Cinderella Story

Naked Beggars
Good Times Pub, Elmhurst
Saturday, February 18, 2006

We’ve always had a soft spot for Cinderella. Sure, they had the big hair, tight clothes, and slutty swagger of the rest of the ’80s hair metal bands, but like Great White or Tesla, Cinderella are (still rockin’, baby!) a bit bluesier, a bit rougher, and a bit more reputable than poofballs like Warrant or Poison. “Nobody’s Fool?” “Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)?” “Hot And Bothered?” Classics.

So you can only imagine the intrigue when we heard about Naked Beggars, a band with two founding Cinderella members, bassist Eric Brittingham and guitarist Jeff LaBar. Even though the fact that they share musicians with one of the ’80s’ biggest rock bands hogs most of the storylines, the Beggars were actually formed in the early 2000s by vocalist Inga Brittingham (Eric’s wife) and guitarist Kris Casamento; LaBar and Eric didn’t come aboard until 2004.

The Cinderella connection obviously doesn’t hurt though, and judging by the band’s Web site Inga and Casamento don’t mind pimping the angle: “Jeff LaBar,” “Eric Brittingham,” “Cinderella,” and “multi-platinum” are all mentioned in the first sentence of the band bio. Itta and Casamento’s names don’t get ink until the second paragraph. The music is gritty guitar rock, with plenty of the same attitude Cinderella flaunted. Itta has a strong voice but tends to do too much, and the tunes aren’t exactly cutting edge, but who cares? “Featuring Eric Brittingham & Jeff LaBar of Cinderella,” dude. Take us home, Gypsy Road!

— Trevor Fisher

Click here to download a sample of Naked Beggar’s “Spit It Out.”

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly