Mannequin Pussy Excite with “I Got Heaven” in Seattle

From the first time we saw Mannequin Pussy open for Japanese Breakfast in 2017 at the old Crocodile location we knew they were special. After the next two album releases the band seems to have exploded in the music world gathering a large following. Their latest one, I Got Heaven, received praise and positive reviews bringing them into more stardom. The project currently consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Marisa “Missy” Dabice, drummer Kaleen Reading, bassist Colins “Bear” Regisford, and guitarist Maxine Steen.

We were thrilled to head down to the new Crocodile now for their own headlining show. This tour has been sold-out in most cities after their successful release and buzz. We saw them here during Belltown Bloom almost to the year and they were one of our favorites from the festival. We couldn’t wait to hear all the new songs live for the first time and catch the vibe of the show. The background displayed a huge banner with their name and album on a picture of thunderstorms.

Mannequin Pussy took the floor a little after nine and their hungry fans focused their eyes on the stage while the music started. Missy Dabice stepped on the floor wearing a white dress and dark lipstick while we also noticed a Palestinian flag in front of the keyboard table. The band kicked off with “I Don’t Know You,” “Sometimes,” and “Nothing Like.”

Dabice stopped to thank the crowd for coming out and how important they were to them. She also pointed out that she didn’t speak at that part of the show, but she wanted to point out to the two people that were spinning on the floor at the end of the song and how beautiful it was and that it would live in her mind forever. We really appreciated how in tune with the fans Dabice was and how they all were singing the songs back to them in adoration. I feel like this is probably so rewarding as an artist after so much work to see that you appeal to others and how your songs really resonate. Their shows have just become more and more explosive and it’s a pleasure to see their progress and growth from that first show.

One of our most favorite moments of the night was Dabice guiding people before starting “Loud Bark,” to sing the ‘Bite’ at the end with them since they don’t use tracks and layered the word about 30 times on the record. The song was electric and when the end came, and it was time to sing together the whole room echoed as one voice yelling the words. The way Dabice sings/yells the words ‘I got a loud bark, deep bite, a loud bark, deep bite’ will be something that will keep looping in my mind forever. I stopped and looked into the crowd trying to print this moment in my mind so I wouldn’t forget it as my arm hair stood up. This is why I love live music.

Before starting “I Got Heaven,” Dabice dedicated the tune to anyone who had someone make them feel bad or ashamed about being themselves or has forced them to be what they expect them to be. Towards the end of the show Dabice spoke about feeling angry and how important it is to address our anger before it actually becomes a problem. How it’s valid in the world we live in and how it’s important to resolve it and let it go. In a moment we weren’t expecting to partake she encouraged everyone to scream together and let all that weighs on us go. We didn’t realize that this concert was going to be a therapy session but there we were screaming all together.

The grip the band had on the room the whole night was incredible to witness and it was amazing to see the crowd participate and be attentive the whole time. Dabice has a special power as a leader and human. Their main set ended with “Perfect,” “Clams,” and “OK? OK! OK? OK!“

Mannequin Pussy returned for their encore with Bear Regisford taking the lead for “Pigs Is Pigs,” dedicating it to all the black and brown folks as Dabice played the bass. Regisford ran around the stage full of energy for the duration of the track. Dabice then returned to her post to close out with “Emotional High,” and “Romantic.” We did not want this night to end and being a part of the show felt like something really special. There aren’t many artists that can make you feel that way and it’s always a gift to experience that emotion.