Hell’s Belles are AC/DC on estrogen
There are cover bands. And then there is the
Hell’s Belles.
The premiere all-female AC/DC tribute act is world famous, endorsed by Angus Young himself, and has been selling out shows since they formed in 2000.
Seattle’s wildly popular Hell’s Belles rock like boulders and cover AC/DC’s historical career, from “High Voltage to “Back in Black,” like it’s life or death.
Frontwoman and founding member Om Johar is ferociously passionate as the late Bon Scott/current frontman Brian Johnson (lead singer). The same goes for dread-headed Adrian Conner — donning the signature schoolboy necktie and cap, but swapping out the knickers for a miniskirt — as Angus Young (lead guitar); and Lisa Brisbois as the intense-yet-subtle Malcolm Young (rhythm guitar); Mandy Reed is a solid-steel Cliff Williams (bass guitar); and newest member, Melodie Zapata takes the drummer’s seat as Phil Rudd.
Each member has a reputable resume of original rock bands and solo projects.
AC/DC on estrogen, The Hell’s Belles’ sub-agenda is for women to get “up front” in rock.
“Not some down-your-throat feminism, but more (of) a proactive support and action spirit to promote the continued balancing of the gender scales,” the Belles’ press bio states.
Their raw power and stage energy have taken them all over the United States, Japan and Canada.
For a show that rocks with fury and oozes taboo, go on an AC/DC gender-bender with Hell’s Belles at 9:30 p.m. Thursday at Mootsy’s, 406 W. Sprague Ave. There is a $10 cover.
Hostalion’s pride
Nightwatch caught Olympia hip-hop set
Hostalion that last time they came through The Detour a couple of weeks ago and was thoroughly impressed by a quartet of emcees who ripped many styles, but were still very cohesive as a unit. The hooks were tight, rhymes deft, and beats bangin’.
And to think, that was just a sampling of the dozen emcees who make up the Hostalion crew.
Among the stand-out rhymesayers was
Zhivago, with his hyper-intellectu-ill word play, but those in the know say he’s considered average compared to Hostalion members
Xperience and
A.K.A.
Another Lion in the Hosta-Voltron, Eric Lambert (aka
Compost) gives a run down of the six members that come to town this weekend.
“Zhivago flips the word association, nobody sounds like him.
Q is a straight up battle emcee. Xperience is dark and spiritual. A.K.A. gets the most recognition. He won the (Pacific Lutheran University) MC Battle this year.
Nicotine took second,” Lambert said during a telephone interview.
Many of the members of Hostalion make their own beats for solo songs. The unit also breaks down into sub-crews, such as Xperience and A.K.A.’s Sound Asylum, which should be the next Hostalion project to drop a CD.
Formed in middle school, Hostalion has been working the hip-hop scene in Oly since before it existed. In many ways, the scene in their hometown has seen mild swellings similar to Spokane’s hip-hop happenings. Hostalion has been connected to
Erick Beats locally since his Upper Class Racket days, when he and Synthetic were among the few rare emcees in Spokane’s metal-heavy bar circuit.
“Things are popping off a little of Olympia right now. We used to have to throw our own shows; now underground acts are coming here. And it’s not the largest crowds or anything, but there is a lot of love for hip hop,” Lambert said. “Erick (Beats) keeps the blood flowing in the scene here, without him I don’t know what the scene would be like. We do in Olympia what he does here.”
Check Hostalion at the Intelligent Masterpiece show tonight at 9 p.m. at The B-Side, 230 W. Riverside Ave. The jam also includes a musical-chairs-style producers showcase called
Beat Society, featuring local beatsmiths from
The I-N-Team (Erick Beats with
X-Rated, aka guitarist for Chinese Sky Candy, beat maker and solo electronic musician Jeremy Hughes),
Snoop, and
Grand Groove. There is a $6 cover.
Vigarino’s blues flame
When
Nick Vigarino plays his Delta-Chicago style blues live, everything in the room is at his disposal.
He’s been known to use anything within reach to slide along the neck of his guitar: a cue ball, a pool stick, an empty pitcher, not-so-empty glass of beer, even a cell phone.
And he does so with the ease of tying his shoe.
Vigarino has been named the Washington Blues Society Best Slide Guitar, Blues Man of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, and recently named to its Blues Hall of Fame. He’s played with the likes of Long John Baldry, Jimmie Vaughn, Lee Oscar and Bo Diddley.
His first instrument was a rubber band stretched across a shoebox. Since then, he’s all but mastered the medium of vibration.
See for yourself when Vigarino appears Saturday at Capone’s in Coeur d’Alene. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door.
Club hoppin’
• Missoula singer/songwriter
John Floridis returns at 7 p.m. Thursday to The Shop, 924 S. Perry. Cover to be announced.
• Helena’s
Levi Burkle with
James Hinkley on cello performs a funky cross between jazz rock and folk at 8 p.m. Saturday at The Spike Coffee House, 122 S. Monroe. New Hampshire solo acoustic act
Laurel Brauns comes with
Lisa Simpson to The Spike on Monday at 7:30 p.m. There is a suggested donation of $3 for both shows.
• For an onslaught of raging all-ages rock, catch
Miles of Red (members of Endustry and As Ashes Fall),
Full Blown Chaos (from NYC on Stillborn Records, recently toured with Fear Factory and Hatebreed),
Since The Flood,
Suffocate Faster,
Oath, and
Intermission, at 6:30 p.m. tonight at Club Soda, 715 E. Sprague Ave. There is a $6 cover.