Song Spotlight: Makenna Lilly's the bleachers (a night at Hotel Ziggy)

Makenna Lilly (aka Makenna Lilly Medeiros) brought a throwback attitude to a WFNM showcase at Hotel Ziggy. Her Spotify bio mentions that her music is inspired by Letters to Cleo, The Breeders, Alanis Morissette, and Radiohead. I've covered two of those bands for music blog sites. Back in 2022, I covered Letters to Cleo for Buzzbands (you can read that article here). A few weeks back I covered The Breeders at The Palladium. Due to unanticipated outstanding issues, that review hasn't been published yet. Hopefully, in the near future. Those music bonds is definitely a reason why I was immediately drawn to her music. 

Makenna Lilly at Hotel Ziggy

My enjoyment of her set was helped by the fact that she kicked it off with the banger "Makeout." It immediately showed the great connection between Medeiros and her guitarist Tommy Lloyd. The two played off each other during the song. Lloyd put on an electric performance and Medeiros eyed his every move with the famous Newton's Third Law of Motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The song itself is an attack on hook-up culture in the music scene, "I heard your mother likes to wear your face on a shirt . . . she raised a major loser." 

Comment of the set: Can we have a moment of silence for our bass player who got stuck in traffic?

Did her bassist ever show up? Nope. Maybe the person gave up or was still trying to make it. It was a flashback moment for me. Back at Echo Park Rising in 2025, Valley Queen's Dylan Rodrigue never made it to their set due to awful traffic that erupted via a combination of Echo Park Rising and a Dodgers game. 

Makenna Lilly at Hotel Ziggy

She may have some old school alternative rocker love, but she also appreciates mainstream hits from the current decade. Her first cover was Noah Kahan's "Stick Season." Of course, her second and final cover flash backed to the year 2000 and the song "Teenage Dirtbag." That connection with her guitarist hit a fun note when she held the microphone to the side so that he could sing the lyrics. Per an Instagram post from the night, "It was meant for him." 

I appreciated the fact that she gave background info on her songs. "Lullaby" was written when she was 19 and had dropped out of college. At the time, she mentioned she was mad at boys. Her song "appetite" is about when someone has so much power over you that "it ruins your appetite." 

Makenna Lilly at Hotel Ziggy

The Song Spotlight goes to her most recent single "the bleachers." You're in love with your best friend, but he's stuck on a girl where the relationship seems to be in a cycle of break-ups and make-ups. Our Medeiros is stuck in the emotional support role in the song. If you're looking for a 2026 neo-Letters to Cleo inspired tune, this is the one for you.

Now he's kissing her while I'm under the bleachers.

Setlist: Makeout, Stick Season (Noah Kahan cover), the bleachers, lullaby, Teenage Dirtbag (Wheatus cover), appetite.