Atomic Pink is a really interesting band. They've had more local publicity in the last year than all other El Paso bands, combined, for the last twenty years. Well, if you don't count The Mars Volta, who used to be from here, and Sparta. This is because, inexplicably, the El Paso Times has run articles on them every week for quite some time.
So, who are they? Three sisters playing pop-punk music. Two are seventeen-year-old twins, Susan (guitar) and Sarah Adame (drums), and their sixteen-year-old sister, Samantha (lead vox, bass). They've played a few gigs, but they avoid playing clubs, and generally don't announce where they are playing much in advance of the actual show. Whoever is in charge of them wants the impossible: lots of pub without them actually doing much of anything. If there are any more wishes left in the magic lamp that he or she found, maybe they can wish for world peace. Or free beer for the whole city (Grrr! Don't make me choose)!
Anyhow, I stumbled across mention of their appearance at UTEP's Union Breezeway on Wednesday, and I had to go check them out. I ended up liking them, but they are more likable than impressive.
When they first walked onto the, um, stage, I was amazed at how unimposing they looked. They are so small! They almost seemed timid. I don't think I've ever seen anybody play music with less bravado.
They played a little over half an hour. During the first half of the set, Samantha, the lead singer, was off-key quite a bit. To be fair, I have seen experienced singers do that at the start of sets, although not as much. Later, especially when she projected, that went away. She was pretty decent the second half of the set, especially on the one ballad that they did. Music that would allow her to sing more forcefully might be a better match for her ability.
The lead guitar was nice, but not amazing. Same for the drums, except for one major problem: the band is sloppy in their timing. The drummer always has a large part of the responsibilty for this, but not all of it. This is something that they MUST get past.
So, how good are they? Depends on the expectations. For their ages, I'd say they're doing well. For the pedestal on which they sit, they suck. They really need to get the El Paso Times to stay away, start playing clubs A LOT, and get to know the other local bands. In a couple of years of heavy gigging, they could start touring. Not as much because they'd be great, but because they would not have built up the responsibilities that REALLY makes the road tough for bands whose members are in their late 20s or older.
Right now, they're a novelty act. In ten years, they could be a band that tours the country six months a year and pays the bills. As far as getting rich and famous, there is just too much competition out there. Ain't gonna happen.