Live Review: L7 w/ VIAL @ Howard Theatre — 10/21/26

October 26, 2026

Donita Sparks fronts L7 at Howard Theatre on Oct. 21, 2026. (Photo by James Todd Miller)

Legendary Los Angeles grunge-punk rockers L7 brought their farewell tour, The Last Hurrah Tour 2026, to the historic Howard Theatre on Oct. 21. The tour marks what could be the band’s final run of US shows.

L7 put on a fantastic show, paying tribute to their late bassist, Jennifer Finch, who died in July at age 59 following a battle with brain cancer. Lead vocalist and guitarist Donita Sparks spoke about Finch and explained that the band was able to proceed with the tour thanks to the return of former bassist Janis Tanaka, who previously played with L7 from 1999 to 2001. Tanaka’s familiarity with the music helped ensure fans would get at least one more L7 tour. The lineup also includes founding guitarist Suzi Gardner and longtime drummer Dee Plakas.

Speaking about Finch was an emotional moment, and her loss was felt throughout the venue. Finch had been with the band for decades, having joined shortly after Sparks and Gardner formed the group in 1985. Together, they helped establish L7 as a powerhouse in the grunge scene of the late ’80s and early ’90s. I last saw Finch perform with L7 at the Black Cat in DC a couple of years ago. She was phenomenal on bass and will be deeply missed by the band and fans alike. She was also an accomplished music photographer.

Minneapolis punk band VIAL opened the show with a stellar, hard-hitting 30-minute set. The band displayed tremendous energy and remained impressive throughout its performance. VIAL is opening select dates on L7’s tour while supporting its latest album, HELLHOUND, released in March.

L7 erupted onto the stage following a video introduction showing the band at various stages of its career, launching into “Deathwish,” “Andres” and “Fuel My Fire.”

Watch L7 perform “Fuel My Fire” live for JBTV on YouTube:

During her opening remarks, Sparks expressed the band’s heartfelt appreciation for the opportunity to play the Howard Theatre, a historic venue that has hosted some of music’s greatest performers over the years.

One of the show’s highlights was “Wargasm,” which resonated with fans who were thoroughly enjoying the hard-hitting performance. The band was in great form and seemed to get better as the show progressed. The song comes from one of my favorite L7 albums, 1992’s Bricks Are Heavy.

L7 are a magnificent band, and hopefully this tour will lead to another, although I don’t want to get too greedy. When the music is good, it’s just good. L7 remain one of the best bands on the planet, and wanting them to continue performing is simple logic for music lovers.

L7 closed out the show with an encore featuring perhaps their biggest hit, “Pretend We’re Dead,” followed by “Fast and Frightening.” While the band has undergone personnel changes over the years, the current lineup brings together musicians from different periods of its history and shows L7 in top form.

The sound was impeccable throughout the performance, leaving the band in a strong position for whatever comes next. If The Last Hurrah Tour truly marks the end of L7’s touring career, I hope the band considers releasing a live album to commemorate the occasion.

Setlist

1. “Deathwish”
2. “Andres”
3. “Fuel My Fire”
4. “Monster”
5. “Stadium West”
6. “Wargasm”
7. “Off the Wagon”
8. “Uppin’ the Ice”
9. “Shove”
10. “Mr. Integrity”
11. “Bitter Wine”
12. “Drama”
13. “Must Have More”
14. “Bad Things”
15. “Livin’ Large”
16. “I Came Back to Bitch”
17. “Freak Magnet”
18. “Slide”
19. “Shitlist”