L7 rock the rafters at The Current
by Mary Lucia
April 19, 2018
The structural integrity of the Bill Kling Public Media Center in St. Paul got a good test today. Los Angeles rockers L7 unloaded their instruments, opened their amps and rocked this building to its very core.
It follows the straightforward approach to rock that L7 have been taking since 1985. "We're a meat-and-potatoes rock band with a conscience and some humor," says Donita Sparks.
After having taken a hiatus for a number of years, L7 are out with new music and back on the road. In town for a show at First Avenue in Minneapolis, L7 — guitarist and lead vocalist Sparks, along with bassist Jennifer Finch, guitarist Suzi Gardner and drummer Demetra Plakas — stopped at The Current for a session hosted by Mary Lucia.
Since their inception, L7 have always maintained creative control of their music, and the results have only broadened their appeal. "There aren't many [bands like] us," Sparks says. "We're lucky because we get to play art shows, and we also get to play heavy-metal shows, so we've got this weird crossover of that world. We're not often critics' darlings, but sometimes we are."
L7 are also the subject of a 2017 documentary, L7: Pretend We're Dead, which is now available for streaming on Amazon Prime, Hulu and similar services. "We know that we couldn't top certain bands like Warrant or Mötley Crüe in certain tragedy things or in getting arrested or any of that kind of 'Behind the Music' kind of stuff," Sparks says of the documentary, "so it was really more about us as this very DIY band sort of against the powers that be. We did come against many challenges, just like many other bands do."
Now that they're back on the road, L7 have been enjoying bringing the music to rock fans from town to town. "I think there's a lot of people smiling in the audience," Sparks says. "They've got their middle fingers raised, and yet these euphoric, joyful expressions on their faces! So it's really kind of cool."
Use the audio player above to listen to the complete session.
More Video
Songs Performed
"One More Thing"
"Pretend We're Dead"
"Dispatch from Mar-a-Lago"
Songs one and two are from L7's 1992 release, Bricks Are Heavy, released on Slash Records. The third song is a new single released in September 2017.
Hosted by Mary Lucia
Produced by Derrick Stevens
Engineered by Michael DeMark
Visuals by Nate Ryan
Web feature by Luke Taylor
Resources
L7 - official site
