Concert Review: The Surfrajettes and Black Widows at the Uptown VFW

Me and the Surfrajettes! From left to right: Nicole Damoff, Abby Jo, me, Annie Lillis, and Shermy Freeman, November 8, 2024.

The Surfrajettes on stage at the Uptown VFW, November 8, 2024. (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

Black Widows on stage, November 8, 2024. (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

On Friday night I saw two excellent bands, the Surfrajettes, and Black Widows, at the Uptown VFW in Minneapolis. The Surfrajettes are one of my favorite bands, I’ve seen them in concert twice before, once in October of 2023, and then again in March of 2024, both times at the Turf Club in Saint Paul. As always, the Surfrajettes put on a fantastic show of surf rock. For this leg of their fall tour, the Surfrajettes have a new face on bass: Abby Jo, filling in for Sarah Butler. The show on Friday was only Abby’s fourth concert with the Surfrajettes, but you wouldn’t have known it from the seamless way that her playing fit in with the group. Abby Jo has played with drummer Annie Lillis in several bands before, and perhaps this accounted for Annie’s especially exuberant drumming on Friday evening. As always, the guitar interplay between Shermy Freeman and Nicole Damoff was amazing. As I’ve written before, one of the highlights of seeing the Surfrajettes live is watching the seamless way that Shermy and Nicole trade off lead and rhythm guitar parts. They have a musical telepathy on stage that would be the envy of any group.  

The Surfrajettes played many songs from their new album Easy as Pie, which was just released at the beginning of October. I reviewed Easy as Pie here, and I’d highly recommend it, it’s a fantastic listen and a great example of the Surfrajettes’ sound. They also played a good sampling of songs from their first album, 2022’s Roller Fink, as well as some of my favorite Surfrajette tunes that have only appeared on singles and EP’s, like “Undercover Secretary,” “El Condor Pasa,” and “Banshee Bop.” The Surfrajettes have a knack for writing original songs that are catchy and tuneful, and they are also able to take other songs and successfully adapt them to the surf rock genre—some examples would be “She Loves You,” “Heart of Glass,” and the Spice Girls’ “Spice Up Your Life.”  

The Surfrajettes kept the energy level high, as they didn’t play many ballads, and sometimes there was hardly a break between songs as Annie counted off the next song just as the applause from the previous song was dying down. The crowd was really into it, and they gave the Surfrajettes lots of applause.  

Black Widows had the first set of the evening, and they got the crowd revved up with their music, a mix of surf rock, punk rock, and a little bit of country as well. The two groups worked well to have on the same bill, as their music complimented each other well, but their different styles meant that they didn’t sound too similar, either.  

Black Widows are a three-piece band, comprised of Corinne Caouette on guitar and vocals, Pamela Laizure on bass and vocals, and Madalyn Rowell on drums. Black Widows are from the Twin Cities, and they were with the Surfrajettes for just a few dates of this tour. They played a mixture of instrumental songs and vocals. One of my favorite songs was the bitingly satirical “Baby Boy,” about boys who are too obsessed with their toys, which is unfortunately all too applicable after last week’s election. Other highlights included the twangy country song “Mattie Mae,” and the rocking “Mummy Mama Boogie.” All three of the members of Black Widows are powerhouse players, and I was especially impressed with Corinne’s guitar playing. (She actually broke a guitar pick during the first song!)  

After the show, I made some new friends at the merch table and had some great conversations about the Surfrajettes and Black Widows. I got a signed photo of the Surfrajettes, met Abby Jo, chatted with Annie a bit, and had my photo taken with Nicole, the one member of the group I had neglected to get a photo with back in March. Once the lights went up at the VFW, I saw some fans were getting pictures with all four Surfrajettes, and I knew this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up, to have a photo with the whole group taken in decent lighting. I also purchased the Black Widows CD Kandi Korn, and Corinne graciously threw in a second CD and a Black Widows Koozie. If you’re not from the Midwest, you might not realize the vital importance of Koozies in keeping your beer or pop cold. This was a true act of friendship from one Midwesterner to another, so I’m quite grateful for the Koozie. I foolishly neglected to get my Black Widows CDs signed, so I’ll have to make up for that the next time I see them.  

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the Surfrajettes continue coming through the Twin Cities every six months or so, and hopefully they’ll have Black Widows along again too.  

Album Review: Easy as Pie, The Surfrajettes (2024)

This is such a great album cover. Easy as Pie, by the Surfrajettes, 2024.

