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Be Your Own Pet’s Jemina Pearl Goes Solo in NYC

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“Back from the dead, motherfuckers!” declared Jemina Pearl, former frontwoman of Nashville, TN, punk band Be Your Own Pet, who premiered seven songs during her first-ever solo performance Saturday at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Her gig — an opening slot for ’90s grunge rockers the Fluid — showcased tunes off her upcoming album on Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace label. And if the record stays true to the performance, Pearl’s yet-to-be titled debut will attempt to capture the raw, youthful punk of BYOP.

Dressed in black leather pants and sporting a pixie coif, Pearl — backed by former BYOP axeman John Eatherly, as well as guitarist Max Pebbles and drummer Ryan Sawyer (the group, she has said, is currently called Jemina Pearl and the TBD) — sang and sneered energetically through chattering guitar riffs, pausing only to spit on the stage (many, many times) and introduce the next song.

Her antics seemed awkwardly misplaced, more suited to a graffiti-covered basement than a large stage, and neither shocked nor aroused the crowd. Pearl’s childish rebellion was especially noticeable on “Nashville Shores,” a tune about bored Nashville youths, which didn’t strike a chord with the Brooklynites.

While none of the songs actually captured the raw punk catchiness of BYOP’s Get Awkward, fans of the defunct band will find reassurance in the pace and style of Pearl and Co.’s new material — notably the sped-up guitar line of set-closer “So Sick!”

But while Pearl’s rich, gravelly vocals and impertinent attitude remain charming enough, here’s hoping that Thurston Moore’s protégé matures her pop-punk shtick.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PICTURES FROM THE SHOW

Set List:
“Band on the Run”
“No Good”
“I Hate People”
“After Hours”
“Nashville Shores”
“So Sick!”
“Heart Beats”


Jemina Pearl / Photo by Eric Nowels


Jemina Pearl / Photo by Eric Nowels


Jemina Pearl / Photo by Eric Nowels


Jemina Pearl / Photo by Eric Nowels

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