 CITY LINK, Aug. 22, 2001
Soaking Up the Good Fla. Sunshine, Vol. 1 (The HoneyComb.com). Produced by TheHoneyComb.com entertainment Web site and the new West Palm Beach monthly Closer, this 17-band alternative-rock sampler is about what you’d expect from such an overview ... quality reigns here, as everyone ... turn in ultra-fine performances. Moreover, the compilation attempts to belie the notion that South Florida is nothing more than a breeding ground for knuckle-dragging testoste-rock. In a neat, savvy twist, the CD's two rap-rock entries are provided by femme-fronted acts: Pank Shovel and Betsy Ross, the former with the slip-slidin' Pipebomb Dream and the latter with the two-minute outburst October One, in which the 16-year-old Miss Ross phlegmatically threatens a child molester ("it’s crazy fucks like you that need to be held captive").Music column by Jake Cline  Read the full column
NEW TIMES, June 28, 2001
Betsy Bash: The Betsy Ross Birthday Bash Calendar show preview by Dan Sweeney 
Betsy Ross's name will forever
be linked with flags, rocking
chairs, and red, white, and blue
thread. But the Fourth of July
show at Orbit by the local band
that bears her name will solidify
another association: aggressive
rap-metal.
Pete Gross, late of industrial-rap
mayhem bringers Collapsing
Lungs, wanted to carry on when
said outfit broke up a few years
back, but how would he
distinguish his new project?
Why, a female singer! There ya
go! You don't often see that in
the testosterone-soaked,
misogynistic world of rap-metal.
And when he found Betsy
Ross, he knew his search was
over.
"I was singing Vanilla Ice in
[Pete's] car, and he said, "Hey,
wanna sing in a band?' " she
recalls.
That was a year and a half ago, and come Independence Day,
Ross celebrates her 18th birthday by performing with her
eponymous band. (It was an easy gig to get: In addition to being a
darn good guitarist, Gross also manages Orbit.) The group has
gone through some severe lineup changes recently, with Death
Becomes You bassist Nicodemous filling in for the departed
Megacriss. Drummer Chris Goldbach had to drop out when his
other band, Against All Authority, demanded a full-time
commitment. A drum machine has taken his place, but the singer
says she won't miss a beat.
"I'm actually looking forward to that," Ross says. "I can get
everything out of my head without having to get it through
someone else."
Though her actual b-day is July 27, the glaring red rockets of
Independence Day could not be ignored. The evening begins at 7
p.m. when Köcosanté takes the stage for 30 minutes or so,
followed by half-hour sets by Scars of Life, Saq, No Way Out,
Betsy Ross, Mindscape 9, Clubber Lang, and finally the Mary
Tyler Whores, who wrap the show up by 1 a.m.
Gross brings a lot of the Collapsing Lungs sound to the stage, and
it mixes well with the heavy bass, loops, and samples played
through a four-track. Of course what makes the band memorable
are the angry vocals of that waifish girl - er, woman - up there,
laying down mad rhymes for her country. See the story on the New Times site
Annual Music Issue - Alt/punk listings Comments: "I’m your worst nightmare, I’m a bitch with a mic," declares Betsy Ross, the 17-year-old rapper of this fledging hip-rock Broward act. Indeed, Miss Ross has attitude to spare, her deadpan, monochromatic delivery underscoring such priceless boasts as "I got more power than Winnie Mandela" and "I do more good than Mother Teresa." Fans of long-gone industrial-rock locals Collapsing Lungs will recognize Betsy Ross’ street-punk-meets-club-rat vibe, no surprise considering both Gross and Goldbach were instrumental in the Lungs’ sound, which eventually and briefly landed them on Atlantic Records in 1994. (Gross and Goldbach also play in veteran punk outfit Radiobaghdad, and Goldbach drums with Against All Authority.) Since making their live debut at The Culture Room in April, Betsy Ross have made themselves known at virtually every venue that still allows people Ross’ age to enjoy live music. Last month, the group officiated over Freedom Fest, an all-ages concert at Davie’s Club Q designed to protest Fort Lauderdale’s recent ordinance banning those under 21 from entering bars and nightclubs. Like Betsy Ross, each participating band featured at least one member under 21.
CITY LINK, Nov. 15, 2000
Perhaps a recount is in order? She may be only 16, but Betsy Ross claims
she's "your worst nightmare — I'm a bitch with a mic." Better
yet, the flag-burning teenage rapper also proudly boasts — in her own
theme song, no less — "I've got more power than Winnie Mandela,"
with which she does "more good than Mother Teresa."
Now, Miss Ross is turning her omnipotence
toward Fort Lauderdale's recently enacted ordinance banning those under
21 from the city's nightclubs — by staging a protest concert in, of
all places, Davie. Freedom Fest begins 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 22 at Club Q
and features a rash of hardcore and punk bands that each include at least
one member under 21 years old. In addition to Ross and her hard-hitting,
self-named rap-rock outfit, which also features guitarist Pete Gross and
drummer Chris Goldbach (better known for their work in Radiobaghdad and
Collapsing Lungs, of whose sound Betsy Ross heavily borrows), are
Hydrosonic, Black Line Grind, At All Costs, Insidious, Firecrotch and
Gunsmith Cats.Music column by Jake Cline Read the full column
NEW TIMES, April 27, 2000
Coughing went unnoticed during the live debut of Betsy Ross at the Culture Room on Monday, April 17. The fledgling industrial/rap/ metal outfit reinvents the sledgehammer attack of area legends Radiobaghdad and Collapsing Lungs (guitarist Pete Gross and drummer Chris Goldbach were involved with both projects) while adding a new flavor to the brew - the rap skills of the band's 16-year-old namesake. The 20-minute set was hallmarked by the Betsy Ross theme song, which is introduced by a whammy-bar rip on The Star Spangled Banner. A nice touch: Before the first song had ended, Ms. Ross checked her pager at least twice. The five-piece could have used a bit more fermentation and seasoning before playing live; for sure they could have done without the Jailbait Twins - or whatever they're called - whose gyrating wasn't necessary. Moreover, the gimmick didn't do much to forward Ms. Ross' "hard female-empowerment stance." Still, there's something promising in Betsy Ross' street-urchin-meets-jaded-rock-musicians-twice-her-age vibe that will warrant further investigation in the months to come. Bandwidth column by Jeff Stratton Read the full column HOME |
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