REVIEW: Sandra Bernhard I'm Still Here. . . Damn It! (TVT)
- Joann D. Ball
A one-woman Broadway show for the price of a compact disc? Damn right!
Sandra Bernhard defiantly declares I'm Still Here. . . Damn It! and proves just that on the seventy-three minute CD which captures her current Broadway show. Ms. Sandra is overflowing with attitude, sharp wit and sardonic observations about pop culture and its icons. She gives us her take on the proliferation of telephones (on the track of the same name), the natural ways of spiders on "Jazzy Spider," and the editorial content of National Geographic on the short but brilliant "Too Many Magazines." And on the funky spoken word and house music number "On the Runway," Ms. Sandra explores the reactions of self-centered supermodels like Naomi Campbell to the death of Gianni Versace. And of course, a dance remix version of "On the Runway" (which closes the release) has been released as a single and aimed at the trendiest of danceclubs especially for the big fashion crowd.
Bernhard covers a lot of territory in her performance, but is still at her absolute best when she offers keen insights into the women of rock and roll. On Without You I'm Nothing, the 1988 Grammy nominated album which captured her show of the same name, Ms. Sandra spoke intimately of her obsession with Stevie Nicks. Ten years later, the object of interest is Hole frontwoman Courtney Love and the story is equally revealing. The track "Courtney Love" segues effortlessly into "The Beautiful Women in Hollywood," which Ms. Sandra dedicates to Goldie Hawn, Farrah Fawcett, Raquel Welch and even Cher, whom Bernhard tags with special affection.
But it's the women of the Lilith Fair who are the special targets of Bernhard's show. She dedicates almost seven-and-a-half minutes deconstructing and critiquing Sarah McLachlan's female music extravaganza. Proclaiming that she's had it with the waifish alternative likes of Jewel, Alanis and Fiona Apple, Bernhard reveals that she yearns instead for a return to the days of no nonsense rockers like Joan Jett, Pat Benatar and her personal faves (and friends) Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart. And once again, Bernhard uses the lyrics of the sisters Wilson to make her point that rock and roll is supposed to be about edge, grit and living the words you sing. Ms. Sandra finds similar streetwise sass and edge in some of the women of R&B and hip-hop, championing Mary J. Blige, Lil' Kim, Salt-n-Pepa and others in contrast to the butterfly-in-a-swimming pool known as Mariah Carey. Immediately following "Lilith Fair" is the track "Nightingale," a story and song delivered from the point of view of Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie after trading the arena stage for a waitress/performer job in a Hollywood coffee shop. And yes, Bernhard is every bit a songbird on the gentle, reflective number.
Whether commenting on the women in rock, "Romance and Drugs," her house painter, or her beloved Los Angeles, no one tackles the topics of the day like Sandra Bernhard. She is a pop culture commentator who's an expert on the subject because she knows it inside and out. Forever raw, honest, straightforward and absolutely hilarious, Bernhard never skips a beat in the songs and spoken word pieces that comprise her Broadway show (which runs through February 28th). Believe her when she says I'm Still Here. . . Damn It! 'cuz she absolutely, positively means it.
