On July 31st, rock band The Pretty Reckless brought their Dear God World Tour to the Wiltern in Los Angeles. After months of touring with the legendary AC/DC (and continuing to do so through September), The Pretty Reckless knows it’s their time to shine. They have singer Paris Jackson and punk band doug. coming along for their North American dates. Formed in 2009, The Pretty Reckless currently consists of frontwoman Taylor Momsen, lead guitarist/backing vocalist Ben Phillips, bassist Mark Damon, drummer Jamie Perkins, and touring guitarist Logan Nikolic. They are fresh off the release of their fifth studio album, Dear God, produced by Momsen, Phillips, and producer Jonathan Wyman. Their single “When I Wake Up” earned them their ninth No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart, making them the only female-fronted band with that achievement.
Opening the show was doug. from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The four-piece punk band brought the noise to the continually growing crowd at the venue. They played songs from their 2024 debut album, Beholder, including “Cold Cuts From Pompous Pigs,” “Observer,” and “Dog Eat Dog.” During their short set, they had non-stop energy oscillating through the air, kicking off the evening with their thrashing punk sound.
Afterwards was Paris Jackson, singer, model, and actress. Daughter of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe, she grew up in the spotlight in many ways, but she’s not concerned with showing off. She released her debut, wilted, at 22 years old, a folk-rock concept album that tells her story. Now at 28, she is gearing up to release a second album. Coming out in less than a month, HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE was the focus of her set, playing her singles and more from the album. The songs are much more grunge-driven and grittier than her previous album, with raw emotion in her voice tying it all together. Jackson didn’t take too much time talking through her time, but when she did interact with the audience, she was making them laugh. She made a paper airplane out of her setlist and threw it into the crowd before performing a heavier cover of “No Rain” by Blind Melon, with everyone singing along to the iconic song. At the end, she finished her set with the title track off her new album, announcing that it’s releasing soon and how excited she is for everyone to hear it.
Finally, The Pretty Reckless took the stage to “Death by Rock and Roll,” the crowd immediately coming alive to one of their favorite songs. Following up with two older ones, “Since You’re Gone,” and “Follow Me Down,” with the brightest spotlight on Taylor Momsen, the theatre was soaking it up. They went on to play a set full of their best new songs and most-loved fan favorites.
The middle section of their set focused on their new album, Dear God, full of Momsen’s rawest emotion yet, pleading desperation, and sensational guitar solos from Phillips. The band are alongside the best of the best in their genre, they’re just waiting for everyone else to realize it. The crowd that sold out the Wiltern, however, was fully in the know, and experienced an unforgettable show. Out of all the new songs, the title track was a highlight, all glorious six minutes of it, with Momsen’s powerful voice sailing through the venue.
They also played the heartfelt “Devil in Disguise (Michelle’s Song),” which is dedicated to Michelle Trachtenberg, who recently passed away. Momsen and Trachtenberg became close after meeting on the television show Gossip Girl, where Trachtenberg’s mischievous character was referred to as a “devil in disguise” by the titular anonymous blogger Gossip Girl. Later on, the band performed “Spell on You,” introducing it with the story of how the intro to the song came to be, with Momsen saying it’s proof that people never change. In the intro, Momsen as a young child can be heard telling her babysitter at the time that she is a bad witch right before the song kicks in.
The Pretty Reckless finished their set with an uproarious crowd singing along to “Going to Hell,” and exited the stage. They came back to play new hit “About You,” and brought up a surprise guest to play guitar with them. They introduced him as a man who doesn’t need an introduction. Pat Smear is a guitarist for Foo Fighters, he was also co-founder and lead guitarist for punk band Germs, and a touring guitarist for Nirvana. Everyone was having a blast on stage, and the entire crowd was treating the recently released song like they’d been waiting to hear it for years. I’ve been going to The Pretty Reckless shows for a decade, and they are more compelling than ever.
GALLERY: The Pretty Reckless at The Wiltern in Los Angeles, California (July 31, 2026)
