Sister Machine Gun
with supporting act
Blue Dahlia

Grand Valley State University
North of Grand Rapids, Michigan
February 21st, 1998

          This concert was sponsored by the Student Activities Organization at Grand Valley State University. The show was set up in the end 1/3 of the indoor track on campus in the sports arena. The stage was a pretty good size, sound system was rented from a local business, and bleachers that seated around 150+ people.
          We arrived early [7:30] hoping to get an interview with Chris Randall of Sister Machine Gun as we had one in the works via email, but since they were playing about an hours drive away, we decided to drive up north and catch them live as well. After we arrived, I asked the woman who had organized the show if it was possible to get to speak with the band. She informed me that she could go "upstairs" and ask them. A few minutes later Jamie Duffy [DJ Acucrack & Acumen Nation] came down to greet me with a big hug. Jamie told us he was going to be doing the sound mixing for SMG. He confirmed an "aftershow interview" with Chris Randall -- we chatted for a few minutes, he left the arena, and we waited for the show to begin.

          After chatting with various people involved with the concert, members and friends of the opening act and sitting through their sound check, Blue Dahlia opened up around 10:30. Blue Dahlia consists of five people: a very good female drummer who was also quite good on the bongos, a female bass player, male guitar player, and two female vocalists. The sound of Blue Dahlia is pretty mello, dark yet inspiring with supporting female harmonic vocals. They are a local Kalamazoo band that plays Club Soda often. I later found out that the drummer is a Kindergarten school teacher, and the male guitar player is married to the newest member of the band who sings backup. What a great combination and wonderful sound. It's actually quite beautiful.
          I had not yet heard them live, and don't own any of their cds, but if you enjoy a more "organic" darker not really "folksy" but yet uplifting type of sound. If you live in this part of Michigan,   I would recommend you go see them live or purchase their cd. We are working out an interview in the future with Blue Dahlia, and the possiblity of a web site, so when I get the tunes from them I'll definately be doing a review of it.

          Sister Machine Gun dazzeled the audience with their barrage of "non" industrial rock and roll music that would wake the dead. Of course the sound was great with Jamie Duffy on the sound board! The band had Chris Randall on vocals and keyboards, a superb drummer, bass and lead guitars and a new addition: Saxophone. The invasion of the Sax brought out a more well rounded sound for SMG, sexier, fuller and more diverse than in previous live performances.  I'll have to get all the names straight from Chris asap so you will know who they were, as I failed to ask him during our interview: MY MISTAKE! SORRY....

          The music was very good -- I wasn't real fond of SMG's music when I saw them over a year ago, fall of '96 at the Reptile House in Grand Rapids with Chemlab and Drill, but nonetheless, their sound was in very good taste, and professionally composed and executed. They played some "older" songs that were heard on their tour with Chemlab, and newer work that Chris didn't mention titles to. The area left open (dance floor) in front of the stage was packed with mainly people in their early 20s so it seemed, a few of them bouncing around like kangaroos and having a great time with the upbeat songs that Sister Machine Gun played. Not too many were moshing, but if alcohol was being served, I think it could have evolved into a damn good pit.
          The crowd hailed SMG and Chris after each song, and rightfully so, as they put on a great show with excellent songs, which I enjoyed immensely. The final song was very long, somewhere around 20 minutes it seemed, and at the end, the bass player absolutely trashed his guitar by throwing it 20 feet or more into the air letting it crash onto the stage a number of times while the viewers cheered on...

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