Twin Peaks & Hinds Concert Review
Santa Ana’s Observatory wasn’t as packed as usual; it was a Wednesday night after all. This still baffled me because Twin Peaks and Hinds were going to play, two bands who have made names for themselves in the garage rock scene. The people who didn’t attend are no doubt regretting losing the opportunity to witness both groups grace Orange County.
Los Blenders, garage rockers from Mexico City, kicked off the night with a punk- and surf-drenched set which was spirited yet subdued. Their sound was reminiscent of the Ramones, and so were the lead vocalist’s denim jacket and bowl cut. They played several songs off of past EPs and their LP Chavos Bien including “Playa Jacó”, shouting and coolly nodding as they rocked out.
The hype for Twin Peaks began before they came onstage. A crowd of girls pushed their way to the barricade, screaming as they set up. “Clay, what happened to your ear?” one concerned fan asked guitarist and vocalist Clay Frankel about his bandaged left ear, which did not stop him from giving his all. The first song they played, the catchy “Butterfly”, immediately got everyone dancing. “Boomers” sparked a raucous mosh pit that lasted until the end of the Chicago natives’ set, aside from when they slowed things down with “Wanted You.” All the beaming, sweaty teens in the crowd sang along enthusiastically as they and the band gave each other the energy to go hard the entire time (keyboardist Colin Croom put nearly all of his upper body into the performance). The camaraderie between both bands was as strong as ever when Hinds came out to perform a song with them, laughing and having a hell of a time.
Hot Chocolate’s “You Sexy Thing” summoned the dancing, singing ladies of Hinds back onstage, foreshadowing the delightfully fun set to come. The Spanish band did not let the energy wane despite the fact that the tour was almost over and they had played in sweltering Coachella heat days earlier. They interacted with the audience and joked with each other while dancing around the stage, throwing in choreographed moves here and there. The sisterhood between the bandmates shined in their joyful performance; they complemented each other as a unit, which further engrossed the crowd. When somebody struck a wrong chord, it did not faze anyone on- or off-stage because they rocked with such contagious authenticity and passion; if anything, this added to their punk spirit.
Hinds played favorites like “Trippy Gum”, “San Diego”, “Warts”, and “Chili Town”, which fans danced, moshed, and sang along to with abandon. They obliged to pleas for them to play “Bamboo” and even “Holograma”, their only Spanish song. Fans also had the pleasure of hearing a new song, which guitarist, vocalist, and founding member Carlotta Cosials begged the audience not to record. At one point, Ana Perrote, the other founder, called out a man who kept giving the band the middle finger and spilling beer on people, requesting that security threw him out. She made the point that it is important that she uses her voice since not every girl was in the position where they could make the show a safer space, a feminist message which can be applied to many situations. During the encore, Perrote and Cosials continued fostering an environment for women by summoning all the girls in the room to join them onstage for their cover of Thee Headcoat’s “Davey Crockett” (I eagerly jumped up there to sing next to Perrote myself). Once the rowdiness subsided, the band hugged fans and invited them to hang at the merch table, an afterparty of sorts.
It was plain to see that Twin Peaks and Hinds are forces to be reckoned with, together or separate, although it was a memorable combination. The energy they put forth and their close bonds with each other was translated back at them by the crowd as adoration. These bands did not just play a gig, they made us feel like we were their friends too.
- Sophie Prettyman-Beauchamp
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