The rumors are true - Lilith Fair, the legendary all-female music festival championed by Sarah McLachlan, will return this summer! The new Lilith Fair website was launched yesterday, and although it doesn't have much in the way of details, Chicago is on the list of cities where Lilith Fair will stop. From 1997 to 1999, you may remember that Lilith Fair was one of the most popular and successful traveling music festivals in the world, with 1.5 million tickets sold, and $10 million dollars raised for charities. Pretty much every female musician who was around in the late 90s did a stint on the Lilith Fair tour roster.
So the question is, who will play this year? Tripwire is hosting a Lilith Fair Fantasy League contest with their predictions for 2010's lineup. Who do you want to see? Post your wishlist in the comments section!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Beth Ditto, Punk Princess
Earlier this month, Jenny and I spent a chilly Friday night at Metro Chicago, seeing The Gossip'se first Chicago show in years. Since they last played the Windy City, the Gossip has exploded, becoming a huge sensation in Europe and released their latest album, Music for Men, on major label Sony Records. The lead singer, Beth Ditto, has become a celebrity all to herself. Known for her feminist ethics and activism around queer and fat rights, Ditto has become a somewhat unlikely muse for the fashion world. With her face plastered on magazines and her own clothing line, Ditto is much more a household name than she was three years ago.
With that in mind, we weren't sure what to expect when opening act MEN (featuring J.D. Sampson from LeTigre) finished and The Gossip took the stage. Their shows have traditionally been intimate, even when playing large venues, with Ditto interacting with the crowd and smashing the fourth wall between the band and the audience to pieces by the end of their first song. I was concerned that, with their major label status and rapidly rising climb to fame, The Gossip would present a more polished, removed and ultimately less satisfying show.
There was no need to worry. Playing a mix of their new songs and old favorites, including covers of "Rebel Girl" "Psycho Killer" and "What's Love Got To Do With It", The Gossip has stayed true to themselves. Ditto engaged the audience, even pulling a boy on stage who was from her hometown and stopping the show to talk to him. Their lyrics about broken hearts and queer pride are just as strong as ever, and she serves as a strong role model for self acceptance, pride in all regards and using music as a way to celebrate community. Even though the 1,000+ capacity club was nearly sold out, it felt like it was a show in a local civic center. The sound was great, despite Ditto being sick, but the real strength of the show was the interaction with the fans. Despite what cynics might say, punk and riot grrrl are not dead - at least not as long as Beth Ditto and The Gossip have anything to say about it.
With that in mind, we weren't sure what to expect when opening act MEN (featuring J.D. Sampson from LeTigre) finished and The Gossip took the stage. Their shows have traditionally been intimate, even when playing large venues, with Ditto interacting with the crowd and smashing the fourth wall between the band and the audience to pieces by the end of their first song. I was concerned that, with their major label status and rapidly rising climb to fame, The Gossip would present a more polished, removed and ultimately less satisfying show.
There was no need to worry. Playing a mix of their new songs and old favorites, including covers of "Rebel Girl" "Psycho Killer" and "What's Love Got To Do With It", The Gossip has stayed true to themselves. Ditto engaged the audience, even pulling a boy on stage who was from her hometown and stopping the show to talk to him. Their lyrics about broken hearts and queer pride are just as strong as ever, and she serves as a strong role model for self acceptance, pride in all regards and using music as a way to celebrate community. Even though the 1,000+ capacity club was nearly sold out, it felt like it was a show in a local civic center. The sound was great, despite Ditto being sick, but the real strength of the show was the interaction with the fans. Despite what cynics might say, punk and riot grrrl are not dead - at least not as long as Beth Ditto and The Gossip have anything to say about it.
Take This Job And.....
Starting out at the bottom and crawling your way to the top is common in many industries and in entertainment and creative fields especially. Workers spend years fetching coffee and job hopping to build a resume that will hopefully, someday, get them to their dream position. The years spent fighting for it are rough - but with a solid group of friends around, it is possible to get through anything.
The hard-scrabble years are noticeably absent from movies and television shows that depict twenty-somethings having their first go at their career. If we were to believe the media, everyone lives in gorgeous apartments in New York while barely working twenty hour weeks.
