NOTE: All photos are copyright of Howard Shiau Photography 2025
If you haven’t heard of the Linda Linda’s, you may be living under a rock. They exploded onto the scene, not necessarily the music scene, when they released a song and video for “Racist, Sexist Boy” after a schoolmate made a racist remark to the band’s drummer early in the Covid pandemic. That song became an anthem to Asians across the country who have experienced racism in the wake of the ex-President’s remarks about China. It also drew praise from many music industry stalwarts including Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill. With incidents of racism against Asians continuing to rise, it’s taken a group of teenagers from LA to bring the issue front and center. With that early exposure, the band has taken off with the band making their rounds on the late night circuit and playing various music festivals. Tonight was a one-off show following last night’s epic concert opening with Japanese Breakfast and the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s!!
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The first opener was local band Sub*T. They were obviously excited to be there, some of them having family at one of their shows for the first time!
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Next up was Bacchae, a punk band out of DC that reminded me of 90s bands like Bikini Kill yet more lighthearted like the B-52s. Every song was upbeat and a lot of fun, with lead vocalist and keyboardist Katie McD and bassist Rena Hagins providing the banter and antics.
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The interesting thing about the audience for the Linda Linda’s is that there are a large number of kids. And I don’t mean kids as in 20-something’s because I’m old but kids as in under-10 (granted kids with iPhones and Apple watches)!! With most of the band members barely of high school age, it’s not surprising that they would have a lot of young fans. With their standard “Kids to the front!!”, they’ve always encouraged the kids to be front and center and this night was no exception. During the openers, they would be up front with the other kids, taking selfies and chatting between sets. They’re obviously great role models for the next generation! And they are adorable, bursting into song without warning over and over. As they were setting up, I realized that Best Coast guitarist Bobb Bruno was a member of the crew! Most new bands set up their own equipment but they had Bruno supporting them!! Wow!
I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect from a band made up of such young members but, as soon as they hit the stage, you could tell that they played older than their age. They were confident and definitely not shy, each with their own distinct personalities. They also had their performance down pat, with fifteen year old guitarist Lucia de la Garza head banging, fourteen year old bassist Eloise Wong providing her signature screaming vocals, and eighteen year old guitarist Bela Salazar playing on her feet, on her knees and upside down. And we can’t forget the adorable twelve year old drummer Mila de la Garza, who started their fame with her reaction to a “racist sexist boy”, flipping her hair left and right as she played. Even the lighting and background visuals were sophisticated. The grid patterned lighting reminded me of shows with the Dum Dum Girls, whose lead Kristin Gundred (aka Kristin Kontrol) first brought the band together at Girlschool LA in 2018!! But the main thing to take away from watching the Linda Linda’s was the joy evident in the faces of each of the band members. Is this punk? I don’t know but it sure felt like this is the way music should be! They closed out the show by bringing both SubT and Bacchae back on stage for a cover of Bikini Kills’s “Rebel Girl”! What a great way to close out a show!
I hate to say it but the show sometimes did feel a bit like I was at a Chuck E. Cheese (at least up front) with families rather than at a rock concert. I’m not sure if this takes away from their adult fan base but I hope not. They are an amazing band that is just starting has already started to come into their own at a young age and I can’t wait to see and hear their music evolve as they get older.
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