Friday, November 27, 2009
COLETTE (Om Records)
with Sol Calderon & Deepvibez (Uniting Souls)

5-7: $3 drafts, wine, champagne-1/2 price menu

With her disarming doe eyes and a heartwarming demeanor, Colette possesses the unmistakable voice of post-millennial house music. Her sweet-but-sultry voice has been called "angelic" so many times, it's a miracle she hasn't grown wings: Imagine a less breathy Kylie Minogue merged with a more controlled Roisin Murphy (Moloko) and you have a good grasp on her classy voice that highlights any beat that flows behind it. Whereas in the late 80s, the diva reigned supreme and made the music cower, Colette has kept it deliciously simple and always melodic, making the former choirgirl-cum-Chicago-house-siren a mainstay of modern dance music.

And it's been that way for a minute - as raves were starting to wind down throughout the nation in the late 90s, Colette was busting through the "novelty act" stereotype that kept many women DJs corralled like VIP ropes guarding a Hollywood hotspot. But ever since she started her SuperJane troupe with fellow Chicagoan DJs Dayhota, Lady D. and Heather (celebrating over 10 years), Colette's paved the way for other women seeking equal time behind the decks as their male counterparts. Things came full circle in 2006, when the Los Angeles transplant reunited with Heather for a stateside tour promoting the "House Of Om" mix they did together. It was a busy year - Colette also played an intense set at Coachella, kept up her long running residency at "World's Best Club" Smartbar and toured with fellow Om house soldier Kaskade.