Garage rockers Hot Laundry play Baltic Kiss in Richmond
Baltic Kiss in Richmond hosts an eclectic throwdown Friday night featuring local garage-rockers Hot Laundry, rockabilly punk crew the Ghost Town Hangmen and Berkeley band the Heebie Jeebies.
In the space of a few short years, Hot Laundry has risen to become a leading light on the local garage-rock scene. Fronted by pint-sized spitfire singer Janette Lopez, the entertaining band matches the vocal harmonies and sass of legendary girl group the Shangri-las and the high-octane R&B of Ike and Tina Turner with the blistering proto-punk guitars of Detroit heroes the MC5.
Flanked onstage by back-up singers Ileath Bridges and Gena Serey with matching tassled/spangled outfits and tandem dance moves, Lopez and her vocal support provide the visual focal point for the group's entertaining live show that is powered by founding guitarist/songwriter Grady Hord and the rhythm section of bassist Casey G. and drummer Arun Bhalla.
While Hord was writing material intended for the band as far back as 2017, the sextet didn't make its proper recording debut until the release of their EP Shake Slide Twist in 2021. In addition to building a following around the Bay Area with their regular club appearances, Hot Laundry provided one of the highlights to the Mosswood Meltdown in Oakland that same year.
It didn't take long for Hot Laundry to follow up with its first full-length album early in the summer of 2022. Packed with catchy, fuzzed-out groovers like "Work It" and "The Dance," Pawn Shop Gold manages to capture the kinetic punch of the group's live show. Earlier this year, the band released a new video for their digital single "Made Like This" in addition to making its first trek to Europe to play Gutter Island Music Festival in Denmark last month. The group recently announced its first performances in Japan as part of Tokyo's two-day Back from the Grave Halloween Ball in October
For this show at Baltic Kiss Friday, Hot Laundry will be joined by San Jose rockabilly punk outfit Ghost Town Hangmen who will close the show and openers the Heebie Jeebies, a group of Berkeley punk vets who pay tribute to the formative rock and roll sounds of Little Richard, the Coasters and Bo Diddley.
Ghost Town Hangmen, Hot Laundry, the Heebie Jeebies
Friday, Sept. 6, 7:30 p.m. $13
Baltic Kiss
