Joanna Gruesome at the South Street Seaport

Alanna McArdle

Joanna Gruesome was formed in 2010 in Cardiff, Wales, and is comprised of Alanna McArdle on vocals, Owen Williams and George Nicholls on guitars, Max Warren on bass and David Sandford on drums. Much about the band's reported origins rub more like fiction than fact. The musicians claim that the band originated in an anger management counseling group. During the course they were taught that writing, making music, dancing or painting could relieve tension and help reduce feelings of anger. In one exercise, they were assigned as a group to compose and perform a song to perform in front of other participants. According to the tale, they initially found each other infuriating but gradually discovered a musical chemistry and continued working as a band outside of therapy. Joanna Gruesome began recording and performing live, allegedly twisting the band name from indie harpist Joanna Newsom's name. The fuzz-pop quintet created music that bore no similarity to Newsom's literary folk modes, however, instead drawing influence from the C86 scene and shoegaze guitar tones. Joanna Gruesome released several singles and EPs before the debut album, 2013's Weird Sister, was written, allegedly in a seedy occultist hotel.

Joanna Gruesome closed the South Street Seaport's outdoor summer concert series tonight and upon taking the stage quickly scared away many middle-aged middle-of-the-road types who came in lawn chairs hoping for pleasant music under the stars. The noise-pop band put on a short but energetic live show that bordered on indie art pop, riot grrrl, garage rock and discordant feedback dissonance. McArdle both spit out hardcore punk grunts and sang whispering melodic vocals to jangling guitar chord rhythms and fast primal-punk drumbeats. The band's attempt to bring a few brief breaths of delicate tenderness to its utterly aggressive brashness was clashingly cute. Songs with titles like "Anti-Parent Cowboy Killers," performed at high volume and velocity, showcased a unique sound that may win over the followers of Veruca Salt and Savages.