My pal Steve and I went to see Martha Davis & The Motels last night.
Bow Wow Wow, with new singer Chloe Demetria, was the opening act.
Chloe, being a new vocalist in an established band, had
some BIG shoes to fill and she did so SPLENDIDLY.
Her unique vocal style holds a bit of the Gwen Stefani vibe
and her commanding onstage presence (though all her own) is in
the tradition of Siouxsie, Debbie Harry and Shirley Manson.
In chatting with her and other band members after the show,
I found her to be engaging, professional, personable and learned that she is a songwriter
developing a body of work aside from her performances with Bow Wow Wow.
I can only wish her well in all of her artistic endeavors.
Follow her at twitter: @chloedemetria
To follow Bow Wow Wow at twitter: @BowWowWowBand
Then came the headliner... Martha Davis and The Motels...
Ms. Davis and Company tore through a tight, fluid set of singles, deep album tracks,
unreleased material and one new song that sounded great nestled in with the band's established
songs. Her voice is completely flawless... in "classic album" condition, I'm pleased to say.
Moreover, the emotion she's able to channel, evoke and project with her vocal instrument
(as well as her seemingly intuitive guitar playing) makes her a fantastic front woman that not only
leads, but also blends effortlessly with a band of musicians with some serious musical chops.
While her onstage performance was dazzling, her surprise entrance from the back of
the theater (and stroll down the left aisle) for the encore was a heartwarming surprise.
Martha reached out to fans with hugs, kisses, handshakes and... as an added bonus... allowed
Little Ol' Me to sing a chorus of "Total Control" with her. Many thanks to Steve (and another
nice concert-goer named Laurel) for snapping some images of what was a very special moment.
Martha's performance was followed by a meet and greet, where she took the time
to speak to each fan, trade jokes and laughs, pose for pictures and sign autographs.
When I approached her and said, "Thanks for letting me sing 'Total Control' with you."
she greeted me with a hug and a kiss and said, "Awww... You did a great job!"
Thank you, Martha... You're a great artist, but more importantly, you're a warm soul. Cheers!
