Greta Kline is a sort of kid-wonder, posting upwards of 45 albums and EPs on Bandcamp and releasing her first album under the alias Frankie Cosmos, Zentropy, by age 19. Additionally, by this time in her life she had already had a stint as bassist of the indie-synth band Porches with boyfriend/lead singer Aaron Maine. Their relationship is one which many Frankie Cosmos-aged fans like myself ogle over, and the cross references between their music definitely helps. Now 22, her aesthetic is that of a cutesy twelve-year-old boy, but with a touch of the muted, New York “sad girl” that makes her music so endearing. Through her social media presence I felt like I personally knew her, and when I entered the venue and found her socializing amongst the crowd it was pretty surreal.
Her two openers gave me mixed feelings. I definitely enjoyed Soar, but also felt like their sound was more of the Girlpool-esque angsty girl rock that is popping up all over the indie scene right now. Iji received much more mixed reviews amongst my friends. They’re a spunky disco surf-rock type band, with a Growlers type aesthetic and a keys/guitar combination that somehow reminded me of Vampire Weekend. In contrast with Frankie Cosmos they were surprisingly happy and upbeat, and when they brought Frankie on for a set the crowd turned into a small party. However, they were too sugary-sweet for a lot of my friends, and after coming home and listening to their music afterwards, I have come to feel the same way.
However, Frankie was infinitely better than I expected. Not that I was waiting for anything bad, but I expected the somewhat low-key performance that I see from so many other lyrical indie-rockers today. Instead, she was upbeat, quirky, and playful. She stood on her tip-toes to get to the mic, and her go-to dance move was a straight-legged hip-rocking sway between outstretched fists, mixed with a bunch of spins and hopping around. In short, she danced like a sugar-high twelve-year-old, and I couldn’t stop grinning. She played all her hits, starting with the new and then (to the audience’s delight) working her way towards the old. She was charming, charismatic, and performed with an honesty that complimented an intimate venue like the Starline Social Club perfectly. I left feeling uplifted, refreshed, and in a genuinely good mood. I will definitely be seeing her the next time she comes through town.
Veronica Irwin (Hunnypot Editor at Large)
@vronirwin
Photo Credit: Zach Gomez
