KARA ROMERO LIVE AT THE CHARLESTON, BROOKLYN, NYC
FRIDAY 3, FEBRUARY 2012



It’s 8:45pm at The Charleston, a small bar in Brooklyn, New York. There’s easily less than 120 people in capacity tonight for some live music and the drinks have already began flowing before the first act is set to perform, the venue is loud and trashy and there’s very few people sober already, there’s young girls wearing very little clothing and men arguing with each other, drinks continually flowing and Friday night is perhaps the busiest that this bar ever is. Just taking a quick glance around the room and you’ll have a pretty good idea of how sleazy the bar is and as the bar manager makes his way onto the very small stage her speaks into the microphone in order to get the room to quiet down a little for the first act of the evening, the volume of the room does lower a little but quickly rises as the manager welcomes a 17 year old girl onto the stage, accompanied by a backing band, Kara Romero steps into the centre to a sea of hollering and cheering, wearing a long draping vest that flows just long enough to cover the top of her legs and little else with the exception of a couple of feathers in her hair she stares at the audience for a moment while her backing band begin adjusting their instruments, the drummer starts to play a fast and powerful drum beat as the music then begins with a bass intro, Kara runs her hands through her hair and begins to sing with a gravely rock vocal;

“Come here boy, just take my hand
I’ll take you to the place we call the promised land
Down the dark streets of Brooklyn
Through the back alleys tonight
If you get scared then hold my hand tight

Your fear is obvious you don’t know where you are
But when your by my side no distance is too far
Don’t be so scared, it’s written all over your face
Your lost somewhere between raising hell
And amazing grace

We’ll meet with some friends and let the drinks flow
I know this ain’t your scene, you’ve never been here before
But when you get going, it’s so tough to stop
But don’t you get tired of saying, ‘it gets lonely at the top’
So come on down to the dance floor and move by my side
Place your hands down by my side and we’ll stay up all night”

A fast paced and energetic song has the crowd cheering throughout and Kara struts around the very small stage area of the venue, seemingly unafraid of the rowdy audience in front of her, the band’s playing is very loud but Kara manages to keep her vocals loud enough, the music is very thrashy and unperfected but perhaps that’s part of the charm, it’s not quite punk but it has elements of that and veers more towards punk than straight up rock, Kara’s vocals aren’t pitch perfect but are strong and carry’s a lot of emphasis as she continues;

“The drinks keep flowing
The music plays out loud
We should go back to my place
Because we don’t need no crowd

Don’t be scared
I see the look on your face
We’re somewhere special
Between raising hell
And amazing grace

Some come here boy, just take my hand
I’ll take you to the place we call the promised land
Just you and me at my place tonight
It’s clear to me, you won’t put up a fight
So let the drinks flow and let it takes us higher
You can read me like a book
Your my only desire”



As the band plays out the first song and the music stops you can hear the full force of the crowd and you may even start to worry for your own safety if you’re in the venue, there’s people standing on table’s in order to get a better view, it’s a small venue and there’s a lot of pushing and shoving going on towards the front of the stage, Kara takes a quick drink from what looks like a shot glass during the break of the song before closing her eyes and shaking her head ferociously, she opens them again and it takes her a couple of moments to gain focus and compose herself as the band start up the next song with the same ferocity as the first;

“Hey you, little mister perfect
Are you, coming down to Brooklyn tonight
Hey you, little mister perfect
Are you coming out for the fight
Hey you, little mister perfect
Take my hand and I’ll show you how to live
Hey you, little mister perfect
Don’t be afraid I’ve got enough love to give

Are you coming out to Brooklyn
Are you gonna dance with my friends
Are you coming out to Brooklyn
You’ll wish this night never ends

Hey you, little mister perfect
Don’t be afraid to let your hair down
Hey you, little mister perfect
This life will turn you around
Hey you, little mister reject
Hold my hand as we go racing in the street
Hey you, little mister perfect
Don’t worry about the kinda people that we’ll meet”

The crowd continue to holler and cheer throughout the song and a glass is thrown towards the stage missing the guitarist by very little but nobody seems to notice as Kara who is now at the very edge of the stage, only touching distance from the nearest audience member and moving her body around thrusting herself forward before throwing herself onto the floor of the stage, the audience don’t seem worried and if they did have any fears they quickly become allayed as she continues to sing the rest of the song laying on the floor of the stage;

“Are you coming out to Brooklyn
Are you gonna let your hair down
Are you coming out to Brooklyn
Where cocaine and alcohol are easy to be found

The nights down here never seem to end
Just a never ending mix of alcohol my friend
So come on down to Brooklyn tonight
Don’t be afraid to face the fight

Hey you, little mister perfect
Are you, coming down to Brooklyn tonight
Hey you, little mister perfect
Are you coming out for the fight
Hey you, little mister perfect
Take my hand and I’ll show you how to live
Hey you, little mister perfect
Don’t Be afraid we’ve got so much love to give”



As the song finishes she stands back to her feet, holding onto the microphone tightly whether it’s to help her keep standing upright or not isn’t clear but she looks out to the rowdy audience with misty and far away eyes, she mutters into the microphone clearly a little drunk to say the least, “Are you … you guys having fuuuuuun” She smirks and reaches out to an audience member with their arms outstretched before stepping back slightly. Hearts jump into the crowds mouths as one young drunk guy climbs onto the stage, he starts swaying his body from side to side, Kara smirks and dances with him briefly before kissing him and ushering him off from the stage, the pace of the music continues as she starts to sing the final song;

“Ruby red lips and long black hair
Tattoos of her victims written without a care
All draped in leather with black polish on her nails
When she’s searching for a victim
Her look never fails

Always in the sleazy clubs with alcohol in her hand
She always finds a fresh new victim
For another one night stand
The guys gather around her like a moth to a flame
It’s clear which one will leave in the morning
Feeling full of shame

Amelie was a rebel always leading boys astray
Amelie was the devil that’s what the boys all say
Amelie was a troublemaker that no one could resist
Amelie was able to hypnotize you with a kiss

Amelie was the only girl that had that certain spark
She’d spend the day with last night’s guy
And find a new one after dark
Amelie knew how to use her beauty
To get just what she needs
And when the nameless guy leaves in the morning
Her heart never bleeds

Always in the same old clubs with alcohol in her hand
She always finds a fresh new victim for her one night stand
The guys they gather around her like a moth to a flame
It’s clear when the morning comes she won’t feel no shame

Amelie was a rebel always leading boys astray
Amelie was the devil that’s what they all say
Amelie was a troublemaker that no one could resist
Amelie was able to hypnotize you
Only with a kiss”

As the music stops, Kara nods to the audience as they cheer loudly, before starting to make their back to their tables, she adjusts her hair and jumps down from the stage before wandering over to the bar with the rest of her backing band, they order drinks and make their way over to an empty table at the back of the room with smiles on their faces and seemingly in good spirits.

Setlist;
1. Raising Hell And Amazing Grace
2. Brooklyn Tonight
3. Amelie