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lipsyncforyourlife · 2 years

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Jasmine Kennedie Reflects On A Life-Changing Untucked + "60s Girl Group" Recaps (Issue #8)

The RuPaul's Drag Race Official Newsletter

In this week’s newsletter, we sing the the praises of “60s Girl Groups,” count down the funniest reads from the Mini Challenge, and share an exclusive interview with Jasmine Kennedie. Don’t forget to subscribe so you can stay tuned for all of the latest Drag Race updates!

We’re eight weeks in and the competition is heating up! Sure, that could be said about every week, but as Willow Pill noted—cheesy as it may sound—this is the point in a Drag Race season when queens stop being polite and start getting real (obligatory hat tip to The Real World). At the official halfway mark of season 14, “60s Girl Groups” is a rollercoaster of an episode, packing in a signature Mini Challenge, an all-singing-all-dancing Maxi, and one heartbreaking elimination. It do take nerve, and these girls are realizing just how hard they have to fight for that crown. Hey mama, welcome to the 60’s—now let’s break it all down, note by note…

The Mini

The cast was riding high after a strong ensemble performance in “The Daytona Wind” and some sisterly bonding in Untucked, but the library opened just in time to remind them: What’s drag without a little shade? That’s right, our first real Mini in quite a few weeks is the highly anticipated “Reading Is Fundamental” challenge. In the grand tradition of Paris Is Burning, the queens were tasked with reading their sisters for filth, and, as always, it was a total gag. Let’s take a moment to appreciate the challenge’s best barbs.

The Top 5 Funniest Reads:

Kerri Colby to Jasmine Kennedie: “Miss Jasmine Mouth-Almighty: You know I am so glad that on this whole journey you have found… your silence.”

Lady Camden to Willow Pill: “I’m a lady, but you, you are a dame. A little dame. A little… hunchback of Notre Dame. Quasimodo she better do!”

Jorgeous to Jasmine Kennedie: “Why do you look so old, but you are so young! You are the definition of ‘White do crack.’”

Willow Pill to Jorgeous: “Serena ChaCha: Jorgeous, we know you’re skinny and need to eat, but unfortunately Orion’s ass is not on the food pyramid.”

Bosco to Lady Camden: “I’ve learned so much from Lady Camden. Did you know: In British, ‘fag’ means ‘cigarette’? It’s crazy! So, could somebody send this cigarette home?”

Damn, these girls were good—talk about reading comprehension! It was stiff competition, but ultimately Bosco snagged a deserving win, thanks in large part to her read of the entire cast at once, taking out eight birds with one shady stone: “I was walking around backstage and I actually found RuPaul’s will—you have some very weird criteria there. She wanted to be buried on the catwalk, and she wanted all of you to be her pallbearers… that way you could let her down on the runway one last time.” An immaculate joke.

The Set-Up

Next, we hopped in a time machine to 1964 for a patented “RuPaul Herstory Lesson” on an era when girl groups like The Supremes, The Shangri-Las, and The Ronettes (RIP Ronnie Spector!) dominated the charts, breaking down barriers in culture. They served as the inspiration for this week’s Maxi Challenge, in which the queens were tasked with performing a brand-new retro hit, writing and singing their own verses and coming up with their own dance routines. Ru announced they’d get to pick their own groups, which became less about finding the right teammates and more about shouting out which song they wanted to perform, leaving the Werk Room in pure chaos as the girls duked it out for their track of choice.

When the dust settled, our three groups of three got to work, first recording verses with Michelle Visage and writer/producer David Benjamin Steinberg, and later pacing out their choreo. The Shang-Ru-Las brought together Bosco, Daya, and Willow (a reunion of The Daytona Wind’s House Of Michaels), and the trio quickly agreed on a cohesive direction for their song, pleasing Michelle with its absurd, dirty details. Willow also revealed herself to be a stealth dancer, finding the group’s rhythm with some fancy footwork. Though the Runettes—DeJa, Jasmine, and Jorgeous—were modest about their vocal abilities, DeJa surprised with a nice set of pipes, which boded well for the group. However, her experience as a cheer coach for kids didn’t seem to translate when it came time to instruct two drag queens in their early twenties who struggled to get in step. Lastly, The Rupremes had a not-so-secret weapon in the form of Angeria, who has a great voice and a long history of performing as Ru’s favorite, Diana Ross. Experienced dancer Lady Camden wisely went simple with her choreography, but it was lost on Kerri who also had trouble shaking her “church lady" ways in the recording booth. Would all three groups be able to get in tune in time for the big number?

