Girls Rock, Boys Cry... Go Betty Go

It’s been a while since I just went to a random show. I visited Tim Gardea’s website and noticed they were having a show tonight at the Montgomery World Plaza featuring a band from LA called Go Betty Go. Last time I was at the Plaza I distinctly remember them having beer there, as I often distinctly remember beer. I often remember tequila as well, but only because I seem to forget everything else afterwards. Anyway, I don’t know if they stopped or if they only do it on Thursdays, but to my dismay there was no beer. A ruckus ensued, there were some casualties, whatever.

Anyway, I was there to see Go Betty Go, an all-female punk band from Los Angeles. I always have mixed feeling about all-girl groups because I think it is easier for an all-girl group to gain a following than an all-male group. Some of it has to do with the fact that all-girl groups, relative to all-male groups, are rare. But a lot of it has to do with sex appeal. Guys love rock music. Guys love titties. Girl groups are just two great tastes that taste great together. And lets face it; a lot of girl groups are just four sets of titties with instruments underneath them.

Go Betty Go is also four sets of titties, four sets of nice titties. But they are more than just that. They definitely have their sex appeal, but it’s not like they are whoring it like so many other girl groups before them. Tonight I was treated to a very skilled punk rock band. These girls can play. Guitarist Betty played a Gibson SG with what looked like uncovered Seymour-Duncan humbuckers, of which I greatly admired, through a Mesa/Boogie head and cab, which would not be helped but to produce a very metal sound. Bassist Michelle wasn’t much bigger than her Fender P-J bass, yet she carried and played it finger-style as if it was light as a feather. Drummer Aixa, who is a native Argentinean, played her 4-piece as if she spent 24 hours a day behind them. Vocalist Nicolette’s high-pitched voice cut through the music with skill, as she performed her talent with cheerful enthusiasm.

If I could describe the band with one word it would be, “cute,” because they are cute, each and every one of them. And I would also say their music and performance was cute. I don’t mean that as insult. It’s just the personality they present. And not to say they didn’t rock, because they did. Most songs used dark chord progressions, which was perfectly offset with Nicolette’s melodic treble and also made it cute. They also had two Spanish-spoken songs, which I enjoyed more than the others. It seemed that the true heart and soul of Go Betty Go came out in those two songs.

Go Betty Go has a CD coming out September 13 from SideOneDummy Records. Go check it out.

There were other bands but I didn’t get to see them. I came in when a band called American Eyes was playing. This was apparently their first show. I’m not going to say anything besides that they played well, because it really wasn’t my style. I just don’t get the emo whiney bullshit that seems rampant nowadays. I can’t relate because when I was a teenager I wasn’t depressed, I was just pissed off. Teenagers can’t deal with the bullshit that they suddenly have to realize exists in life, so I guess they handle it in two ways. They either get pissed off about and feel like killing someone or they get all depressed about it and feel like killing themselves. Then they get older and either learn to accept the bullshit in the world or just become apathetic.