I took a drive out to Madison, NJ this past Saturday for GURLZILLA 2022. Organized by Lost Compass and Embrace DIY, it was held at the Madison Community Arts Center. It’s a really nice space and featured several local pop up shops – my partner and I were delighted to see a coffee bar, having failed to find coffee after dinner in downtown Madison. One of my favorite bands, Springfield, NJ-based The Vaughns, was billed to headline the event so it was a no-brainer for me to attend. In addition to The Vaughns, the lineup also featured Kate Dressed Up, Tula Vera, and Bad Blooms. The event served as a fundraiser for the Repro Legal Defense Fund (supporting reproductive rights). It’s so awesome to see organizations like Lost Compass and Embrace DIY keeping the DIY scene alive and putting together awesome lineups to benefit a good cause.
Bad Blooms, Tula Vera, and Kate Dressed Up all played amazing sets – the talent from these bands was phenomenal. There’s nothing like going to see a band you really love and then being introduced to 3 more. As I excitedly awaited The Vaughns to perform, I remembered how blown away I was when I first saw them at the North Jersey Indie Rock Festival at White Eagle Hall in 2018. Since then, they’ve landed a record deal (with Equal Vision Records), had a lineup change, and put out a 3-song EP (titled rom coms + take out). The Vaughns played some of my favorites like “Santa Cruz” and “Coffee Sundae” (from their F.O.M.O. LP) and newer stuff like “Raina” and “All Weekend” (from rom coms + take out). They also performed a number of not-yet-released songs that sounded REALLY great. With what looks like a new album in the works, I can’t wait to see what they come out with next.
Check out The Vaughns music video for “All Weekend” (from rom coms + take out) below and keep scrolling to see more photos from the show.
