Michelle Shiers on October 1st, 2014

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Review and photos by Michelle Shiers

“My parents just don’t get it,” said a 17-year-old fan from her front-row-center perch for the Orwells. She and her squealing friends writhed with anticipation for Chicago’s garage-rock five-piece just before they invaded the stage at the Fonda Theatre on Monday night. At a glance, the entire front row looked like ladies-only, but brewing just a couple rows back was a body of moshers ready to erupt.

So the Orwells kicked off the night with their new single “Dirty Sheets,” boasting their signature blend of juvie-chaos. Singer Mario Cuomo jumped into the pit after only a couple songs and once back onstage pushed his head of curly hair right up onto photographers lenses. And the Orwells – most of whom are too young to drink at the venues they perform at – were back at their don’t-give-a-damn outburst of raw attitude and fiery hooks.

With their second album “Disgraceland,” they are cleaning up a bit and building a
loyal fan base of young kids ready to thrash to their garage-rock scuzz and who have been hungry for a band who can give it to them without B.S. With ballsy guitar lines from Matt O’Keefe and Dominic Corso and Henry Brinner’s crashing drums, the Orwells turned the Fonda into a punk playground of moshing and crowd-surfing, and singer Cuomo’s croaking voice was bursting at the seams as he laughed maniacally into the microphone.

During fan-favorite “Mall Rats (La La La)” Cuomo turned over the microphone to his front-row devotees who sang the la la la’s and shrieked words of praise. “Blood Bubbles” also got a large response and Cuomo tumbled around the stage smiling and howling, “Choking on my vomit / had blood in my eyes.” “North Ave.” from the new album was introduced with a scream as fans thrusted in and out of the mosh pit.

The greatest audience response came from their first single “Who Needs You” – who can forget the infamous Letterman performance – and everyone in the venue was singing along to the stomping track of youthful swagger. Obviously influenced by Iggy Pop, Cuomo sang a gruff cover of “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” and at the request of their sweaty die-hards, the Orwells returned for an encore. Closing the night with “Under The Flowers” from their 2012 debut “Remember When,” the Orwells and their fans held up a collective middle finger to the constraints of behaving.

NYC’s Skaters warmed up the crowd with their surge of energetic post-punk/garage-rock.