Rock'n'Roll and Juliette

For a girl who can portray a serial killer in two different films without a hitch (Kalifornia and Natural Born Killers), date Brad Pitt while not getting too caught up in the celebrity trap, and still come off cas-cool when she talks about her favorite bands and movies in "I Love the '80s" -- it wasn't too much of a shocker when I heard that actress Juliette Lewis had started a band without any other reason than she wanted to rock.

I showed up to the Café Du Nord show last night half expecting another Gina Gershon situation. Don't get me wrong. I love Gina as much as the next girl. But she's no rocker. She looks like one. And she can act like one. She just can't rock like one.

Juliette, however, can. And she proved it last night with her sold out show for her new band Juliette and the Licks. She has this controlled chaotic sense about her on the stage that's hard to describe. But not once did I think, "Hey, there's that girl from Cape Fear." All I thought was, "This girl can fucking rock!" I hadn't see that kind of fierceness since I last witnessed 7 Year Bitch shred the tiny stage at CBGB's back in the early '90s.

I didn't have the impression that she was "acting" like a rock chick on stage. She was so comfortable on stage and the audience accepted her almost immediately -- which is saying something considering San Fran audiences are way too critical and hipster-savvy to show any kind of satisfaction for a band, let alone a band fronted by a well-known actress.

In fact, I bet that if Juliette had started this band before she bothered with acting, she'd probably be right up there with the likes of Veruca Salt or the Donnas. I'm not sure if people will give her music a chance because of the acting stigma. I'd hate to see her lumped with the likes of the Dogstar and the Bacon Brothers.

I picked up her 5-song EP Like a Blot of Lightning at the merch table for $5, so I could listen to her songs without the makeshift moshpit throwing me against the stage. "Got Love to Kill" has a bit of a '80s pop drive to it, which reminds me of old school Pat Benatar. "20 Year Old Lover" sounds like something No Doubt's Gwen would sing, but this is a helluva lot edgier. If Leather Tuscadero was to be reincarnated, she'd be Juliette Lewis.

If you feel like checking out her show, here's some upcoming dates.