The Pixies, and Hot Bass-playing Rock Babes

I just happened to go past Austin City Limits as the program was starting and who was on? The Pixies! This was the recently reunited band and they were sounding awfully good. The set seemed to run chronologically, but was way too short. They played one of my favorites ("Monkey Gone to Heaven") but not the other ("I'm Tired").

It was an odd performance. Frank seemed to be in his own world, visibly disconnected from the rest of the band. Same for Kim Deal, who had this very spooky fixed grin on her face; one of those pharmacological ones. As in prescription, not recreational. Only Joey and the drummer seemed to be interacting with the rest of the band. Very odd. But musically they were as tight and powerful as you could ask for.

It was only in the encore, "Gigantic," late in the jam at the end of the song, that Frank walked over to Kim with a huge grin on his face and kept asking her something. You could see her plainly say to him at one point, "No!" But he kept on, both of them smiling and talking as they played. She finally turned to her mike and boomed, "Thank you for coming to the show!" It was almost the only really interactive moment of the program. But they were fantastic.

Kim Deal still looks as hot as ever. (Except for a slight tendency to soccer-mommishness.) And that brings me to the second part of this post. I must admit to having a fatal weakness for women bass players. No joke. I'm not sure what it is, but a cute woman swinging that bass guitar around is just the sexiest thing going. And for some reason, women bass players (at least in rock) tend to be really hot!

Take a look: Talking Head's Tina Weymouth, Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon, Hole's Melissa Auf Der Maur, Sahara Hotnight's Johanna Asplund, Patricia Morrison, and Echobelly's Ruth Owen in one of my all-time favorite rock pictures. Her face is much cuter than the pic suggests (look elsewhere on that site), but I get all uncomfortable in the pants at that leather, the tight tee, and that stance! Yowza. That's nowhere near a complete roster, either. I don't follow music like I used to any more, and there is a whole new crop of all- or majority-female bands out there now. The list keeps going, but I don't have time to track down more pic links.

Even one of my favorite songs is about a female bass player: "Behind the Wall of Sleep," by the Smithereens.

She had hair like Jeannie Shrimpton back in 1965
She had legs that never ended
I was halfway paralyzed
She was tall and cool and pretty
And she dressed as black as coal
If she'd ask me to I'd murder
I would gladly lose my soul

Now I lie in bed and think of her
Sometimes I even weep
Then I dream of her
Behind the wall of sleep

Well she had a bass guitar and
She was playing in a band and
She stood just like Bill Wyman
Now I am her biggest fan
Now I know I'm one of many
Who would like to be your friend
And I've got to find a way
To let you know I'm not like them

Now I lie in bed and think of her
Sometimes I even weep
Then I dream of her
Behind the wall of sleep

Got your number from a friend of mine
Who lives in your hometown
Called you up to have a drink
Your roommate said you weren't around
Now I know I'm one of many
Who would like to be your friend
And I've got to find a way to
Let you know I'm not like them

Now I lie in bed and think of her
Sometimes I even weep
Then I dream of her
Behind the wall of sleep.

Oh yeah. A bit too much of me in that song. Anyway, if you play rock'n'roll bass, are a hot or cute babe, are single and looking for a fat, balding, middle-aged guy who will slavishly worship you, hit the email up there. I'm your sucker.