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"I
was always into rock, even when I was very little. I really liked the
beat and the speed, the toughness."
-- LIZ PHAIR
Girls Rock! Showcase
Features Best Bay Area Talent Campbell,CA
May 27, 2001
By L. Hayle
While browsing Craig's List I came across the posting for this show featuring five women fronted bands. What a find! A homemade show promoting local female rock talent! Though I hadn't heard of any of these groups, I was very curious and excited about this event - so off I went.
If you blink, you'll miss the sign for Campbell, California. Once I found this small burb of San Jose, I made my way downtown to the old Gaslighter Theater. This is an ornate old-fashioned theater that holds only about 150 people. The comfy chairs and drink rests diminished the feel of being at a rock show, but most of the music was palatable mid-tempo rock that didn't require room to move.
At first, I thought this event was organized by another Voice is Venom type of group - but I found out that the headlining band, Hopechild, was putting the event on for the second year in a row. As these things go, it was a smooth running - well thought out night. There was a table with loads of band merchandise and event t-shirts. The sound system was good, the beer was cold, and the audience was pleased. The first band, Daisy Head, brought their pop-funky sound from Santa Cruz. Their music is catchy and their overall sound is lightweight.
Next up was Roguestar, a configuration of three women and three men. Though they are good musicians, elements of their sound seemed misplaced. The vocalist, Stacey Oziel, sounds like she should be singing in a country western band. Third in the lineup was Tiny G, who came the closest to really rocking. The rhythm section of this band is solid, and the guitarist is quite good. Lead singer, Genna Giacobassi, seems torn between rocking out and blissing out - her eyes were closed for half of the set. She has an interesting vocal style - I just wanted to hear her rough things up a bit.
Pianist, Beth Waters, took the fourth band slot. When I first saw this artist behind her keyboard, she looked like Tori Amos' little sister. As I listened to her set, I realized I like her better than Tori. When a soloist gets a band behind her, the additional musicians can convolute the sound. Not here. The other musicians played well, and were successfully integrated into her sound. A stand out song was "Cry." Beth has a memorable voice, and writes well. We'll be hearing more from Beth Waters.
Headlining was the organizing band, HopeChild. My favorite part of this band was the percussion. Their drummer was having fun with his kit, and had congas to add to the sound. The bassist also was solid. Lead vocalist, Natalie, looked like she was having a great time. Overall it was a night of decent listening. The emcee kept saying, "Let's hear it for women in music - let's support our women musicians!" The audience was all for it, and so am I.