Girl at the Rock Shows

Tuesday night was one of those nights when a band name got me out of the house. Okay, it clearly doesn’t take much to get me out of the house, but I was intrigued by the punny name of the headlining act: Thelma and the Sleaze. I mean, come on, you’re intrigued, right? I was intrigued enough to grab a friend and head down to Zhora Darling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I quickly realized this wasn’t going to be just another show. Although the audience wasn’t huge, one member of the opening act spent a few minutes before the music introducing themselves to everyone. A fellow photographer and I joked about how much sweat we started dripping as this was happening. There’s a reason we both kind of “hide behind” the camera: we know just how introverted we can be. As nerve-racking as it was, when this musician finally got to me, it felt natural and genuine. I know this was such a small part of what would turn into an epic night, and it had nothing to do with the music, but it definitely set the stage for what was to come.

I didn’t know what to expect from opening act Paisley Fields, but I do know that, although outside of my normal listening, it was love at first song. Paisley Fields is an unapologetic queer country act. Okay, they call themselves country, and there’s definitely a country twang to their sound that goes beyond the cowboy boots and hat worn by vocalist/keyboardist James Wilson, but this group is more of a rock n’ roll group than anything. That’s neither here nor there because, truthfully, it wasn’t the music that had me hooked on this group; it was the energy. As I mentioned, this wasn’t a full show at all, but had you been watching a live stream or something where you could only see the stage, you would have guessed it was based on the amount of energy that this four-piece brought to the stage. Although it was definitely fun and games when it came to the energy they brought to the dark venue, there was also a sense of intent and perfection behind it. I loved how this band laid out their sound and impressed us all with their talent, while making sure we left their set with our cheeks sore from smiling so much.

I don’t think there was a single moment during Paisley Fields’ set when I wasn’t smiling, but there was one song in particular that really got me going. We all know that “Wagon Wheel” song from Old Crow Medicine Show. It’s the one people do at karaoke, the one that plays late at night at a local watering hole. The one that every singer-songwriter who’s playing a bar dreads getting asked to play. Honestly, not my favorite song, but Paisley Fields’ version may be one of the best songs of all time. I’m not going to give it all away, but let me say that the chorus of “Rock me, mama, like a wagon wheel” gets replaced by a series of words that include an explicative, “daddy”, and various other words that saying much more will ruin the magic. We live in very serious times. It seems like there is some new trauma every single day, but that all went away as I was watching Paisley Fields, and it was so damn perfect.

Following Paisley Fields was the local flavor of the night – Sparrowhawk. This band had been on my list for some time, but that’s only because I kept seeing their name around town. I knew nothing about their sound or what they were all about, but like with Paisley Fields, it was love at first listen. Their sound was this super cool blend of Americana and classic rock n’ roll. Stunning and wailing guitar solos highlighted a set that came at you with an insane amount of grit and energy, and, within just seconds, this band would have you tapping your toes to their infectious beat, whether you had ever heard of them before or not.

Just like Paisley Fields, Sparrowhawk had more to offer than just their screaming guitar solos and whiskey-drenched vocals; they had personality. They were clearly having fun on stage, not only with each other, but also with the music. Sparrowhawk isn’t a jam band. It’s clear that they had clear, concise, and planned-out songs to play, yet something about what they were giving me on Tuesday night felt so organic. Maybe that’s something that comes with playing together enough to get into this super-solid groove, or maybe it’s because each member of this band is truly gifted on their instrument. I’d like to think it’s because Sparrowhawk doesn’t just play music, they feel music, and that’s what I’m sticking with. It was a great, groovy set that caught my ears and heart, making Sparrowhawk a local band I want to see and hear more of in the near future.

Closing out Tuesday night’s show at Zhora Darling was Thelma & The Sleaze. Again, it was their band name that got me out to this show. I mean, come on, how clever is that? Like Thelma & Louise but Thelma & The Sleaze?! Okay, moving on, but please note the genius that is already in place here.

Thelma & The Sleaze is an all-female, queer southern rock band hailing from Nashville, TN. Although a clear group, it was quickly evident that vocalist and guitarist Lauren “LG” Gilbert was the mastermind behind this project. Something about LG was just so outgoing and so bombastic that it turned my little introverted self into a boisterous and confident woman, if only in my head. She didn’t just control the stage and the sound; it felt like she was controlling the hearts of everyone in attendance in this weird, almost witch-like way. Watching her was captivating, and that’s where my eyes went for the majority of Thelma & The Sleaze’s set, but it was also clear that without her bassist and drummer, this would be a bit awkward. However, just a trio, the sound of this trio was large. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a wall of sound, but there were moments where the sound that these three musicians made together was enough to knock you on your ass if you weren’t prepared for it.

The grit and salt of this band were at the forefront, but I loved how, if you dug your heels into their words and their overall sound, you would realize that there was also something oddly soft and tender about it. Don’t get me wrong, that wasn’t the case with every song that they played, and I definitely leaned into their more angsty anthems when it came to what was hitting the spot on Tuesday night, but I loved how I was able to find this other side of this group hidden in certain tracks they played. It didn’t just show the sheer talent behind all three members of this group; it showed the pure heart that they put behind anything. Even the moments that felt a bit spicier than others came at you wrapped in a bow of pure love. It may have been Thelma & The Sleaze’s band name that got me out of the house on Tuesday night, but it was their heart, passion, and love that has me listening to their music on repeat the day after.

Most normal people spend their Tuesday nights at home making dinner, doing chores, and vegging out on the couch in front of some crappy TV show. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a normal person. Staying in on a Tuesday night just seems so pointless to me, so of course, I found some random show to go to. Have you ever tried it? Maybe you should, because I had my eyes opened to three incredible bands and got completely lost in a dark and cozy room full of passion, fire, and love. If you ask me, that’s a hell of a way to spend a Tuesday night.

Line Up:

Paisley Fields

Sparrowhawk

Thelma & The Sleaze

Venue: Zhora Darling

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 38

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Dance-ability- 2 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Paisley Fields – 0

Sparrowhawk – 0

Thelma & The Sleaze – 0

Show on Deck – Lucero / Justin Wells

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