The Surfrajettes are one of my favorite bands that I’ve discovered over the last couple of years. This Toronto-based quartet plays instrumental surf music with a modern flair, and they are fantastic in concert. Earlier this month, the Surfrajettes released their second full-length LP, Easy as Pie. Their debut LP Roller Fink was released in 2022, and I reviewed that album here. 

Easy as Pie is a fantastic album, showcasing the excellent interplay among the band members. Shermy Freeman and Nicole Damoff trade lead guitar duties, Sarah Butler plays bass, and Annie Lillis handles drums and percussion. Shermy and Nicole write the original songs for the band, and they do a great job crafting catchy instrumentals that are fun to listen to. There’s also enough complexity to their songs that they bear repeated listening—I’m always catching something I didn’t hear before. Easy as Pie features 7 new originals from Nicole and Shermy, and 5 cover versions.  

Most of the songs on Easy as Pie follow a food theme, which is a clever idea that is carried over into the art design and packaging of the album. The album cover shows the Surfrajettes dressed as waitresses in a diner, and the music video for the song “Easy as Pie” is also set in a diner. There’s a special insert in the album that is meant to mimic the look of a diner placemat—it features ads for diners and guitar makers, and it’s a very fun touch to the album design. (There’s also an ad for Shermy’s stitchery business.)  

“Easy as Pie” is a fast-paced, dynamic album opener, and it lets the listener know that you’re in a for a fun time. “Toasted Western,” named after a sandwich that is popular in Canada, but not very well-known in the United States, has a country feel, appropriate to the title. There’s a fun music video for “Toasted Western” that the group filmed on an iPhone in the middle of a cornfield while on tour. On “Clam Chowder” you can hear Annie rocking that surf beat, and there’s a lot of reverb and tremolo bar action on the guitars. Next is a very fun version of the Spice Girls song “Spice Up Your Life,” and the song is a perfect example of how the Surfrajettes are able to take a pop song, translate it to the surf guitar sound, and put their own fun spin on it. “Double Reverb” is one of my favorite songs on the album, and it’s a great showcase for the drumming of Annie Lillis, who is drumming up a storm on this tune, constantly pushing the song forward. Her drumming on this song is like a far-off rumble of thunder in the distance that occasionally breaks into a storm. “Chiffon Daydream” is a beautiful ballad, and it’s easy to imagine slow dancing to this song.  

Leading off side two of the album, “Instant Coffee” is another fast-paced rocker, and Annie’s drumming is superb, with tons of great fills. Also dig Sarah’s always excellent bass playing on this tune. “Word Salad” starts with a catchy guitar riff that is doubled before the drums and bass join in. It’s a great example of how the Surfrajettes are able to create interesting songs that are fun and varied in their sounds and textures. “Hot Doggin’” is a fun tune that calls up summer days at the beach. “Priss and Vinegar” has been a staple of the Surfrajettes’ live sets for a while, and in addition to being a great title, is a great example of Shermy and Nicole’s twin guitar work. One of the fun things about seeing the Surfrajettes in concert is watching how Shermy and Nicole trade off between lead and rhythm guitar. “Lickity Split” has a really fun guitar sound, with the main riff being playing very low before it’s echoed in a higher octave. The ringing guitars at about 50 seconds into the song are fantastic to listen to. The final song on the album is a fun version of the Nancy Sinatra song “Sugar Town,” a perfect tribute to a classic 1960’s artist. 

Easy as Pie is a fantastic showcase for the talents of the Surfrajettes, and it’s an engaging listen from start to finish. The LP is available in different “flavors” of colored vinyl, another fun touch. I’d highly recommend Easy as Pie, as it’s easy as pie to enjoy the sweet sounds of the Surfrajettes.  

Concert Review: The Surfrajettes and The McCharmlys at the Turf Club

The Surfrajettes on stage at the Turf Club, March 10, 2024. From left to right, Nicole Damoff on guitar, Annie Lillis on drums, Shermy Freeman on guitar, and Sarah Butler on bass. (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

Me and Annie, with special photobomb by Sarah.

Set list for the Surfrajettes, held by Annie Lillis (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

My signed photo of the Surfrajettes.

In March, I saw the rock group the Surfrajettes at the Turf Club. Devoted readers of “Mark My Words” will recall that I previously saw the Surfrajettes at the Turf Club last October, when they opened for the Electric Six. This time the McCharmlys opened for the Surfrajettes. The McCharmlys have an awesome retro-60's vibe, so their sound worked really well with the Surfrajettes. The lead vocalist Angie has a really great voice, and I enjoyed their songs. 

