Miss Derringer

A number of years ago I was in this independent bookstore called Quimby's . It's on North Ave, in Wicker Park. I always buy Gothic Beauty Magazine from them. They always have Bizarre as well. One day as I was reading Bizarre I came across an article about an artist named Liz McGrath or "Bloodbath" McGrath. There was something about this person that made me relate to her. She was raised a strict Catholic and when she was 12 was taken by her parents to this Christian Fundamentalist correctional institution. They kept her there for a year at least. Ms Liz was (and still is) somewhat of a rebel and an artist. Wait, there is no somewhat about it. They tried to beat the Artist/Rebel out of her. The article about her in Bizarre is on-line. I like reading stories like hers 'cause I find them really inspiring. And now she's well adjusted, productive as an artist, happily married, and sings in her band with her husband. Christianity could not break her. If I read the articles on her correctly she's in her thirties and she looks like she's in her mid-twenties. I know of people that in their late twenties feel burned out and unaccomplished. Some even actively lie about their age.

Besides fronting the band Miss Derringer she's had her art shown all over the world. Even if I did not like her music, her story is still an inspiration. Anyway, reading about her made me look up her band and I loved it. There is a lot of Youtube videos about the band including interviews. I think they opened for Blondie once or something like that. They have a proper video for "Better Run Away From Me", and live performances. I so wanted to see them here in Chicago, but all the way from L.A. you don't know if they can or will. Touring costs money, and it's a costly, delicate labor of love to exist as a band. I've since seen other bands that sound compatible to them like Puerto Muerto, The Dyes, the Fluffers, and Faceless Werewolves. Some share the sound if not the darkness of Miss Derringer. I'll write more later, I still have to finish this thing on Fluffers, and Coins, and Cordero, and Post Honeymoon. I haven't even started to write on the actual concert that Miss Derringer did in Chicago.

Zig

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