Note: This review was meant to be posted elsewhere. There were some unfortunately issues that popped up so I'm going to post it here 2 months after the fact. I spent time writing up the review and want it to see the light of day.
Alternative rockers The Breeders took to the Hollywood Palladium on a hot August night in Los Angeles. Their low key attitude was met by a delighted crowd – a crowd that showed up well before doors opened, forming a line that wrapped around the outside of the venue. It was a packed house to catch the band’s first headlining tour since 2024.
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| The Breeders at the Hollywood Palladium |
The tour was both a pregaming for their appearance in Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields festival and a way to test out new material for their upcoming first new album since 2018’s All Nerve. During their set, they played four new songs that will be on the album. A highlight on that album will no doubt be the minimalist “Ghost” that got a positive response from the crowd and had the band saying, “You’re too kind.” They also mentioned that their new songs haven’t been recorded yet and have just been worked on in the basement.
“Divine Hammer” had catchy jingles that were carried by wistful vocals. “No Aloha” had a Pacific Island start until it blasted into a rocker that had the crowd jumping. The band had plenty of fun with their reinterpretation of Ed’s Redeeming Qualities cover song “Drivin’ on 9.”
Though Kim Deal carried most of the vocal duties, for “I Just Wanna Get Along,” lead vocals were carried by twin sister Kelley Deal. She happened to be the only member of the band who had ever played the Hollywood Palladium before, “Let me get my gum out of my mouth.” The band loves to make sure that everyone gets a moment to shine – an acknowledgement that this is a true four piece band. Drummer Jim Macpherson stepped away from the kit and went to the front of the stage to introduce the band. Their set final “Iris” was heavy on the bass that was powered by Josephine Wiggs who got plenty of shoutouts by her band mates and the crowd.
They were, of course, called back on stage by a loud ovation to truly end the night with a 3 song encore. The song that everyone in Los Angeles knows, “Cannonball,” sent all home in a joyous mood.
Opening for The Breeders was New Orleans based band Twisted Teens. The band loves to blend garage rock, Americana, and plenty of other musical genres into a mixing bowl and see what results. They carried those various influences into their fashion choices, as well. The five piece band had two members dressed in suits. The bassist played barefoot. Then two other members were dressed to amuse. The drummer had two hair ribbons along the face while the lead singer had a scarf wrapped around like a mummy. Their genre blending music had the crowd showing off their dance moves. When a call out was made that there would be “bonus points for boogieing,” the crowd responded by upping the ante. It should be mentioned that the drummer worked gallantly through a couple kit problems. One of his cymbals nearly immediately went off-kilter and his bass drum began to slide. A music tech came rushing out to assist on both issues.
The Breeders setlist: Doe, Saints, Invisible Man, Bite, Divine Hammer, No Aloha, Wait in the Car, Walking with a Killer, Hag, Ghost, Off You, Drivin’ on 9 (Ed’s Redeeming Qualities cover), When I Was A Painter, MetaGoth, Slo Dancing, Safari, I Just Wanna Get Along, Hellbound, Iris. Encores: Alien Eyes, Do You Love Me Now?, Cannonball.
Twisted Teens setlist: Hand Me A Cigarette, Top Of The World Hwy No. 2, when the wire get cut, Why’d You Miss It?, Fire Waltz With Me, Is It Real?, Florida Water Blues, Wild Connection, Circus Clown, sea of love, the valley spirit never dies, Weather The Season, sister heat, Twisted Teen.
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