If the energy sent out by Friday night at could be harnessed in some way, well, letap just say we could all at least have charged our cell phones and called some more people to come check out this kickass band.
So. Much. Energy.
This all-female AC/DC tribute group — formed in Seattle in 2000 — drew a respectable bunch of fanatics as it was, most of whom worshipped the women on stage in that weird way that only people who love a band so much that they will see another band act like it can. With fervor and fist-pumps and hands outstretched all “Wayne’s World”-like.
The Belles – lead singer Amber Saxon, lead guitarist Adrian Conner, bass guitarist Mandy Reed, rhythm guitarist Lisa Brisbois, and drummer Laura D – responded in kind, egging folks on, encouraging group participation, even sending their guitars out to the first couple of rows to be played a few times.
Conner, her head spiky with blond dreadlocks, channels Angus Young’s snarly demeanor, but with way more moxie. Seriously, she moves like Jagger – if Jagger had just downed a few Red Bulls, snorted a couple of lines and then, fearing a slump, slurped a Trenta Frappuccino.
It was entertaining, to say the least, especially mid-way through the set when she altered her girlish outfit — meant to mimic Young’s famous schoolboy attire — whipping off the demure white blouse and skinny black tie to reveal a little black bra, and then for extra giggles, spun around to flip up the back of the skirt to reveal “AC” and “DC” written on each bare cheek beneath her black panties. The minimalist look endured for the rest of the show, which made her repeated forays into the audience to solo even more welcomed by the men.
Her antics also made her guitar-playing prowess all the more impressive – just standing and playing is tough enough, right? She full-on spins, swirls, twirls, jumps and gyrates, from one end of the stage to another continuously, yet at the same time, managed to nail, dead-on, the great riffs of “Back in Black.”
Saxon’s vocals occasionally hit the screechy when she had to head toward the higher ranges, but for the most part – and particularly when it counted most, such as in “Highway to Hell” and “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” — she was able to harmonize with the rest of the band in a way that made the songs sound uncannily like the originals. Conner brought the happy-to-help house in on “TNT” and “You Shook Me All Night Long,” and even mimicked straddling this reviewer during an attempt to get a photo, all in good fun.
The only one who didn’t appear to move continuously was Reed, obviously cut from the anchoring cloth of bass players. She was like a rock, solidly holding that line so that the craziness could swirl around her. Good luck with that.
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Kyle Wagner is a regular contributor to Reverb and travel editor at The Denver Post.
