As much as my inner-feminist resents a show called "Boobapalooza," last night's Rhythm Room breast cancer benefit was rather respectful. Uh, in its own way.
I guess if you consider vintage footage of pinups dancing with bouncing, healthy breasts on white sand beaches respectful, then that works. Even the flyer shows two sexy silhouettes with presumably healthy, intact breasts. I couldn't help but think of the millions of mastectomies that have been performed to prevent breast cancer from spreading from organ to organ. But Boobapalooza's heart was in the right place . . . right under some big, luscious tatas.
The Love Me Nots, The Mod Zombies, The Hard Fall Hearts and Scorpion vs. Tarantula (Disclosure: The band includes New Times staffers) took the stage to raise money for breast cancer research in rock (and/or "billy" style), awkward moments be damned.
After a "big, breast cancer round of applause," San Diego's Hard Fall Hearts skipped work the next day to play a solid punkabilly set --- a mix of sounds recalling Jason DeVore from Authority Zero, Pepper and Jerry Lee Lewis. Bassist "Highway J" made the upright his bitch, climbing atop it, and slapping the piss right out of the strings.
The Mod Zombies, with their rockabilly Scottsdale-themed ditties, worked over the crowd with songs that make you say "Hey, we live there!" Though a smidge incongruent, their sound aligns with the deep, distorted sound of lead singer Albert Hamper's guitar.
Fluorescent pink stockings, flamingo hats, some of these weird clubbing legwarmers and boobie cookies nearly outshined the talent on stage, but with a $10 cover, about 75 people in the crowd and a good cause, who can resist a little delicious distastefulness?
