Photo by Alexis Thompson- @alexisthompsss
Mannequin Pussy and Wednesday united to co-headline their Bitch Cabal tour and made a stop at St. Pete’s iconic Jannus Live venue. The sold out show on Saturday saw the two groups give their all to the crowd, and the crowd gave it right back to them.
Photo by Alexis Thompson- @alexisthompsss
Photo by Alexis Thompson- @alexisthompsss
Tennessee band Snooper opened the show with a fast paced, vibrant set. I had never heard of them before, but as soon as they started playing I was left in awe. Singer Blair Tramel spent the set jumping around, which made the crowd follow suit. I was impressed by not only her strong vocals, but also the way she kept bouncing around the entire time they were on. The whole band took advantage of the stage as the guitar players and bassist moved around while they played, bassist Jackson Grant even jumping into the crowd near the end of their set. Punk rock and full of life, the band’s performance left me amazed by the energy they brought to the stage–and the crowd. Closing their set, Tramel entered the crowd dressed as the band’s “snooper bug”, which was a great way to end such a fun set.
Photos by Alexis Thompson- @alexisthompsss
Alternative country rock band Wednesday followed, playing some of their fan favorites like "June 2” and “Elderberry Wine”. The five piece band from North Carolina lit up the stage as they played through their set, with Karly Hartzman’s incredible vocals echoing through the cool autumn air. The band changed the vibe as they leaned into their country roots with a cover of Gary Stewart’s song “She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinking Doubles")”. After this, the band took a request from a fan in the crowd to play “Handsome Man”, a track that rotates in and out of their tour setlist.
I was so excited to see them on this tour with Mannequin Pussy as I have been a massive fan of “Bull Believer” for the past year, listening to it time and time again. When they started playing this one, the crowd erupted and sang along until the very end when everyone joined in to accompany Hartzman in her final screams of the track.
Mannequin Pussy took the stage at 10:30 pm and they were definitely worth the wait. This was my first time seeing them, and it certainly won’t be the last. Frontwoman Marisa “Missy” Dabice began with “Sometimes”, a song that immediately got the crowd moving.
Photo by Alexis Thompson- @alexisthompsss
There was a sense of community that came from this set. While listening to Dabice sing hard-hitting tracks like “Drunk II” and “Control” from early records, the audience provided a safe space for emotions to pour out.
The band used the stage to speak on politics and the state of the world, even bringing bassist Collins “Bear” Regisford up to the front to sing “Pigs Is Pigs" after critiquing the current administration.
Photos by Alexis Thompson- @alexisthompsss
Photo by Alexis Thompson- @alexisthompsss
The punk rock group closed the night with “Loud Bark” after a speech given by Dabice. In it, she encouraged creativity as an outlet for the rage and frustration we feel with the world today. She prompted us to work for the change we want to see, and to support one another while doing so. A longstanding tradition followed, where we took part in the band’s iconic communal scream that led into the song, giving everyone a moment of catharsis and connection.
This was a show I will no doubt be thinking about for a long time. It was one of those nights that leaves an imprint on you and changes not only how you listen to the music after, but go through life. If you haven’t seen this band live yet, I cannot recommend them enough.