tBS: A Review

[DFrost8547 at AOL.COM]

Subj:  ROCKRGRL nite at Mac Fest
Date:  96-07-16 20:27:03 EDT
From:  ChocChippy

Pardonnez-moi for getting this on so late the next day...but I was WIPED OUT
after Rockrgrl nite at the New Music Cafe Mon. nite!

TONS of good bands and much fun had by all...Carla did herself proud as
Mistress of Ceremonies & the Deb Frost-programmed lineup had something for
everyone & with the common factor being that all the bands played some
kickass rock and roll.

Yes, I'm gushing, but it was SO COOL! And I got a CREDENTIAL! Which means I
get to go to everything else FREE for the rest of the week!

I'm sorry. My inherent geekitude is showing.

Okey-doke, so if you've never been there, the New Music Cafe is situated at
Canal St. & West Broadway in Manhattan, on the border of Chinatown. It's a
corner building, and when you walk in, there's a little area to the side
(where they had the computers with the video feed, which apparently never
left the building), then a long bar down the right side of the room, (behind
which was a room with a pool table & more seats) and the performing space
proper, which had about a knee-high stage, and a few couches at the back of
an open viewing area (except for one pillar slightly to the right of center
stage). Lots of things hanging from the ceiling: a stuffed alligator, bells,
a swordfish, etc. Some original art (or maybe it was just stuff they hung on
the wall to get it off the floor).

A heavy downpour regulated the crowdflow (when it stopped raining, people
walked over from other venues), but there was a pretty constant stream of
people in and out all evening...a very industry-media heavy crowd (sniffing
each others' laminates) and exchanging cards and networking like crazy.

>From my vantage point at the merch table, I got to see both wheover was
walking in the door and a fairly unobstructed view of the stage.

First up was the Finch Family fronted by Lizzie Borden, a Boston-based act,
whose bass player took the stage with a broken wrist: at their last gig, a
guy jumped up onstage and grabbed her, and when she belted him, broke a bone.
But the band wouldn't think of cancelling & she said she'd go get a cast put
on it today (OUCH!) They were lots of fun...in addition to the two
guitar/bass/drums lineup, they had a guy who played the flute & trumpet. They
closed with a nicely done cover of Jefferson Airplane's "Go Ask Alice." And
hung around for the rest of the bands.

Then Swish, w/bass player Lori Martin of Helium & Patrick Murphy, drummer of
Dinosaur Jr. and unfortunately, I wasn't playing much attention to them,
being busy guarding the t-shirts and back issues of the magazine. (AND IF YOU
DON'T HAVE YOUR T-SHIRT WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, PEOPLE?)

I read Lisa Jones's piece about Felice Rosser & her band Faith in "Rock She
Wrote" and was interested to see if they were as powerful as Lisa had
described. WOW. They totally rocked. Apparently, there have been some
personnel & management changes, and well, they're READY for something big.
That VOICE just made every head in the room turn and drew the people to the
stage like a magnet. I suppose you could compare her to M'shell Ndegeoshello
(she plays a bass, too) or even to Tracy Chapman (her voice is more
interesting), but Faith definitely has its own sound. Ooh.

Downtown spoken-word artist Penny Arcade did a piece before the next band
(and sorry I didn't get the names of the musicians accompanying her), and
blasted the audience with a powerful piece about sexual assault.
The Cucumbers were up next...and they brought a bunch of their fans with
them. For those of you who don't know 'em, they're fronted by husband/wife
Deena Shoshkes & Jon Fried and they also WERE lots of fun and HAD lots of
fun. Carla spotted me at the t-shirt table & I got to see them from head on
for the last part of their set, which I thought was the strongest (definitely
the most rocking songs).

Deb & HER husband, Albert Bouchard fronted The Brain Surgeons, who drew their
share of guys in their 30s saying: IS THIS THE GUY FROM BLUE OYSTER CULT?

Deb let me hold her wallet while she performed and I didn't even take any
money out of it.

Just before the Brain Surgeons went on, Carla drew the winning slip for the
evening's prize: a Tommy Hilfiger Jeans knapsack, filled with Tommy Jeans
stuff, a Rockrgrl T-shirt and a whole bunch of CDs, donated by Carla,
Blackheart Records, the Brain Surgeons. The knapsack & Tommy shirts were
courtesy of Tommy and Andy Hilfiger, whose brother Billy is in the Brain
Surgeons.

The fine Lizzie Borden won...which was nice because they'd gone outside &
gotten soaked & didn't have a change of clothes. So Lizzie distributed the
t-shirts and they got to drive back to Boston dry. We'll see them back here
in NYC in August when they play CBGBs.

Then it was time for the Brain Surgeons: blow-your-hair-back music, which
frankly, I don't think we have enough of these days what with too many glum
bass players swaying back and forth and lead singers who wear shades onstage
(one of my pet peeves). (I guess I'm showing my age. I thought the picture of
Sleater-Kinney on the cover of this month's ROCKRGRL made 'em look like they
were all in the 5th grade). I rather wish I'd been able to stand in front of
the speakers, but even from the side, it was eminently satisfying.

And world class Rockrgrl Genya Ravan joined the Brain Surgeons for a
song...playing harmonica and singing for what I heard was her first live
appearance in years. I'm sorry I didn't write a lot more of this down & get
more names & talk to people, but NOT ONE T-SHIRT DISAPPEARED, and frankly,
I'm proud of that. Also, believe it or not, I'm really shy in groups of
people. Watching the t-shirts gave me a PURPOSE.

So, they interviewed Carla for Canadian TV (I think) and lots of
photographers showed up, as an alternative to the Henry Rollins show at
Irving Plaza and the "secret" Metallica show at Tramps. And everyone was
talking about the surprise guests at the night before's Sweet Relief benefit
at The Bottom Line (Cracker, Bob Mould, Garbage, Adam Duritz).

Patricia Kennealy-Morrison (who is interviewed in the current Rockrgrl)
stopped by, and there was a noticible murmur at her entrance...she's got
waist-length curly red hair, wore a floppy leather hat secured with a silver
pin, which had a long pheasant feather, I think, that was nearly as long as
her hair.

And it was very nice to meet everyone from online who stopped by to say
hello...put some faces to names, etc.

I think we need another ROCKRGRL nite & I think I can definitely sell some
more t-shirts.

KW
(who is going to SEXPOD tomorrow night at Coney Island High!)