No shit, I was at the first Liam and the Ladies show on June 24th of ’09. I had admittedly gone to the Trunkspace that night to see my buddy Andy’s band, the Dendrites (from Denver), perform. When I got there I was able to witness both Liam and the Ladies and the Boogie Nazis (awesome surf rock band from Tucson) open the show.
Liam is a clean-cut, good-natured rude boy. He’s married and has a son. He can be seen in any number of Phoenix locales including Sweets & Beats and Conspire. He’s also the front man for Liam and the Ladies, singing and playing guitar to his heart’s content.
Liam and the Ladies take all the “waves” of ska and deliver them in them in the most pleasing of ways: “First” wave upbeat flavor, “Two-Tone” new-wave style, and “Third” wave punk rock, screaming, fist-in-the-air attitude. When combined it produces a sound that, while remaining true to each genre of ska, pushes the medium into new and exciting directions.
Liam and the Ladies formed from a bunch of friends simply to open for the Dendrites. But, like many great bands, they decided to continue playing when they realized how much fun it was to play their music live. Despite a few few line-up changes, some consistent key players and Liam, himself, keep the band’s sound always intact. The brothers Jemsek, Andrew (keys) and Tristan (guitar, drums), have played in the Ladies since its inception and help bring the fun to life. Aaron Goodman on tenor sax always brings the swing. The more recent addition of Erica Shafer on bass locks in a solid, fluid rhythm, essential for any ska act.
On Monday, November 22 of this year, Liam and the Ladies recorded their set at the Trunkspace and plan on releasing it as a 7-inch vinyl EP. Personally, I’m very excited to hear the new and always improving version of Liam and the Ladies sealed forever on hot wax. If you’re unable to wait until its release, try to catch them live somewhere and ask Liam if he has any copies of their first EP, Dance Craze Live! at his disposal. It’s not the current Ladies, but at least it’s something you can take home with you. Recorded by Mr. Ray Reeves, the album is actually of that first fateful show. Coincidentally enough, if you listen very carefully, you can hear this writer at the end of “Bad Connection” scream, “That’s that shit!” That’s that shit indeed.
