Girl In A Coma live at the Garrison

Interview with Dean Marino from Papermapstext: Laura Phillips

It was girls night at The Garrison on July 24 and the amps were cranked. Masters of making rock jams with whimsy, Girl In a Coma delivered a stellar live set full of on-stage swagger and Nina Diaz’s trademark vocals.

Currently on tour for their latest album, Exits & All The Rest, this band has been undergoing serious growth since their debut album in 2007. Not only have they established a hugely eclectic fan-base (with lots of love in the LGBT community), they’ve won the favor of legendaries like Morrissey. The band signed with Joan Jett at Blackheart Records back in 2007, and yet the trio seems to keep it niche– attracting a small but mighty crowd to their Toronto performance.

With songs sounding slightly grungier than recorded tracks, this live shtick proves the band’s range beyond the pop-friendly sentiment they’ve become known for. A certain rock element surfaced through songs like ‘One Eyed Fool’ and ‘Sly‘, with heavy drum hits and an on-stage dynamic to make a riot grrrl proud.

Toronto’s own Magneta Lane provided a lengthy opening act, ripping through their 2011 album Shatter amongst their older hits. The trio– Lexi, French, and Nadia– complimented their headliner with gritty love songs and a slow mosh of electrics.

When girls play guitars, the world is a happier place. This was a night of such, and one to revel in the female-made.