Return of the Vivian Girls

VIVIAN GIRLS

THE TAVERN, VENTURA

03 OCTOBER, 2019

Vivian Girls are back in business, kicking off their reunion tour with a warmup gig at The Tavern in Ventura, before their official start at the Regent Theater in LA on 10/4. It’s the classic lineup of Cassie Ramone, Katie Goodman, and Ali Koehler that have reconvened for their first action since their 2014 going away shows. Coming together in secret last year, they recorded a new LP, Memory, that's every bit the equal of their small but storied catalogue. Polyvinyl has also remastered/rereleased the first two LP's.

Whatever nervousness they betrayed was blown away by a diverse set, touching on all their work. "The End" and the new "Something To Do" stood out among the high points, and they ended a brief encore with a rousing "No", blowing out the dust in a big way. With most of the band settled into families, it's hard to tell what this portends for the future, but at the moment, it's just nice to have the Vivian Girls back where they belong.

Vivian Girls: The Last Waltz

VIVIAN GIRLS

w/AQUADOLLS/COLLEEN GREEN

CHURCH ON YORK

LOS ANGELES, CA

14 FEBRUARY, 2014

It was a bittersweet Valentine's Day as we gathered at the Church On York in LA to bid farewell to the Vivian Girls. As its members cycled into new projects, the band's fate became apparent, and they decided to make it official and give their fans some closure with a series of goodbye shows in NYC and LA, featuring Mark II of the band, lineup-wise, with OG members Cassie Ramone and Katy Goodman joined by drummer Ali Koehler, who replaced original drummer Frankie Rose. Since 2007, the band released three LP's, each with an increasing professionalism without sacrificing any heart. It's a natural life-cycle for a band, but that doesn't make the parting any easier.
Joining in for the evening's festivities were the Aquadolls and Colleen Green, whom we first caught up with in 2012 as part of the Jeff The Brotherhood/Diarrhea Planet traveling cavalcade of fun, and we'll meet again shortly in the company of Portland's Thermals. Last year saw the release of Sock It To Me on Sub-Pop subsidiary Hardly Art.
The Vivian Girls L.A. farewell was all one would hope for, high intensity from the get go, and lump in the throat at several points. It didn't take long for the cable-strewn altar steps to turn into a frothing pit, and as stage divers took flight, the speakers perched perilously on tripods quivered, but stood strong. Through their monitors the sound was good, but as one traversed the hall the high ceilings played havoc, and it was rough going hearing at the back of the house. At the end of the day though, it was the spirit of the show, and a band honoring its roots that couldn't be dimmed.

VIVIAN GIRLS

first stage diver prepares for flight...

 

AQUADOLLS

COLLEEN GREEN

Just to bring things full circle, here's a blast from the past, some memories from Vivian Girls appearance at Coachella in 2009:

Upset Runs For The Roses...

UPSET

ECHOPLEX, LA

24 OCTOBER, 2013

With only a handful of shows under their belt, Upset set the table for their debut album She's Gone, released next week on Don Giovanni, with a blistering set that answered all questions. Leader Ali Koehler was a winning combination of humble and asskicking, making jokes about her guitar volume and the newness of the group, but don't be fooled: the veteran drummer from Vivian Girls and Best Coast might be standing up front for a change, but she knows the drill. Leading off with album opener "Back To School", they settled in quickly, taking "Never Wanna" at a breakneck pace that trumped the recorded version, and revealed the band's secret weapon, ex-Hole drummer Patty Schemel, who kicked the band forward at every turn, and whose fortitude undoubtedly allowed Koehler the peace of mind to proceed up front.
Shifting gears down to first single "Oxfords and Wingtips", where their harmonies won the day, and it wasn't long before audience members pushed forward to present the band with their first onstage flowers. The remainder of their nine song set maintained the energy. Jenn Prince, (La Sera), was lively on guitar, lending a sublime solo to the title track, and Rachel Haden played supersub on bass for this date. She was loose and right in the groove with Schemel the whole set, and one hopes that her schedule will allow this arrangement to be permanent. The seeds are there, and it's scary to think how overwhelming this band will be a few dozen dates down the road.

 Related news: In addition to their debut LP, Upset also appears on a cool split single of Guided By Voices covers, out now on Salinas Records, along with Screaming Females, Swearin', and Waxahatchee.