Cocktails, Ghosts, and Three Chord Whore

So what's going on Wednesday night down a downtown alley in Bakersfield? A little speakeasy haunting--that's what.

Nico and I checked in at Maxwell's, the alley restaurant and bar just east of downtown Chester, a little hole in the wall famous for fantastic Frangelico-steeped deserts and one resident ghost. We happened to catch up with N.L. Belardes. Perfect place, too, for this guy just seems to be everywhere and nowhere at once, a bit ethereal, like the spirit that moves through the old catacombs below the restaurant. We talked about Lords a bit, but not too much, and always seemed to dance around certain touchy, and frankly, disturbing, subjects within the new novel. Best not to press, I thought. We talked about the Bakersfield music scene past and present, KoRn (yes, KoRn), and Fresno literary criminals...

And guess who walked through the door? None other than Three Chord Whore--one of Bakersfield's toughest bands. Heather, Shirl, and the very cool Shantell. Do yourself a favor--when you meet them, don't try to peg them as some cliche typical girl band. They're very nice and will most likely be accommodating, but really, they've got their own thing going and most likely won't appreciate someone trying to lump them up with The Donnas, The Bangles, or L7 (well, they might just like the L7 connection). I haven't heard 'em yet, but by just talking with the trio, I've got a feeling about what I'll hear--killer upbeat fast-break angst-ridden grunginess.

They took stools against the horseshoe shaped bar for some drinks. One of them looked a little familiar. Oh, it's that Shirl the Pearl (nothing much on her website right now but bad links), front woman for the now defunct angry synth punk band The Mia Maids.

Here's some history: The Dalloways played a Boiler Room show (always a strange mixture of math metal, screamo, punk, and shoegaze bands all lumped onto one ticket) with the Mia Maids awhile back. I remember the vibe of that now lost band, and so I'll write it for history's sake right here--The Mia Maids were angry, defiant, snarling, railing against religious hypocrisy (the band name was derived from the term used for young LDS women between the ages of 14 and 15), and sexual fascism. Their set was intense and loud and raucous.

I asked Shirl if TCW had the same vibe. "No," she said, "Three Chord isn't so dark as that." Hmm, OK, but if Shirl's involved, I've got a feeling this is no tame soiree. Hopefully they'll stick around longer than the Mia Maids, and long enough to make an indelible mark in the Bako scene and beyond.

For more on The Dalloways, visit The Dalloways Online. And be sure to make friends with the group on The Dalloways at Myspace.

PS: I just heard a rumour circulating that Enrique may be making an appearance at the Dalloways April 16 gig at Narducci's. Someone told me that some cat was let out of some bag on some blog somewhere. Frankly, this resident social mingler and saucy writer is somewhat of a mystery, and so I'm not sure what kind of entrance he'll make, or whether he'll remain incognito the entire night, or whether he'll be there at all. More soon...