Babes Boast Bitchin' Performance at ArtsCenter

Four Bitchin' Babes
Carrboro ArtsCenter

"In the words of the great Gloria Steinem, 'We've become the men we wanted to marry,'" said Sally Fingerett of Four Bitchin' Babes, commencing the female folk group's superb concert Friday.

Such one-liners, celebrating women and often sending the audience into spasms of laughter, were just part of what made this show spontaneous and virtually flawless all the same.

Their sense of humor was only the beginning. Formed in 1990, the Four Bitchin' Babes boast richly talented women, each a folk diva in her own right.

As members took turns leading the band on their own songs or performing solo, they wholeheartedly revealed their unique talents and personalities and by the show's end, anyone in the audience left feeling like a good friend.

This was accomplished mostly through social commentary, storytelling and -- most importantly -- songs about the trials and tribulations of womanhood. But songs like Fingerett's laugh-out-loud "Don't Mess With Me (I'm Somebody's Mother)" had women and their husbands alike howling only five minutes into the show.

Without a doubt, what gave the Babes such inter-gender appeal was talent almost too immense for just one band.

In particular, Debi Smith -- who has recorded with Doc and Merle Watson and Mary Chapin Carpenter -- showed standout expertise on piano, acoustic guitar and percussion.

On her cover of an Irish folk song, Smith belted out a controlled wail and played a bodhran drum, giving the song a haunting, tribal feel. But her last piece, a love song in Italian, proved her versatility -- bringing her voice to operatic levels, wowing the crowd to a standing ovation.

And Suzzy Roche, with a lingering but expertly trained voice, brought a more classic folk feel to the stage and gave the audience a break from laughter by smoothly strumming Joni Mitchell-esque songs between Smith's nearly over-the-top style.

To perfect an already excellent combination of perfect guitar playing and instrument-like voices, Camille West brought her witty and gutsy set of a cappella songs that melded Broadway musical delivery with stand-up comedic humor.

She first won over the female sector of the audience with "Root Canal of the Heart," a hilarious ode to her dreamy dentist -- something many women can identify with. Even though she actually flubbed a few lines, she smoothly ad-libbed them, only gaining more affection from the audience.

But "Nobody Beats My Bob," dedicated to her "battery operated boyfriend," was not only the funniest moment of the night but also West's most evenly executed work and an ideal finale to the set.

Overflowing with talent and full of fun, the Four Bitchin' Babes made concertgoing everything it should be.

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.