L7 @ The Trocadero.

Text and images by Chip Frenette.

On Friday night, the grunge quartet L7 were greeted at The Trocadero by a full house. The band that formed in Los Angeles in 1985 took a hiatus in 2001 and reunited last year. They began touring again despite the lack of a new album.

Donita Sparks spoke briefly after a few songs, mentioning that after the last few nights in Toronto and New York, they were happy to be in Philadelphia.

“Philadelphia, you all are fuckin’ hardcore without a doubt,” Sparks announced.

She and the band then promptly returned to playing their brand of guitar heavy rock. Most people remember L7 for their 1992 hit, “Pretend That We’re Dead,” which reached number 8 on the Billboard Alternative Rock chart. That single also reached number 22 on the British Charts.