On Sunday March 6, LA based band The Regrettes, gave a riveting show just half an hour away, at the Chance Theatre in Poughkeepsie along with singer/songwriter Kississippi. The Regrettes are a punk rock/indie band and have been compared to The Wallows. This was the eleventh pit stop of the “Get the F*ck Out of LA” tour, in reference to lyrics off the song “Monday.”
Kississippi, AKA “Kissy,” kicked off the show with their song “Heaven.” Kissy has a magnetic voice and carries a beautiful microphone covered in flowers across the stage. The best song off her set was probably “Big Dipper,” a mellow track that picked up quickly. Her recent album, “Mood Ring” is out on all platforms.
I was lucky enough to be standing in front of Joshua Hayes, Kissy’s dreamy guitarist, strumming along. Kississippi was super interactive with the audience and even had her own version of the “YMCA” dance for her song “We’re So In Tune.” She ended her set with “Around your Room,” a funky carefree song. Then the anticipation for the band of the hour began.
The Regrettes started their set with a bang, performing “Come Through,” a fun, sarcastic song. The band came out in classic grunge-y outfits, sporting big boots and dark makeup. Lead singer Lydia Night wore an all-black mesh look which matched her electric attitude-filled performance. During some of the faster songs, the audience parted at the middle of the stage and then once the chorus started, we flooded back together and went wild.
Unfortunately, it’s all too common in music venues for people to get unwanted attention from creepy men. When Night saw a small group of guys shoving younger girls and invading personal space during a song, she demanded that all men go to the back of the theatre, giving everyone else the chance to have the best concert experience.
The band gave us a classic throwback with their cover of “Girlfriend” by Avril Lavigne. Bassist Brooke Dickson and guitarist Genessa Gariano especially rocked on this song with their harmonies and talents.
Night gave a heartfelt performance singing “Your So F*cking Pretty” — probably the most slow and emotional song of The Regrettes. She sat on the edge of the stage holding hands with some audience members looking out at our teary eyes.
The highlight of the night was when the band came back on stage for a few more songs. This time, the drummer Drew Thomsen, got on guitar and Night took his spot on the drum set. They made the audience go wild with this surprise and Thomsen gave us bold, heavy sounds.
Overall, The Regrettes had such an entertaining and interactive set. Because of COVID-19, it was especially nice to be in the chance theater listening to live music.
Although the “Get The F*ck out of LA” tour has come to an end, The Regrettes have some exciting new things happening. Their new song and music video, “The Anxieties,” came out just this past Tuesday. The single will be on their album “Further Joy” which will be released on April 8 and soon enough they’ll begin their “Further Joy” tour starting on April 23. They’ll travel all over the country including NYC, Dallas and Seattle. Be sure to get your tickets soon!
