The Living Sisters Rock the Broad Stage

The Santa Monica Performing Arts Center held a rare and unique performance by the divine indie trio The Living Sisters this past Saturday. The group consists of three women, Eleni Mandell, Inara George of The Bird and The Bee, and Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond, each of whom is an individually acclaimed singer/songwriter.

The trio formed in 2006 and signed with Vanguard Records, an indie label, which sets the group apart from many mainstream genres.

"I guess some of our influences would be the Shirelles and, I wan to say, the Andrews Sisters but I don't want to be too obvious", said Alex Lilly, the newest addition to the Living Sisters who performed in place of Inara George who's currently on maternity leave.

The beautiful harmony, accompanied with a bass and electric guitar, made for a serene and soulful performance. Even when not producing mellow vibes the sisters had no problem entertaining the audience with their whimsical remarks.

"Raise your hand if you were at the first performance. I need to know whether or not I can use the same jokes", said Eleni.

The three women, who each have strong individual styles, managed to synchronize and effortlessly produce delightful harmonies.

Each artist gave a solo performance of an original piece and added a lot of befitting improvisations.

Their songs deal with love, earth, and. oddly enough, girls in mental institutions, "I'm going to stick to my theory. I thought this song was about cocaine. Actually I think all abstract songs are about cocaine," said Lilly.

While 70 minutes of soothing and delicate harmonizing can seem heavy to handle, the raw performance and interaction with the audience is something that cannot be compared to other choreographed shows. The production, the simple lighting, and stage setup all contributed to the natural and homey atmosphere.

The Living Sisters released an album "Love to Live" in 2010 and are currently working on their next project "Rent for Cover."

"We work hard but in a lazy way. I mean we each have our own projects so it's gradual, but we work hard," said Lilly. The Living Sisters will be performing at the Disney Concert Hall this May.