Thursday, October 25, 2012
WASN'T TOMORROW WONDERFUL
Patti Donahue was the lead singer of the rock band the Waitresses. She was born in Cleveland, Ohio and she was living in Akron, Ohio when the Waitressses were formed. The group released only two albums Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful? and Bruiseology on vinyl that was taken out of circulation, never released on cassette tape or compact disk. Only the Best of the Waitresses album is available on cassette tape and compact disk, but doubtful on vinyl disk. Sadly, Patti Donahue, born on March 29, 1956 died of lung cancer related to cigarette addiction on December 9, 1996. Those who were impressed by the radical feminism perspective on her Waitresses albums were surprised to learn that a member of the male gender, Chris Butler, was the actual author of her songs. Chris Butler, who understood the female mind almost as well as a woman would herself, wrote songs so accurate to the female mind that those who listened to Patti Donahue thought she wrote the songs herself.
Love all the pics. I was searching info on The Waitresses and came across this. I saw them as an opening act at the Reseda Country Club, CA in 1982. I can't remember who they were opening for (don't think they were touring with other bands, just booked that night to open). Anyway, it was a punk show with a rowdy crowd. Stuff (shoes) flew up on stage and eventually The Waitresses walked off. I didn't know them at the time but I was loving Patty's stage presence (she would take occasional drags from her cigarette during songs...wearing the leather jacket and skirt). She and the band were quite punk actually. Feel fortunate to have seen them live for a few songs.
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