Oklahoma-based band, BRONCHO, lit up the Glass House in Pomona, with all-girl bands Potty Mouth and Pinky Pinky, providing the perfect introduction, for what would become a night filled with danceable psych-pop gems. The searing style of Potty Mouth, the garage-like candor of Pinky Pinky, and eager anticipation of BRONCHO made the energy inside the venue practically palpable.
BRONCHO, spawned by frontman Ryan Lindsey (lead guitar/vocals) in Norman, Oklahoma nine years ago, now includes Ben King (back-up guitar), Penny Pitchlynn (bass), and Nathan Price (drums), making up Lindsey’s synth-poppy garage-rocky dream of a band. Since the band’s inception, they’ve cranked out four albums, with their most recent album, Bad Behavior, released this past October.
One of the best things about the Glass House is how spacey and open it is, giving the audience with ample dancing room, a crucial spacial element when listening to a band like BRONCHO. Give their latest album a listen, and you’ll realize it’d be a feat to keep yourself from dancing. With songs like “Get in My Car” and “Boys Got to Go,” provoking thoughts of driving with the windows down on a perfect summer day or a warm LA night, you seriously can’t help but head bob or full-on flail regardless of one’s keenness to dance.
While some of BRONCHO’s songs are a bit of a psychedelic-pop blend, some songs, mainly “All Choked Up” and “Weekend,” are a bit more ominous and reminiscent of a well-conceived Donnie Darko Halloween party. Despite the haunting tones expressed in these songs, the band has a talent for mixing their singular sonic element in a way that, if you’re not dancing, you’re being transported to a different time or a different dimension entirely. The flashing lights and the constant fog rolling onto the stage, only further manifest this foreboding effect impeccably.
This was actually my first time seeing BRONCHO, and after this performance, I definitely plan on trying to catch any and all their shows in the Southern California area. If you haven’t gone to see them, I strongly suggest you catch an upcoming show while they are still promoting this latest album because it is hands-down their most impressive to date.