Nashville’s Those Darlins melted faces in San Diego on Sunday night.
During the show, Jessi Zazu shared singing duties with Nikki Kvarnes, and both traded guitar riffs with versatile bassist and fellow founding member Lin Regensburg. (Touring member Duncan Shea rounded out Those Darlins on drums.) Though Kvarnes is an integral part of the band — providing guitar licks and lead vocals on several songs — Those Darlins really revolve around the charismatic Zazu, who snarled, shrieked, and serenaded the wild crowd.
Zazu also interacted with fans during the show, from standing on the edges of the stage during “That Man,” to staring down attendees with a wide-eyed intensity during “Mystic Mind.”
Those unfamiliar with Those Darlins might be inclined to lump them in with other woman-led groups like Dum Dum Girls and Best Coast, but doing so would be a mistake. While the band does delve into the psychedelic — especially on last year’s Blur the Line — Those Darlins steer away from the willful monotony of those groups. With stronger songwriting skills, a feral worldview, and serious shredding abilities, Those Darlins exist on their own plane — and they proved it once again on Sunday night.
Hopefully they’ll return to San Diego soon; Sunday night’s crowd anxiously awaits.