The Surfrajettes put on an awesome show, and it’s a treat to see their surf rock songs live. It’s fun to see the guitar interplay between Shermy Freeman and Nicole Damoff, as they trade between lead and rhythm. Their guitar work is always seamless and flows so well. This time the Surfrajettes had their usual lineup of Shermy and Nicole on guitar, Sarah Butler on bass, and Annie Lillis on drums. Sarah and Annie both did a fantastic job. Annie absolutely crushed the drum breaks on “Roller Fink,” and “El Condor Pasa,” one of my favorite Surfrajette songs. It was immediately evident what a fantastic chemistry Shermy, Nicole, Sarah, and Annie have together on stage. 

The set list featured some different songs from October’s show, although favorites like “Heart of Glass” and their version of Britney Spears’ “Toxic” still made appearances. After playing “She Loves You,” Nicole said, “That’s one we wrote,” which was very funny. The band played most of the songs from their debut album Roller Fink, rocking tunes like “Warm Up,” “Roxy Roller,” “Couch Surfing,” “Surfer’s Slide,” and “Snowball.”  

The Surfrajettes are such a fun band to see live, I’m hoping they keep coming back to the Twin Cities every six months. After the show, I was able to get my 8x10 photo signed by all 4 Surfrajettes, and I got selfies with Annie and Shermy, plus a photobomb from Sarah. If you like rock and roll, surf guitars, and awesome instrumentals, go see the Surfrajettes.  

Concert Review: The Surfrajettes and the Electric Six at the Turf Club

The Surfrajettes on stage at the Turf Club in Saint Paul, October 25, 2023. From left to right, Nicole Damoff, Sam Maloney, Shermy Freeman, and Sara Eve. (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

A blurry photo of the Surfrajettes on stage, but I think it still looks cool. (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

Me and Shermy, co-lead guitarist of the Surfrajettes. (Photo taken by Shermy)

My signed copy of The Surfrajettes' 2022 album Roller Fink. (Photo by Mark C. Taylor)

In October, I saw the Surfrajettes and the Electric Six at the Turf Club in Saint Paul. I was there to see the Surfrajettes—I reviewed their 2022 album Roller Fink here, and I’ve become a big fan of their surf rock sound.

  

The Surfrajettes put on a great show and in person you can really see the guitar interplay between Shermy and Nicole, as they switch between playing lead and rhythm guitar. I was amazed at how well Shermy and Nicole are able to recreate their trademark 1960’s guitar sound in person. This lineup of the Surfrajettes also featured Sara Eve on bass and Sam Maloney on drums. Maloney’s fiery drumming propelled the band through the songs and was a highlight of the show.  

My only complaint about the staging of the show was that Shermy didn’t have her own spotlight, so she was left playing in the darkness. I’m not sure how the Turf Club didn’t understand that the co-lead guitarist should maybe have her own spotlight. But oh well.  

The Surfrajettes’ set list featured a mix of songs from Roller Fink like “Warm Up,” “Roxy Roller,” and the title track, as well as some songs that have only appeared on their singles like the Halloween song “Banshee Bop” and a great arrangement of the Peruvian song “El Condor Pasa.” The crowd really got into two of their cover versions the Blondie disco classic “Heart of Glass” and Britney Spears’ “Toxic.”  

The Electric Six were fine, but they really didn’t do anything for me. I confess that I didn’t do any research on them before the show, so I’m really not familiar with their music. And the problem with not knowing the songs at a rock show is that you won’t be able to understand the lyrics, so it’s not like you can get much sense of what a song is about. The Six were down a member, as they were without their keyboardist. I found the Electric Six an odd pairing with the Surfrajettes, as the Six just had so much “dude” energy. The Electric Six did play a cool cover version of “Eye in the Sky,” the Alan Parsons Project hit.  

The Surfrajettes are known for wearing matching outfits on stage, and for the show at the Turf Club on October 25th, they wore their “angel” outfits, complete with halos. It was a fun touch for the show. After their set, I bought the Surfrajettes LP Roller Fink and got it signed by all four members of the band. I also got a selfie with Shermy. (She took the photo, so it actually turned out well. I’m terrible at taking selfies.) Since I saw the Surfrajettes last month, they’ve already announced another tour, and they will be coming back to the Turf Club in March 2024. I already have my ticket for the show. If you want to see a fun concert by a group that has great interplay among its members, go see the Surfrajettes.