Nashville’s Lola Montez headlines night of female-fronted rock at Border Bar in Pittston on Sept. 8
From a press release:
Camp Rattler continues its reputation of bringing impressive underground acts to the area while featuring homegrown talent on Saturday, Sept. 8 when Nashville rock band Lola Montez headlines a night of female-fronted music at the Border Bar in Pittston.
Doors at the Border Bar (170 Laurel St., Pittston) open at 5 p.m., and the adjacent Camp Rattler Beer Garden opens at 7 p.m. The outdoor show with both indoor and outside bars starts at 8 p.m. with Wilkes-Barre folk rock band The Charming Beards and Hawley indie rocker Gabby Borges.
A Tinder date gone wrong. A wife who dreads her murder. Confessions of a jilted lover, wasted youth, and surreal erotica.
No subject matter is out of bounds for Nashville, Tennessee rock band Lola Montez. Fresh off the recording of their debut release “Glean,” the band is intent on hitting a raw nerve with music fans far and wide.
Singer and frontwoman Inga Rudin toured previously with the band Naked Beggars, which featured Eric Brittingham and Jeff LaBar of Cinderella. Rudin says, “We like to hear each other out, not judge, and let the music flow.” This is echoed in the diverse sound of the group, also consisting of guitarist Blake Scopino and former Skinny Molly/Blackfoot drummer Kurt Pietro.
Pissed-off punk riffs, brazen vocal belts, and raucous drums deliver, as do jangly guitars and syncopated beats woven through wide-open choruses. Lola asserts plenty of muscle, but with its pop sensibilities firmly in tow. You get hooks alongside a brooding, drop-tuned guitar coated with an icy edge. For this band, the attitude is in the authenticity.
The origins of Lola can be traced to casual encounters and coincidences over several years within Nashville’s burgeoning music scene. What used to be friendly acquaintances pursuing separate projects eventually became fiercely committed bandmates sharing in the thrill of musical co-creation. “We aren’t just three people who have come together by accident,” says Rudin. “It’s kismet. We listen. We react and become one. We are one.”
In the fall of 2012, Katie Kelly had just completed her debut album, “Three Dark Days.” She was looking for a full band to perform the songs at an album release party. She had been playing with Ray Novitski for a few years and asked if he’d like to join in on the show. Novitski’s unique guitar style brought something new to the tunes. The Charming Beards began to take shape, using the folk/Americana tracks from her album and blending them with a new instrumentation.
By their next show, Theresa Lazarri had jumped on board to play drums. Lazarri’s drumming style is very passionate and heavy hitting. Soon after, Kelly picked up an electric guitar, which brought a more rugged edge to the sound.
The group’s chemistry produced a variety of new songs. At one whiskey-filled practice, the group discussed incidences of drunken people urinating in the kitchen. This led to their rockabilly tune “Pissin’ in the Kitchen” – an upbeat, danceable ode to making social messes.
The band has performed many shows in the local original music scene, including opening up for national acts like Hank & Cupcakes, Kaleigh Baker, Alex Culbreth, and Black Horse Motel.
In 2014, the group asked Mark Wohl (Wide Eyed Studios) to set up remotely at their rehearsal space. The group wanted to capture a raw sound for their debut EP, “Cigarettes and Whiskey.” The title track was nominated for a Steamtown Music Award.
Lazarri moved to Philadelphia, but the band continued to play shows with her as her schedule would permit.
In 2016, The Charming Beards approached Lisa Dietterich to join the band as their bassist. Her previous work with hard rock/metal band Jinger Kroa brought her to the attention of Kelly. Impressed by videos featuring Dietterich on acoustic guitar as well as bass, The Charming Beards were thrilled when she accepted the invitation.
Kelly and Dietterich met lead guitarist Jordan Hine at one of his shows. He accepted an invitation to the Beards in early 2017. Hine adds a heavier blues/rock edge to the mix, making their sound blend several genres.
In February of 2018, The Charming Beards welcomed Kenny Lasoski as their new drummer. Lasoski has many influences that stem from Neil Peart to Vinnie Amico, John Bonham to Rodney Holmes.
The Charming Beards are currently writing new songs, preparing to get back in the studio this year.
Awkwardly strumming an Epiphone guitar that was much too big for her body, 10-year-old Gabby Borges began writing music in the small town of Hawley. At that time, she wrote about her friends and the essential unrequited love that every middle schooler must go through. As she grew older and had more interactions with people, her writing ability began to grow.
High school years brought confusion with life, and with that came dozens of folk punk tunes that helped her make it through. She was inspired by artists such as Bob Dylan, Kimya Dawson, Amy Winehouse, and The Front Bottoms. Although the lyrics came pouring out of her, she never felt the overwhelming need to share them.
Then came the end of high school, where every graduate was expected to know what they want to do with their lives. Borges knew what she wanted to do: music. She gathered her life experiences and wrote her most honest originals, recording her first album “Linoleum Complex” and released it in April of 2017. Since then, she has played across Pennsylvania and in New York City and wants to continue to grow her fan base.
Listen to Borges and three other Northeastern Pennsylvania musicians talk about women in music in Episode 67 of the NEPA Scene Podcast:
