Punk-metal band Shut Up Marie turned The Gig on Melrose into their personal party room tonight during a CD release event that featured a slammin' show.
Like delicious food, it was hot and fast. Lead singer Annie B. (a.k.a. Annette) kept all eyes riveted on the stage as she pranced and danced (Annie was so hot, guys in the crowd were tugging at their collars and wondering if the Gig had turned off the air conditioning). Meanwhile, lead guitarist Steve Braverman tore into SUM's songs like an artful Jack-the-Ripper. The overall effect was mesmerizing.
Shut Up Marie kicked off the performance with Broken, track 1 from the new disk, "Gimmie". For those of us who have seen S.U.M. previously, this was a brand new experience. Annie B's songwriting and performance have grown more sophisticated over the past few years. Once upon a time, SUM was all art and pain set to music. Now it's an entertaining show about art and pain set to really well-performed music. Serious critics in the audience (as opposed to die-hard fans) had come for a genuine evaluation of the band, and they were genuinely impressed, particularly with the complex and well-crafted songs Short Bus and Borrowed.
After the show came the party, a rowdy and debauched event that began at the Gig and eventually migrated to Annie B's bohemian digs. By all accounts the festivities were still in full swing when the sun came up. This reviewer bailed around 4 a.m.
You can get Shut Up Marie's new CD Gimmie at Amoeba Records on Sunset. Go. Buy. Party.
This reviews the CD release party for the critically-acclaimed "Gimmie" CD, Shut Up Marie's new release on remedial children records. "Gimmie" garnered airplay all over the U.S. this summer in over 25 large & medium markets including NYC, Chicago, L.A., Phoenix, Jacksonville, Albuquerque, & Monterey, placing the album on two charts in the radio industry magazine Friday Morning Quarterback. After a 4-week tenure on both the Albums & the Singles charts, "Gimmie" peaked at #6 on the Alternative Specialty Albums chart, and the single "Short Bus" peaked at #7 on the Singles chart, right alongside major and major-indie bands including Death Cab for Cutie, The Dandy Warhols, and Nada Surf. www.shutupmarie.com
