Jemina Pearl performs with her band at the Beat Kitchen in Chicago, Ill., on Feb. 6, 2010. | Photo Credit: Audrey Leon

With one listen to Jemina Pearl’s solo debut album Break It Up, one might wonder if the ex-Be Your Own Pet vocalist had lost her gritty, punk rock edge. Yet, when Pearl climbed onto Beat Kitchen’s stage on Saturday, all doubts were erased.

I’ll come right out and say it — Jemina Pearl is better live than on record. Pearl’s solo effort Break It Up offers up much cuter fare than her work with Be Your Own Pet - not lyrically, but definitely musically - with tracks like the misleadingly upbeat tune “I Hate People,” which features the legendary Iggy Pop, and the cutesy rocker “Heartbeats,” both of which were played Saturday night.

When Pearl and her band of fresh-faced (read: baby-faced and extremely young-looking) backing band appeared on stage, they exploded on each note of every song as Pearl wiggled, twisted and shook her body furiously to every chord and drum beat with pure punk rock authority. She did this without any regard for the microphone wire, trampling upon it repeatedly, forcing it to eject from the base at least twice. Finally, the microphone died, leaving Pearl with no other option than to use one of her bandmates’ microphones for the remainder of the show.

Dressed in what appeared to be 1970’s era high-waisted jeans, baggy black shirt and jean jacket with The Runaways cherry logo sewn on back, Pearl looked as if she was an extra in the Kristen Stewart/Dakota Fanning film based on the legendary group.

Proving her toughness, Pearl announced to the audience, after being called “Aunt Jemima” by someone in the crowd that her name was “Jemina (Jeh-MEAN-uh), not Aunt Jemima, or even Jeh-MINE-uh.” Endearing the audience to her aggressive stage persona, Pearl sang in guitarist John Eatherly’s face; pulled on his curly brown hair and checkered shirt and gingerly touched his face during the song “Looking for Trouble.” It was almost kind of sweet.

Just when the audience became accustomed to Pearl’s assault, the night came to an abrupt end. It was 12:30 a.m. and the band was finished. The ending was perfect if you consider the technical difficulties openers White Mystery endured earlier that night.

Brother/Sister duo White Mystery perform at Beat Kitchen in Chicago, Ill., on Feb. 6, 2010. | Photo Credit: Audrey Leon

Brother/Sister duo White Mystery had played only a few songs before singer Alex White’s amp blew out. White said shyly, “I think I broke my guitar.” While White worked diligently to fix the problem, her brother Francis White performed a drum solo. He eventually left the room to have a smoke, leaving his sister to climb onto the drum stool and show off her skills behind the kit. White told told the crowd that she had played in several countries and had never had this happen to her.

With the problem fixed, White plugged into her fireglo Rickenbacker and proceeded to rock out with dizzying precision. Like Pearl, White is an highly energetic frontwoman, dancing around the stage with her guitar as her partner.

Despite all the difficulties the two bands faced during their respective sets at the Beat Kitchen, each weathered them gracefully and without skipping a beat they accomplished what they came to Beat Kitchen to do, to put on a great rock show.

Check Out Audrey Leon’s complete photo gallery from Jemina Pearl’s Beat Kitchen show at her Flickr page.

• Mako Sica’s debut full-length album Dual Horizons is getting the vinyl treatment.  Only 250 copies of the limited edition pressing will be made available starting February 16, or pre-order now.

• Jennifer Hudson is busy: performing at the White House, stirring controversy over playing Winnie Mandela, singing on the remake of “We Are the World” and cutting a new album with John Legend.

• The Russian Circles announced they’re heading back to Europe for a 28 show tour starting March 5 in Belgium and finishing up April 17 in Greece.

• Did you catch Cheap Trick’s rewrite of the hit “Dream Police” for Audi’s “Green Police” commercial during the Super Bowl last night?

• WindyCityRock.net reports Chicago’s I Fight Dragons have signed to Atlantic Records.

1. It’s Monday which, for the time being, means it’s Robbie Fulks Monday. He owns that night at the Hideout and this week is no exception. If you’ve not heard but like good old fashioned country, country the way it used to be, full of dry wit and a big old f#@& you attitude then Robbie is your man. There’s no winking here. Just honest to goodness countrified music through and through.

2. This week features a duo with fellow Chicagoan Nora O’Connor, formerly, and as of this Sunday at least, once again guitarist and vocalists for The Blacks. Nora has played with everyone, man. Andrew Bird? Yep. Neko Case? Sure. Jeff Tweedy? Heck yeah. I could go on but check out the achingly beautiful My Backyard from her myspace page and that should be reason enough to get out of your stuffy apartment and head on over.

3. Check out someone’s homemade video for Fulk’s ode to Susanna Hoffs. It’s a peppy little number and the video is a perfect excuse to remember that old 80’s crush any self-respecting chap my age had on Susanna. Those eyes, man. Always looking side to side. Anyways:

7:00 PM. Monday, 2/8. The Hideout. 21+. FREE!!!

Jemina Pearl

It’s Superbowl weekend, but there are still a bunch of awesome shows happening this weekend! But before we get to the shows, a reminder that Loud Loop Radio will be back on the air tomorrow, Saturday, February 6, at 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. on Radio DePaul.

Lets get to it, shall we?

