A local alt-rock band that mirrored TheBreeders and Elastica, The Lovelies helped pave the way for today’s local scenewith their dedication and professionalism in the late ’90s/early ’00s. It turnsout the reunion last winter was not just a one-time deal: The band is preparingfor another reunion show at Mad Planet this weekend.
After that first success, bridging thegap between the miles and years to relive The Lovelies one more time feelsnatural and effortless. The band mainly resides in Milwaukee,and guitarist/vocalist Liv Mueller and shared drummers Bill Backes and DamianStrigens still find it easy to reconnect with bassist/vocalist Barb Endes, whonow resides in Queens, N.Y.
“I think we still have greatchemistry,” Endes says. “I felt that back in February. Some of the nuances areprobably lost because there’s no substitute for constantly playing together.”
Those nuances were never much of ahurdle, though. Strigens adds, “When I asked Barb and Liv to do the Atomicshow, there was no hesitation whatsoever. Ithink that for the most part we all really enjoyed the time we had with TheLovelies. The fact that the Atomic show was so fun and easy to do made thepossibility of doing another one all the more probable.”
Mueller recalls thechemistry of the band, but also remembers the time as a growing point both as ayoung adult and a musician. The mid-’90s weren’t one of her favorite periodsfor music, she says, adding, “Maybe it’s because I was in my early/mid-twentiesand, really, who loves their mid-twenties in hindsight?
“I think our otherprojects got a lot more experimental,” Mueller continues, and as a result, “TheLovelies music feels pretty vanilla to me nownot vanilla in a bad way in theslightest, just in terms of song structure, etc.
“Barb and I have EverlyBrothers-caliber harmonizing,” she adds. “I don’t know why; it’s always beenlike that. It freaks us out, hard. We look at each other sometimes during showsor practice like, ‘Where does this come from?’”
And those dual girlharmonies were what stuck most in the ears of Milwaukee’s music nerds back in a time whenalterna-pop bands were busy ripping hook after poppy hook onto the collegemusic scene.
Reliving the days of TheLovelies playing a packed Globe East, complete with go-go dancers, or openingfor bands like Fountains of Wayne at the Metro has given the band a bit of agiddy, memory-filled adrenaline rush. Mueller says part of it comes frompracticing together, not just the reunion performances themselves.
“The best thing?” sheasks, “Well, first off, we all had so much fun and were just cracking eachother up, reliving the memories of being together for years and years. Second,rediscovering that we still sound great together.”
Strigens points out, “Weprobably laugh and tell stories more than actually rehearse.”
The Lovelies play Mad Planet (533 E. Center St.) on Saturday, Dec. 26, at 9 p.m.with The Lackloves.
