Potty Mouth Returns To JBTV

Words by Hillary Hedstrom | Photos by Bobby Talamine

Potty Mouth came back better than ever. Their first JBTV performance took place back in 2016 when they played at Lollapalooza. Since then, the power punk trio has gone on to play Riot Fest and to open for artists such as The Go-Go’s and JBTV alum Andrew W.K. 

Potty Mouth consists of Abby Weems on guitar and vocals, Ally Einbender on bass, and Victoria Mandanas on drums. The three-piece band formed in Massachusetts out of a series of jam sessions. They were joined by their friend Ada Brumback.

L-R: Ada Brumback, Abby Weems, Jerry Bryant, Victoria Mandanas, Ally Einbender

Driving in from Ohio that day, they came straight to our studio. They were exhausted but put on an amazing show.

The show was intimate, but the stage was still electric with punk energy. The intimate feel allowed them to interact with the crowd.

After a little interaction with a fan about the name of their latest album, Snafu, they said that “Snafu backwards is U Fans” and they do it all for you, the fans.

All of their songs have straightforward lyrics. There’s no hiding what the intention was behind the song. Each song is one to bang your head and dance to. 

“Smash Hit” was the opener song. It’s about the music industry only wanting hits and being about making money. It was a strong start to a strong set.

During the interview, they said that everyone hears something different in the guitar riff. People have gotten everything from a Creedence Clearwater Revival vibe to an All American Rejects feel from that riff.

The rock and roll energy filled the entire stage and audience, with everyone dancing and rocking out. Weems played her guitar behind her head and even got on the ground to jam.

“I Wanna” was a great song to end the set with. It was high energy and easy to sing and dance along to. Weems said that it’s like every Ramones song and that’s why they like it. It’s about going after what you want. 

After the set, the members came out to mingle among the fans who came. They brought some merch, such as the usual array shirts and albums and CDs. A fun twist that they have is that their merch for sale includes a “Dog Song” pillowcase. 

During the interview, Weems said she writes a majority of their songs. She compares songwriting to completing a puzzle. It’s therapeutic for her to write songs because she has had time to work it out and process everything that she’s writing about.

Although she writes a majority of their songs, she doesn’t write all of them alone. During a series of songwriting sessions, she got hooked up with Gina Shock of The Go-Go’s and they co-wrote “Fencewalker.”

Through that meetup, Potty Mouth was able to open for a few The Go-Go’s shows. Shock loves their band. 

Potty Mouth would like for people to watch the music video for their song “Liar.” It’s their favorite one that they’ve done. It’s funny and features them as superheroes. They like the campy feel to it. 

SET LIST:
1. Smash Hit
2. 22
3. Do It Again
4. Fence Walker
5. Dog Song
6. Liar
7. I Wanna