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WHAT IS MORE FUN THAN A CATFIGHT?<br />
by Patrick Kubina<br />
During a bitter cold midweek<br />
night with the thermometer toying<br />
with subzero digits, I found<br />
myself huddled outside Chicago<br />
City Limits (1712 W Wise Rd-<br />
Schaumburg) miserably pulling<br />
on a Merit non-menthol with a<br />
handful of other nicotine addicts<br />
who were not only brave enough<br />
to face cancer, but now<br />
Pneumonia as well, waiting for<br />
“Catfight” to begin their weekly<br />
set. Upon hearing a slight commotion<br />
inside I stubbed out the<br />
butt and went in just as “Catfight”<br />
were hitting the stage.<br />
I was immediately struck by the<br />
sheer visual brilliance of these<br />
five lovely ladies clad in schoolgirl<br />
miniskirts offset against the<br />
bad girl bravado of full leather<br />
boots and other rock ‘n’ roll trinkets<br />
and baubles. Great Gimmick-<br />
I thought. ”Brilliant” I commented<br />
to my drinking companion for<br />
the evenings revelry. I was wondering<br />
if they could pull it off or if<br />
it was just window dressing.<br />
Only a few bars into the opening<br />
number and I had my answer.<br />
These were (as Lori-Cats front<br />
drum skin proclaimed) Chicks<br />
That Rock!<br />
The band, made up of<br />
Molly/Julie-vocals, Lori-drums,<br />
Kimi-lead guitar, Kerri-bass and<br />
Amy (also known as baby -<br />
onstage)-keyboards and rhythm<br />
guitar all go by the surname of cat<br />
as far as I can tell. I can only<br />
assume the true monikers are kept<br />
under lock and key to discourage<br />
droolers, has been around the<br />
local scene for a number of years.<br />
I had heard of them but had never<br />
caught their act and pretty much<br />
considered them a cover band<br />
with an all girl twist. While being<br />
technically correct, that narrow<br />
definition hardly begins to<br />
describe the “Catfight” experience.<br />
Cover bands, for the most part,<br />
are generally older weekend war-<br />
8 BUZZ S&E www.<strong>buzz</strong><strong>new</strong>s.tv<br />
rior types who gave up trying to<br />
crack the music biz long ago but<br />
who still like to play and don’t<br />
mind collecting a few scoots<br />
regurgitating the hits of others. It<br />
is more often than not for a distracted<br />
inebriated crowd only<br />
interested in hearing something<br />
they know and can sing along<br />
with. Some are good-some terrible-most<br />
all are boring.<br />
“Catfight” is the antithesis of boring.<br />
From the first note they grab<br />
your attention and hold it.<br />
Whether these kitties are cavorting<br />
all over the stage playfully<br />
pawing at one another, entreating<br />
the servers to dance on the bar<br />
(which they do) bringing an audience<br />
member onstage to “spin the<br />
wheel “for a chance at “a kiss<br />
with Julie” or “buy Lori a shot for<br />
a penny” or inviting the crowd to<br />
join them in what they call a<br />
”Social”, (which basically means<br />
power drinking) these girls know<br />
how to entertain. They possess<br />
that rare ability to make rehearsed<br />
antics seem spontaneous and have<br />
grasped a concept often lost on<br />
other bands-namely audience<br />
inclusion. Smarmy lounge images<br />
aside, this is a show band. And a<br />
good one. They are sexy, professional<br />
and polished with just<br />
enough grit around the edges to<br />
keep it honest.<br />
It’s important to note that<br />
“Catfight” is not just all style and<br />
no substance. The show aspect is<br />
Catfight photo by Harley<br />
validated by exceptionally solid<br />
musicianship from a band that<br />
knows their way around their<br />
respective instruments and displays<br />
the obvious confidence that<br />
comes with that knowledge. Their<br />
soup-to-nuts set list ranged from<br />
Prince to Pink. Including one of<br />
the ballsier performances of<br />
“Shook Me All Night Long” this<br />
side of AC/DC kept the bands regular<br />
fans - or “cat-heads “as I like<br />
to call them, purring along with<br />
the tight harmonies and spot on<br />
rhythm. The energy produced by<br />
this band is undeniable and infectious<br />
made apparent by the<br />
respectable size crowd they were<br />
able to draw in spite of horrendous<br />
weather conditions on a weeknight<br />
in the midst of an economic<br />
downturn not seen in these parts<br />
since old tomcats like myself were<br />
cute little kittens.<br />
So in a nutshell (or no nuts shell if<br />
you like) This band has the chops<br />
to play with the boys, the balls to<br />
do it and they appear as if they can<br />
drink most of the boys under the<br />
table. The fact that they happen to<br />
be girls is a bonus. And let’s face<br />
it, girls are always cooler than<br />
boys anyway. A little catnip goes a<br />
long way. Catch “Catfight” every<br />
Wednesday night @ Chicago City<br />
Limits-1712 w. Wise Rd.<br />
Schaumburg. Check out catfightband.com.<br />
During a three week stretch of<br />
Wednesdays that featured major<br />
technical difficulties and a bout<br />
with a respiratory illness that may<br />
or may not have been anthrax<br />
related I finally got a chance to sit<br />
down with Lori and Julie, the two<br />
founding members of "Catfight"<br />
for a brief chinwag about upcoming<br />
shows and such.<br />
Buzz: So how did it all begin?<br />
How long have you been playing<br />
together?<br />
Lori: Maybe eight years (some<br />
discussion). Yeah, eight<br />
Julie: This is how it happened. We<br />
were playing at the old Durty<br />
Nellie's - an acoustic kind of duo<br />
thing. I was playing in one room,<br />
Lori was in the other and another<br />
band Quantum Leap was there and<br />
they were leaving and the manager<br />
there said - Hey, why don't you<br />
get a girl band to-gether? I know a<br />
drummer, Lori. So he hooked us<br />
up together…<br />
Lori: And Catfight began! We use<br />
to play every Tuesday and<br />
Thursday and my parents would<br />
go every time.<br />
Buzz: Is this the original lineup or<br />
have you gone through a lot of different<br />
players?<br />
Julie: Oh, we've gone through a lot<br />
of different players. (To Lori)<br />
We've had how many singers?<br />
Yeah, we've had a lot of singers.<br />
Buzz: So you went off to do other<br />
things?<br />
Julie: You know, I sang in the band<br />
and then left to do other shit and<br />
then I always step back in, so I'm
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