Juliette Lewis Licks it up

Juliette and the Licks, a yearling band frontlined by actress-turned-singer Juliette Lewis played at Voodoo Fest in New Orleans on Saturday, Oct. 16 to a thousands-strong crowd.

The insanely energetic show featured bird-like Lewis in a role like no other she has played before: full-blown rock star. Shaking and gyrating on stage, Lewis and the other members of her band, drummer Patty Schemel (former member of Hole), guitarist Todd Morse (H2O), and bassist Paul Ill delivered a solid punk rock sound that they have been carefully cultivating over the past 12 months.

"I'm the little girl who dreamed of being a singer but got successful being an actress," said Lewis. "A year ago I put the band together to develop my musical sound."

Schemel and Lewis realized their dream of the Licks after attending a Blondie concert. "I was transfixed," said Lewis. A few months later, with all the Licks in place, the group began writing and headed to the studio.

"It's an everybody process,' said Lewis. "We wanted to get into more rhythms and vocals."

Though the Licks are headlined by an A-List actress, the band denies the inevitable rumors of petty catfights and internal struggle. "At first it was like, we were the band, and there's Juliette," said Morse, "but now it's just the band."

"We don't have time for the egos and the f*** you spats," said Lewis, "we want to write music."

Juliette and the Licks are performing on a three-week "mini-tour", headed to Nashville next, where Lewis will finish wrapping up a film with Johnny Knoxville in between shows.

Though Lewis comfortably balances her acting and singing career, she doesn't favor one over the other.

"It's off the charts performing live,' said Lewis. "When I get in front of an audience, there's nothing like it...but that scene with DeNiro was pretty awesome, too."

"There's a parallel between my acting and singing," said Lewis. "I've always been really independent, an underdog; unpolished and raw," said Lewis, "but it's always been about the heart."

The Licks will open for Courtney Love on Oct. 30.

"It's going to be a rock-off,' said Schemel. "That's my old band, and she keeps sniffing around to see what's going on around here."

After that the Licks hope to do a full-fledged college tour. "The future of rock and roll, if there is one," said Lewis, " is college radio."

Juliette and the Licks' first full-length album is set for release in March of 2005, but their single, "Coming Around," can be heard on their Web site, julietteandthelicks.com.