Girls Rock! DC Showcase @ 9:30 Club
"Revolution girl style now!"
Most of the girls who took the stage at the 9:30 Club early in the day on Saturday weren't yet born 17 years ago when that rallying cry kicked off the International Pop Underground Festival and gave a name to Bikini Kill's first record. But if the exuberance onstage and in the crowd was any indication, the spirit of that revolution is still going strong. Saturday's showcase was the culminating event of the week-long Girls Rock! DC rock 'n' roll day camp for girls, which we visited last week as the girls learned the ins and outs of being in a band: playing their instruments, working together, booking shows, and writing songs. But what was in evidence as the eight bands and two DJs that took the stage Saturday was that the counselors managed to impart something even more intangible: how to rock.
The mood in the club was electric from the moment the crowd began streaming in from a line that stretched around the block. No small feat, considering that the doors opened at the very un-rock 'n' roll-ish hour off 11 a.m. The campers were already occupying the balcony as families and friends entered the room; as they saw people they knew, the mutual cheering began and didn't end until the show was over two hours later.
First up was an introduction from camp organizers, where they talked about the camp's mission and core values. What would be the driest portion of the program for any other non-profit organization's signature event instead elicited enthusiastic cheers. Six Electric Hearts, none of whom appeared to be more than 11 or 12, then came out and the place erupted. The girls looked a little shell-shocked at first, under the stage lights with a hyped up and reasonably full house crowded into the club. But drummer Annabelle Walker clicked off the tempo, bassist Chloe Lewis screamed out a "5, 6, 7, 8!!!", and the band launched into a fully realized song about a faerie ball and fantastical tea parties. Subject matter-wise, we can imagine Mary Timony covering it on her next record.
The transitions between all the bands was lightening-quick. GR!DC's organizers expertly planned things, and as one band was exiting, the next was entering, patch cables being switched out from the outgoing instruments to the incoming. It kept the pace rolling much faster than one might expect from past experience with more traditional kids' musical recitals, and more importantly, never let the energy level in the room drop.
The Fire Angels came out next with a girl-centric call to action ("Change the world/Spread the word!") that played well to the crowd. They were followed by Global Rave, who seemed to have already built themselves a following judging by the crazed response when they came out. Their song had a strong bottom end, owing to their two-bass-no-guitar attack, and vocalist Amber Rounds' strong melodic sense balanced it out nicely.
Girls in the camp weren't only put into bands. Two girls learned how to DJ, and the first was DJ RK, who skillfully worked the turntables while all the camp counselors came out on stage to dance. If a DJ's success is measured by the number of bodies they get moving, DJ RK had a very good set indeed. She was followed by Burning Flowers, who took a lesson on getting the audience involved to heart, as they engaged the crowd in a call and response of "Girls Rock!" during their song. Poison Control's turn came next, and their drummer Helen Warren was so amped to be on stage that she started counting off the start of the song before all the instruments were even plugged in. "Oh, you're not ready!" she smiled as she realized she was a little early out of the gate.
Whether there were lessons on "starting a movement," we're not sure. But the next band, Jam Session, was looking to do just that. Their hand-drawn poster in the program declared that they were "100% Alternative Hamster Music," which translated onstage into a frenetic song about the tiny animals that seemed to mirror their rapidly shifting attentions, as they engaged in an almost avant-punk medley of loosely connected mini-songs that included somber organ, simulated wind sounds, screaming, sing-song pop, beat boxing, and salsa. The set culminated in a trademark hand signal, as the band told the crowd to, "Show us your paws!!!", and the crowd dutifully mirrored the band, holding hands in the air with fingers curled into tiny hamster paws.
It would be hard for any band to follow that, so we were treated to another DJ break, this time from DJ MK, who was a master of the smooth transition and inspired yet more spirited dancing. The Beat Queens were next, and they also took audience participation lessons to heart, as well as building a persona for the band: each of the members had a "Queen" inspired name. There was Queen of Hearts, Little Queen, Dancing Queen, and even Queen Lollipop, and each band member wore glittering necklaces and tiaras. "We're the Beat Queens, and we're ready to ROCK ROCK ROCK!" they sang, fists pumping to the final words of the phrase.
The final band was Flaming X, who also had their own trademark hand signal (arms crossed in an X, fingers fluttering for the flames), and an ambitious composition full of tempo changes and more call and response with the audience.
No concert of this sort would be complete without a big finish, in this case the singing of the official camp song with all the campers on stage at once. All the girls came out and lined the stage for the final song, and when it was over, there were hugs and there was dancing, and there was a general sense of euphoria that was not only on stage, but throughout the room. A smile split every face in the crowd, and as we watched the girls celebrate the end of the camp, there was a palpable sense that they had all experienced something that was not your average summer camp, but something that they'll remember and cherish for all their lives, lives which are sure to have music in them.
It was an inspirational morning, for the girls, but also for the audience. Creating and fostering a community is part of any good rock scene. It's what "Revolution Girl Style" was and continues to be all about, and everyone in that room felt a part of a happy rocking family. I'm sure plenty of people came away from the show thinking, in a few years, watch out: these girls are going to take over this city.
To which I say, why wait a few years?