Benches Fill The Room in LA With a Sold Out Show at the Echoplex

June 11th, 2025 - Los Angeles, California

Photo by Attiken Vega

On June 11th, Benches, a Southern California based band, played a sold out headline show in LA at The Echoplex. Seeing the band play a show in their home state was a remarkable experience. Their new EP, Kill The Lights, was released last month and this tour highlighted the new release. 

After arriving at the venue around the time of doors, there was already an exceptionally long line. Their fanbase, specifically in the Southern California area appears to be incredibly enthusiastic and passionate. It’s always marvelous to see so many people come together for the smaller artists that they love. 

As everyone began to flood into the venue, the opener, Pleasure Pill, took the stage. They are also local to Southern California, so it was magnificent to be able to see two bands who are native to the area on the same night. Pleasure Pill’s liveliness electrified the audience and got them exhilarated for Benches. They wanted to make the night all about community and love with all of the chaos happening in LA, which made the crowd come together. The message that they represented was a terrific way to start the show. 

When Benches appeared on the stage, everyone was cheering and exuberant. They began their set with one of the new songs off of their new EP, “Kill The Lights.” The mystifying intro to the song built up anticipation all around the room and brought intense enthusiasm. The setlist was filled with songs from the new EP mixed with some of the older, more known ones. They also added in some of the fan favorites like “Queen of Hearts,” and “Modern Day New York.” It was an extraordinary mixture of songs and a countless number of them had the crowd blown away. Certain songs had the audience moshing and everyone was ebullient. 

All throughout the set, fans came together to create an experience like no other. The enthusiasm of this crowd was one of the most astounding things I had ever seen. Most of the people knew the lyrics to every single song, which is always lovely to see, especially with bands like them that are still growing and up and coming. The band gets the crowd involved and gives fans an experience that they will remember forever. Having the opportunity to see them in LA was amazing and it was inspiring to be in a room full of so many passionate fans.  

Photo by Attiken Vega