The Brooklyn all-girl band broke the barriers of genre on October 18th with their theatrical performance.

Words by Jenna Sents / Graphic by Michael Loya

On October 18th, The Song & Dance hosted the angelic, doll-like indie rock band, Pom Pom Squad. 

“Dearly Beloved…” the sound of Prince’s echoey voice and impactful organ from his iconic song, “Let’s Go Crazy” welcomed the three-fourths of the band on stage. Immediately the Prince song faded into their first song of the show. 

Fans dressed up in schoolgirl and goth doll styles, each outfit unique and bold in their own way.

Screams and roars from the crowd flooded the space as the lead singer, Mia Berrin, waltzed on stage wearing an almost all-white outfit consisting of a corset, a mini ballerina skirt, sparkly sequined fishnet stockings, and ruffled lacy bloomer shorts. Her black knee-high boots starkly contrasted the soft, coquette energy of her top half, but that is the essence Pom Pom Squad brought to The Song & Dance. 

The band’s music ranges from a sound like Lana Del Rey to that of Olivia Rodrigo. Their setlist faded from emotional, mystical songs with string quartets and soft vocals to punchy basslines and vocal fry that just make you want to jump around and headbang with the band.

In a heavenly haze of a sparkly, feminine sound, you feel as if you are underwater, dancing with ethereal sirens. Mia draws you in with her vocals and you feel yourself leaning in closer and closer to the stage. 

Midway through the Pom Pom Squad’s set, they covered Tommy James and the Shondell's song “Crimson and Clover.” A song originally done by an acid-tripping male rock ‘n’ roll band from the 60s, Pom Pom Squad reinvented the track with their feminine energy. Their distorted, yet muted guitar and bass contributed to this underwater feeling as if you were floating along a river in the sun. 

The set then took a 180-degree turn with “Cake” for an Olivia Rodrigo-esque angry girl sound. With distorted guitars and vocals, the crowd bounced around to the raw music. 

Mia Berrin finally completed her outfit with her silver sparkly pom poms for “Street Fighter,” a more upbeat, punchy song that plays into their cheerleader theme. With a fake cheerleader smile plastered on her face, Mia playfully danced with her pom poms.

The band then moved on to unreleased songs from their upcoming album, “Mirror Starts Moving Without Me,” which left the crowd silent, listening to Pom Pom Squad songs they’d never heard before. After each song was done, it felt as though the room stopped. Their silence was deafening in how deeply the crowd listened to these new songs.

Mia sat on the bass drum to sing their heartbreaking song “Be Good,” which had a dreamlike 50s sound before the band finished out their set with “Crying,” which had Mia dancing around the stage and asking the crowd to join her in singing the chorus. The bouncing fans screamed their hearts out before Pom Pom Squad said their goodbyes.

Pom Pom Squad’s new album, “Mirror Starts Moving Without Me,” was released on October 25th.