Baristanet regular Fran Liscio, a punk rocker aficionado from way back, recommends:
The Stay-at-Homes are worth getting out of the house for!Fans of raunch may wish to include a trip to the lower east side's Lakeside Lounge this evening. It is there that they can enjoy a scathingly hilarious send up of the iconic late 70's all-girl rock quintet the Runaways. 'All girl,' you say? Isn't that demeaning? Weren't they women? Well, no actually. The Runaways were a group of 16 year old teenaged girls assembled by Los Angeles rock scene impresario Kim Fowley. Not shy about crass pandering, he dressed them in leather, latex and garter belts (lead singer Cherie Currie got to wear the garter belt get up while she sang 'Cherry Bomb.')
Cut to May 2006—tonight, specifically. Stunningly unexpurgated country music songstress Tammy Faye Starlite will head an all-woman group called the Stay-at-Homes. As the band tells it, "They're not teens, but they're still hot-and though they may be too tired and jaded to run away – they still rock! "Two of the Stay-at-Homes are Hoboken residents, two live in Weehauken, and one in Jersey City – outer, outer, outer Baristaville.
The Stay-at-Homes are: Mony Falcomne as Jackie Fox, Heidi Lieb as Lita Ford, Maria McKenna as Sandy West, Jill Rochmond as Joan Jett, Tammy Faye Starlite as Cherie Currie, and featuring Keith Hartel as Kim Fowley.I recall the interview I did with the original Runaways for teen fan mag 16.They were alternately giggly, sullen and seemed a little bit numb and exhausted. A middle aged A and R guy in a black satin baseball jacket sporting an aluminum briefcase strolled by and offered them "nose candy" when the interview was over. Does it get any better—or worse—than that?
I'm driving in to the show tonight at around 9. Email me at franliscio@aol.com and I'll give you a ride door to door both ways. I've seen Tammy live and it's worth it. You're going to have to trust me on this one—there's NO ONE ELSE on the face of this earth who brings the same kind of glittery, aux-deep-south sparkle to raunch the way she does.
The Lakeside Lounge (162 Ave. B between 10th and 11th streets) Friday, May 26th, 11 pm, FREE.
In case you didn't know, the Lakeside Lounge is the coolest place around, with a jukebox par excellence assembled by Jim Marshall—radio's record hound and one of the owners. (if I'm correct, the other two
owners are Eric Ambel, Steve Earle's guitarist, Yayhoo bandmember, producer extraordinaire, and Steve Earle Hisself!) -- Frances Liscio
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Oh man, Frances, I'd take you up on that in a heartbeat if I only could! I remember listening to the Runaways' debut album up in my best friend's room, thinking they had the coolest haircuts and a so-so sound.
I read a description of them not long ago as having existed at "the nexus of punk, glam and rock'n'roll."