Scraping Machine Girl’s Data at Emo’s

Desarey Elizondo Lopez 

Music Journalist 

The noise of harsh guitars and samples looping over and over again filled the room at Emo’s Friday night. The people were moshing, the music was loud, and the lineup was stacked for the night; I knew I was in for a rowdy night.  

Machine Girl consists of members Matt Stephenson (bass, vocals), Sean Kelly (drums), and Lucy Caputi (guitar). With their sound being described as electronic punk and hardcore with breakcore elements, the band has had many releases and were on tour for their latest album, PsychoWarrior: MG Ultra X. Their music has evolved over the years, breaking the definition of what breakcore, punk, and hardcore can be. They have grown a devoted fanbase (including me) that looks forward to what new creations and releases they come up with next. 

The two openers for the night were LustSickPuppy and Show Me the Body. I was unfamiliar with these two artists, so their music came as a surprise to me. LustSickPuppy put on an eccentric and unique set that really set the tone for the night. Combining elements of digital punk with breakcore, they were really vibing with the crowd as they pranced around onstage. Towards the end of their set, they brought a water gun up onto the stage and sprayed the crowd with water, which ended up soaking me since I was right in the middle of the crowd.  

Show Me the Body, a post-hardcore and punk band from New York City, got up onstage next, and upon striking the first few chords, the crowd erupted into a chaotic mess of limbs and people throwing kicks and punches at each other. They had a really chaotic set, and I found myself shoved right to the front, getting a clear view of the band. Although a totally different vibe from the previous act, they put on an amazing show that left me energized and ready for the main act: Machine Girl. 

Finally, the main lights turned off and the casual chatter turned into cheering as the only light source now was the eerie red lighting on the stage shining towards the robotic woman statue in the back. More lights flashed on, and finally we were able to catch the first glimpse of the trio. They opened the night with the first song off their new album, “We Don’t Give a F***”, before playing my favorite song, “Come On Baby, Scrape My Data.” The band was really interactive with the crowd, and there were even multiple instances where the vocalist would step down from the stage and walk around either amongst the crowd or even crowd surf. I was really entranced by their music, especially since I had never been to a show like this before because Machine Girl has so many unique elements to them.  

The band played their last song of the night and last song of the album, “i-Void Destroyer”, leaving the show on a noisy and energetic note; or so everyone thought. The band stepped offstage, leaving the crowd cheering on and waiting in anticipation for their encore. When they inevitably stepped back on, they brought up LustSickPuppy to join them to perform their last song. Their chemistry was contagious, and both artists were living it up with the crowd. I was fortunately able to snag some merch before they ended their encore, securing a swift escape without standing in line. The night was memorable, the energy was high, and I look forward to the next time Machine Girl and I come face to face.