Showing posts with label surf music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label surf music. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Concert Review: The Surfrajettes and the Electric Six at the Turf Club

The Surfrajettes on stage at the Turf Club in Saint Paul, October 25, 2023. From left to right, Nicole Damoff, Sam Maloney, Shermy Freeman, and Sara Eve. (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

A blurry photo of the Surfrajettes on stage, but I think it still looks cool. (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

Me and Shermy, co-lead guitarist of the Surfrajettes. (Photo taken by Shermy)

My signed copy of The Surfrajettes' 2022 album Roller Fink. (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

In October, I saw the
Surfrajettes and the Electric Six at the Turf Club in Saint Paul. I was there to see the Surfrajettes—I reviewed their 2022 album
Roller Fink here, and I’ve become a big fan of their surf rock sound.
  

The Surfrajettes put on a great show and in person you can really see the guitar interplay between Shermy and Nicole, as they switch between playing lead and rhythm guitar. I was amazed at how well Shermy and Nicole are able to recreate their trademark 1960’s guitar sound in person. This lineup of the Surfrajettes also featured Sara Eve on bass and Sam Maloney on drums. Maloney’s fiery drumming propelled the band through the songs and was a highlight of the show.  

My only complaint about the staging of the show was that Shermy didn’t have her own spotlight, so she was left playing in the darkness. I’m not sure how the Turf Club didn’t understand that the co-lead guitarist should maybe have her own spotlight. But oh well.  

The Surfrajettes’ set list featured a mix of songs from Roller Fink like “Warm Up,” “Roxy Roller,” and the title track, as well as some songs that have only appeared on their singles like the Halloween song “Banshee Bop” and a great arrangement of the Peruvian song “El Condor Pasa.” The crowd really got into two of their cover versions the Blondie disco classic “Heart of Glass” and Britney Spears’ “Toxic.”  

The Electric Six were fine, but they really didn’t do anything for me. I confess that I didn’t do any research on them before the show, so I’m really not familiar with their music. And the problem with not knowing the songs at a rock show is that you won’t be able to understand the lyrics, so it’s not like you can get much sense of what a song is about. The Six were down a member, as they were without their keyboardist. I found the Electric Six an odd pairing with the Surfrajettes, as the Six just had so much “dude” energy. The Electric Six did play a cool cover version of “Eye in the Sky,” the Alan Parsons Project hit.  

The Surfrajettes are known for wearing matching outfits on stage, and for the show at the Turf Club on October 25th, they wore their “angel” outfits, complete with halos. It was a fun touch for the show. After their set, I bought the Surfrajettes LP Roller Fink and got it signed by all four members of the band. I also got a selfie with Shermy. (She took the photo, so it actually turned out well. I’m terrible at taking selfies.) Since I saw the Surfrajettes last month, they’ve already announced another tour, and they will be coming back to the Turf Club in March 2024. I already have my ticket for the show. If you want to see a fun concert by a group that has great interplay among its members, go see the Surfrajettes.  

Friday, October 13, 2023

Album Review: "Roller Fink," by the Surfrajettes (2022)

The album cover for the Surfrajettes' 2022 debut LP, Roller Fink. 

The Surfrajettes. From left to right Shermy Freeman, guitar, Nicole Damoff, guitar, Sarah Butler, bass, and Annie Lillis, drums. 

You would be forgiven if you thought that the Toronto-based quartet known as the
Surfrajettes had magically time-traveled here from 1965. With their beehive hairdos, go-go boots, and twanging surf guitars, the Surfrajettes conjure up images of the surf music scene of the swinging 60’s. Similar to the Ventures, the Surfrajettes sound is powered by the intermingling guitar work of Shermy Freeman and Nicole Damoff, who trade off lead guitar duties. Freeman and Damoff do a great job of recreating the guitar sounds and tones of the 1960’s and adding their own style as well.
 

The Surfrajettes first became known for their surf-styled cover of Britney Spears’ song “Toxic,” released in 2018. It’s a brilliant and clever mix of the old and new. The Surfrajettes’ first LP Roller Fink, was released in April of 2022 on the Hi-Tide label. Roller Fink is a terrific introduction to the Surfrajettes’ signature sound. A mixture of covers and catchy originals, the album demonstrates the superb interplay amongst the group.  


The whole Roller Fink album is great, but some highlights include the originals “Warm Up,” “Couch Surfing,” “Slush Puppy,” and “Roller Fink.” There are also some great cover choices, including the Canadian glam rock classic “Roxy Roller,” the Beatles’ “She Loves You,” and the Blondie disco tune “Heart of Glass.” The Surfrajettes’ music is fun, upbeat, catchy, and melodic. Bass guitar is aptly handled by Sarah Butler, although on their current tour Sara Eve is filling in. Dani Nash played the drums on the Roller Fink album, but Annie Lillis has since taken over the drum set and is rocking it on the current autumn tour.  


If you like rock and roll instrumentals, surf music, and great guitar work, you need to check out the Surfrajettes. Head over to their website, they may be coming to a town near you.