Kymara: Not pulling punches
Wednesday 07 March @ 15:47:40 |
  by DWIGHT HOBBES
It's hard to believe, but once upon a time women had to sway and sashay in a pretty dress and sigh about men in order to having a singing career. Joan Jett, Heart and some others sure as hell changed all that and, in the process, paved the way for an outfit like Kymara.
Headed up by the furiously spirited Shannon Johnson, the band has sprung practically out of nowhere to become a fairly well-noted presence in little more than a year and a half. Among their higher profile gigs, they've done bills with Houseluna, Moxie Bliss at the Varsity Theater, with Alicia Wiley at The Fine Line and recently headlined an evening at Acadia Café with Wiley, Ill Chemistry and Debra G. This Friday, they return to The Fine Line, this time for a show with workhorse experimental metal rockers Niobium, Gothic metalists Cold Colours and headliners Maitiera, the thinking person's perennial choice for metal band of the year. If you've got an aversion to high decibels, don't sweat it. "This will be an acoustic showcase of bands who normally are harder rock bands," says Shannon. "A 'stripped down' or 'unplugged' [show]." Kymara, by no means a metal band, nonetheless will fit in just fine, in light of the pared down sound. Johnson, who writes the material, is, to say the least, a powerhouse. At the Varsity Theater, she started out forceful and kept getting stronger from there. So, yes, Kymara easily will hold their own in this lineup.
It's a power trio of Shannon Johnson on vocals and acoustic guitar, Clarence "Nate" Cole on bass and Scotty Albrecht (also of Filthy Divine) on drums and percussion. Singer-songsmith Johnson's calling card is hard-nosed attitude conveyed via power chords, smart guitar picking and inventive, richly emotive vocals that give voice to what seems to be a perpetually pent-up firestorm, by way of a conflagration of ballsy lyrics. For example, on "Brown-Eyed Bitch," from the album Kymara Live at the Fine Line, she fairly spits, "For years, I've been fed your shit / starvin' on empty promises / 'til now, I am full / And these truths have been misconstrued to paint a prettier picture of you / what you gonna do honey, when they smell you?" And there's the title cut from the Liquor Hot EP: "These ridiculous inquisitions / about previous conversations / to give you your information / and I'm giving in to you / And I'm giving in, to infatuation / by handing you, my flirtation /only caused by my inebriation / and you think you've got me twisted don't you?" And then there's the chorus: "But now I'm liquor hot / filled with super human strength / I've got my liquid courage / and I've got some things to say / So fuck you first / for leaving me in this way / How dare you reject a girl this good / and not give a shit about me?"
 Suffice it to say, we are not talking Connie Francis or Annette Funicello pandering to male egos with a picture-perfect image of sanitized femininity. Photogenic as the day is long, doing wonderful things for a snug pair of jeans while generally bearing a pensive demeanor, when Shannon Johnson takes to the stage, she personifies "hell on wheels." Shannon is well-pleased with Kymara's success to date, a lot of which has to do with MusicScene (musicscene.org). "We really only formed as a whole band last September [of 2005] and have been very fortunate to play a variety of places. It has been amazing how much support we have received. It has been this close network that [has] helped us to be where we are. MusicScene basically is a message board for musicians to communicate. It's a free site, so you can advertise shows and things. It's definitely helped."
By the by, Johnson's cussing is not cussing for cussing's sake. As she states, "I guess I just have a way of expressing my thoughts with a few more expletives then you're used to hearing. Really the only song that I do a lot of swearing in would be 'Liquor Hot,' which stemmed from a conversation I had on the phone with an ex in the First Avenue women's bathroom. I realize there are many words in the English language. Sometimes it's more appropriate to use words that express how I feel in the simplest, most direct form." In fact, a new song, "Curiosity," which she'll unveil at the Fine Line gig, goes, "And I can't stop myself from trippin' on these words that keep fallin' from my lips / and the world starts spinning as I say these things out loud / but this opportunity knocks only once / and the temptation of you has been leaning on my doorbell / for years in my mind." Damned poetic, actually.
Cole, who divides his time between Kymara and R&B quintet extraordinaire 2 Wurds, remarks, "I dig the energy that I get to participate in [with Kymara]. When I first met Shannon, I was drawn to her uniquely percussive guitar style [and] beautiful voice. She offered me the opportunity to make music with her and I couldn't say no. I love playing with Scotty, as he was and is my rhythm section mentor. Ryan has been a pleasure to get to know and effen phenomenal to play with." As to gigging with Kymara, he adds that chemistry greatly comes into play. "Shannon can't resist my smile and when it's all coming down, well, I can't help but smile. And she spreads that shit to the crowd like it's sunshine mixed with black plague." Uh, OK.
Bottom line, Kymara cooks. And, thankfully, the time is right for what comes out of that particular kitchen. ||
Kymara play on Fri., Mar. 9 at at The Fine Line Music Cafe. 8 p.m. $6. 21+. 318 First Ave. N., Mpls. 612-338-8100. Visit Kymara online at myspace.com/kymaramusic.
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