It's Friday night at the Rock N' Java on Eastern and Pebble, and the kids are out in full force. I say kids not as a condescending term for teens or just anyone younger than I am, but in the strict sense of the word—among the crowd of about 50 milling about the all-ages venue, there are a number who could not possibly be more than 10 years old. I'm here to see a benefit show for Ladyfest Las Vegas, an event coming up in July at UNLV that celebrates women in the arts. Ergo, the performers tonight are all women—Mary Haddad of Chemical Ex doing an acoustic set; singer-songwriter Mehrey Ellis; Valentine, a hard rock band fronted by Mehrey's sister Emily; event organizer Orange Sheila; and Californian Melyssa Marie, who shows up barely in time to make her set.
The extremely young crowd—Valentine especially have a gaggle of vocal and mostly female fans, none of whom look older than 14—make me feel old, although I seem to have retained a certain connection to the youth: A boy who looks 10 or 11 is wearing an AC/DC shirt that I also own, and a girl of probably 15 or 16 has on a Slipknot shirt like one somewhere in my closet. "He probably bought it at Target," my brother says about the kid's AC/DC shirt. That seems likely—I bought mine at Target, too (a steal at $11).
Midway through Mehrey Ellis' set of accomplished acoustic pop, a couple of her young fans get up to leave, and Ellis thanks them for coming, explaining that they have to get home before curfew. It's not yet 8:30. Later, as Valentine take the stage, it feels like a Britney Spears concert circa 1999, with all the girls screaming and snapping photos and generally spazzing out. The band sounds like a cross between Ashlee Simpson and My Chemical Romance, and singer Emily Ellis looks like Simpson mixed with MCR's Gerard Way. Their music is polished, tight and generic, so expect to hear them on the radio soon.
After Valentine's set, the fickle youngsters file out en masse and there's a long break as Melyssa Marie sets up. She's terrible—a bunch of sub-Tori Amos whining—but the evening winds up around 10:15 with a small but dedicated crowd being treated to a raw and heartfelt set from Orange Sheila, still one of the most talented performers in the local scene. It's enough to make me feel young(er) again.