The Challenge

First up, The Shang-Ru-Las brought that boom-boomboom-clap to “Bad Boy Baby,” which was definitely the funniest of the pack, all three really nailing the moves and finding a way to bring some subtle character work to the performance. The song may have ended with the bad boy getting hit by a bus (“Like you dropped a hot bowl of spaghetti”), but this was far from a car crash. Then the Runettes gave us girl group realness with “He’s My Baby,” kicking things off on a high note with DeJa—a total Dreamgirl. Jorgeous might have had trouble in the recording booth, but ultimately made the smart decision to deliver her lyrics in a sultry, spoken-word tone, which was certainly era appropriate. Jasmine also pulled through with vocals, but found herself a little lost in the choreography. And for the final act, The Rupremes’ “My Baby Is Love,” Angeria got those shoulders swaying to capture the spirit of Diana, and, frankly, she sang like an angel (Angie, drop the album, girl!). Her teammates Kerri and Lady Camden both sounded great on their own, but had trouble keeping pace and finding their standout moments.

The Looks

If those girl groups had you swooning, then this week’s runway felt pretty appropriate: “Heart On” is the kind of vague category that leaves a lot to interpretation and really lets the queens’ creativity shine. First to walk was Willow Pill, serving her signature blend of sexiness and silliness in panties from crotch to ankle, complete with the “Borat thong.” Breaking a bit from the Valentine’s Day color scheme, Daya stood out with her fun cyberpunk look, bringing to mind the NSYNC classic, “Digital Get Down.” DeJa also made an impression in a superhero anime piece that showed a different side of her than her previous runways. Jorgeous delivered a chic showgirl get-up complimented by a big ostrich-feather heart, and Jasmine was looking classically elegant in her mighty Aphrodite tribute to Hercules. Lady Camden also turned to the gods for inspiration, giving us a playful spin on Cupid, while the always stunning Kerri Colby put her whole body on display—even her veins! Angeria was momentarily unrecognizable in a funky mod fantasy look, and Bosco’s vampy dress put the “ass” in cardiovASScular (not going to apologize for that one).

The Critiques

Alec Mapa brought his delightful self to the Judge’s Panel, as he, Carson, Michelle, and Ru determined which queens hit all the right notes in the challenge and runway. I thought Bosco had the right idea when she theorized they’d be judged in teams this week, but we were both wrong as she, Willow, and Jorgeous were deemed safe, leaving representatives from each girl group in the tops and bottoms. The judges hailed Daya as a real standout in her team, cementing her first win and continuing a notable upward trajectory in the competition. Also scoring high were DeJa and Angeria, who received similar praise for strong vocals and surprising, outside-of-the-box runways. Last week, Lady Camden set a high bar for herself, and her low placement here almost felt like a response to that—Michelle noting that she needs to not let her softness hold her back if she wants to continue to stand out. But we were ultimately left with Jasmine and Kerri in the bottom two, both aware they were a bit overwhelmed by the week’s challenge.

Taking a cue from the heart-themed runway, their Lip Sync For Your Life was to a Hex Hector remix of Toni Braxton’s timeless power ballad, “Un-break My Heart.” Considering her last LSFYL was in Jennifer Lopez’s Versace dress, Kerri Colby showed that could really command a stage when she didn’t have an insurance policy to worry about. But, in true dancing queen fashion, it was hard to take your eyes off of Jasmine who kicked her way through a spirited performance—even after losing one of her heels. The reveal of another chocolate bar meant it was Kerri’s time to sashay away, and it’s clear that the girls were just as devastated as we were to see our favorite auntie go. Her impact on this season cannot be overstated, and I’m so glad Kerri Colby had the chance to show the world a new side of herself. As she walked off the main stage, she left us with a typically poised exit line: “Well, I’m Kerri Colby, and all I can say is: I’m so proud to be a part of RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

Burning Questions

Points On The Board

Bosco is a total numbers queen and, as she reminded us in Untucked, Angeria’s track record thus far in the competition is unrivaled, both in terms of wins (she’s the only with two) and high placements (she’s received positive critiques every week but one). By episode’s end, every queen except for DeJa and Jasmine has won a challenge, so, from a statistical point of view, Angie’s our clear frontrunner, leaving most of the others in a dead heat behind her. In the coming weeks, will a new frontrunner emerge from the pack? Will DeJa or Jasmine finally nab their long-awaited win? Or will Angeria continue to reign supreme?

