Standing there at the Main Stage at Indiefest, watching Juliette and the New Romantiques, I began to envision a younger Juliette watching the tele, being mesmerized by MTV’s 80s rock musicians. With their long hair, tight jeans, and dramatic stage performances – Juliette must have fallen in love at first sight.

I only refer to my to my tumblage of subconscious wanderings due to the fact that Juliette Lewis seemed to be mimicking everything she ever saw on tv.

Dressed in a Shakespearian top with tight leather pants, she ran up and down the stage, gyrating her hips, and flipping her long flowing hair at every moment’s pause. I mean at every moment. By the end of the show I could actually time her hair flips perfectly. They usually came before during and after her solos took place.

I assume she chose to go with the “theatrical rocker” performance to take attention away from her awful vocals. Or maybe because she thought the whole get-up added to the show. Well, she was wrong on both counts.

I watched Juliette Lewis screech throughout every song, realizing that the disharmony coming from her throat came from both her soul and her inability to carry a note. Her style of music is an acquired taste – a taste that parts of the crowd seemed to crave, while other parts seemed to be nauseated by.

She is high energy, really, really high energy. She doesn’t stay still not once. She is either attempting to harmonize with the lead, with the bass, with the crowd, with her hair – she just keeps pacing the stage. And her pace-age is not your average mindless walking. No, Juliette is bursting with sexuality. She withers and contorts; she purses her lips and licks her teeth; she falls to the ground and constantly has hair covering her face. Watching her is like watching a bad play, not a bad band. Not to mention her band. The New Romantiques just stood there. They were so concentrated on their chords they forgot to perform. I was so bored by the band I was forced to watch Juliette and then so disgusted by her I was forced to watch the band and then so bored…..

Over-dramatized, melody-less dissonance crunched out of the speakers and after song four, I had had enough. Their music sounds like a violent cat fight and their performance is like watching a car wreck. But for those who grew up watching The Other Sister and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape Juliette Lewis will always hold a special place in your hearts. For an actress turned rocker, the transition was pretty successful. But not having musical talent does not transition into having it, and Juliette should probably just stick to acting.