Nico Vega

Aja Volkman is the pretty face, beating heart and screaming soul of Nico Vega. On stage, it is possible to underestimate her as delicate for about three seconds before she bares her teeth, sheds the smile and cuts loose that voice. She's head-cold smooth on the soft stuff and sort...

By Kiernan Maletsky

December 17, 2009

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Aja Volkman is the pretty face, beating heart and screaming soul of Nico Vega. On stage, it is possible to underestimate her as delicate for about three seconds before she bares her teeth, sheds the smile and cuts loose that voice. She's head-cold smooth on the soft stuff and sort of careens up to the loud, missing the occasional note by just a hair, as though for color. The band used to use those pipes for sunbeam indie folk but has headed in a hard, dark direction from there: Volkman went from a tame mat of hair to a mussed-up messy look that works better for her anyway, and guitarist Rich Koehler threw away his fedoras and bought some kind of fake pelt vest. The warm and soft isn't completely gone, but suffice it to say they should have no problem wowing the black-clad crowd at Bender's.

Kiernan Maletsky is a former Westword intern.

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