At last, a breath of fresh air has entered the world of the cute New Yorker making-her-way niche. The Underlings is a new web-series focused on a group of friends who are "underlings" in their various fields. Comprised of short episodes that you can watch on your lunch break, the show follows the cast through their job, love and friendship struggles with a sassy sense of humor and a refreshing dose of reality.
Created by an all-female team of funny lady writers and producers, The Underlings is a full web experience, with new music and discounts for already affordable stores on the website. Welcome to the web, ladies - we're glad you're here.
The hard-scrabble years are noticeably absent from movies and television shows that depict twenty-somethings having their first go at their career. If we were to believe the media, everyone lives in gorgeous apartments in New York while barely working twenty hour weeks.
At last, a breath of fresh air has entered the world of the cute New Yorker making-her-way niche. The Underlings is a new web-series focused on a group of friends who are "underlings" in their various fields. Comprised of short episodes that you can watch on your lunch break, the show follows the cast through their job, love and friendship struggles with a sassy sense of humor and a refreshing dose of reality.
Created by an all-female team of funny lady writers and producers, The Underlings is a full web experience, with new music and discounts for already affordable stores on the website. Welcome to the web, ladies - we're glad you're here.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Wonder Woman Day!
Aw dang, we just missed it by a day. (And a couple thousand miles.)
But how cool is this? As part of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, galleries and comic shops in both Portland and New Jersey participated in WONDER WOMAN DAY IV, a charity event benefitting local women's shelters and crisis lines. Founded by author Andy Mangels, the event was designed as "a celebration of the character [of Wonder Woman] and the heroic values shown throughout her history, and of upholding those same values within the greater community." In addition to prizes, celebrity signings, and superhero costumes galore, hundreds of contemporary comic artists donated original illustrations of the famed Amazon to raise money for this noble cause. Click here (and scroll down) to see depictions of our favorite superheroine by Los Bros. Hernandez, Alex Ross, Anne Timmons, Jeff Smith, Franco Aureliani, Linda Chartier, and more!
But how cool is this? As part of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, galleries and comic shops in both Portland and New Jersey participated in WONDER WOMAN DAY IV, a charity event benefitting local women's shelters and crisis lines. Founded by author Andy Mangels, the event was designed as "a celebration of the character [of Wonder Woman] and the heroic values shown throughout her history, and of upholding those same values within the greater community." In addition to prizes, celebrity signings, and superhero costumes galore, hundreds of contemporary comic artists donated original illustrations of the famed Amazon to raise money for this noble cause. Click here (and scroll down) to see depictions of our favorite superheroine by Los Bros. Hernandez, Alex Ross, Anne Timmons, Jeff Smith, Franco Aureliani, Linda Chartier, and more!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Video Fridays: "Man-Size"
Speaking of great guitar girls...
Oh Polly Jean, you're such a ham.
(Also, is it just me, or does it look like something falls out of her nose about 2:18 in?)
Oh Polly Jean, you're such a ham.
(Also, is it just me, or does it look like something falls out of her nose about 2:18 in?)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Greatest Guitar Girls
Buy at AllPosters.comIn my internet wanderings this week, I came across an article in Venus Zine last year where they broke down the greatest female guitar players of all time. The article itself was a response to the ridiculous lack of women in the Rolling Stone "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" article, which included just two women - Joni Mitchell and Joan Jett. Few people have more devotion to Joan Jett than I, believe me, but can't we do better than two out of a hundred names? The writers at Venus Zine thought so, and came up with their own list, assisted by a panel of experts that included Chicago's Nan Warshaw, owner of Bloodshot Records, and Amy Phillips, Music Editor of Pitchfork. Check out their list, and be sure to click on the alphabetical titles to read more about each of the women they've featured and leave your own favorites in the comments section!
Feeling inspired to become a Great Girl Guitarist? Check out the Old Town School of Folk Music's guitar offerings - the next class session starts next week!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Video Fridays: Papas Fritas
From 1997's Helioself.
I'm gonna pretend it's not almost winter already, ok?
I'm gonna pretend it's not almost winter already, ok?
