Shattered Faith, Cowgirl Clue, and Tijuana Panthers all open for an incredible show by The Garden at SOMA.
The Garden
SOMA had a hell of a show Thursday night, with Shattered Faith, Cowgirl Clue, Tijuana Panthers, opening for The Garden a day ahead of their Mirror Might Steal Your Charm album release. The concert opened up with Shattered Faith: an old SoCal Punk Rock band whose roots go back to the late 70s. Their set consisted of five old rockers who encouraged the crowd to let loose and have fun with their quick, steady, drum beats and loud guitar sounds.
That being said, the next act, Cowgirl Clue (who interestingly enough is dating a member of The Garden), put on an incredibly cute and fun pop-set. This served as a welcome departure from the norm of punk rock shows. Bringing in her own muted, yet poppy style, she managed to match the energy of the artists who would follow her. Backed with pretty vocals, a carefree attitude, and a drummer with an equally adorable small drum-kit, she temporarily turned a punk show into a cute dance-fest, complete with people jumping and laughing in the pit.
Following Cowgirl Clue was Tijuana Panthers, a garage rock trio whose Long Beach origins have put them in close proximity to The Garden throughout the years. Transitioning smoothly back to punk, Tijuana Panthers continued the energy established by previous acts, complete with their characteristic smooth surf-rock vibe, with a dash of some good-natured jostling and shoving throughout the crowd. Although the age of the crowd suggested they weren’t playing for the old, some of the relatively “slower” songs they performed gave everyone some much needed moments to breathe. This isn’t to say that they weren’t energetic: by the end of their set, the pit in the center widened and got increasingly rowdy, demonstrating how eager people were to let loose.
Although Tijuana Panthers consistently plays great shows, their performance in comparison to The Garden makes them seem calm. From the two brothers Wyatt and Fletcher Shears’ iconic stage presence, the build-up of energy throughout the rest of the night, to the palpable excitement of Garden shows, people were ready to explode by the time they came out. Per usual, all hell broke loose and the brothers showcased their incredible stage presence – best defined as sporadic and untamed, everything they do gives off a natural energy. From simply flailing their arms and dancing to jumping off their stage equipment into the crowd results in an environment throughout their entire set that few other live artists are able to so consistently and successfully pull off. The addition of songs from their now released album alongside fan favorites in their set allowed their performance to feel both very new, and at times comfortably familiar. All in all, the simple duo of guitar and drums resulted in a fantastic show.
