Concert Review: The Regrettes at The Basement

After playing a short set back in April at CD102.5 Day Side B, The Regrettes brought their insanely fun and fresh garage pop-punk back to Columbus for a headlining show at The Basement. The Regrettes’ songs are everything that you could want them to be - catchy, high energy, honest, relatable - and their live show was just plain rock ‘n’ roll fun. The band clearly has a great time playing together, and that excitement and joy is immediately infectious to the crowd.

The band kicked off their set with “I Don’t Like You,” the opening track from their first full-length album, Feel Your Feelings Fool!, which was released back in January.

This song, like much of The Regrettes’ music, has a very classic 1950s feel to it, and Lydia Night (lead vocals, guitar), has previously cited the likes of Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley as major influences. The band also quickly shows off the great harmonies between Night and Genessa Gariano (lead guitar, vocals), and Sage Nicole (bass, vocals). The group is rounded out by fantastic drummer, Maxx Morando.

The Regrettes quickly got to their great single, “Hey Now,” which has been receiving airplay here in Columbus on CD102.5. As the distinctive first guitar chord and answering drum beat were struck, the young crowd in The Basement let off loud cheers, and then began shouting along with Night to the song with which anyone who’s ever had a crush can relate to.

One of the highlights of the show was the band’s performance of “A Living Human Girl.” This song is such an honest, introspective, look at teenage insecurities, along with confronting them and then finally owning them, as Night does for everyone as she sings, “Sometimes I'm pretty and sometimes I'm not // So let's take a listen, hit me with your best shot.” After the song lays out issue after issue, Night poignantly concludes it with “Oh I fall in love with people once a day // Oh, but if you ask me out, I'm still allowed to say no way.”

After a great set that kept the crowd jumping and dancing all night with even a little bit of moshing during “Hot,” and which featured Night crowd surfing for what she proclaimed to be the very first time, it was so fitting that The Regrettes closed the show with a great cover of The Sweet’s classic 1973 hit, “The Ballroom Blitz.” During the song, Night invited the crowd to join her and the band up on stage, wrapping up an excellent show dancing with her fans.

Columbus alternative/indie band, Betsy Ross, opened the show with a powerful and sometimes emotional set. The three-piece band consists of siblings Charity Crowe (lead vocals, guitar) and Sky Crowe (bass), along with Dave Wegner (drums). Charity Crowe has a big, piercing voice, that just seems to cut through the crowd. Her singing and playing seem to come straight from the heart, her performance wrought with emotion, sometimes to the point of seeming to overwhelm her, until her brother and Wegner pulled her back. Such raw honesty and emotion on stage was refreshing, and served as a solid opening for The Regrettes.

Check out the photo galleries below of The Regrettes and Betsy Ross.

The Regrettes’ Setlist:

Intro

I Don't Like You

Juicebox Baby

How It Should Be

Hey Now

Picture Perfect

Ladylike/WHATTA BITCH

A Living Human Girl

Bronze

Seashore