at The Middle East Cafe
by Scott Hefflon
photo by Trevor Whitaker
Like trashy, wise-ass Barbie dolls, the Lunachicks give the finger to the serious, male-dominated rock/punk industry. Their bitchy and bubblegum stageshow combines bimbo squeals, halter tops, cut-offs, cutesy sexuality mixed with wild tattoos, knife wielding, and enough punk attitude to shrivel any man’s suave advances. They revitalize the glam punk heyday of the ’80s and make no apologies for it. “This is totally ’80s. Know it, use it, love it. You know you do,” ranted the leggy lead singer with the crazy red wig. Gyrating in gaudy, stripped-down stage wear and excessive makeup only compliments that “cute, sneering punk rock girl in plaid that looks so darling with that I’m-so-mad-at-the-world frown until she flicks her cigarette at you, spits in your face and kicks at you repeatedly in the balls with her Docs” image.
The music itself? What’s to say: The girls rocked hard. They’re all competent players, are tight, play fast, are energetic on stage and write really fun bop punk songs. My faves, for both topic and title, were “Octopussy” and “Cookie Core.” In their live show, the excessive accessories merely make their show over the top. (’80s obsessive materialism at it’s finest.) The closing cover of “More than a Feeling” just seemed to some it all up. A truly entertaining band to see and hear live.