SLOTHRUST PLAYS TO A PACKED HOUSE AT THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY KAT SIEBERT
Ever since opening its doors in 2015, the Teragram Ballroom has not missed. Every show booked as this Los Angeles staple has been a guarantee for a fantastic night with some of the best music acts around, and tonight with Slothrust and Weakened Friends was no exception.
There couldn’t have been a better opener than Weakened Friends to kick off the night, and those who arrived early were in for a treat. The “3 hotties from Maine” took the stage and wasted no time getting the crowd hyped up and dancing, setting the tone for a night full of energy. Lead singer Sonia Sturino’s playful and witty banter mixed with the pure golden retriever energy of Annie Hoffman and backed by the groovy beats of drummer Adam Hand, made for a whirlwind of indie magic that instantly made everyone in attendance fall in love with them. The vibes were immaculate.
At this point, the crowd was energized, primed, and ready for the headliner, Slothrust. Hearing Wellbaum’s voice filling the room is an experience nothing short of magical. As the first notes of Cranium filled everyone’s ears, the audience was transported to indie rock heaven by her hauntingly beautiful voice. Continuing on the journey with The Next Curse (one of my personal favorites), we were left in awe and in a trance, now ready to experience Slothrust’s sophomore album, Of Course You Do, live in its entirety.
Slothrust played ‘Of Course You Do’ front to back, bringing out some deep cuts that haven’t gotten stage play in many years, offering a unique opportunity for the crowd to witness these songs live, and giving Leah a moment to revisit works that haven’t been really thought about since their release. It’s hard to believe that it’s been a full decade since we were gifted this album, and the audience in attendance was much younger than anticipated for an anniversary tour. Slothrust’s music finds a home in the record collections across generations, and this show was evidence of that.
Switching gears after the last notes of Beowulf, we were treated to Slothrust’s cover of Ginuwine’s Pony in a way that only Leah Wellbaum could. With a few more songs from their other albums, Slothrust played an encore, and left the audience in attendance with high energy, closing out with a fast-paced Planetarium, getting those down in front to mosh and expend some of that energy.
With a mashup of Britney Spear’s Toxic and Ginuwine’s Pony filling the halls as everyone filed out into the Los Angeles streets, we knew that this would a show we wouldn’t forget.