Society Onstage

"You put ten personalities in one room, especially with more than one girl, and there's going to be some shit," says guitarist/keyboardist Joey Guevara, whose Afro-funk band ¡Society! includes go-go girls, dual percussionists with painted faces, dancers dressed in animal costumes, and twins on drums and bass (Josh and Zach Wheeler, ex--Scarlet Symphony).

"Having ten people is tough on space," he says, "but we still play the Tower and other smaller joints where there's just about enough room for us to do theatrical stuff with lights and projections, [and] our voodoo ceremonies."

Guevara says another challenge is getting everyone paid.

"We did a show at the Beauty Bar on a Wednesday, and we had at least 25 people show up to check us out. But [a bar employee] had his girlfriend taking attendance at the door, and she was doing a half-ass job of keeping track of who was there to see each band. So, after I took off to do another gig, Zach [Wheeler, bassist] went to collect our dough, and this dude tells him only 4 people were there to see us and gives him eight bucks. I mean, that's more insulting to a ten-piece band than just saying, 'Sorry, there should have been more promotion.' "

¡Society! appears April 27 at the Ken Club.