Combining punk, neo-psychedelic rock and garageband greatness, Frankie and the Witch Fingers is a beacon of light in the saturated world of today’s popular music.
They are a band that reminds listeners that rock n roll is not dead, in fact, it is alive and well, thriving in the musical crevices of peripheral culture.
The band first began in Bloomington, Indiana from the collaborative efforts of guitarist and lead singer Dylan Sizemore with lead guitarist and vocalist Josh Menashe.
They have since moved to Los Angeles and they picked up a few new faces along the way, including bassist Nikki ‘Pickle’ Smith and drummer Nick Aguilar, a San Pedro local.
Their unique sound is that of a polished group with many years underneath their belt, and their latest album, “Data Doom,” is a conceptual work that was carefully crafted from start to finish.
“Data Doom” tells a story of existential feelings about the impending technological takeover that humanity faces.
Everything from the lyrics and the melodies, to the album artwork, all convey this scary reality in an epically unforgettable way. “Data Doom” is a project that tells this story from start to finish – an artform that seems to have been lost in today’s album making.
This cohesiveness can also be felt amongst the band. The four musicians have a tangible comradery that holds them together and they shared that they only squabble about the important stuff, like Mario Party and Catan.
They cite their collaborative efforts and similar interests as a major positive driving force behind their music.
“I’m always influenced by something new, if that makes sense, and I think that kind of goes for all of us… Our interests and tastes are always evolving which is always going to make the music evolve too,” Aguilar said.
Their constant inspired evolution is part of what makes Frankie and the Witch Fingers a band to watch out for. They are not afraid to blend styles to achieve a sound that is familiar yet, completely new.
This genre morphing sound can be heard on “Data Doom,” an album that only took four months to create.
“I think the process of doing it on our own speed, in our own space was really freeing and it never really felt like work,” Menashe said.
“It never really felt like we were clocking in or anything. It just felt like we were hanging out and experimenting.”
The bands organic chemistry was on full display Saturday, Oct. 28 during their sold-out performance at the Troubadour, an iconic LA venue.
When you walk into the dimly lit nightclub, you are immediately greeted by seemingly never-ending photographs of musicians like Guns N’ Roses, Neil Young, Elton John, Gwen Stefani and Metallica, all of whom once began their legendary journeys at the Troubadour.
History seems to ooze from the grain of the wood paneled walls that are embedded with decades worth of stories and performances, adding Frankie and the Witch Fingers as its newest addition.
“It’s crazy to think about all the bands and acts that have played here and it’s cool that it’s still going in a world where venues shut down all the time. This one has stood the test of time and we’re happy to be a part of it,” Menashe said.
The Halloween weekend show was a part of the bands U.S. tour and eager fans, decked out in their spookiest costumes, lined the outside, hours before they took the stage.
For many attendees like Jenny Sparks, 25, this was their second, or even third time, seeing Frankie and the Witch Fingers.
“They amaze me every time, they’re so good. They are just so talented, and they bring the crowd together,” Sparks said.
Concertgoer Sarah Fergadiotti, 28, was most excited to see Nikki ‘Pickle,’ recounting what it means to her to see a woman bass player on stage.
“The punk, the fusion, the bass player being a woman. We just love Nikki ‘Pickle’,” Fergadiotti said.
For Pickles, playing at the Troubadour was a full circle moment. “Seeing Warpaint here back in the day is one of the things that made me want to be a bass player. Seeing Jenny Lee Lindberg up there was like, hey, I could do that,” she said.
The bands performance at the Troubadour was an all-out, heart pounding, sweaty affair complete with crowd surfing and constant moshing. They began their set with “Empire,” the opening track off of “Data Doom” and Pickle’s favorite song to perform.
It is a seven-and-a-half-minute guitar heavy song that is frenzied and absolutely epic, which immediately conveyed the bands infectiously powerful stage presence.
They played nonstop for over an hour to a crowd that was completely enthralled with their performance. Fans danced ‘till the very end and rarely took out their phones, a testament to the energy of the show.
For the band, that relationship with audiences is part of what makes live performances so special.
“Seeing a smile on somebody’s face, just from like music is the best feeling ever, especially when you’re playing your own,” Aguilar said.
Lead vocalist Dylan Sizemore, a calm and seemingly quiet guy, expressed that shows are a way for him to unleash his energy. His vocals led the band throughout their performance and showcased his natural abilities to command the stage.
“[There is] A lot of kinetic energy and that’s always fun to experience. It kind of takes you out of your day to day,” Sizemore said.
Following the opening song, the band moved into a few other notable tracks from “Data Doom,” including “Electricide” and “Burn Me Down.”
They also played fan favorite “Syster System,” a groovy song that follows the theme of technological doom and has an almost blues-like sound to the vocals.
Older songs from the bands discography also made an appearance on the setlist like “Tea,” “Realization” and “Dracula Drug.”
By the end of the concert, several band members were crowd surfing shirtless, giving it their all on the stage while fans went wild.
Frankie and the Witch Fingers closed out their set by paying homage to arguably one of the first punk bands of all time, The Stooges, with a cover of their song, “I Wanna Be Your Dog.”
While it is unclear what the future holds for rock ‘n’ roll, it is clear that Frankie and the Witch Fingers have claimed their stake in its ongoing history. The band has a lot planned for the future and their music can be found on all major streaming platforms.
This article was edited on Nov. 3, 2023 to correct the nickname of Nikki ‘Pickle’ Smith.