REVIEW: The Garden, L1ef, Machine Girl @ the Sinclair 12/03

By Brittany Moura

Orange County natives the Garden, consisting of Wyatt and Fletcher Shears, twin part-time models, gave a surprisingly explosive performance at the Sinclair on Dec. 3. It was as if Ariel Pink decided to form a hardcore punk band with Rage Against the Machine, and every goth girl and boy showed up, donned in clown makeup, chains, and bleached hair.

The first opener, Machine Girl, embodied what I coin as “SoundCloud punk,” and I mean that in the best way possible. If Machine Girl linked me their SoundCloud, I would actually listen. I couldn’t make out when one song stopped and another began, but the energy never faltered as the lead singer, or shall I say screamer, jumped into the adoring crowd to mosh and celebrate the cerebral energy of the music. Their new album, The Ugly Art, reveals everything you need to know before you listen to this new, exhilarating, youth-representing duo.

Second opener, L1ef, was just as exciting. Khalif Diouf presented his rap-styled art through a celebration of being yourself, including impressive dance moves that made the crowd scream for more. His 2018 EP, Blue Dream, shows off his avant-garde style the best, and he’s even worked with Devonte Hynes on his 2015 album, Riot Boi, which includes some of the best tracks from his performance, like “Rage.”

When the Shears twins finally took the stage for the main event, absolutely all hell broke loose in the most adoring way possible. The connection they shared with their fans was endearing and special to witness, with every song bringing another mosh pit of pure love. They played a wide array of tracks spanning from their new album, Mirror Might Steal Your Charm, and their cult classic record, The Life and Times of a Paperclip, including their essential defining track, “Vada Vada.” The band, whose punk vibes come from their love for GG Allin and the Prodigy, somersaulted through their set in a fashionable, neurotic, and energetic way, much like their loving fans in the crowd, throwing each other with more of a hug than a violent push.

However, these boys are not their influences. If you weren’t already a fan of the Garden, it would be easy to assume that much of their performance was spontaneous improvisation, which is a testament to how vastly different and electrifying their sound is in comparison to a lot of genre-confined punk bands of today.

The highlights of their set were their popular tracks, “U Want The Scoop?,” as well as “All Smiles Over Here :)” which attracted the best crowd participation and response. The pounding and ever-present bass licks and thrashing, soul-ripping drums were enough to wake even the sleepiest of spectators to join the pit and the love surrounding the “Vada Vada” mindset that encapsulates one of the most arousing rock bands to grace the scene in a long time.