Pom Pom Squad Announces Tour w/ The Front Bottoms + SXSW Shows w/ AV Club, Neon Gold & More
Pom Pom Squad
Announces Tour Dates w/ The Front Bottoms+ SXSW AV Club, Neon Gold & Grey Estates Showcases
Dazzling Red With Love Video Out Now
“Plucky fingerpicked guitar and thrashing rock riffs, with Mia Berrin’s voice at the center, adding glimmering force ” – Pitchfork “‘Quiet grrrl punk’… a cute descriptor that doesn’treveal nearly enough about the multitudes contained within…” – FADER“[‘Heavy Heavy’ is] one of the best songs of theweek…a mess of tangled guitars and a snarling outlook” – Stereogum“For those of you out there wondering where theLiz Phairs of this generation are…here you are” – Refinery29“The brute dynamism of early Sleater-Kinney with the sort of syrupy, angsty girl-pop vocals found in the early music of, say…a More Adventurous-era Jenny Lewis.” – Paste“Really hits you deep in the gut…Screaming in the face of chaos never felt better” – Highsnobiety“A love song as earnest and frenetic as the emotion itself.” – NYLON
Photo Credit: Cherie Bugtong
2020 already looks bright for Brooklyn indie rock darlings Pom Pom Squad, who recently followed up last year’s emotionally charged Ow EP with their first new music of the new year — a dazzling video for bubble-grunge love song “Red With Love”.
They’ve also just announced a string of upcoming tour dates opening for The Front Bottoms this spring, in addition to SXSW showcases with AV Club, Neon Gold, The Grey Estates and more to be added. They’ll be supporting Wisconsin buzzband Disq in April, as well – tour dates below & here.The four-piece reminiscent of early Hole, Mitski and PJ Harvey has become a staple in Brooklyn for their modern grunge sound and raucous live shows, sharing the stage with indie-rock mainstays like Soccer Mommy, Adult Mom, Pronoun, Rosie Tucker and more. When you hear Pom Pom Squad, you might picture a gaggle of matching teens, or a wry, sarcastic clan decked out in black; the reality is somewhere in between. Alongside Berrin, the band features bassist Mari Alé Figeman, drummer Shelby Keller, and guitarist Alex Mercuri. Hailing from a variety of different backgrounds — from Keller’s jazz training to Berrin’s classic hip-hop and new wave upbringing — the group manages to be serious without taking themselves too seriously. It’s that balance of solemnity and whimsy that allows punk and tenderness to live side by side: chunky, distorted guitar on some tracks, and near-whisper on others; brash yells or tame, wry wit. The Ow EP was previously championed by the likes of Pitchfork, FADER, Stereogum, Paste, SiriusXM Alt Nation, Under the Radar, Highsnobiety, Refinery29 and more, with Thrillist naming lead single “Heavy Heavy” one of The Best Songs of 2019.
Berrin’s music reveals internal discord — she’s intent to cast off the “nice girl” narrative, turning herself inside out to show that she isn’t so put-together after all. Also integral to Berrin’s self-excoration is her existence as a queer woman of color, two identities that come with their own preconceived notions. With lyrics centering on mental health, abuse, trauma, and healing, Pom Pom Squad pursues radical self-acceptance through periodic self-exposure and self-undressing.
SXSW:3/16: A.V. Club showcase @ The Mohawk, 7pm (Outdoor Stage)3/18: Neon Gold showcase @ Empire Garage, 7pm doors3/19: The Grey Estates @ Hole in The Wall, 2:35pm
Tour Dates:4/4
Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern ^ 4/6: Detroit, MI @ PJ’s Lager House ^ 4/7: Toronto, ON @ The Drake ^4/9: Boston, MA @ Great Scott ^4/10: New York, NY @ Rough Trade ^4/11: Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle ^4/12: Washington, DC @ Songbyrd ^4/24: Portland, ME @ Aura*4/25: Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground*4/26: Albany, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall*4/28:Pittsburgh, PA @ Roxian Theater*4/29: Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theater*4/30: Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom*5/3: Tampa, FL @ The Ritz* 5/4: Orlando, FL @ The Hard Rock Cafe*5/5: Charleston, SC @ Music Farm*5/6: Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel*5/8: Norfolk, VA @ Norva*5/9: Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater* ^Disq*The Front Bottoms
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