Anabel Martinez
Editor-in-Chief
Hyperpop duo 100 gecs brought a new, intoxicating stage presence to the Glass House in Pomona at their April 14 show. 100 gecs’ performance was a stimulating mix of genres like electronica, pop and synthcore that I have never seen before at this venue.
Out of the 10 or so shows I have been to at the Glass House, this was undoubtedly my favorite.
100 gecs became a staple hyperpop name after increasingly gaining popularity after the debut of their 2019 album “1000 gecs.” Becoming a fan of the duo Laura Les and Dylan Brady following that same album release, I had no expectations other than a night of high adrenaline.
The duo’s stage design fit their signature look with comically large speaker props, an upside down trash can, and yellow wizard-like robes.
“Gec gec gec,” the crowd chanted as they anticipated their stage entrance.
They welcomed the crowd with their voices being shouted with autotune and opened with the unreleased song “hey big man,” a drum and fast guitar rip-heavy hit.
My energy doubled when they followed with “stupid horse” and jumped around to the fast beat, almost double the tempo as “hey big man.”
To my surprise, I enjoyed their song “Doritos & Fritos” live tremendously more than I did when I streamed it right after its release just two days before the show – marking this the first live performance of the song.
With hints of ska and funky 90s rock, the walking bass line sounded amazing and made it difficult to not want to dance.
I found myself singing almost all the lyrics to every song, lyrics I did not even know I knew by heart.
The venue lights shut down on the last beat of each song, building up excitement for the vibrant bass and electronic beats of the next song.
“757” and “hand crushed by a mallet” were some of my favorites to dance to that night. The plays on fast and slow tempo, and strikes of auto-tuned rhythms was addicting and brought on rushes of thrills.
It was easy to let loose in the crowd with absolutely no fear of judgment.
I got comfortable in the crowd while Laura Les, guitarist and vocalist, got comfortable on stage with bare feet and an oversized t-shirt.
Matching the personality of 100 gecs’ music, the audience members’ fashion was just as eccentric and creative.
I saw people wearing six-inch tall Demonia platforms, light up sneakers, mixed and matched patterns and colors, and every style imaginable. It made me feel comfortable but also jokingly wish I had worn my taller platform shoes rather than the 3-inch platforms I had on.
Javier Garcia of East Los Angeles stood out right in the center of the pit wearing a 100 gecs shirt that he bought at their last show in L.A., layered with a bright blood orange puffer jacket and geometric black eyeliner.
“I just figured it would make me stand out a bit. I like to make friends at shows so I figured this is a bit of subliminal messaging that says, ‘Hey, come talk to me,” Garcia said.
Garcia said he enjoyed being in the middle of the action in the crowd while 100 gecs performed some of his favorite songs like “hollywood baby,” which is unreleased.
“I’m a big fan and if they’re in the area and it’s reasonably priced, then I figure I might as well go out there,” Garcia said. “Pomona is a bit far but it was worth coming out.”
Attracting a crowd from all different areas, both the unreleased and popular songs were big hits from all sides of the venue.
Mia Flores of Los Angeles watched the show from the balcony, where she said she gets the best view from. Her favorite of the night was the 2021 song “mememe.”
“I like the balcony just because I can see the best from up there. When I’m in the crowd, it can be hard to see anything,” Flores said.
Andrew Hernandez of Montebello said he also enjoyed their newer releases from the balcony.
“They’re great performers, but I feel like at every concert I have a hard time hearing the vocals for some reason so I don’t know if that might need to be turned up in the mixer,” Hernandez said.
Chandler Adams of Los Angeles said this is their eighth 100 gecs show, but the first time visiting the Glass House.
Adams said they watched the show rotating from the balcony to the front barricade to the back and into the pit.
“I was pleased. I enjoyed myself. I liked the venue setup. For the most part, the crowd was cool. Yeah, I had a good time,” Adams said. “Again, I liked the venue.”
The crowd head banged and jumped around when their most streamed and one of the last songs of the night, “money machine,” standing at over 73 million Spotify listens, took over the room.
Being a classic 100 gecs song, it was one of the most energetic performances of the night and hearing it live for the first time with such a vibrant crowd definitely became a core memory.
Anabel Martinez can be reached at anabel.martinez2@laverne.edu.
Anabel Martinez is a senior digital media major with a concentration in film and television, and a journalism minor. She serves as the managing editor overseeing all of the Campus Times sections and was previously editor-in-chief in Spring 2022.
Natalie Medrano, a junior photography major, is the Fall 2022 photography editor for the Campus Times and a staff photographer for La Verne Magazine.
