Riffage in reruns

>> Local cover band '70s Child resurrect the dinosaur days

By JOHNSON CUMMINS

 On the Main recently I stumbled across a poster proclaiming "'70s rock cover band," four words that strike a thick, hempy chord in my heart. According to the poster, they play Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, Babe Ruth and other bands currently championed almost exclusively by bikers. Let me wax nostalgic a moment: macrame owls, Evel Knievel, nickel bags, knitted beer-can hats, feathered roach clips and all-night cocaine binges. Those were the days.

 I have arranged to meet lead singer Shakara Mahailet at a popular Duluth cafe. Problem is, I've forgotten to tell her what I look like, or note what she looks like. After waving my dictaphone in peoples' faces like an idiot for 20 minutes, Mahailet finally struts through the door and I realize that only this ueberbabe could be the singer of a band called '70s Child.

 "I think a lot of people are getting into '70s hard rock now because it's stood the test of time and is now considered classic music. It's a type of music that really hits you here," she says, indicating her heart.

 Using my keen journalistic observation skills, I note that she would have been only knee-high to a grasshopper during her favourite decade. "I learned about music from my parents' records, because that was their generation. I started singing classical and I realized that the singing of Ian Gillan or Ozzy Osbourne was simply more suited to my voice--and more fun."

 Mahailet and myself are not alone in our fascination with the Carter and Ford years. Film soundtracks are delving into the '70s hit parade, "classic rock" radio is sweeping the U.S. and major fashion chains like Gap and Le Chateau are pimping lines drawn from the days of gigantic mirrored sunglasses.

 "I think a lot of people are getting into the '70s now because they're just discovering them for the first time. As far as the music goes, it was the first time we got such great combinations of different musical ideas." :

 

At Barfly on Friday, Feb. 9, 10pm, $3