Mini Mind Games

The Mini Challenge spilled over into the rest of the episode when Daya decided to ask Jasmine about her “two-faced” read, which Jasmine said was a response to Daya secretly knocking her for relying on her physique in the design challenge. The two chopped it up in the Werk Room, but it was clear Jasmine expected an apology, while Daya still felt hurt by the read. The whole thing reminded me of the Class Superlatives Mini Challenge in All Stars 6, which noticeably threw Trinity K. Bonet off of her game for the rest of the episode. Both Daya and Jasmine bounced back from the spat just fine, but will the tension linger as the competition rolls on?

Next Week: You’ve Got Male

The teaser starts with the girls in hilariously busted quick drag as Ru introduces the next Maxi: The return of DragCon panels, this time focused on “menzeses.” Bosco and Willow are shown scoring some laughs, while Jorgeous trips over her words in a challenge that once again puts the queens’ comedy chops to the test. And who better to critique comedy than returning guest judge Nicole Byer? Plus: Remember that lingering tension between Daya and Jasmine I was just wondering about? Well, it looks like it could be bubbling up once again!

The Other Half Of The Story

You know the drill: If you’re not watching Untucked, well, you’re missing out, babe! Let’s shout out a few of the most notable moments form this week’s episode.

As the safe queens commiserated, we got to see a few more unaired reads from the Mini Challenge, many of which were focused on Bosco, who can take it just as well as she can give it. She owned up to being a greaseball, and also revealed herself to be a proud Horse Girl—she’s a loving stepmother to two beautiful horse-children named Ted and Fred. This makes sense with my fantasy.

Reflecting on last week’s emotional Untucked, Willow shared that she, too, as had a lot of questions about her gender, especially during the pandemic. With her illness, she’s felt distant from her own body, but notes that she’s been so thrilled with her time on Drag Race thus far because she’s been able to see herself the way she wants to on a daily basis.

Angeria sure says “bitch” a lot and, bitch, we love it, bitch!

Daya’s claws are out in the competition, which the safe queens commented on with a mixture of awe and fear. When she joined them in the Werk Room later, she owned up to being selfish in preparation for the challenge, knowing she needed to fight to stand out after weeks of “safe” and just missing out on the win for “The Daytona Wind.” As she bluntly (and correctly) states, “I’m not going to sit around and let our friendships get in the way of us trying to win this thing. If it does offend you that I’m doing what I need to do to place myself higher, then that just shows me that you don’t care about the competition.”

Before Untucked wrapped up, Kerri and Jasmine were certain they were the bottom two of the night. They’ve developed a pretty close mother-daughter bond of late, and it was beautiful to see them lift one another up ahead of their LSFYL. As Kerri remarked, she’s just living her “tran-tasy,” and it’s evident she’s inspired Jasmine to do the same.

The Serve-ey w/ Jasmine Kennedie

Each week, we’ll get to learn more about one of the queens of season 14 when they take our brief questionnaire, a.k.a. The Serve-ey. They’ll all get the same six questions, and then we’ll throw in one final “wildcard” question just for fun. This week: It’s the gorgeous New York queen with the gift of gab, Jasmine Kennedie!

1. In keeping with the season promo’s board game theme: What was your favorite game growing up and why?

Okay, my favorite growing up was Mario Kart: Double Dash!! on the GameCube. My sister would play with me sometimes, but when my mom played with me, she would never let me win. She’d be like, “If you want to win, you have to be good!” So I always loved Double Dash!! And then I’m now an avid Breath Of The Wild [fan,] I’m also a Genshin Impact player, heavily. What else do we do? Animal Crossing, and, like, we’re very into the Nintendo animated and fighting, swordplay games—that’s very me and my boyfriend’s schpiel, that’s the vibe.

