Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Math Rock

"We were always trying to push the boundaries of live music.”

Math rockers, such as Chinchilla, can play upside down.
Math rockers, such as Chinchilla, can play upside down.

Formed in 1994, Chinchilla started as a trio of female musicians hailing from local acts Drip Tank, Liquid Sunshine, and Crash Worship on the hunt for a bassist. They found their low-end via Krista Kansas who, true to her name, relocated from Kansas to play in the band. Chinchilla’s first gig sold out, and they continued to draw numbers around town from then on.

“That time frame was golden for local rock show attendance in general, and we definitely benefited from that, but we also had a unique following of people that I’d never really see at other shows,” says guitarist Julie D. “Our music is pretty odd, and would never be widely popular, but people who like it seem to really like it a lot. Additionally, the percentage of female musicians in that scene was small enough that, as much as I hate to say it, for some folks the ‘all-girl band’ aspect was a draw.”

The band was aided by a live show that often gave the audience more to absorb than just the music. Drummer Morgan Doctor recalls being part of a mid-90s music scene in San Diego that was “pushing music styles and composition” courtesy of acts such as Creedle.

Sponsored
Sponsored

“It was definitely a movement,” she said. “Chinchilla, I think, really took this to the next level with being very performative in our live shows. Shows included shadow scenes with actors behind us, an acted-out sex change operation on stage, male dancers, and numerous costume configurations. We were always trying to push the boundaries of live music.”

The band toured up the west coast and as far east as Kansas. They shared bills with notables of the era such as Jawbreaker, Boys Against Girls, and The Wrens. The road wasn’t free from hazards though. One night, while caravanning behind Fluf, the band witnessed to a near catastrophe.

“Morgan was at the wheel and kept repeating ‘Oh my god…’ we all woke up and watched Fluf’s van swerve, skid and spin upside down,” says vocalist Sioban Dixon. “Luckily, the band members crawled out unscathed and the photo of the van made for a great 7-inch cover.”

After releasing some singles and EPs, the band’s debut LP, 101 Italian Hits, came out in September 1996. The band was history by the end of that year. Julie D claims that their final tour was the nail in the coffin. She was living in Seattle by January 1997. Krista Kansas was the sole member of Chinchilla to stick around town. When she looks back at the mid-90s local music scene, she notices one major difference: increased support for aspiring female musicians.

“Morgan, Julie, and I volunteer for the Rock n’ Roll Camp for Girls organization, each in our own home towns. Growing up in Kansas, girls weren’t included in the junior high or high school bands, so I didn’t start playing bass until college. It’s great to know that girls, even starting as young as eight years old, have support to pick up a bass, guitar, drumsticks or a mic and be taken seriously. I would love to see the next generation Chinchilla! And believe me, whenever given the chance, I always encourage young girls to play music.”

Past Event

Chinchilla and Uncle Joe's Big Ol' Driver

  • Saturday, January 5, 2019, 8 p.m.
  • Casbah, 2501 Kettner Boulevard, San Diego
  • 21+ / $15

Chinchilla performs as part of the Casbah's 30th anniversary celebration on January 5. The bill includes reunited 90s locals Uncle Joe's Big Ol' Driver, Mostly Sunny, and Scary Pierre.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Navy solves San Diego homeless crisis by retiring four locally moored ships

Decommision Accomplished
Next Article

2024 continues to impress with yellowfin much closer to San Diego than they should be

New rockfish regulations coming this week as opener approaches
Math rockers, such as Chinchilla, can play upside down.
Math rockers, such as Chinchilla, can play upside down.

Formed in 1994, Chinchilla started as a trio of female musicians hailing from local acts Drip Tank, Liquid Sunshine, and Crash Worship on the hunt for a bassist. They found their low-end via Krista Kansas who, true to her name, relocated from Kansas to play in the band. Chinchilla’s first gig sold out, and they continued to draw numbers around town from then on.

“That time frame was golden for local rock show attendance in general, and we definitely benefited from that, but we also had a unique following of people that I’d never really see at other shows,” says guitarist Julie D. “Our music is pretty odd, and would never be widely popular, but people who like it seem to really like it a lot. Additionally, the percentage of female musicians in that scene was small enough that, as much as I hate to say it, for some folks the ‘all-girl band’ aspect was a draw.”

The band was aided by a live show that often gave the audience more to absorb than just the music. Drummer Morgan Doctor recalls being part of a mid-90s music scene in San Diego that was “pushing music styles and composition” courtesy of acts such as Creedle.

Sponsored
Sponsored

“It was definitely a movement,” she said. “Chinchilla, I think, really took this to the next level with being very performative in our live shows. Shows included shadow scenes with actors behind us, an acted-out sex change operation on stage, male dancers, and numerous costume configurations. We were always trying to push the boundaries of live music.”

The band toured up the west coast and as far east as Kansas. They shared bills with notables of the era such as Jawbreaker, Boys Against Girls, and The Wrens. The road wasn’t free from hazards though. One night, while caravanning behind Fluf, the band witnessed to a near catastrophe.

“Morgan was at the wheel and kept repeating ‘Oh my god…’ we all woke up and watched Fluf’s van swerve, skid and spin upside down,” says vocalist Sioban Dixon. “Luckily, the band members crawled out unscathed and the photo of the van made for a great 7-inch cover.”

After releasing some singles and EPs, the band’s debut LP, 101 Italian Hits, came out in September 1996. The band was history by the end of that year. Julie D claims that their final tour was the nail in the coffin. She was living in Seattle by January 1997. Krista Kansas was the sole member of Chinchilla to stick around town. When she looks back at the mid-90s local music scene, she notices one major difference: increased support for aspiring female musicians.

“Morgan, Julie, and I volunteer for the Rock n’ Roll Camp for Girls organization, each in our own home towns. Growing up in Kansas, girls weren’t included in the junior high or high school bands, so I didn’t start playing bass until college. It’s great to know that girls, even starting as young as eight years old, have support to pick up a bass, guitar, drumsticks or a mic and be taken seriously. I would love to see the next generation Chinchilla! And believe me, whenever given the chance, I always encourage young girls to play music.”

Past Event

Chinchilla and Uncle Joe's Big Ol' Driver

  • Saturday, January 5, 2019, 8 p.m.
  • Casbah, 2501 Kettner Boulevard, San Diego
  • 21+ / $15

Chinchilla performs as part of the Casbah's 30th anniversary celebration on January 5. The bill includes reunited 90s locals Uncle Joe's Big Ol' Driver, Mostly Sunny, and Scary Pierre.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Best Sports Betting Sites - 10 Online Sportsbooks Ranked for 2024

Best Sports Betting Sites (2024) - Reviews of TOP Online Sportsbooks
Next Article

San Diego Reader 2024 Music & Arts Issue

Favorite fakers: Baby Bushka, Fleetwood Max, Electric Waste Band, Oceans, Geezer – plus upcoming tribute schedule
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.