Friday, October 9, 2009
Video Fridays: Teenage Jesus & the Jerks
A clip from the legendary no wave band Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, from their Empty Bottle show earlier this week:
Oh that is F%@#ED UP.
Repost courtesy of the Daily Kos, Oklahoma Introduces Its Own Scarlet Letter.
Starting this November, every woman undergoing an abortion in the state of Oklahoma will have to provide information regarding her race, her age, her level of education, her relationship with the father, total number of previous pregnancies, etc. This information, although supposedly not connected to the woman's name, will then be posted on a public website.
The worst part is that this new law is supposedly designed "prevent abortions based on the gender of the fetus," which sounds like it is meant to protect baby girls, no?
Fortunately, pro-choice advocates across the country are already fighting back.
Way to go, Oklahoma. I'm never watching your crappy musical ever again. :P
Starting this November, every woman undergoing an abortion in the state of Oklahoma will have to provide information regarding her race, her age, her level of education, her relationship with the father, total number of previous pregnancies, etc. This information, although supposedly not connected to the woman's name, will then be posted on a public website.
The worst part is that this new law is supposedly designed "prevent abortions based on the gender of the fetus," which sounds like it is meant to protect baby girls, no?
Fortunately, pro-choice advocates across the country are already fighting back.
Way to go, Oklahoma. I'm never watching your crappy musical ever again. :P
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Take Care Of The Girls Month
Hey, it's October, which means it is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the time of year when every store will have a million pink things on sale... oh wait, and its also the time of year when you should be thinking about your risk of breast cancer and what you can do to prevent and detect it. With all the pink sales, I almost forgot!
So here's your friendly reminder about what we at the WOW blog have termed National Boob Month. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, but the good news is that it is now one of the most well understood cancers, and can be one of the most survivable when caught early. In fact, even though it is the most common cancer among women, there are more cancer deaths from lung cancer than breast cancer. That said, no cancer is a picnic, so all women should take steps to prevent it in the first place.
The American Cancer Society recommends three action items everyone can do to reduce their risk of breast cancer -
1. Eat a healthy diet to maintain a healthy weight, or seek help in getting to a healthy weight. If you are naturally slim, you still need to eat healthy foods. If you've struggled with your weight, eating healthy foods and exercising is more important than slimming down quickly or in an unhealthy way. For tips on easy to make healthy meals, try Lifehack's suggestions or Food Network's website. If you're lazy and hate cooking, like me, than get yourself a George Foreman Grill
for $20 and it will help you to make almost anything quickly and without a lot of grease or fat. I also find that if you make time to stop at the grocery store every week on a Monday, you'll be better at loading up on fresh veggies and fruits for the week. Do what works for you, and make it easy and sustainable - starving yourself to loose pounds will only result in yo-yo weight loss and gain, which may actually increase your risk of cancer and other health issues.2. Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days a week. I know, who has time for this, right? If you're lazy like me (sense a theme here?), try and sign up for an activity that you enjoy that just so happens to be exercise. For me, its swimming - my fellow bloggers here do drumming class and dance class. If you can knock a class out a couple of times a week, then you can cover the other three days by doing things like getting off the train a stop early and walking ten minutes to work, or biking when you do your errands. Even buying an exercise DVD like Punk Yoga
can help. You don't have to spend a lot of money to do this, just do something. Again, be realistic here - it's better to work out twice a week for the next twenty years than to sign up for a six week cardio bootcamp class that you'll never do again in your life.3. Limit your alcohol consumption to no more than one drink per day. This is probably the easiest thing for everyone to do, but if you struggle with addiction you may find this difficult. Alcohol abuse puts you at risk not only for breast cancer but for many other physical and mental health issues as well. If you are finding it hard to limit your alcohol consumption, you can seek free assistance at Alcoholics Anonymous.
In addition to take the steps above to reduce your risk of breast cancer, women over the age of 40 should get yearly mammograms and breast exams. If you have a hard time remembering to schedule your appointment, sign up for the free mammogram reminder service from the American Cancer Society. Take Care of The Girls!
PS - Men can get breast cancer too! Any detection of lumps in a man's chest area should be taken just as seriously as a lumps in a woman's breast, especially if he has a history of breast cancer in his family. Get thee to a doctor!
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