Uh Huh Her @ the Knitting Factory, LA by Anna Romer / photos by Nico Turner 11/03/07

Uh Huh Her were due to play in Los Angeles on October 26th. My faithful sidekick, warrior photographer, Nico and I headed gamely to the Knitting Factory in the hopes that after a night of great music, we could somehow ambush the stage and get an interview. Nestled off Hollywood Boulevard, not far from the controversial Hollywood and Highland (the Oscars are in the mall?) and fronted by a Long’s Drugs and a major shoe emporium, the Knitting Factory is set up like one of your favorite drama school stage sets meets your fave dive bar.

But this isn’t about the Knitting Factory. It’s about Uh Huh Her, which had a band open for them and good Christ, look up XrayOK online. I promise you won’t regret it and as tempted as I am to go on about them, I mustn’t for now, because this is about, again, Uh Huh Her.

(photo. XrayOK)

Women heard Leisha Hailey’s voice before they saw her and screamed with such fervor, I was convinced they had thrown off their own ovulation cycles. When they saw Camila Grey, they were finished off. Dressed like a cross between the iconic dress of the 30’s and 50’s, they took to the stage with their friend Brad who played guitar and who had hair so beautiful. Nico and I gave him the much coveted, We-Are-Dykes-But-You-Are-Beautiful Award. You know what I mean.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of attending an Uh Huh Her show then you don’t know about the playful banter that flows back and forth that’s mixed with just enough coquettishness to fool the untrained eye. One such untrained eye was attached to a grossly untrained mouth that shouted “Show us your tits!”

Ms. Grey stuck one hip out and sighed. “You first.” Ms. Hailey threw her hands up and sardonically said, “Show us YOUR tits.” I’ve got some free advice here for anyone paying attention. You DO NOT want Leisha Hailey to ever look at you like that. Ever. Remember that scene where Alice goes toe to toe with Jenny about Monet? Yeah, kinda like that, only much less funny. And the show went on.

They played at least 5 new songs they had written very recently plus the cool pulsing material from their first ep and the crowd went wild. And then got wilder because Lady Grier showed up, yes Pam Grier. The two older dykes in front of her who had barely cracked a smile (it’s just not their style folks, don’t take it personally) grinned from ear to ear like Christmas. Cameras flashed and more ovulation cycles were disrupted when Rachel Shelley, Mia Kirshner, Rose Rollins and Kate Moennig showed up to cheer on their comrades.

Nico, through her own warmth and ingenuity (and that’s all I’m saying lest this information falls into the wrong hands) scored us a trip down a particular hallway and into the backstage area. I threw myself on the stairs leading up to the stage and cried, “OH THANK GOD!” A security guard tapped my lower back while I was on all fours. “Excuse me, ma’am.” I nervously responded. “What? I’m not allowed to beg?” “No, I’m just trying to get by.” He murmured to the crazy dyke reporter.

Their manager waved me over and promised me an interview soon. Meanwhile, a fellow OurChart member recognized me and hugged me. In a nonsexual Our Chart way, the little scene was amazing. There was Leisha Hailey, actor on the L Word, who portrays Alice who as we all know, is the originator of the Chart, which launched as an actual site, which is how my OurChart friend and I met and we were all within a few feet of one another.

If any of you have any pertinent questions you’d like me to ask, leave them on the comments page and I will bring them by the ladies. The Uh Huh Exclusive interview is coming soon to a Velvetpark site near you.

—Anna Romer / photos by Nico Turner