[We have] a Nintendo Switch, a PS4, all the old Xboxes—we have a whole shelf I could show you that’s literally just video games, and Pokémon cards, so we’re avid video gamers in this household.

And I have to ask this of anyone who mentions they play Mario Kart or Smash Bros., but: Who do you play as? Who are your go-to’s.

Oh, absolutely! For Smash Bros. I play as Donkey Kong, but the “silver daddy” version of him—no other color. [Laughs.] And for Mario Kart I am in between either Pink Gold Peach, like the chrome one, or I usually use Baby Rosalina.

2. How would you say the city you’re from helped define your drag?

I definitely think my drag is a melting pot of all the different places I lived, you know? In Binghamton, NY, I think it taught me a lot about my sisterhood and my friends because we all kind of—I was doing drag for, I think, three years before I moved to the city. This is when I was, like, 15 through 18, so three years. We all just got ready together; I mean, our first shows we were painting each other, and I really got a sense of my sisters and my hometown. And, you know, I was very young, so that’s when I kind of learned how to work the clubs and things like that. And then the city taught me a lot about my professionalism, and being on time, and my confidence on the mic. You know, I definitely think it helped my social skills, and how I want to be perceived, and how I want to conduct business. And then I think Jersey—when I performed a lot in Jersey—made up more of my drag elements, and “extra accoutrements,” and, like, the gaudiness of it all, my performance. So I definitely think my drag is a melting pot of all those, perfectly blended together. It’s weird how that happens.

3. With this season’s candy bar twist, I’m curious: If you were a piece of candy, what kind would you be?

Okay, so I’m gonna do a chocolate, and I’m gonna do sweets—I’m very on point with this. KitKats always—I’m a KitKat girl. And then sweets, I’m always going for the Nerds Bites, [Gummy Clusters,] the new ones that used to be the Nerds Ropes, but now they have them in bite-size form. So, purr, like those two after a quick “ganj?” Over. Period.

So KitKats are a definite standby—everyone likes them—but I don’t know too many people that would claim them as their favorite candy. Why KitKats?

I think it’s because, as a kid, I always liked them, and the initials are “KK,” like my initials, Kyle Koritkowski. But I don’t know why. I guess it’s the crunch, and there’s the sweetness, but also there’s a little bit of saltiness from the wafer. So that combo definitely helps, whereas some [candies] are just like a little bit too much caramel-y, or a little bit much chocolate-y. I just like that crunch. It’s classic, it’s consistent, they haven’t changed the formula over the years—I mean, yes, they have those like 15 different colors and flavors of them, but I can’t mess with it.

4. What can you tell us about your “confessional” interview look? How did you decide what to wear? What do you think it says about your style out of drag?

I’m literally wearing it right now, oh my god. [Laughs.] So, for my confessional look, I really wanted to be comfortable, because I’ve heard it’s a long [shoot,] and things like that—but I talk a lot, so it really didn’t feel that long. For me, I just treated it like coffee. [Laughs.] But I really wanted to be comfortable, and also, at the time, I was trying to hide the fact that I was transitioning. So, you can see throughout the show, throughout the whole thing, I’m just very covered with clothes. I didn’t want to necessarily show off my body, things like that. So it was definitely more of a way to mask things, but, at the same time, I wanted to be colorful enough and play with things that would go with my skin tone. I brought maybe a couple of colored shirts, and everything else was your plain basics, like blacks, whites, grays, tans. Because I didn’t to do that much, I wasn’t really into the fashion of me out of drag, as I am now, when I’m living in it more, and actually putting the time into my outfits.

So you’ve noticed your personal style evolving since filming?

Yeah, definitely. I mean, of course that’s financially, but it also comes with time, you know?Buying things here and there, slowly and surely. But I definitely have lived more in my feminine side, and realizing that I can be confident in wearing a two-piece, and things like that. I’m definitely still, like, comfy-casual because I always have loved that, but it’s about feeling a bit more confident now.

