The residents of the greater Los Angeles area have something rather special to see this weekend as two nefarious legends of the real early 70s underground will convene onstage for the first time ever. Friday night, the Knitting Factory in LA is the spot, and Shady Lady have risen from the ashes and rubble to join up with Zolar X for one night that anyone within a 500 mile radius should anxiously attend. Surely by now, you've caught wind of the name Zolar X floating around as the missing link-type band that dressed up as aliens, spoke their own language and forged a bizarre path from glittery space rock to proto punk. They've since toured the states in preparation for a documentary currently being produced, and to great acclaim with an even younger audience. They've even recorded a new album which should be released sometime in the near future, and you can check out a few tracks HERE. When their Timeless LP recently surfaced on Alternative Tentacles, their exposure went widespread and their antennae hit the road, all the while spreading their odd gospel of android life on earth. What most people don't know is that before Zolar X had congealed in both concept and onstage, there was one overlooked fossil lingering in their past that needed to come up for air as well. Although their story has been told at length in the final issue of Horizontal Action, it is widely regarded that Shady Lady were the earliest known West Coast glam band, and drummer Billy McCartney later became one of the founding members of Zolar X just a few months into 1974. But in the 1970-73 era, he served time behind the kit for one of the most eccentric and vociferous trash-rock bands of the time. Shady Lady were certainly victims of the times and suffered from an ill-served recording contract that left their debut album in the can for over 30 years due to the typical record industry business practices of the day sucking the life out of bands when expectations were high, only to drop an artist at the turn of a trend going south. So since the folks at Rave Up Records had the good sense to finally release this monster of an album in 2005, it's been nothing short of essential to any true fans of primo glam trash, albeit it was recorded over a year before the New York Dolls debut. They share the stage for the first time this weekend with their friends and successors Zolar X for one night of glitter gone wrong that must be seen to be believed, so don't fuck around and be there to see these monoliths of primordial punk strut their stuff.
