On Friday, July 3, 2026, I left work a little early and headed to Berkeley, California. The event was the illustrious Kelsy Karter and the Heroines, with the fabulous Frankie and the Studs opening at the Cornerstone Berkeley, and man, what a show.
Frankie and the Studs were up first. Hailing from Los Angeles, California, they are one of my favorite bands. They started out with “Black Boots”, a newer song that had the place jumping off. That song was fabulous as they rocked it. It was loud and fast, setting the pace for the night. They followed that song up with “Flash”. A relatively older song (about 6 years old), they played it with all their heart, and the crowd ate it up. The next song was “Headrush” off their Life’s A Glitch LP. That song was impressive.
Following that, “Bimini” came on, and that song was awesome as they jammed through it. The song’s tone was on point, and it had everyone singing along. “Drain Me” was up next, and there is something about that song that hit home for a lot of the crowd. The crowd was into them, and they could tell. They had so much energy on stage, it was awesome to see. They followed that song up with “Monster”, one of their hits. It had so much stuff going on. Powerful lyrics alongside shredding guitars, then it was mellow, only to ramp it up again.
Following up on that song, Frankie asked if we wanted to hear a new song. One that wasn’t out anywhere yet. We all hollered ya! They broke into “Thanks For Asking”, and it was a mellower song but still had the Frankie and the Studs flavor. Seriously, it was awesome. It was technical yet melodic, and we all cheered when they finished. “Get It Right” is their new single, and they rocked it. They were having such a good time up there, and we could all tell.
When they ended the song, they introduced the studs before jumping into “Venus”, A Shocking Blue cover they put out with Billie Joe Armstrong. That song rocked harder than the original but kept the same flavor. It would be a stunning event to have him sing it along with them. Hint hint. Their final song was one they released last year. That song was “Fuck This Shit”, and everyone in the venue could relate to it. It was the perfect I quit song. It was a total adventure watching them rock out. If you haven’t seen them, do it. You will be surprised.
Follow Frankie and the Studs band members on social media
Frankie Clark – guitar, vocals
Franky Salazar – guitar, backing vocals
Lizi Gionangeli – bass
Jona Bowen Smith – drums
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Setlist
1). Black Boots
2). Flash
3). Headrush
4). Bimini
5). Drain Me
6). Monster
7). Thanks For Asking
8). Get It Right
9). Venus
10). Fuck This Shit
Kelsy Karter and the Heroines were up next. They were an awesome band, and I was glad I finally got to see them live. They started out the set with “God Knows”. An amazing song that threw them right into it. Blending a jazz intro into a rock song was wonderful. Following that song was “Love Goes On,” a rocking song with fabulous lyrics that we all enjoyed. From that song, they brought out “Devil,” a fun track that put the focus on the drummer. Their drummer has some skills, as shown on that song.
For the next song, they brought out the guitar player for the Struts, Adam Slack. She said he was her fiancé, and they played “Hotel” together, him on her guitar. That song was just what the doctor ordered because everyone was into it. The crowd was singing all the words as they jammed through it. It was awesome. The next song was “Pantomime,” an a cappella number. The next song was “Call Me,” by Blondie with Frankie Clarke on guitar. That song was so awesome. They rocked it!
Following that song was “The Muse”, a new song. That song had amazing lyrics that cut through the air. That song was well received when it ended, by the level of cheering that was going on. “Catch Me” was up next, and it was a singalong, and everyone was singing it. It was a pretty fabulous couple of minutes with the whole crowd singing. The following song was an acoustic version of “Hero” by Mariah Carey, and it was wonderful.
The guitarist played his heart out before the lyrics kicked in. Kelsy made it up to the balcony for that one, and it was fabulous. “Lightning” was up next, and it was fun. The next song was “Love Made Me Do It,” followed by “Harry”. “Harry” was a song for which she successfully pulled off a publicity stunt by appearing to have a large portrait of Harry Styles on her face. This was a stunt, as could be seen, she did not have a tattoo on her face. Pretty epic though.
The final song of the night was “Liquor”, but before they started that song, she introduced the Heroines. After an a capella intro, she wished us a Happy Pride and went into it. The song was amazing, and the crowd was totally into it. It was a killer show, one I am glad I didn’t miss.
Follow Kelsy Karter and the Heroines band members on social media
Kelsy Karter – guitar, vocals
Matt Peach – guitar
Sebastian Boyse – drums
Tommy Gent – bass
Setlist
1). God Knows
2). Love Goes On
3). Devil
4). Hotel (with Adam Slack)
5). Pantomime
6). Call Me (with Frankie Clark)(Blondie cover)
7). The Muse
8). Catch Me
9). Acoustic Number
10). Hero (Maria Carey cover)
11). Lightning
12). Love Made Me Do It
13). Harry
14). Liquor
Follow Frankie and the Studs on social media
Follow Kelsy Karter and the Heroines on social media