Sunday, September 9th, 2001
by Dona Edwards
Sunday night the crowds flocked into Room 710 to enjoy a fantastic night of
music, silent auctions, food and cool free stuff. They were not
disappointed. Hosted by the multi-talented Jenn Garrison of KGSR, the night
started off with the smooth acoustic talents of Elizabeth White.
Elizabeth started off the evening doing what she does best, just her and a guitar. Her voice echoed throughout Room 710 as she sang songs of love, pain and passion. She sang both new and old songs, including her single "We've Done Nothing Wrong" which is on the GoGirlsMusicFest compilation CD given out at the show. She finished her set with an emotional Marvin Gaye tune, "Let's Get It On." Again, doing what she does best - just a girl and a guitar!
Next, the incredible voice of Heather Bishop filled the room. This woman
has an amazingly powerful voice - so much so that a microphone seems almost
unnecessary. Heather sang soulful blues/folk with a touch of country;
imagine if Janis Joplin and Tina Turner had merged and decided to go
acoustic. Powerful emotion and stirring songs surely pleased an
ever-growing crowd of fans.
The third performers of the night were the multi-talented Kitty Gordon.
Fans got a rare treat as Nina Singh and Mark Addison combined to form Kitty
Gordon 'unplugged'. The duo performed some of their most popular tunes and
got fans swaying and stepping to the catchy laid back pop. The musicianship
of the duo was readily apparent as Singh, a former drummer who now fronts
and plays guitar comfortably, led the fans on a smooth journey of memorable
music.
And then Shade happened. Plugging in, cranking it up, this electrifying
group took total control of a now packed house. Beth Puorro and the rest of
Shade did not let up their hold on the crowd, leaving them dancing, jumping
and whooping their delight. In the words of April, who had never seen Shade
before: "Anyone who decided against going to the GoGirls thing at Room 710
last night, soooooo missed out!!! Can anyone say--Shade!! That was one
kick-ass, rockin' band". Although the performance does not lend itself
easily to description, suffice to say the energy, musicianship and sheer fun
contained in this band is not something you see every day. Returning from
earlier in the evening, Heather Bishop joined Shade on electric viola,
adding yet another dimension to an unforgettable performance. Shade
finished the evening with guitar heavy rock song called "Amnesia Moon" in
which, in the throes of musical climax the bassist Rae Goldring and lead
Singer Beth ended up together on the stage floor, still furiously strumming
their instruments. The crowd roared their overwhelming approval.
And the night was not over. Not by a long shot. Patrice Pike, the
golden-haired front woman of the new band, Patrice Pike and the Black Box
Rebellion took command of the stage and serenaded a crowd that was obviously
star struck. Performing solo she is obviously all it takes to draw a crowd
and hold them mesmerized with her amazing, thoughtful words. Patrice
enjoyed playful banter with the crowd, many of which enjoyed a few inside
jokes such as one fan's suggestion to play the song "Kiss Me", dammit.
Patrice, obviously having a great time, tried a few bars, "Umm, umm, "Kiss
me dammit". (real words 'kiss me baby'). Ms. Pike, whose new direction
after Sister 7 takes her on a journey of peace, politics and of course,
love, drew together a crowd that had come to Room 710 for many purposes,
great music, awesome cause and the unique treat of seeing women in the
spotlight. In those few hours, these artists created an event that
celebrates the female musician in a way that brings all genders, colors, and
creeds together to form a family laced together by the unyielding love of
music.