5. What’s a fun fact you can share about one of your season 14 sisters that might surprise the fans?

Okay, I gotta think about this one because there’s so many good facts, and I don’t want to get them mad because I have the gift of gab. [Laughs.] You know I always have something to say!

Oh, I will say this: Jorgeous worked extremely, extremely hard for that runway, that I don’t think people are realizing—the one that she won, the sewing challenge. Because girl spent so long, so long on these and tried everything she could. And I just want people to know that the effort was very much there. It might not be a lot—mine wasn’t a lot, you know? So it’s like we have to look at the work behind it, and not necessarily just the full, head-to-toe concept. And also, at the end of the day, we have to present something, and if we’re selling it, we’re selling it, you know what I mean? So I think that’s a fun fact about that [challenge.] Like, she really did try. It was an extreme amount of work.

And I imagine that’s true of every challenge, in a way. In terms of preparation, we, as the audience, only get to see a small window of the time it takes for everyone to get themselves ready.

Yes! And I will say this: I love Miss Daya, but the assignment was to construct a garment from scratch—everyone constructed a garment from scratch! So we were all going through it, you know? We all—I cried, and things happen. It just is what it is. [Laughs.]

6. Here’s a chance to shout out another drag performer, designer, hair & makeup artist, etc… who really helped inspire you or prepare you for your journey on Drag Race. We perhaps already touched on a few of them when we were talking about Seattle.

Okay, I’ll do a couple. First and foremost, let me thank my mom. If it wasn’t for my mom, Joy, I would have not been able to get to Drag Race with the package that I brought. She’s so supportive, so great, so helpful. And then, who else? I’ll do three people, because these people really got me there. My drag mother, Mancie Mandell, for basically managing me [while] getting everything together for my package. And then let’s shout out my boyfriend for emotionally, mentally, and physically getting me through the before and after of Drag Race. Definitely those three.

And what’s it been like watching this season unfold along with him?

He literally is so good with that. He’s like, “Don’t look at your phone, stop. You’re fine, you’re great.” You know, he’s very much so the person that, like, blocks me and shields me from dealing with all the crap, which is great. It’s very helpful. He won’t react to people, he won’t react to that. He’s like, “Okay, and? Where are they from?” He’s like, “Calm down. Look at all those other 1000s of amazing comments or DMS that you’re getting.” And it is very true, those [mean] ones will stick out, but I’ll read them to myself and then make fun of them after, you know? So it’s fun, but never respond—never deal with that bullshit. You just heart the nice ones. [Laughs.]

Has he been surprised by how you’ve done on the show?

I think the one thing he was shocked about was the moment in Untucked last week. Like, he knew I came out and things like that, but he didn’t know it got that deep, you know? And he was just like, “I’m very proud of you. I just didn’t know it was this big of a thing.” So that was probably the shock. Because he also knew I was not going to talk about it, even though I came out to him as non-binary before, he thought I was just going to keep this locked and sealed with me for a very long time. So I think that’s what he was genuinely shocked about, for sure.

I think it’s fair to say you shocked yourself, too. But I’ve got to commend you on your bravery in that moment, and I hope you’re feeling the love and support from the fans. We’re so proud of you.

Thank you. Honestly, the girls got me—it was just the right melting pot situation. Like, you know, the environment, the challenge, the girls, the place I was at in the competition, the discussions we were having, and how open everyone was. It was a very, like, “a-ha” moment. Like, I physically saw myself fighting it when I watched it back, I could see it in my neck. My neck was going crazy! Just tweaking out, oh my god. I got that from my mother—I love her but we have this nervous twitch, and I saw it! But, anyway, Kerri knew about it because we had a conversation off-camera. She knew it was coming, when I said it—the second she grabbed me it just came out of my body like word vomit. That gave me the power to actually say it because she knew, mentally, what was physically happening to me. So it was a very warm and endearing environment with the girls. They’re all great and supportive, and I love all of them.

Especially with everything going on now, like Texas and Greg Abbott, and the Florida “Don’t Say Gay” bill, there’s so many things right now that are so counterproductive for the LGBTQIA+ community that I hope—like, I’ve gotten a lot of messages from people saying, “With everything going on right now…” And it’s very touching to know that that has helped so many people, honestly. Words can’t describe.

