Punk, Bowling, Cheerleaders, Marbles and Hotnights! « Coolgrrrls

Punk, Bowling, Cheerleaders, Marbles and Hotnights!

Posted 26 June 2003 NYrox@nite

Who says rock is dead? There is a rock revival going’ on and I can’t keep up with all the shows!!

OK, well, It’s halfway through 2003 and I have not broken any of my New Year’s resolutions completely. I was religious (except the last three weeks) about going to yoga three times a week. I’d walk to work if it didn’t rain every damn day, and my other resolution was to eat my veggies like a good girl! So, I must be doing something right. I went to my Dr. for a check up and I lost 8 pounds. Who knew? I guess I’d better get a scale!

John Holmstrom of Punk Magazine has a Birthday Party with Mud City Manglers & The Bullys John, one of the founding fathers of Punk magazine, had his annual Birthday party with two of what he calls, “The Best Bands in the World”. The invite has John’s signature artwork (as seen on The Ramones’ Road to Ruin and Rocket to Russia album covers), and looks like more fun than a barrel of cretins. Also, this is the first time I have gotten to see The Bullys in over two years, and I think the last time I was drunk. So, I make my way down to the Pyramid, which I have not set foot in probably since 1995. It’s oddly the same. They are having a punk trivia contest, and lucky winners get copies of the Punk Book, among other things. Kowalski drummer Scott is right up front taking his chances, while I hide at the bar.

First on are The Mud City Manglers, and boy, and they that kind of hard rock that I love! They sould easily hold their own on stage with the Supersuckers. Power chords fly like their long hair, and they sound like they have three guitar players and not one. I know these guys have been meaning to come to New York for a while, and I’m glad they are here! Come back soon!

Next on are hometown heroes, The Bullys. The also host special guests Mickey Leigh, who is Joey Ramone’s brother, for a few Ramones tunes, and Sean from Jones Crusher. They are also equal opportunity rockers and call the girls on stage to dance. Someone is urging me to get on stage, but I choose to stay behind and watch the show. Good call on my part, because they have the girls dance to a song called, “I only go out with SLUTS”. If you like anthemic, fist-in-the-air, non-P.C. party rock a la Dictators, The Bullys is the band for you.

Lock up your daughters, it’s Cheerleader 666!
One of my new favorite rock bands is Cheerleader 666 (www.cheerleader666.com). These Canadian rockers as so badass, they will make you forgive and forget the lame Canadian imports to the US like Rush, Bryan Adams and Celine Dion! You have to catch the live show. In fact, at one of our recent shows, and friend and fan who met them at the Turbonegro show here in NYC came up to me and THANKED me for turning him on to Cheerleader 666! C’mon down to NYC! You have fans and beer waiting for you! More guitar-driven riff rock about girls, girls and uh, girls. I even selected their track “I Want Action” for the Brutarian Magazine comp I’m working on. I think Cheerleader will fill the rock and roll hole left by the demise of Guns ‘n Roses and Buckcherry.

Manda & The Marbles, Bantam, Star Spangles, 9 Lives at Northsix
This show ran the spectrum of the new/old rock. 9 Lives opened the show, with their melodic, straight-ahead punk rock. Their singer has also one of the best voices in the genre! We have played shows with these guys many times over the years, and they still sounds as great as they ever did! One curious fact I did not know, is that the singer is also a head honcho of local car club The Rumblers! That’s the guys who run the annual BBQ and Car show which is coming up – one of those fun summer parties where you start drinking at noon!

Next up are Manda & The Marbles from Ohio. They are one of the new bands on the recently revitalized Go-Kart records. The band is also featured on the Coolgrrls comp! Anyway, the show did not disappoint. They are punk-influenced power pop much in the style of the early Go-Gos, but have a harder rock edge. Their drummer is a madman, and Manda is as sweet and charming as you would expect. Good show, good tunes!

Bantam is fronted by Gina Volpe, whom you may remember form the Lunachicks. This is just the kind of traditional hard rock as you would expect to hear from a gal weaned on Black Sabbath. Gina can shread any dude on this scene and makes an engaging front person as well. They have a really full sound for a three-piece. Gina is so captivating, that another photographer up front declares Gina as “his” when it comes to getting up by the stage for good angles. I have to shoot form the other side! Look or them as they are touring around a lot.

Finishing off the show is The Star Spangles. I’ve been seeing Tommy of this band around for years, and I will testify that he had the whole velvet blazer/silk scarf/bell bottom thing going on in this scene before anyone else. Definitely the bastard child of the Stones and The Heartbreakers, they have that New York Sound of sloppy rock and roll down. We haven’t heard THAT in a while, no matter what The Strokes say. Look out for these guys – if this classic New York sound ever gets a fair shake, these guys are giving it their best.

Sahara Hotnights – Maxwell’s
What can I say – Sahara Hotnights are one of THE best bands I’ve seen in the last year. Hands down. Did I mention they are all girls? This is no marketing gimmick folks – these gals will SMOKE your ass! Another Swedish import, I have a feeling they eat The Hives for breakfast. They are much more rock and roll and less straight garage genre. I’d say they are more like the babies of the “Jennifer has two Daddies” household of Turbonegro and The Flaming Sideburns. Jennifer had a baby of her own, and it’s called “Jennie Bomb”. If you don’t run out and buy this record NOW, definitely see them on their next tour. I’ve seen them three times already!

The 5th Annual BYO Punk Rock Bowling Tournament in Las Vegas
This year, The Kowalskis FINALLY, with much begging borrowing, stealing and other finagling, get into the tournament. We are excited! Since we are bass-player-less at the time, we borrow a bass player form The Lust Killers, Chuck Worthy. Chuck also recently joined The Swingin’ Utters, so he is well on his way to stardom in the California Scene. We are still the East Coast bastard children, but are determined not to SUCK ASS, and practice bowling for like a MONTH before we go to Vegas. We practice Bowling more than we are practicing music at this point. In fact, I’m working so hard at this, I get SICK right before we go!

Anyway, we get to Vegas, and the fun’s already started. The first show is with the Unseen and The Dropkick Murphys, who are just as good as ever. Scott feels right at home, as he is a Boston Boy just like the Dropkicks. After that show we go back to the hotel and hit the bar. I find out there is a Drag The River show across town, and I’m all over it – it’s pretty far away. Somehow, I meet a girl named Dori who knows who they are and is a friend of Chad’s, so she’s not only up for the show, but she also has a CAR! E go over to that show, the band drives me back in their van, which is more likea milk truck. Chad sees me in the van and is all confused – “Aren’t you that girl from New York?” He seems as puzzled to see me in Vegas as I am to see these Coloradians here as well. We go to get one of those .99 cent shrimp cocktail specials at a joint across the street – it is like 5 am and I’ve been up for almost 24 hours! I remark about how the shrimp are as small as sea monkeys, and find my face almost covered in cocktail sauce as I start to doze off at the table. I go back to my room after saying goodbye to the Drag boys. I’d better get some sleep – I am getting run down and I have to bowl tomorrow!

We get our matching Kowalskis jumpsuits on (except for Chuck – the jumpsuit we bought him winds up giving him a HUGE wedgie!) and show up looking like a cross between Devo and a prison work crew. We are a force to be contended with. We get on a lane right next to a cool bunch of gals from Epitaph Records –the 7/10 Slits (I later ran into Jesse, who was on the team on our other side, as he toured through town in New York). We are all remembering our Jedi training from New York, and srt bowling really well! There were not just a few strikes! I think Scott was the overall winner of the rounds, but we all did our fair share.

After the tournament, we hear there is a shuttlebus and try to go look for it, as the hotel is across town and cabs are expensive. Somehow, we lose Mike in the fray, but we’re sure he’s probably found more cheap beer or some good time. I am REALLY exhausted by this time. I bought four tickets to see GBH, Hollywood Hate and Agent Orange even before we left New York, so I really want to so see this show. I am REALLY pooped and feeling sick. I make the fatal mistake of doing the “I’m just going to lie down for a little bit.” I took a nap at 7 pm and didn’t wake up until 7 am! Scott is an early bird, too, so we go to have breakfast at 7 am, and there are STILL people at the bar from the night before! Totally wrecked, and they have to bowl again! Leading this crew is Mark DeSalvo, who was on the Flipsides Team with me last year. I think this kid has a Plutonium core.

It is the second day of bowling and we do pretty well. Not as good as the first as we are collectively sick, tired, jetlagged, hung over, whatever. I found out that the night before, Mike didn’t just wander off to have a good time, he was CHADE off hotel property. I guess they thought his jumpsuit looked like a prison uniform, too. He was telling them about the punk rock bowling tournament and said he was looking for the shuttlebus, but these clueless bastards thought it sounded lie a tall tale! Poor guy! He walked halfway back until he found a taxi in a 7-11 parking lot!

That night we have the awards ceremony and show with Manic Hispanic, who are some of the greatest and funniest punk rock musicians from all the SoCal Scene! I wore my pink and black silk leopard-print dress with a rhinestone studded safety pin (with little gold dice dangling from little chains on it) to step out on to the red carpet, well, beer-soaked wood floor, even though we weren’t winning any prizes. I met Brandon in person, whom I knew through the ALL message board, and it turns out he had the high Men’s score for the whole tournament! Now I know who to invite to be on my team next time we need a fourth! After a great set by Manic Hispanic, we head back to the hotel. I’m STILL pooped and am invited out for more shots and stuff, but wind up stumbling back to the hotel room. I didn’t think it was possible, but I’m actually SICK of drinking! Plus, I don’t want to throw up on my fabulous new Chloe dress!

The next day, we are happy with our standing (we same out dead center) and happy to get back to New York. We feel good about the Kowalski Bomb we dropped on Vegas and the Bowling tournament. It was great to reconnect with old East Coast friends like Al Barr of the Dropkicks and Bryan of Bouncing Souls, and West Coasters Scotty, Steve Soto, Joe Sib and The SideOne Team, Mitch Kramer and Team M.E.A.N., The Barfeeders, Mark De Salvo, Erin & The Locknecks, Fat Mike, Floyd and Tom and the rest of the FAT posse, and all our new friends, too!

My Top 10 of the Tournament:
1. Dropkick Murphys
2. Reconnecting with Scotty Wilkins, of Hollywood Hate – a former New Yorker!
3. Getting felt up by the Hemi Cuda girls.
4. $2 beers!
5. NOT losing any money!
6. Meeting Dori and Darren and getting a ride to the Drag The River Show all the way across town – would have been like $15 in a cab.
7. The “hair bear” kid with his own portable bar – Ali from Destroy All Monthly.
8. Chuck Worthy of the Swingin’ Utters as “Kowalski-for-a-tournament”.
9. FINALLY learning the difference between Sigfreid and Roy.
10. The Barflies girls, especially Jen who has MORE awesome photos HERE: www.barflies.net
(most of the photos for this article are by Jen Hanen of Barflies.net!)

I have about 25 more rolls of film to scan from various and sundry shows, including Turbonegro’s infamous Mercury Lounge show, so I’ll post again soon!