Elano PizzicarolaThe Flytraps will have you know that they have no feminist agenda. Oh, and their members can “out-drink any guy,” says their bassist Kristin Cooper, on a warm Sunday afternoon in drummer Laura Kelsey's backyard.
The group members are prone to giggling and teasing each other in person. They've been together for about two years; two previous members left for school. “They weren't rock and roll types,” Cooper says.
The group members dressed up as dead Playboy bunnies last Halloween; a cheeky, playful approach is their style in concert. “It's all in good fun,” says lead singer Marz Beeuwsaert. “The best part is when you get a positive reaction from the crowd. Seeing that people are into it and they are enjoying themselves. There's no other feeling like that.”
Last month they played Cheetah's Hollywood, a gentleman's club that hosts bands frequently. A friend who'd played there previously invited them; they chose a dancer and performed on the runway at the same time. (The dancer they chose eventually tipped Beeuwsaert, who is only 17.). “It was awesome,” Cooper says of the experience.
The mainly-male guests behaved respectfully to them during their short set. “They knew that we'd kick their ass if they tried anything,” Beeuwsaert says.
Credit: Elano Pizzicarola
But not everyone gives them that courtesy. Some ignore their talent and focus on their looks. For that reason, the band aims to show they are for real. “We're not a novelty. It's not really a gimmick,” Cooper says. They've also become aware of potential managers looking to exploit them.
She is also wary of pay-to-play venues that exploit musicians. They cite the Redwood Bar as one of their favorite venues, mainly due to its management treating bands with integrity. “I guess, in a feminist sense, we're not gonna let some person, whether it be a man or a women, try to fucking take advantage of us,” Cooper says.
“I guess, in a feminist way, we don't take people's shit.”
The Flytraps perform at Los Globos tomorrow night, March 14.
See also: Strip Clubs And Indie Rock: A Match Made In Heaven?
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