7. Wildcard: Halfway through the season, we’ve already seen what a learning experience Drag Race has been for you. What would you say is the best thing you’ve done for yourself since wrapping production on the show?

Oh my god, there’s so many things. I mean, from starting HRT, to my career, to stepping my drag up, to my household—you know, I take a lot of pride my family and my house, and myself and what I’m doing. So I’m very happy to say that I kind of took back years of my life, and finally started doing things for myself and being myself. So it’s very nice to see the things that have happened over the year, compared to where I was at before that. I just feel like there’s a new light coming into my life that I didn’t necessarily see before. And it’s been great.

I’m really over the moon, I’ve had a great experience. You know, I know I get a lot of flack for being talkative and annoying—but we’re drag queens! Everyone has opinions, everyone’s shady, we all know this. It’s season 14 now, and there’s so many other seasons. We all have to realize that, at the end of the day, this was months ago and the most high pressure situation of our entire lives. This is not how we are on a day-to-day basis. But, in the right position, if somebody’s trying me, will I be that way? Absolutely. [Laughs.] I will say this: I’m very New York about things. Very blunt, very honest. I don’t mean it with any crudeness, but it’s just that I feel like addressing things to the point, head on, is way better than it lurking around and coming back months later, you know? I think that’s the best solution for things.

The Looks You Didn't See

It’s practically tradition that eliminated queens will take to social media to show off the stunning looks they didn’t use on the runway. Every week, we’ll reserve this space to shout out our favorite “unseen looks.“

June Jambalaya

@JuneJambalaya

the hood always has my heart 💗 #junejambalaya #rupaulsdragrace #vh1 #worldofwonder https://t.co/4Hd9aIpW1g

3:59 AM - 26 Feb 2022

Miss June Jambalaya is looking damn fine in her Heart On couture, which certainly would’ve stood out on a runway of mostly reds, whites, and pinks. And, ooh, recognize that killer wig? Made by hair wizard Edward Smith, it’s the piece Kornbread asked June to leave behind for her after the queen’s elimination. Of course, Kornbread’s rolled ankle meant we didn’t get to see her rock it on the runway either, but nice to know the wig made it back to June! Also don’t miss: Alyssa Hunter is a corseted heartbreaker while Orion Story serves heart-headed glamour.

Gagatrondra! It's The Tweets Of The Week

We wrap up every newsletter with a rundown of some of our favorite reaction tweets of the week, so use #DragRace and you may find yourself here!

⚡️ Seddera Side ⚡️

@sedderaside

does this mean no more Kerri confessional moments... #dragrace https://t.co/i3xjvx2GHq

7:48 AM - 26 Feb 2022

John🧣

@not_johnathon

Jorgeous potentially losing... Jorgeous potentially lip syncing #DragRace https://t.co/KjIo0uEZJu

8:30 PM - 25 Feb 2022

Joey Nolfi

@joeynolfi

Angeria Paris VanMicheals has violated the Kennedy Davenport Footwear Sanctity Agreement #DragRace https://t.co/uvGVqH1Ga7

8:37 PM - 25 Feb 2022

Want More?

This week’s The Pit Stop gets a heaping dose of UNHhhh with Katya joining host Monét X Change and a pile of SweeTarts to talk “60s Girl Groups.” Unsurprisingly, these two are a blast together, and they even manage to sneak in a reference to Nicole Kidman’s iconic AMC ad! Legends.

The Pit Stop S14 E08 | Monét X Change & Katya Go Retro! | RuPaul’s Drag Race

And over on Whatcha Packin’, Michelle Visage sits down with America’s #1 auntie, Kerri Colby. The two talk about the Colby family lineage, gawk over some of her gorgeous unseen looks, and more.

Whatcha Packin’ | S14 E08 | RuPaul’s Drag Race

#RuPaul's Drag Race #Newsletter #Jasmine Kennedie #60s Girl Groups #Nintendo #Mario Kart #Mario Kart Double Dash #Super Smash Bros.#Baby Rosalina #Donkey Kong #Nintendo Switch #The Legend of Zelda #Breath of the Wild

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weneverlearn · 3 months

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Mary Weiss, me; outside Magnetic Field, Brooklyn, 2008 (photographer unknown)

Mary Weiss, R.I.P.

