How Weekends Should be Pt.2 : Stilts and Stains

Yesterday's Monorail Film Club presentation of Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains provided a welcome reminder of the brilliance of Christine Lahti.  She's by no means the focus of the film but her brief contributions as Aunt Linda, the bereaved mother and aunt of the members of girl-punk novices The Stains, are subtle and at one point, eye-moisteningly moving.  She first sneaked into my affections through her role as  River Phoenix's on-the-run mother in the wonderfully tender Running On Empty;  a film which somehow manages to retain its emotional impact no matter how many times I watch it.

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains was hugely enjoyable and had me mulling over just how in the 30 years since its release, I'd managed not to hear peep about it till now despite it featuring Ray Winstone, a couple of Sex Pistols, a Clash member and the teenage Diane Lane and Laura Dern. It sure made me keen to dig out those ace old Bikini Kill and Bangs records!

The precise second the GFT's house-lights came up, it was time for a swift dash downhill to The Arches to catch as much of Golden Grrrls' (untidy!) set as possible before enjoying Crystal Stilts.  Despite keyboard amp troubles and an extended capo-break ("Enjoy it - it only happens once!") Crystal Stilts were on terrific form.  JB Townsend's teardrop-shaped guitar made even choppier, treblier incisions than ever before and Andy Adler's bass made explicit the instruction to dance, an instruction that, excitingly, was heeded by several young ladies in front of me.  Don't you just love it when dancing breaks out at shows?  If I had a ballroom I'd book 'em!  I have every confidence that their new l.p. "In Love With Oblivion" will soundtrack the blossom and newness of spring 2011 for me.