Teen 
The Bootleg Theater 
4-28-14

Fresh off of their recent tour opening for Phantogram, New York-based, all-girl, R&B and psychedelia-infused act Teen played the Bootleg Theatre last night. 

Their album The Way and Color just dropped, and they didn't waste any time diving right into the new material. The first two tracks off the album focused on drummer Katherine Lieberson and bassist Boshra AlSaadi's R&B rhythms, accompanied by psychedelic synth courtesy of Katherine's sisters, lead singer Kristina “Teeny” Lieberson and Lizzie Lieberson.
]

TEEN; Credit: Shawn Brackbill

TEEN; Credit: Shawn Brackbill

From album tracks “Rose 4 U” and their current single “Not For Long,” it wasn't clear how they'd replicate the spunky robotic-sounding harmonies for a live audience. But it came off well; their vocals sounded identical to the recorded album tracks and the Liebersons commanded the stage with effortless synchronization of their synth and vocal accompaniment.

The R&B vibe disappeared almost entirely after the first few songs, and it seemed that the psychedelic rock and instrumental grooves would soon consume everyone on stage. There were distorted, grungier versions of some of their old hits from previous albums as well as live interpretations of new tracks like “Sticky” and “Tied Up Tied Down.”

Nevertheless, wherever the music took them, the audience followed along, cheering even from the back of the movie-theater-like seating area.

The band members spoke very little, though Kristina Lieberson pointed out how sunburnt she and the others were. An audience member replied, “Welcome to L.A.!” which earned some smiles from the girls onstage.

As the set wound down, “All The Same” felt like a roller coaster – unexpected speed followed by a slow monotony.

We expect big things from this group, especially considering how they stand out in an era of electro-pop domination. Kristina Lieberson has a unique voice and they're hard to categorize, but whatever they are, clearly those in the crowd wanted to experience it. 

Like us on Facebook at LAWeeklyMusic


Shitty Band Names: A History
The 10 Best Record Stores in L.A.
Top 20 Musicians of All Time, in Any Genre

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.