It was 2005, and I'd lived in NYC for less than a year. I somehow finagled my way into a listening party for the incredible new Rhino Records box set, One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds Lost & Found. It was at some small event space in midtown, I don't remember what it was called. Cool joint though...

I felt a bit overwhelmed in this packed room of esteemed scenesters, aging industry big wigs, and the incredible original performers from the box set they were able to round up and sing a few songs.

Luckily the ever-fun couple of Miriam Linna and Billy Miller (Norton Records) were there, scanning the room with eyes as wide as anyone's, and the two introduced me to a few heps, like Richard Gottehrer -- the amazing producer/songwriter who sprung form the Brill Building and ultimately produced some of my faves, like Richard Hell, the Go-Gos, and Marshall Crenshaw, among many.

Then I saw Sune Rose Wagner, singer/guitarist of the Raveonettes, one of my newer faves of the moment, and he was crying. I'd interviewed him over the phone a couple years earlier for a Cleveland mag, so I re-introduced myself and asked what was wrong. We hugged. He said that earlier in the week they'd played and had all of their instruments stolen afterwards, and he was so distraught he was thinking about quitting music. I told him no way, maybe they'll find the stuff, etc... He kind of perked up, and then once the women started singing with a live band, his teary eyes started shining from the glow of the stage taking over the pretty dark room. These women -- and I can't remember which acts they came from, but they were all on the box set -- were resplendent in glittering dresses, hair done big, and smiles wider than 5th Avenue.

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I saw Billy and Miriam again, and they were chatting with Mary Weiss lead vox/face of the Shangri-Las -- arguably one of the top three acts of the whole mid-60s "girl group" scene. I was introduced quickly, but I let them get at their convo as I assumed the Norton nabobs knew Mary from way back.

However, Billy comes up to me later and tells me he had never met her before, that she was his first female musical star crush, and he absolutely sounded like a 16-year old trying to cram his melting heart back into his chest. I was pretty floored myself -- I always loved the Shangri-Las from first hearing them slip out of oldies stations growing up to when I first started diving into girl group sounds as a record-amasing teen. They, the Ronettes, and Darlene Love were the cream of the dreamy crop in my book.

The whole night was not unlike making your way through a Shangri-Las compilation: every emotion possible heaving up and down, surrounded by sounds lilting, swelling, crumbling, but always with that Big Beat bubbling, ready to shove you out of the sadness...

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After the news of Mary Weiss' sad passing yesterday, of course many acknowledged her teen stardom of the mid-60s; the influence of the Shangri-Las' street-tough image and emotions on the New York Dolls (who used Shangri-Las producer, Shadow Morton, for their second album) and much of the early new wave of the mid-70s; the respect of her keeping a singing career going through the years, and the glorious third act she had in the late 2000s with the help of Norton Records and the great album, Dangerous Game, where Weiss, in excellent voice, was backed by the rulers of garage pop of that era, the Reigning Sound.

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No, it wasn't some top 10 album, but it just oozed with a kind of vintage-to-ever cool that is so rarely captured in a "comeback." (And it definitely got her press and new young fans.)

In fact I think that album, and especially that incredible Rhino box set, brought back that '60s malt shop-meets-back-alley girl group ouvre to a whole new generation.

This was not front page news. Nevertheless loads of acts like King Khan & BBQ, Peach Kelli Pop, Shannon & the Clams, Hunx and His Punx, the Vivian Girls, Baby Shakes, Black Lips, A Giant Dog, and even the re-emergence of Nikki Corvette and Ronnie Spector to the stage brought the cloud-bound reverb and scruffy riffs of vintage girl groups back to prominence in the underground garage rock scene. And again, due to their sounds and looks, the Shangri-Las and the Ronettes were the template.

