I know the guys at Don Giovanni Records pretty well and when I run into them at a concert I will hang out with them. Which means that I've met Don Giovanni recording artist, Screaming Females leader, Marissa Paternosta a number of times as well.
I mention this not to star gaze but to tell you that she is a pretty, somewhat sexually ambiguous, somewhat age ambiguous young woman, with a shag haircut and a plaid shirt. I bet she gets carded all the time and she could just as easily be a High School Junior as a 20 something rocker.
OK?
On stage she looks like the Victorian girl who was murdered by her father and haunts the the Overlook Hotel; staring unblinking at you before disappearing into thin air as torrents of blood comes rolling down the stairs. And when she opens her mouth wide to live up to her bands name, Marissa morphs again into some alien off Dr. Who whose mouth widens into jaws like choppers.
Then there is the third Marissa, just as you're getting used to the first two (or three), Marissa as guitar hero, the small young girl unleashes guitar runs, bottle neck twists, dynamite riffs, blasting solos, and hammerhead bone crushing metal moves all the more exciting because, really, you don't know where the hell it is coming from. "Sheep" off the current album is a monster.
On Saturday night Screaming Females headlined a terrific night of modern punk bands, the other three bands (reviewed elsewhere) were all excellent, the Underground Railroad to Candyland, with their six members, trombone player and nonstop action seemed like an especially hard act to follow. Not at all. From the moment Screaming Females took the stage, they owned it. It was like Jimi was resurrected in the most unusual way imaginable and the Experience like make up, Patermoster on guitar, drummer Jarrett Dougherty, and bassist Mike Abbate., only adds to sense of tightness coiled in free form power.
It is easy to lose sight of the rhythm section, if they are doing their job right they should be invisible, but like a boat without them the band would sink. Jarrett is a big grunge fan (he considers Dave Grohl a major influence) and he is powerful but deft. Mike is an Entwhisley influence to the side of the stage, standing right opposite Marissa.
And we are there to see Marissa and she doesn't disappointment. Everything she plays is awesome, everything she sings shakes the walls. This is 60s influenced post-modern punk for rock fans, virtuosity in the extreme and when she hits the hits, "Skull", Bell" "Laura And Marty" the packed out Bowery Ballroom hits it with her.
It is worth mentioning that there are quite a few women in the audience, and quite a few couples, and the place is well packed, not sold out but it sure looked close to me. I was watching the female audience lose itself to the band and, really, Screaming Females cross over most punk rock boundaries.
Unfortunately, I can't tell you much more. They hit the stage at 1145p and by 1215am, I was done (fighting and losing to a cold all week).
I can tell you I've seen Screaming Females four or five times and they seem to have really hit their stride. Castle Talk was pretty good as sophomore albums go, but I get a feeling the next one will be a huge breakthrough. The playing is just getting better and better.
Marissa can haunt me any time.
Grade: A-