On Wednesday, Diet Cig had the kind of local experience Tampa Bay tourism officials can be proud of.
The New York punk duo — along with tour mates Daddy Issues — spent the afternoon on our sugar sand beaches. And while the seaside frollicking earned them one hell of a sunburn it also added to what’s apparently been an amazing trip for guitarist Alex Luciano.
“This tour has been more emotionally fulfilling than anything else in my life," Luciano — decked out in checkered spandex shorts and an oversized white t-shirt — told a crowd of wide-eyed fans taking in a show at eye level. The good vibes should be no surprise. Luciano, 21, and her bandmate drummer Noah Bowman just released a candid new LP of heart-on-the-sleeve, brutally honest slop pop. Diet Cig’s high energy live show is becoming the stuff of legend, and their faces were just plastered on the pages of The New York Times who’ve embraced the band’s “feminist pop-punk” with open arms.
um can we talk about our AMAZING beach day in tampa today + these STUNNING pix @slavictrash took?? 🌈🍊🌊🍻✨💘 pic.twitter.com/GhW7bxcaPk
— ☁️ diet cig ☁️ (@dietcig) April 20, 2017
To most people, all the attention could be distracting. Luciano seems to be able to rise above it, however, and focus her own attention on Diet Cig’s fans who cling to a sympathetic songwriter that understands the things they’re going through. Many of the themes on the new LP (Swear I’m Good At This) deal with dealing how to deal with not knowing who you are…and feeling okay about it.
Luciano — who ventured out towards a pair of dancing fans on more than one occasion — talks about writing the songs, and you get the sense that everything is okay at a Diet Cig show, no matter how confusing life it. She’s small in size, but stands tall when talking about the issues that affect “femme people” around the world (at one point she even apologized since a performance of Swear highlight “Tummy Ache” wouldn’t exactly be speaking to the Cis, white males in the audience). None of the talk feels campy or overreaching either. Luciano is not your counselor trying to get you through a situation. No, she is your friend who is there to listen to you and help you survive.
Pop-punk bands are a dime a dozen, but there is something special in the way Luciano (and the enthusiastically dutiful, devoted Bowman) play a show and treat their fans. You might not be able to see them so up close and personal for much longer, but you can bet that these two will always have your back along the way. Judging by the sing-alongs you've gotta feel like this is a relationship that goes both ways, too.
Have a look at more of Brian's photos below, and follow these links to listen to music by local openers Stove and Piss Ghost.
This article appears in Apr 20-27, 2017.