Formed in 1985 in Los Angeles (preceding both the grunge and riot grrrl music scenes that they’re often linked to), punk rockers L7 erupted onto the scene with their eponymous 1988 debut on taste-making SoCal punk label Epitaph. Swiftly gaining notoriety and sharing the stage with other seminal acts on the rise like Nirvana, L7 inked a deal with famed indie label Sub Pop ahead of their sophomore effort, Smell the Magic, before making the major label leap to Slash Records for 1992 third LP Bricks Are Heavy, their commercial and critical breakthrough, and one of the defining albums of ’90s grunge (even if it wasn’t exactly grunge, harboring plenty of alternative and punk rock sensibilities as well).
L7 remained a ’90s mainstay, touring the world and gracing the stage of major festivals and on the road with iconic acts of the time, though by 2001, after three more LPs, they had opted to go on an indefinite hiatus and move on to other projects. In 2014, however, L7 sprang back to life, met with renewed interest for their somewhat underrated legacy, and began to tour the globe once more, going on to release their first album in 20 years, Scatter the Rats, in 2019. Back in 2022, L7 played their first Nashville show since a 1994 outing at now-defunct 328 Performance Hall, at Brooklyn Bowl, celebrating 30 years of Bricks Are Heavy, and have remained steadily active since, touring the world, and supporting acts like Foo Fighters and Garbage.
Back in the spring, however, the legendary rockers announced their intention to tour the world one last time before calling it quits once more, with plans to release a final EP as well. Unfortunately, and not long after that tour announcement, the band revealed that bassist Jennifer Finch had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, and she tragically passed away soon after. L7 are committed to still completing this tour in her honor, and former bassist Janis Tanaka, who played for the group for a stint in the late ’90s when Finch had quit, will be rejoining for the trek. Tonight, Oct. 16, L7 bring “The Last Hurrah Tour” to Nashville for one last show in Music City, at Cannery Hall’s Mainstage, along with midwest punks VIAL! Tickets are still available right here while they last, and if you have any interest in the grunge, punk, and riot grrrl scene of the ’90s, this show should be essential.
L7 and VIAL perform tonight, Oct. 16 at Cannery Hall’s Mainstage. The show is 18+, begins at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.), and tickets are available for $50.84.
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