Rosie Flores at the Doublewide (7/31/98)
Janis Martin/Rosie Flores at the Tractor Tavern (8/1/98)
text & photos by: Helen Halloran

Hot dog, but do I love Rosie Flores!  I used to see her play with her old band "The Screaming Sirens" way back in the day, back around 1987 or so.  They played my pal Jim May's club down in Tacoma, the Community World Theater.  Then I was lucky enough to catch Ms. Rosie singing with the Pleasure Barons in the gone but not forgotten Backstage in Ballard.  I also got to see her perform in Country Dick Montana's Petting Zoo at the same club.  Any woman who has worked with the likes of the late great Country Dick Montana, Dave Alvin, and John Doe is a damn goddess in my eyes!  All hail Rosie!

Queen Rosie rules the rockin' world!
I drove up to Bellingham, Washington with my pal Scott in order to witness the wonders of Rosie.  I have only seen her play solo once, and that was a couple of years ago at Bumbershoot.  I had never gotten the chance to see her perform all by herself - at Bumbershoot she had a rockin' band backing her up.  And it was my good friend Julia's birthday celebration to boot, so I knew this evening was going to be something special!
Settin' the woods on fire up in Bellingham!
The evening began with an entertaining set by Bellingham's own "The Elvi's."  These guys were pretty funny for a couple of drunken Irish expatriates.  The lead singer was trying his best to emulate Nick Cave's singing style while pounding on a snare drum, while his partner played a mean acoustic guitar.  Ms. Flores took the stage soon after the boys were finished with their musical mayhem.  She had the crowd in the palm of her hand from the start to the finish of her set.  She is nothing short of amazing.
Damn, wouldn't this make a mighty fine Levi's ad?
Rosie is one of those few artists who can play softly and then rock it out with equal effect.  She had the crowd dancing from start to finish, even without the benefit of a band.  She even took requests from the audience.  She did "Girl Haggard" for Julia, and I was very pleased that she did "Goodbye Again" (which she wrote with Dave Alvin) for me.  Rosie stated that she had never performed that song alone - she did it beautifully.  Right after she sang that one, she did another Dave Alvin song, "Fourth of July."  I was grinning like a madwoman!  I sure hope that I didn't scare her!

After the show I found out that not only would she be opening for Janis Martin at the Tractor Tavern the next evening, but she would also be joining Janis and the band for a few numbers.  I just knew that I couldn't miss this show either!  So I high-tailed it back to Seattle just in time to change my clothes and head on down to Ballard.

Rosie rocks the Tractor Tavern
Once again, Rosie wowed the crowd with her powerful voice and fabulous guitar skills.  She again modified her set list to include suggestions from the crowd, and had people dancing, some even swing danced!  She is a one-woman rockin' machine!  Look out!
All I can say is "wow!"
After Rosie had warmed the crowd up Ms. Janis Martin, the main attraction, took the stage.  Janis doesn't tour very often, and everyone in attendance felt very lucky that she had agreed to grace the Tractor Tavern with her presence.  She is truly amazing.  Her voice is wonderfully powerful and strong, and she has a warm and inviting stage presence.  I dragged Ms. Michelle to the show, and we both were grinning like school girls throughout Ms. Martin's set.  She and our friend Adam from the Ballard Playboys were complaining later that their faces hurt from too much smiling!
Ladies and gentlemen, the female Elvis!
Janis played guitar too, joking that she didn't know what she was doing and that she was scaring the band.  Poppycock!  Janis plays like the rockabilly queen that she is!  What an amazing woman!  To hell with the Spice Girls, this is original Girl Power!  Not only can she belt out the tunes, but she also is a crack-up on-stage.  Geesh, I only hope that I can be half as rockin' as her when I reach her age!
Ms. Martin knows her way around a Gibson!
Way back in the day, Janis Martin used to be known as the "female Elvis."  I can certainly see why!  She can still shake her booty with the best of them, and her voice sounds better than many singers half her age.  She must've been a sight to behold back in the 1950s!  How did she not have become a huge star?  Instead she is a living legend, good for your street cred, not so good for your bank account.  There is no justice in the world!
Janis & Rosie, we love you!
Janis called Rosie to the stage midway through the set to join her on the two songs they recorded together for Rosie's "Rockabilly Filly" album.  The admiration these two women have for each other is very evident, and it was a joy to watch them perform together.  They seemed just as thrilled to be performing together as the audience was to watch them.  Kudos to Rosie for bringing artists like Janis Martin and Wanda Jackson back into the spotlight.  Janis Martin is truly a living legend and a national treasure.  Tip - we saw a flyer for a "Rockabilly Weekend" that is going to be taking place over the Easter holiday in Las Vegas.  And who is scheduled to perform but the female Elvis herself, Ms. Janis Martin!  If you get a chance to attend this, go!  This Janis Martin show is one of the finest shows I've ever had the privilege to witness.  And with the number of shows I've seen over the years, that is a high compliment indeed!

Special thanks to Laura Kane and Rosie Flores for your generosity!


Visit the Rosie Flores web site!

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