FEATURE
By Matt Bechtold mbechtold@kansan.com
Sitting on the front steps of Lindley Hall having a smoke, Erin McColey, Wichita junior, isn't thinking about the fact that she stands out from the crowd in her plaid dress, Bettie Page bangs, candy apple red lipstick and Sailor Jerry tattoos.
It's not a costume that she puts on in the morning in order to attract attention, though it certainly has that effect. It's become so much a part of McColey's personality that she says she doesn't even think about it anymore. It's who she is—take it or leave it.
But she does stand out. And that's the point. It's an in-your-face visual statement that McColey is a rockabilly girl, and this statement is not to be taken lightly.
What is "rockabilly?"
Rockabilly is the cornerstone of rock 'n' roll music. According to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, it's "an exciting blend of the blues, country and gospel sounds of American music that was prevalent up to the mid-1950s."
The quintessential rockabilly sound was captured at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tenn., where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins
Photo illustration by Ryan McGeeney
and Jerry Lee Lewis developed the sound that would become rock 'n' roll.
sion of that 1950s society, as viewed through the lens of old sitcoms or classic cinema, like James Dean's Rebel Without A Cause.
The appeal of the '50s ideal
Today, rockabilly has taken that original sound and expounded upon it. New sub-genres have even developed. Psychobilly, for example, speeds things up to a more punk rock
"I remember growing up watching I Love Lucy and Leave It To Beaver reruns," McColey says. "You got that ideal family picture—the kids were good and life was good. And I know that the reality wasn't actually that good. There was segregation and race riots, the Cold War—it was a tumultuous time period for America. Even though we know it wasn't that good, there is this idealistic '50s image, whether it really ever existed or not, that people strive for"
Dale Smith,Topeka, owner of this 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe, says he is happy to see the return of rockabilly
"It's piss and vinegar; hell-bent fury, switch-blade rock 'n' roll," says Aaron Strelow, Lawrence resident and bartender at the Replay Lounge. "It's high-octane. It gets your adrenaline going. It makes you want to dance."
Modern rockabilly is harder to nail down, but it still has that rebellious punk rock spirit.
Today, the timeless nature of rockabilly is being rediscovered, and a complete subculture of rock 'n' roll fans have emerged to embrace rockabilly music and all its trappings. From the classic cars to the '50s fashion, the iconic image of greaser guys and pin-up girls is coming back into vogue.
pace and throws in themes from old science fiction and horror films like zombies, werewolves and outer space.
In many ways, it's an attempt to return to a simpler way of life epitomized by the 1950s.
McColey discovered rockabilly in high school. The music and the look had definite appeal, but in those rockabilly kids, she also saw a work ethic she could relate to. a personality and outlook on life that drew her in.
Rockabilly rediscovered
Everyone follows trends. The difference is that I'm following a trend that never goes out of style.
Cherry-picked for its positives, modern rockabilly culture is tempered with a more enlightened perspective. It's an idealized ver-
— "Outlaw Jake" Lawrence musician
That work ethic was found in the "do-it-yourself" mentality that everyone had, McColey says. When it came to cars, you had to know how to change a tire. You didn't do anything halfway. There was an appreciation for doing something right.And that car metaphor translated to everything Rockabilly kids cherished honesty in people. It didn't matter
Jud Kite, drummer for the Lawrence-based band The Rumblejetts, stands behind
if you had a million dollars or 20 bucks to your name, what mattered was how you took care of your friends. On a humanitarian level, these were all things that McColey could agree with. She was hooked.
the draw of rockabilly music
For others,rock- abilly is more recreational—a night out on the town dressed to the nines swing dancing at a rockabilly concert, or just out for cocktails. For them, the rockabilly culture is found mostly in their appreciation of vintage '50s design.
Four years ago, that affinity for vintage design motivated Walker to start a business making leather purses, wallets and custom upholstery, inspired by rockabilly tattoo and hot rod imagery.
Irene Walker, 2004 graduate and receptionist at BDC Tattoo, 938 Massachusetts St., says rockabilly is a lifestyle for her in some ways, because she enjoys a lot of things from the 50s, including the music, fashion, furniture and cars. She owns and uses a stove from the 1950s, and bought all her other appliances to match it. For Walker, it's the asthetic of these objects—the lines and curves, and the way things were built to last—that makes them so appealing.
his drum kit on stage, jumping and dancing as he plays. Unlike drummers in other bands, just sitting there and keeping the beat is out of the question for him.
The high energy of the snare-driven drum beat, the rough-edged, countrified rock riffs of the guitar and the steady thump of the upright bass gets the audience's feet tapping in no time. Before you know it, the young and old alike have taken to the dance floor.
As the night goes on, the energy grows, and the band and audience become a little more rambunctious. The thumb of the bass becomes a rapid-fire slap, more akin to the pounding of the dancers' heartbeats. The guitarist wrings rockabilly riffs out of his guitar, and the whirling crowd of dancers create a little storm at the foot of the stage.
Unlike other rebellious music genres such as punk or heavy metal, rockability has both cross-generational and even cross-cultural
appeal. It retains that same rebellious attitude that makes punk rock so appealing to the youth, while harnessing the power of American roots music like jive, blues and swing to make it appealing to older generations, as well.
The joy of playing rockabilly and '50s rock 'n' roll is that it's safe, says Kite. You can always find an older couple who grew up with Elvis and Jerry Lee, or you can find a teenaged kid who's at least heard some Elvis or Stray Cats and can appreciate its high-energy rock 'n' roll nature. It's not invasive like punk or metal, it's something that spans the generation gap. Kite says.
Kite met his wife, Rikki, through their shared love of rockabilly and their mutual friends on MySpace. But it wasn't until meeting in person for the first time at a rockabilly
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