By Anthony Rifilato
She was nervous because her band, Murr, an all-girl punk rock group from Baldwin, has never played to an older crowd before. Much of the young following they have been generating lately, like the girls themselves, aren't even old enough to get in.
"Usually we get a lot of people," said Arcuri, 20, the group's vivacious front woman. "We're hoping to get bigger."
As brooding lead guitarist Christina Dimitropolous tuned her Gibson, Arcuri's sister and the band's drummer, April, 18, walked on stage in a 1950s-style strapless black-and-white dress, and sang along to "Maggie May" on the jukebox. "All I know about Rod Stewart is that he has weird hair," she said.
Bassist Theresa Mueller jumped up and down, sharpening her stage presence by doing kicks in the air with her guitar. It's not often that musicians talk chemistry before a show, but April, who was one of the top 10 graduating seniors at Baldwin High School last spring, and Mueller briefly laughed about the exponential growth of something moldy, apparently an inside joke. Despite their obvious intelligence and their catchy songs, the girls say they are sometimes maligned because they're, well, girls.
"Sometimes a lot of people don't take us seriously," said April. "We're trying to change that. Hopefully, this time next year, we'll play bigger shows."
"This is our dream," said Mueller. "We're giving it a shot."
Since forming last year, Murr has played more than 30 shows around Long Island and has attracted a cult audience with its energetic brand of colorful punk-pop. The group of four young women, all Baldwin High School grads and currently college students, are quickly developing into a major attraction. They won a battle of the bands in July, performed on several radio shows and plan on recording a full-length CD.
They even have a sleek Web site, www.murrmusic.com, which has information about the band, merchandise and MP3 links to their music. Murr is still trying to capture the feeling of their live shows in the studio. "Live, we sound more energetic," said Jeannene.
Judging from their performance several weeks ago, the group has all the ingredients for success: upbeat and fast-paced tunes, a wacky and hip aesthetic, a fun yet brainy attitude, and they're easy on the eyes.
"We're aspiring to be Baldwin's upcoming band," April said. "I want a lot of my high school friends to see us, but they don't drive yet."
The girls have been friends since middle school, and April has been playing instruments since she was 6. Last year, she was inspired to form Murr after going to a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers concert. The name Murr was inspired by a "weird sound" Dimitropolous utters whenever she becomes frustrated.
"April said, 'How about Murr?' and it just kind of stuck," said Jeannene.
Although Jeannene was initially supposed to play drums, she was appointed lead singer not so much because she could sing, but because she rarely practiced drumming and had a charismatic presence, with a voice that's part Belinda Carlisle of the Go-Gos and part Joey Ramone.
"Out of the four of us, she was the loudest and most obnoxious," April explained. "The reason I'm the drummer is because we couldn't find one."
In the past year, Murr has grown by leaps and bounds. They have gone from practicing cover versions of songs in the Arcuris' living room to writing their own material and developing artistically.
"We're [all] like sisters," said Mueller, who attends the Fashion Institute of Technology. "We've grown a lot instrumentally."
While April is the group's main songwriter, each member brings ideas to the table, ranging from determining how a song should sound to clothing styles. April has taken the stage dressed as a cheerleader and as a sailor.
Although the girls said they stay away from drugs and alcohol, their music isn't always clean, and they are true to their punk rock roots. For instance, Murr has a song entitled "Go [expletive] Yourself," a number dedicated to Jeannene's ex-boyfriend, which is a crowd-pleaser.
"During that song people were doing the electric slide," April said of a recent show at Adelphi University, where Jeannene goes to school. "It was the funniest thing I ever saw."
As they grow together as a band, the girls are still intent on finishing college. The Arcuri sisters work part-time at Terranova Florist in Baldwin, and Dimitropolous, who attends Farmingdale University, and Mueller both work in doctors' offices.
"Right now we're keeping the band as a fun thing," said April, who attends NYU. "We can't compromise school. But we're still very serious about the band."
It's that mixture of seriousness and fun that Murr exuded at the Funky Monkey Lounge. The band's energetic performance eventually caught the attention of older people swigging drinks at the bar, and several of their friends and family members showed up, helping to ease the group's nerves.
When the show got started around 10 p.m., the band, bathed in pink and blue light, launched into a powerful and rocking rendition of the Shirelles' "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" jumping around the stage and dispelling any doubts about their ability as female rockers.
"They're great," said friend and Baldwin resident Dave Schneider, 19. "They're a lot of fun."
Before ripping into a country-western-influenced number called "Rough Copy," Jeannene urged the crowd to cut loose: "If anyone wants to square dance, go ahead! Yeehaw!"
It's not technically proficient rock and roll, the group said, but that's the point of punk rock. It's supposed to be fun and there is an unwritten rule: anyone can do it É even girls.
"You don't have to be an expert," April said. "We're not all that great musically, but when we come together, it's something unique."