HIDEOUT’S INTERVIEW SHOW
The Hideout’s Interview Show, hosted by Mark Bazar, turns two this Saturday. They are calling it an extravaganza and who am I to quibble. Featured this time around is Paul Kahan, executive chef and partner at the Publican, Avec, Big Star, and Blackbird. But wait, there’s more. Co-founders and owners of Chicago’s own Bloodshot Records, Rob Miller and Nan Warshaw will also be there. Need music? Bloodshot Records own The Blacks, a handsome group if ever I saw one, will be reuniting and playing their brand of boozey burlesque country. But I like to laugh, you say. Well I wasn’t done. There will also be sketch comedy from Dominizuelan. Man, this is an extravaganza. (Ross Meyerson)

6:30 PM. Friday, 2/5. The Hideout. 21+. $5.

JEMINA PEARL
Pop-Punk badass Jemina Pearl will bring her wild and unpredictable live show to the Beat Kitchen stage on Saturday, Feb. 6. The former Be Your Own Pet vocalist will perform tracks off her solo debut record Break it Up. If the all-too-real possibility of Jemina Pearl beating the tar out of someone in the middle of her set isn’t enough to entice you, Chicago’s own White Mystery will open. (Audrey Leon)

Here’s a clip of Jemina Pearl performing the song “Looking for Trouble” at Subterranean on Oct. 15, 2009.

9:00 PM. Saturday, 2/6. Beat Kitchen. 17+. $10.

VENEFICUM
The Chicago metal scene is way more vibrant and downright scary then you know. Pelican and Russian Circles garner most of the attention but lesser known Chicago bands really take genre bending to new heights. You can check out 2 of them Saturday at Reggie’s Rock Club. Veneficum play gruesome black metal swimming in nightmarish keyboards. Picture a jack in the box played at extreme speed while your mom yells at you. Or don’t. It’s just too evil. Centaurus opens and brings a slower, more progressive take. They may be less evil but are no less heavy. And, hey, both bands are recording new albums, Centaurus their debut, so go check them out before everyone and their little brother is wearing these band’s illegible shirts. (Ross Meyerson)

7:00 PM. Saturday, 2/6. Reggies Rock Club. 18+ $10.

THE GOLDEN HORSE RANCH BAND
Hmmm. So something’s going on Sunday, like all day Sunday, but for the life of me I can’t think what it is. It’s probably nothing important. So…head on down to the Whistler and spend the evening with The Golden Horse Ranch Band. There’ll be some good old 5-part harmonies and they are even raffling off a sweet 5 inch portable black and white tv! Weird. Why a tv? Let me check the site real quick. Ok. Seems they’ll be showing some game on the tv while the band plays. A big game. Anyways, cool. Music and sports. You can’t lose. I’ll see you there although I still have that nagging feeling I’m supposed to be doing something else. (Ross Meyerson)

7:00 PM. Sunday, 2/7. The Whistler. 21+. FREE!

Already a variety of leaks/rumors/gossip/blog posts/statements are leading to widespread conjecture about who will play at the festival this year.  And since many of you out there may have already purchased a ticket, it’s only fair to fill you in on what might go down.

According to this Japan Zone report, Yoskiki, the drummer and leader of the legendary visual kei metal band X Japan, told reporters while on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards last weekend that the group would be playing its first shows ever in America here at the fest this summer.

This article points to an appearance by Drive By Truckers, and B.o.B. aka Bobby Ray made it known he’ll be playing on August 6 via his MySpace page. From the looks of this release, expect The Cribs to hit the main stage and this one indicates Hockey will perform.

And here’s news from a little birdie that Pearl Jam, Them Crooked Vultures and a reunited Soundgarden will include stops at the festival on their tours.

Modest Mouse has been confirmed for Friday, July 16. LCD Soundsystem and Raekwon will perform on Saturday, July 17. Finally, Sunday, July 18, offers the most confirmed acts with St. Vincent, Lightning Bolt, Sleigh Bells, Here We Go Magic, Cass McCombs and the highly rumored and anticipated Pavement reunion.

Tickets go on sale at 12 noon CST today at $40 for a single day pass and $90 for a three day pass. Purchase tickets at Ticketweb.com.

But on the Estonian - though they prefer to be labeled “international” - metal Web site Metal Storm, our dear two Chicago prog-metal acts are pitted against each other in the most epic award category of all time. Yes, Pelican and Russian Circles have both been nominated for a 2009 Metal Storm award in the category Best Post-Metal/Avantgarde Metal Album (with a slew of other bands, but whatever). Obviously Pelican was nominated for their latest release What We All Come To Need and Russian Circles for Geneva.

So I plea with you, Chicago. Vote. Vote Now. Vote Often (The Chicago way!). For there can be only one winner for the Best Post-Metal/Avantgarde Metal Album of 2009. Lets at least make it a windy citizen. (PS: Catch Pelican on March 12 at the Beat Kitchen!)

And for $4.99  you can download video from the band’s July 4, 2009 performance at the Rothbury Music Festival also via iClips. Here’s a sample clip from that set of “The Floor.”

This is a big blow not only to locally owned record stores but to metalheads everywhere. I first came to Chicago roughly five years ago. When, early on, I happened upon Metal Haven by chance and saw the “Bark At The Moon” Ozzy doll in the window, I knew Chicago was going to be ok by me.

Now, after ten and a half years of serving our fair city’s metal needs, Metal Haven has started to sell everything off. The aptly named Armageddon Sale, which began on Jan. 26th, now offers 15% off everything without a red tag and promises to be a progressive sale with discounts getting higher and higher as they near that fateful day. Get there, take advantage, and thank them for highlighting a genre that is continually pushed to the fringes.

Metal Haven is located at 2003 W. Montrose. At least for a little while longer.