Vixen: Rev It Up
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| Posted on November 22, 2015 at 00:26:29 | ||
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Posts: 7339
Location: Bay Area Joined: December 11, 2000 |
 I don't know how many times people have gawked, "You saw Vixen?!" at me. Sometime around Spring Break 1991, I saw the "classic" Vixen lineup at The Stone in San Francisco. They were touring, as headliners, in support of their album, Rev It Up. The very next day, my own friends blitzed me with the "You saw Vixen?," "What were they like?," "Why didn't you tell me you were going?" questions. And then, when I returned to my dorm at UC Santa Cruz, I was hit with the "You saw Vixen?!" interrogations. But nowadays, the Stereotypical Audiophiles go, "Who the hell are Vixen?" In the late-80s, the "classic" Vixen lineup comprised lead guitarist Jan Keuhnemund; lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Janet Gardner; bassist Share Pedersen; and drummer Roxy Petrucci. During the Fall '88 semester, Vixen had a minor hit with "Edge Of A Broken Heart," penned by Richard Marx and The Tubes' Fee Waybill. In the summer of 1990, Vixen came out with the more solid-sounding Rev It Up. At times a guilty pleasure, Rev It Up's songs can be a a tad inconsistent. "Hard 16" and "Only A Heartbeat Away" are girlie, but if you were a girl, you'd (a) identify with them, and (b) enjoy them. Regardless of your gender, "How Much Love" and "Fallen Hero" are excellent tracks. Since they aren't well-known or don't get much airplay, they are exactly the kind of "lost gems," which really get you going. As for that Spring '91 Vixen concert at The Stone, it was not crowded. After way too many opening acts, I was able to worm my way to the front of the stage. Vixen sounded...like they do on the Rev It Up record. It was interesting to hear songs from their debut eponymous album sound not so thin [the guitar tuning, vocal key(s), and Roxy Petrucci's Tama drums made the band sound fuller]. Off to the side of the stage, not in any light, some guy played keyboards. For almost all of the show, Vixen were not girlie at all. In fact, they were, somewhat oddly, very professional. They did not mess around or joke around. They were very straight-forward, honest, hard-working, sincere, but not stiff or lacking in fun. Really, the only break from Vixen's professionalism was when Petrucci ended her drum solo and said something like, "I know San Francisco is home to thrash. And many have played right here. I can't play as fast as [Metallica's] Lars [Ulrich], but I can still kick ass!" In those days, almost all rock t-shirts were black. The ones which weren't black were white. So it was interesting, that I actually had a red Vixen t-shirt. Janet Gardner looked exactly as she did in photos. She had the white bleached-blonde hair, and her makeup was done neatly. She did not seem cocky or arrogant. Again, she was professional. I actually got to touch her boot. And when I held my hand up, I got a high-five from her. Share Pedersen was content to take her place, play her part, and not overdo the backing vocals. Jan Kuehnemund seemed half a foot taller than the others. Yes, her hair was colored in bands, so that it looked like a raccoon tail. Due to Kuehnemund's passing in 2013, there sadly cannot be a reunion of the "classic" Vixen lineup. So instead, go out and give Rev It Up a try. Can't believe it's now a quarter century old. And my wife is still jealous that I, and not she, got to see Vixen in concert. They were good! The Audiophiles' DJ,
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| RE: Vixen: Rev It Up, posted on November 22, 2015 at 14:01:58 | |
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Posts: 15524
Location: Alabama Joined: September 11, 2010 |
I liked the 1st CD- very good.
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| RE: Vixen: Russ Meyer, posted on November 24, 2015 at 00:17:22 | |
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Posts: 10583
Joined: April 12, 2002 |
I saw Vixen too...
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