Ahhh, the beautiful Northwest... Remember a couple of years ago when Seattle was all abuzz with the so-called alternative, 'grunge' scene? Well, kiddies, about the time that all of that pot-wreaking nonsense fell out of fashion, a more wholesome, happy band began to emerge. Tired of the distorted noise which passed for music, Front Men Chrysler Mighuel Stewart and Stewart Johann Mc Lewis got together to come up with a solution.

The first project that the dynamic duo worked on was a simple Native American Chant which was to launch the band's retro sound.

"We decided that we wanted to do some older tunes," said Chrysler Stewart, "but we decided that the Native American stuff we were working on was a little too retro."

The next day Chrysler-Stewart imported Sheila Weber, and her two of her charming sisters, Yvonne and Estelle from the Rusty Surface of Mars. They were dubbed the Stewartesses and each was given a secret power. Sheila was to play the Bass, and would be good at reconnaissance. Estelle was to be the lead female voice, as well as keyboards. Estelle is the karaté expert. Yvonne is chief keyboardist, but specializes in weapons too. They were eager to assist, and it was not long after that the quintette had recorded their first four songs- "Score City," "Wonder Woman," "I'm so Drunk," and "Excellent"

The Songs were an instant success with Skagit County natives. Chrysler-Stewart and the Stewartesses wanted only to be another upbeat party band a lá the B-52's and their rival/role model band, the Paul Chandler 4our. They were quickly playing at local clubs, school events, private parties and Bistros.

Up until this point, the fact that the band wasn't the tightest musically did not matter. The debonaire charm of Chrysler, and the fashionably smart Stewartesses kept the band alive as performance artists. Soon however, practice began to pay off, and Chrysler-Stewart and the Stewartesses developed a unique sound.

Mid 1995 brought the addition of four new members. Stewart Mc Lewis discovered a pair of Brazilian brothers, the Romero Br os, nesting in a tree fort in his back yard, and wasted no time teaching them to play the Trumpet and Saxophone. The two brothers; Javier and Mighuel integrated flawlessly.

Originally, Chrysler's older brother, Contundo Stewart had served as drummer. Eventually, however, the 200 mile commute from the Score Palace to Contundo's home began to drive a wedge between the two. Before long, Contundo ceased coming to practise all together. Soon the band realized that although they had drums, they had no drummer. It was the Stewartesses who provided the solution, projecting their brother, Jack Weber, on a Cosmic Beam from Mars to Earth. For a brief while, Jack's twin sister Jacqui became a member as the 2^nd bassist. Unfortunately, Sheila and Jacqui's ability was exactly the same, and thus the two fused, and only one could be seen at a time. Some shows will have Sheila on Bass, others, Jacqui. It makes a fine guessing game for the fans. The addition of the new members marker the quantum shift in sound known as Phase II. Phase I had been the rough, unrefined sound which suddenly changed to an exotic, harmonious feel. Originally, Chrysler-Stewart and the Stewartesses were signed to the pretentious Swoon Rechords. They joined the ranks of other local acts such as "Harpin' with Corey," "Botan Rice Candy," "The S**tsters," and many others. Chrysler-Stewart and the Stewartesses thank the Swoon scene for their first real exposure, sending a demo tape including "Score City," and "Wonder Woman" all over the globe. While Swoon was big time in the punk World, a band such as Chrysler-Stewart and the Stewartesses didn't really have a niché and their manager moved away without a trace. In November of 1995, Chrysler-Stewart and the Stewartesses signed a recording contract with Rutabaga, Watermelon, and Clump Productions. RCW Productions offered not only new manager, Dave "The Colonel" James and producer Aaron Hodgeman, but provided a full scale recording studio at radio station 90.1 KSVR. the group wasted no recording, and quickly produced their first album; "Meet Chrysler-Stewart and the Stewartesses - Live at KSVR!" The album was the first time ever that all nine members played at the same time- the exclusive Chrysler-Stewart double bass sound!

A long sabatical...

At the close of 1998 the original Chrysler-Stewart and the Stewartesses dis-banded effectively bringing the first Stewartesses franchise to a close. Their last official concert was as the opening act for the Dub Narcotic Sound System at Bellingham's The Western Washington University. The Stewartesses were each assigned very hazardous duties on Mars and were presumed to have returned on the same cosmic beam which initially transported them to Earth.

Chrysler Stewart and Stewart McLewis continued to perform as Chrysler-Stewart for a few concerts, but without the ensemble ofMartian Sisters, the performances were unimpressive and conceptually laclustre.

Informal plans for a reunion tour of the original five members have been suggested, but it is unlikely that all eight members will ever be performing together again.

Plans are also in the wings for a Chrysler-Stewart and the Stewartesses feature-length motion picture. It is unknown whether original members will be involved in the filming, but Chrysler, Stewart and the Stewartesses will most likely be recast to actors who closely resemble the Stewartesses franchise concepts seen in the Chrysler-Stewart and the Stewartesses Fashion Colouring Books and promotional materials. The screen play is being developed by Anthonio "Chrysler" Pettit, Dan "Cadaggio" Pettit and Taya "Yvonne" Faber.

Original band members Chrysler Stewart (Anthonio Pettit) and Stewart McLewis (Chris Riffle) are still performing under the name Chris Riffle. Chris is currently touring with his debut CD "The Sun is Up" (2002 Epithet Records). While the sound and themes have changed substantially, Chris continues to delight audiences with MONROE at concerts.

Chrysler Mighuel Stewart is alleged to remain in the Score Palace to this day, where he quietly plans an eventual resurgence of the Stewartesses Franchise. Who knows in what way the world will next be treated, whether it be a motion picture, a new line of fashion accessories, or a reunion tour. One thing we can be sure, we haven't heard the last from Chrysler, Stewart or the Stewartesses.