The clock app (TikTok) has been responsible for pushing some incredible bands to me lately and a few months back it hit me with a Tiktoker whose presence has so compelled me I had to check her band out when I was in town. That band is Cowboy Destroy, a four piece of self described “Slop Pop” fronted by Leslie Bumgarner. Her TikTok account isn't just self promotion. In fact, that's just half. She hosts a Live where she takes real time requests to expose Underground artists with fewer than 100k followers. It's the best kind of curated/uncharted radio show and you should check it out. 

But, beyond that, I heard that her fuzz inflected rock band was playing at The Hotel Ziggy on the Sunset Strip and caught them on a night populated with all female fronted bands. Bumgarner brings a Grace Slick-fronting-a-two-lane-blacktop-desert-doom-garage-group style to the show, availing herself of a powerful wail on songs like “Only a Mother” and the raucous cover of “It’s My Party”.  She brings a physical presence that switches between benevolent leader with witty between song banter and mosh pit assailant as she bumper-carred the bassist, JD Ramage, into the wall. As if that wasn’t enough, she then turned to pull a Jimi Hendrix, bent backwards on her knees and somehow holding focus AND directing it at the Lead Guitarist, Khadejhia Kassenbrook, at the same time.

It’s Leslie Bumgarner’s party as she is one part master of ceremonies and one part your best friend playing at the shindig that they have thrown. And the band are her co-horts as they bring their special blend of subterranean psychedelic garage rock to that party in the basement you’ve always wanted to be invited to. All the while they had me thinking: they would be a great match for Death Valley Girls. 

Opening the night, The Anti Groupies brought riff-tastic rock that harkened back to the halcyon days of, appropriately for the venue, The Sunset Strip. Rhythm Guitar/Lead Vocals Cassidy Freeman has a voice that would work across genres, be it country, punk, glam or hard rock, the latter two being the domain of this incredible all woman rawk band. She's supported by a blistering lead guitarist, Isabelle Broersma, while bassist Sydney Moore’s fingers fly all over the fretboard yet stays right in the pocket with drummer Kyla Foster. 

Their 30 minute set won me over from the opening licks, but this rocktegenarian was bowled over when they busted out a cover of Stone Cold Crazy and remained true to the original “Rubber Tommy Water Gun” Queen version instead of Metallica’s. I immediately saved their single “Blessing in Disguise” and blasted it on the way home. I can’t wait to hear more from both of these terrific bands. 

Review & Photos by: @areallulu

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