No Bras, No Problem
“It’s not just about the boobs,” swears Kacy Crowley of the weekly Braless night she shares with Trish Murphy and Renée Woodward. Indeed, it’s mostly about these talented singer-songwriters swapping songs, stories, and harmonies, but the recurring gag of performing sans brassieres is handy in a pinch. “It’s something to fall back on in the middle of the set when people start talking,” adds Crowley, who’ll tell inconsiderate patrons to pipe down in a second, but always with a smile. She hosted a weekly songwriters’ night at Momos this spring, and the night Woodward and Murphy played, they clicked right away. “It was like a first date,” Murphy says. “We all felt a little spark.” Since starting their Thursday residency at Ego’s in April, they say the regular collaboration has allowed their individual skills, and friendship, to bloom. “Comparing myself to these two, I was dealing with some self-doubt in the beginning,” says Woodward. “But I stuck with it and found my place.” Murphy agrees: “You get tunnel vision if you perform alone, but I’ve noticed myself becoming less guarded about a lot of stuff.” “When we started, I couldn’t sing a harmony to save my life,” laughs Crowley. Each has released a solo album within the last year, and they’re toying with the idea of doing one together. “I could write a Kacy Crowley song if I really thought about it,” figures Murphy, to which Crowley immediately interjects, “I challenge you!” Besides passing out candy canes and homemade cookies at shows, the trio has a mischievous streak. A recent night out involved dark clothing, a 2:30am toilet-paper raid on HEB, and the timeless pastime of house-wrapping. The ladies are somewhat coy about the details. “He had it coming,” grins Murphy. It’s no wonder their rehearsals can be a little short on actual rehearsing. “We start chatting …,” begins Crowley, “… and two hours later, it’s like, ‘Oh – I’ve gotta go,'” explains Woodward.This article appears in December 24 • 2004.