the persisting thunderstorm was on everyone’s mind. The cathartic shoegaze vibes of “Loud Bark” appeared as a part of the band’s nine-song run through their acclaimed new record. The Mohawk crowd was seeing a band formed as far back as 2010 still releasing records and garnering a fanbase that sings every word.
Fourteen songs into the set, the band announced they had to depart the stage due to the lightning readily visible for half of the set. Mannequin Pussy hacked through as many songs as they could and didn’t take their foot off the gas until being forced to stop. The Austin scene is stubborn if not a resilient bunch. Rain or shine, the hive ventures out to enjoy their favorite music even in weather climates where the conditions are less-than-ideal. Massive props to some of our favorite Red River hooligans, Mohawk, for letting the show continue until it couldn’t.
Mannequin Pussy continues down the road in North America this spring before heading to Europe in the Summer. Tickets can be found here.
Featured file photo by Drew Doggett
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