It has since dawned on me many times that Mary Weiss -- and the Shangri-Las as a whole -- have a nearly singular place in R'n'R history. Considering the admittedly limited catalog of songs, their outsized influence has spread from radio hits in the '60s to the underground proto-punk not ten years later; to the CBGB scene; early '80s new wave and power pop shadow-pep (like Blondie, Go-Gos, and many more); Aerosmith covered "(Remember) Walking in the Sand," and others of the big coif/high dramatics of hair metal had some Shangri-Las DNA in the hair spray; from transgressive filmmakers like John Waters to drag queen blueprints; to 2000s female neo-soul hitmakers -- arising at the same time as the aforementioned garage pop underbelly -- and even up to the recent talk/sing busted romance stylings of mega-popsters like Taylor Swift.

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I saw Weiss at a couple shows over the next year or so. She was always so excited and grateful for all the accolades and thanks people laid on her. She played a remarkable show in Brooklyn that Lee Greenfeld booked, at the Atlantic Antic street fest in September, 2007 -- right outside Greenfeld's madly-missed club, Magnetic Field. We felt the Antic gig would be the first of many, but there were just a few more local gigs, if memory serves.

Somewhere in 2008, at an A-Bones / Yo La Tengo show at Magnetic Field, I chatted with Weiss for a bit afterwards. I can't express enough how inspiring was her love of music and hanging out at a small bar with a bunch of music obsessives knocking back cheap beers. At the 1 a.m. chime, she kissed my cheek, I laid one on her's, I walked home, and I will assume that if there is a Heaven, that moment should get me into the meetings where they discuss how to improve Heaven. It's a cinch it's improved today.

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Variety obituary here.

From obituary:

The group’s tough-but-vulnerable New York City teen image was genuine. “Overall, the girl groups had very sweet images, except for the Ronettes and the Shangri-Las, who had a tougher, harder attitude,” Greenwich told the website Spectropop in an undated interview. “By today’s standards, they were as innocent as the day is long. Back then, they seemed to have a street toughness, but with a lot of vulnerability. Mary Weiss [had] the sweetest long straight hair, an angelic face, and then this nasal voice comes out, and this attitude — the best of both worlds.

“In the beginning, we did not get along,” she continued. “They were kind of crude, with their gestures and language and chewing gum and the stockings ripped up their leg. We would say, ‘Not nice, you must be ladies,’ and they would say, ‘We don’t want to be ladies.'”

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From Chapter 33 of The Downtown Pop Underground — order online, or from a local independent bookstore

THE SHANGRI-LAS’ INFLUENCE ON PUNK LOCATION Brill Building The Shangri-Las were one of the common musical denominators that Blondie shared, and Clem Burke explained the Shangri-La’s proto-punk appeal: “They had their black leather vests and their tight black leather pants, and they sang ‘Give Him a Great Big Kiss.’ They sang about dirty fingernails, wavy hair, and leather jackets, and things like that.” The Shangri-Las cast a long shadow over glam and punk rock. The New York Dolls’ “Looking for a Kiss” borrowed the spoken word intro from their “Give Him a Great Big Kiss,” and another Dolls song, “Trash,” copped the campy “How do you call your lover boy?” line from “Love Is Strange,” a catchy 1956 hit by Mickey & Sylvia. The group’s final album, Too Much Too Soon, was produced by Shadow Morton, who had crafted the girl group classics “Leader of the Pack” and “Remember (Walking in the Sand)” for the Shangri-Las. As Burke recalled, “Bubblegum rock was part of the roots of the New York music scene. Some of the old-school guys like Richard Gottehrer or Marty Thau—who had some money and success in pop music—they understood the music because they were coming from that Brill Building mentality.” Thau was the New York Dolls’ first manager before McLaren took the job, and he had previously made a living as a record promoter for late 1960s bubblegum groups the 1910 Fruitgum Company (“Simon Says”) and the Ohio Express (“Yummy Yummy Yummy”). Thau recorded the Ramones’ first demos and released Suicide’s debut album on his independent label Red Star, and also formed the production company Instant Records with the old-school industry hit maker Richard Gottehrer. “Richie was part of that whole Brill Building rock thing,” Leon said, “which had a lot of nostalgia for us because we grew up with it on the radio when we were kids.”

#mary weiss #shangri-las #girl groups #rhino records #norton records #new york dolls #60s pop #reigning sound #leader of the pack #brooklyn #Youtube #blondie #punk influences #Queens #queens nyc

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