TRACY CITY

by Abel Folgar

A self-described “gang of salty broads revving the engines of garage rock,” Tracy City from New York, New York by way of South Florida are a punch in the nose of anyone who ever thought, in the band’s own words, that “women over 40 can’t f*ck things up.”

Frontwoman Katrina del Mar is best known as a photographer and underground filmmaker. But the chaotic state of the world — and a movie project — led her to form a band. She recruited guitarist Monica Falcone, bassist Betsy Todd, and South Florida legend Genny Slag — of Slag and Pank Shovel fame — on drums. Tracy City is del Mar’s first band.

“It’s kinda crazy after all this time,” del Mar tells PureHoney. “When I was younger, it seemed like practically everyone I knew was in a band except me.” She turns out to be a formidable lead singer even if she’s too humble to say so: “I know I’m not a good singer, but I have a little bit of style and performing is fun for me.”

Del Mar’s transition to performing was eased by meeting Slag. While living in Delray Beach, del Mar was fresh out of rehab and Slag was her entree into South Florida’s thriving underground. “I’d been to the hardcore matinees at CBGB’s, copped drugs in Tompkins Square Park, drank with Joey Ramone, so you know, they all thought I was hard as fuck, but these kids scattered around West Palm went really hard.”

Slag has had a resurgence from the Gen Z punks rediscovering a demo tape of her hardcore namesake. Slag recollects performing with just about everyone in South Florida, rattling off a long list of local greats including LOAD, Chickenhead, Livid Kittens and Postface. “South Florida’s always had an amazing and diverse music scene,” Slag tells PureHoney. “There are a lot of cool people making cool music and no one sounds the same.”

Tracy City perform 9pm Friday, March 3 at Respectable Street in downtown West Palm Beach with Thelma & The Sleaze and Hijas de la Muerte; and 9pm Saturday, March 4 at the Poorhouse in Ft. Lauderdale with Cool Hand Luke. tracycityband.xyz