Nestled in a corner of South Berkeley, adorned with their name arched above a white gate is Art House. My friends and I walked in on a Saturday night, entranced by the magic of glow-in-the-dark paint and purple fairy lights. We wandered further inside, jittery with a cocktail of anxiety and excitement– the pounding of a bass drum mirroring that of our fast beating hearts. The music was already in full swing, echoing through the room and spilling out onto Shattuck avenue.
Yellow Submarine played on a TV in the corner, and a group of people moved their bodies and nodded their heads, dancing with the bassist and drummers’ fast tempo. The mix of music, and the visual projections on the wall made it all up to be a psychedelic experience, and it was all the more so when we made our way to the front, feeling the music vibrate in our feet.
We only got to listen to two of the songs played by the first band, but as soon as they finished, I was hooked, hooked on the 1960’s psychadelia, and how the anxiety inside of me seemed to wash away with each riff. Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix smiled at me from a mural on the wall.
The band playing, Moms With Bangs, formerly known as “Peach Fuzz” until July 2021, describes themselves as “a Bay Area born rag-tag team of mischievous scamps with the goal of making visceral garage punk to scare the elderly.” (Spotify)
Lead vocalist and guitar player Leo sings with intensity and a hint of madness, working alongside guitarist Austin. They lean their heads in together at one point during the night, and I imagine some sort of musical telepathy is at play.
Michael, the bassist, is tattooed on the hand with a bass clef, and my eyes wander to it as he furiously plucks at the strings of his instrument, hair flying with each thump.
The band is also made up of the wildly talented Drums, Will, and Synth, Axel, and as a whole unit, their sound is complete. They released a full-length album titled “Jazzercised” earlier this year.
As of recently, Moms With Bangs have played their last show at The Phoenix Theater in Petaluma before an indefinite hiatus, stating on their Instagram, “Don’t worry we will return someday with more music to play.” As of now, each of the members are pursuing separate projects. Their music is frozen in time on Spotify– similarly to the venue I saw them last at. Art House was a bittersweet send off for me– a mixture of beauty, art, and music that made me appreciate the band more than ever before. I suppose it goes to show that nothing gold stays.
” Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix smiled at me from a mural on the wall.” VIBE.