Moving to Missoula was a transformative part of who I have become.
I
was coming down off some seriously bad vibes from living in a small
town in Wyoming and the only answer seemed to be moving to Montana and
shacking up with my boyfriend who had moved there months earlier to live
with his brother.
I didn’t know it at the time, but I was moving to the Volumen house. The first one, actually.And
from the moment I pulled my car into the city, packed with everything I
could fit in a beat up ’86 Buick Century, life was different.
My
gut told me that the boyfriend wasn’t going to pan out, but I stuck it
out hoping I’d find a friend or two to help make sense of staying in
Missoula.
The Volumen dudes suggested I meet up with Sasshole.
A
phone call came in, ”Meet us at Squire’s Pub” - I could hear laughing
in the background and for a moment I felt like it might be a prank.
I had heard about these Sasshole ladies and what I had heard scared the living shit out of me.
Stories
had filtered through emails from my boyfriend about these women. Kia,
Jen & Milli would go harder and faster than anyone else out there.
They’d put cigarettes out on your face, drink you under the
table…literally, and if you couldn’t keep up…GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE
WAY.
Sitting
across from them, I was nervous - trying so hard to be cool. They wore
chokers, smoked cigarettes, wore ringer tees paired with sparkling
vintage jewelry, and swallowed back bottles of beer in such an elegant
and effortless way.
They
were rebel girls. They encapsulated every part of how I had idealized
Riot Grrrl culture and they were immediately the queens of my world.
After
our first encounter, I found a home with these weird and wonderful and
sometimes fucking terrifying women. They made me laugh, got me into
parties, shared their beer with me, and became my very best friends.
They supported me to pursue boys and be confident, they didn’t get mad
when I puked on their butts or slept on their couches, and whether they
knew or not, they enabled me to grow into an empowered woman.
They were passionate about their lives and they lived every moment like it was about to explode.
This passion and insanity plays into every part of what Sasshole is as a band.
Sasshole
is silly, horrifying, offensive, dark as fuck, and always irreverent.
They never take themselves too seriously, but you can always tell when
they’re proud of the arrangements they’ve put together or a song is
particularly well crafted. Because that part is important too…but they
don’t really care if you know or not.
Kia’s
voice is urgent and mewling and it’s sexy as hell. Her stage presence
feels a little off beat, but always ends up connecting with the rest of
the pieces of the band.
Milli
is a force to be reckoned with. Her rock stance on lock, she plays her
bass hard and she stares down the audience. Her voice punctuates the
places where Kia’s falls away. She’s a powerhouse.
Girl
drummers rule and Jen is no exception. She kills it and manages a
flourish or two while rocking a serious brown lip and throwing her curls
around. She is cute and dangerous and doesn’t have anything to prove.
And
although I’ve fan-girl’d the heck out of the ladies of the band, Dave
is one of my favorite guitar players in Missoula. He’s serious and
deliberate and he shreds. He’s the straight man, literally, to this
wiley crew and it’s always a treat to hear Dave shout along with Kia and
Milli.
To say Sasshole changed my life would be an intense understatement.
People
talk about the soundtrack of their lives and I can say without a doubt
that the music scene of Missoula in the early 2000s was mine.
I
tried to use the present tense to talk about Sasshole as a band because
in my heart they never broke up. They never took a break for kids or
jobs. They’ve always been a band to me. And even after this last show,
they still will be.
I’d
recommend you not miss their set at Total Fest this year. And don’t be
surprised if you end up covered in corn or peanuts or kitty litter.
It’s happened before.
sassholereunion
Ladieeees and gentlemen! Preeeesenting: JENNIFER LEAH TACHOVSKY and her band!
Posted by Lee Conway on Saturday, April 30, 2011
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