Mika Miko - We Feel Righteous, We Feel Famous

MIKA MIKO - WE FEEL RIGHTEOUS, WE FEEL FAMOUS

     You can't pin this band down. Mika Miko is the only all girl band that doesn't sound like an all girl band. They’re loud, energetic, spastic, and a whole lot of fun. Makes you wonder if they even ever heard of The Bangles or The Go-Go's.

     There were no fliers for tonight’s show. No promotion, no calendar postings. You only found out about tonight's show through word of mouth, which is surprising given the 400 or so people crammed into a tiny "art space" in Downtown Los Angeles. People are piled on top of one another, some have crawled up a half-pipe near the makeshift stage to catch the bands from atop. There are just as many kids huddled behind the stage as there are in front. Wherever you are, you are merely trying to catch a glimpse of girl power. Whoever put this show together failed to take into account the popularity of this band, but maybe they wanted it this way?

     Before Mika Miko even sets up, rumors arise that the band cannot play, will not play. "They're too wasted to play tonight," says a fan. Perhaps this is why the opening band, Clockcleaner (L.A. bands and their imagination) has played for over an hour already. "We don't have any more stuff, but you guys don't care right?" The band must not care, hence the sloppy cover of Judas Priest's "Breaking the Law".

     As Clockcleaner winds down their set, Mika Miko's Michelle Sanchez is approached by a young girl asking if the rumors are true. Sanchez said the place is over-crowded and that would be the only reason they might not get to play. And, just to prove she's not too wasted, she asks the girl to share some of her drink.

     By the time the girls do take the stage, the warehouse looks more like a commune than an art space. Beer is splattered over the concrete floor, someone has thrown toilet paper over the risers, dozens of balloons surround the stage. Mika Miko has brought the party.

     Just a few hits of the cymbal for sound check and the band is ready to roll. But before the band kicks out the jams, singer Jesse Clavin says she only has one rule, "Boys in the front, girls in the back."

     As soon as the guitars blast through the first note, the place erupts. Kids are pogoing all over the place. Keep your style, my friends! Play it cool! The band had to stop playing during their first song. Somebody stepped on a guitar chord, causing confusion amongst a band already in an altered state. One of Mika Miko's singers has broken her microphone. Turns out it hit somebody it the face.

     "It's time to take out my telephone," wails the second singer Jenna Thornhill.

     The telephone/microphone has been explained to me once. She bought a red phone from a Salvation Army because it resembled the emergency phone you'd see on the President's desk. It took her two days and a library book on electrical wiring to turn the phone into a microphone, a shtick now many other bands use on stage. 

     Technically, Japanther did it first.

     Mika Miko does everything a band thinks they shouldn't. They switch instruments between songs, play a couple cover songs throughout the night, and take forever to tune. You may see the band playing some larger venues in the future, but don't expect the girls to get any big heads. I wouldn't even expect them to have new instruments.

     Sweat stains and all, the girls look good. They play hard and don't let up. On stage, they look intense, drained, fierce. Off stage they look like girls you’d bring home to mother. O' loveable, soft-faced punks, where did you go?

     Mika Miko could only happen in Los Angeles. They’d be no strangers opening up for The Germ's, but who would of thought there would be bands like this in 2007? Doing their nu-wave thing for five odd years now, Mika Miko began in the back streets of L.A., hustling for places to play and a revolving door of members. During these first few years, current drummer Kate Hall was shot in the face from a ricocheted bullet while out with the rest of the girls. Once she was released from the hospital, the band knew she had to be their drummer, without even hearing her play.

     So don’t let the good looks or the name fool you. Besides, Mika Miko is all Los Angeles has left. So let's just be glad we got 'em