VIVIAN GIRLS REVIEW

sunday. march 14. 2010.

the jackpot. lawrence, ks.

I don’t know what my expectations were for seeing Vivian Girls live.  Like a lot of other bands that are floating around right now, the sound is lo-fi and skuzzy, and a little bit shouty, but the ladies have the charming novelty of being real girls and playing actual instruments. They’re a legit group with a growing catalogue and a growing fan base. While on stage, they can request a beer from their fellow touring mates, Male Bonding, and get one literally within seconds (granted I think there were a few sips taken out of it, and it might have been a minute or two old, but still)! Maybe I’m just easily impressed, or easily fooled. I don’t really know. I had seen Vimeo videos of them doing their own laundry and comfortably chatting with an awkward interviewer, and it seemed they were normal, down to earth girls who could throw around some chords and who had a penchant for singing off key. I was interested to see how they came off live and wondered if I would catch the vibe they were throwing out.

Guitarist and lead singer, Cassie Ramone, (who to me, bears a slight resemblance to a certain Scarlett Johansson) dons the stage with a pair of baggy eyes, and a pair of sweet pursed lips. Her right arm, minute in circumference, is tattooed with a cheeseburger and a cassette tape. She begins with monotone vocals and comfortably strums her guitar, which cranks out a sound that is both sharp and fuzzy. Ali Koehler looking smart and sassy in her glasses chimes in on drums, and Kickball Katy kicks in on bass, long legs, leather jacket and all.

The girls sound like haunting out of tune angels or ghosts singing in a haze and sun-drenched garage that still manages to possess a lot of dark corners. The songs are not musically complex and there are a lot of “la la las” but there is a type of sweetness in the simplicity and dissonance of the whole performance.  For the first few songs, everyone, including the Vivian Girls played it cool. But soon after, the girls offer a few words to the crowd: “You guys should dance.” And dance, they did, to “I Can’t Get Over You” from their sophomore release, Everything Goes Wrong. The drunk and/or excited girl, who offered her couch to Cassie Ramone earlier in the night, is on her hands and knees thrashing her head back and forth. The sturdy youth in front of me, who smells like basement, is dancing/rocking back and forth steadily and enthusiastically (but then again he has been all night).

I find myself leaving before the set is over. I have seen what Vivan Girls have to offer, and my curiosity as well as my eardrums is satisfied. Tomorrow, the girls will go on to another highway, another club and another fan’s couch. Just like I will get into my car, hit another club and another show, but not before the fuzzy vocals and “la la las” that haunt my head have left.