Only recently in the last couple of months have I actually been going out in the town in which I live after my friend and tattoo artist Larry Bone moved back home from New Orleans.  I went to a Misstallica gig, an all female tribute band for Metallica with him, met some local people and since then have been checking out the local music scene and am surprised to find quite an interesting metal and rock thing happening here in a town Chicago could care less about.

In a town hit with economic stress and abundant religion it seems fitting that rock and  metal would find a way to infiltrate  behind God’s back.

A couple of weeks ago I went to a rock showcase called Grrrissa’s Rebel Fest held at Club Fever in South Bend.

A rock and roll dance troupe by the name of Brick House Burlesque headlined the evening along with several bands such as  DARK TRILOGY,  THE GO DEVIL 4, FOREVER GYPSY, and KNUCKLE DEEP with a special performance by the event host and promoter  extraordinaire,  Carissa Squadroni (Grrrissa) and throughout the night and in different bands, guitar phenom Joe Feingold (Forever Gypsy and Dark Trilogy) rocked the stage.  Somewhat of a local rock and roll “it” girl, Carissa impresses with talents in music, makeup artistry, bar tending, promoting and being an all around awesome chick to hang out with.  I found myself meeting up with her for Gigantour in Chicago where we rocked out to Megadeth, Motorhead, and Volbeat.  Hanging out with her all night, it wasn’t hard to notice her infectious personality and the gravitational pull she seemed to have over every one in room.  The very thing that makes a great promoter.  People listen to you and want to do what you are doing.  I have some experience with that having been in the business for over 20 years.  Carissa reminds me of me at her age.  Smart, ambitious, easy on the eyes and full of piss and vinegar.  Her fearlessness caused a bit of a stir recently when haters attacked her Face Book page and reported her because they took offense to her modeling photographs.  This one in particular taken by Jeffrey Sellers of Side Street Studio Photography:

Her page got shut down and she started a new one all over again and punched back with this photo also by Jeffrey Sellers of Side Street Studio:

My kinda girl.

But aside all the hotness, what Carissa does for the rock scene in this town is quite extraordinary.  As a person who loves music and a good time, her events are entertaining, rockin’ and just plain fun and I hope to work with her in the future.  Maybe South Bend could use a little vampire mischief?  Stay tuned to the Vampire Social Club for news on her events in the future.

And if that isn’t enough, a little venue called the Bender Ballroom plays host to a number of metal bands on a regular basis even going so far as to host a benefit for a musician who lost everything when his apartment burned down.  Several bands got together and played in the hopes of not only helping a fellow brother out but to also help the others in the apartment complex that were also affected and devastated by the fire.  Bands included in the benefit were: THE B.E.A.T., NEGATIVE NANCY, TALL TALES, VERGE OF INSANITY, HOME OF THE BRAVE, and the CITY NEVER SLEEPS, (the fire victim’s band) and THE OPPRESSOR.

Metal not your bag?  No problem.  South Bend also has quite the rock-a-billy scene with bands like RED HOT VOODOO, KNUCKLE DEEP and THE GO DEVIL 4, some of which were mentioned above.   I had the pleasure of hearing RED HOT VOODOO play this past weekend at an old resort turned classy venue, Club Landing.  A fun time in rock-a-billy heaven with traditional covers of Stray Cat Strut,  Rock This Town, Little Sister,  Red Hot and a killer version of Beastie Boys’ Fight For Your Right.  Good times with good people.

I could take forever and try to review all of these bands, but who has the time for that? Take my word for it.  The South Bend Music scene has plenty to offer and from the way things are going, it’s only going to get better.

Lady~A

Featured musician on the new Underworld: Awakening Soundtrack, Stella Katsoudas of Sister Soleil will be attending Chicago’s Official Underworld: Awakening Full Moon Promo Party at Late Bar in Chicago THIS Tuesday, January 10th!  Get your best vamp on and come and meet her!  We know it’s a last minute thing, but we promise good times and vampy goodness!  Come dance in the dark with the children of the night!

Click HERE for a sample of her song at 2:00 from the Underworld: Awakening Soundtrack.  Available for pre-order on iTunes.

THIS Tuesday, January 10th  come out for the Screen Gems Official Underworld: Awakening Full Moon promo party at Late Bar Chicago hosted by Lady~A’s Vampire Social Club!  Kick off is at 10pm, 21+.  No cover.   Movie swag and official press to drum up excitement for the latest in the Underworld movie franchise with the return of Kate Beckinsale reprising her role as Selene.  Get your best vamp on after work and come dance in the dark with the children of the night and stay for a bite to drink  and bark at the moon! FANGS ALLOWED!

Click on pic for larger view.

I wish all of you a safe and Happy New Year!  Although we here at Lady~A’s Vampire Social Club are hibernating during the winter months, stay tuned for some awesome announcements coming in the New Year!

Lady~A

If you are looking for a great outing, come see Dracula: The Musical in Palatine, the Midwest Premier of Frank Wildhorn’s (composer of Jekyll and Hyde) Dracula opened October 7th and runs till November 6th. Groups of ten or more get a discount. Check out the details at www.draculathemusical.net

At Cutting Hall in Palatine, 2 blocks from the Palatine Metra station.

Meet Ghastly Lugosi, an erstwhile revenant who does his best to bring the gravitas and drama that bad poets clearly desire to readings of their putrid poems. Ghastly will host the costume contest at the Ghastly Gathering Halloween Dance Party on October 21st, and will be on-hand to read putrid poems on demand. For more information about Ghastly (and to hear more putrid poetry!) visit http://www.ghastlylugosi.com

Unearthing the Inner Vampire : A special workshop presented by Martin V. Riccardo for adults and teens

Saturday, October 15, 2011
2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Horrorbles (downstairs), 6729 W. Roosevelt Road, Berwyn, IL

This program explores the seductive power of the vampire image and the attraction so many people have to it. The slide presentation reveals the allure of the vampire in folklore and popular culture, and its unearthly aspects of mystery, danger, surrender, and dark romance. The vampire is the demon lover, the dark archetype, the shadow self that lures us into the night. Supernatural beliefs about blood are also covered, along with occult topics of astral vampirism, psychic vampires, and human vampires. The class will conclude with a guided fantasy visualization for those who wish to experience the nocturnal realms of these otherworldly creatures.

This is a completely different program from the one Mr. Riccardo gives at libraries.

$12 per person
Reservations and prepayment required (such as by credit card).
Call (708) 484-7370
or go to special events at http://www.horrorbles.com/