(Picture by Sean)
Beautys singer/guitarist Chica Baby has come along way since her days in the Smears. When that all-girl Indiana trio disbanded back in the late nineties, Chica wasted no time in forming her own rockin' trio that has toured and recorded steadily for the past few years. The aforementioned trio consisting of Chica, Erick C. on bass, and Dave Trevino, delivered a highly energetic set that featured a few new tunes as well as older favorites like "#1 Sex Shop." The musical highlight of the evening was the band's performance of "Baby, Put It In The Hole" (And we ain't talkin' golf here folks.) which Chica introduced as their romantic number.
Falling James fans were doubly blessed that night as L.A.'s favorite cross-dressing rocker played guitar in both his own band, the Leaving Trains, and in the opening act, The Helpful Nuns. The Nuns were followed by a local group called the Dagons who inspired a lively audience reception with their set of moody rockers like "Ceiling Floor" and "As Close As You May Ever Get" culled respectively from their two CDs: "The Other Ending" and "Make Us Old." The Leaving Trains capped things off with a great set that included a new song that betrayed an obvious Who influence as well as a performance of their rock opus "The Lost Danielle." A recorded version of the latter should finally be available on their upcoming Steel Cage CD.