I was lucky enough to catch the Violent Femmes this weekend. Yes, yes, I did say the Violent Femmes! I hope that saying that provokes you to run around and flail your arms in an excited manner. The Violent Femmes just provoke excitement in my 19-year old body. AH! Just thinking about it makes me want to run up and down my quiet hall screaming excitedly. I have mentioned the word “excited” a few times; I must say that I only feel this way because I have loved the Femmes since my junior high school days. So taking a 3-hour road trip proved worth it when we arrived at Longwood College Saturday night.

The band consists of 3 members: Gordan Gano on lead vocals and electric guitar, Brian Ritchie on acoustic bass, and Victor DeLorenzo on percussion. The Femmes opened with “Country Death Song,” which many in the crowd did not know. I did look over and see an old guy getting really into the song, though. He was doing the whole head bobbing, singing along, waving lighters, the works…I was like, that guy is cool…he’s like 40! The third song the band played was “Blister in the Sun,” their most popular song, and it was a bit annoying to see everyone get so excited, but hey- it’s all for a good time! Nevertheless, it is a great song. The sound of the Femmes was great, with Gordan’s distinct voice leading the way. The Femmes played all the right songs: “Please Do Not Go,” “Gone Daddy Gone,” “Gimme the Car,” “Black Girls,” “American Music,” “Add it Up,” and “Waiting for the Bus,” just to name a few. With each song, there was a bass solo, and Brian Ritchie would subtly go crazy, plucking the strings, slapping, and just plain doing his thing.

Not only were the Femmes rocking musically, but they were funny as well. The band was jamming like it was nobody’s business during “Gone Daddy Gone.” Brian Ritchie started with this amazing bass solo, and at the end the crowd was like…”uhhh…oh yeah, CLAP!” It was terrible! But at the end of the song, Brian kind of laughed and said “ uh yeah, that was a good one.” Because it really was a good one, except no one knew!

The band ended the show with “Add it Up.” When they ended, everyone kept yelling and clapping. Then the best part of the show happened! A really drunk fan charged the stage, and yelled “you can't f*** with the Violent Femmes!!!” He was quickly removed by force from the stage. But it was cool. When the crowd would not relent, the Femmes re-entered the stage for one last song. The theme for all teenage angst-ridden kids, “Kiss Off” was the perfect encore. Then they were gone. Even though they're old enough to be my parents, the Femmes still know how to connect with the young and old, which is something that marks a truly great band.