"I met alot of really amazing GoGirls, and I appreciate the opportunity to play and be a part of the event."
Trisha O'Keefe, Philadelphia, PA
"Thank you GoGirls Music! We are so proud to be part of such an incredible group of women. Invasion of the GoGirls at SXSW 2006 reaffirmed everything that we've always wanted to believe about the power of music. After a very difficult year, we were having a little trouble finding our footing musically. We live in a town where 'cover bands' are revered and the only original bands that seem to get attention are the 20 year old boys with 'the sound of the week.' We cannot express how completely reaffirming it was for us to play in Austin at the GoGirls Music showcase. The talent of the artists at this year's show completely blew us away. It is a great experience when, as an artist you can be both humbled and inspired at the same time. What an illustrious group of supportive, talented, and friendly women. So, thank you Madalyn, Georgia, all the performers and friends - old and new - that made last weekend so special for us. We left for Austin somewhat burnt out and we returned inspired! We know that when we pick up our guitars tonight to work on new material there will be a perfect showcase and an appreciative audience to listen to them."
Rebecca and Lynn of Irrational Fear - Louisville, KY
"I feel SO very lucky to be a part of the show. I HAD A BLAST & all the girls were awesome...
I LOVE AUSTIN...& SXSW...what fun...THANX MADALYN...cuz U ROCK!!!"
Black Flamingo - New York, NY
"I just wanted to tell you what a pleasure it was to perform at Vanilla Girl on Saturday. We met so many talented, beautiful people that I can't even express to you what a wonderful experience it was! Thanks for giving us the opportunity to be apart of such a great event, it truly means the world to me to be able to meet other talented kick ass women of music."
Lnz of a Melodic Daydream - Fort Collins, CO
"Thank you so much for all you did this past week. This was my first go girls and I had such a great time. I felt truly a part of a wonderful, inspiring female artist community. It was so refreshing. I feel blessed to now be a part of."
Heather Lauren - San Francisco, CA
"This was my first GoGirls show to attend and perform. I played on Sunday at Vanilla Girl. I am used to being the only female in a room full of male musicians, so I was a little intimidated. After my performance, everyone was very kind. A few of the girls said that they were going to try and make my full band show that I had later that night on 6th street. In musician terms, this usually means, 'not going to happen'. However, to my surprise, towards the middle of my band's set, there stood about 8 girls from GoGirls. They were cheering me on. They even passed around the tip jar for us. After the show, they each talked to me and gave me a sweet hug. I was floored by the way these ladies treated me. Like I said before, I do not know many female musicians in the genre that I am in. I am always the only female in a room of about 50 dude musicians. The females that I have met in my genre are always out like performing is a competition. They tend to act very 'catty' sometimes. But not GoGirls. There sweetness and support was amazing. I am very proud to be a member of such a great organization with such great and talented females. Thank you all for making my first year memorable and for all the support!"
Fallon Franklin - Austin, TX
"I had a great time this past week and the showcases @ Vanilla Girl went really well. Thank you for having me host and for the performance slots."
Wendy DeRosa - Oakland, CA
"Just wanted to say thank you for giving us an opportunity to play at the Invasion of the GoGirls at SXSW, and for everything you do. You've done an incredible job of creating a sense of community among the GoGirls, and I'm so glad to be a part of it. We had a great time this weekend!"
Melinda of M.J. Baby & The Last Word - Austin, TX
"This past weekend was a great experience in so many ways. It really helped me open my eyes, ears, and heart to so many superb singer/songwriters and musicians. We are very lucky to have an organization like this. I feel very grateful and look forward to keeping in touch with you all."
Jennifer Richman - Brooklyn, NY
"Thank you Madalyn for a great week of GoGirls events. Thank you for all you do! You're amazing!"
Carmen Menza of Magneeto - Dallas, TX
"Once again, there were phenomenal artists gathering at one location during a VERY expensive weekend for most live music fans, but of course, THIS venue was free, that's right, NO cover. Trophy's is where I hung my hat Friday and Saturday to see such energetic performances by Manifest Frequency, Irrational Fear and my newly found friend and mentor Sarah Buttons… ahem… I mean Bettens. That was only a 2 song night (which is great and good, but quite a tease for my pallet). Sarah played FOUR songs and of course, she rocked the house like crazy. I gotta tell ya, all I knew about Sarah at this point was that she sang "I'm Not an Addict" back in the 90's… and my bass player, Kathy, informed me that she played in a Buffy The Vampire Slayer show Season Three, Episode 16 which is the Doppelgangland Episode. Kathy knows her Buffy (seriously, she knew that off the top of her head)! Things have changed for me since then, of course.
Saturday night was another story though. Trophy's started filling up early and the bands started loading in… the energy was building. There was some love in that venue and everyone played a part in it. The night started off with Kelly's Lot and well, I could say, "Nuff said", but I can't stop there. She has an AMAZING voice and an energy that matches it. She is a very loved woman! Then Trisha O'Keefe followed the lead and kept the energy building with her wonderfully written songs and a voice to punch it out! But wait, it didn't stop there. EJ Labb jumped on stage (literally) and took the crowd over. A friend of mine in from Key West (Captain Tez) is trying to book them for Gay Pride there and won't stop until it happens! With some hesitation, Bon Terra took stage (I play in this band). We had some difficulties to overcome from our drummer (Liz) having to leave on a family emergency to our sax player (Becky) having a fever and not being able to join us. D Stephens stepped up to the plate for us on the drums and took over a few sax solos and helped us overcome that hesitation and feel right at home. But, I gotta tell ya, I couldn't wait to get off the stage to hear Sarah Bettens. PUNCH! RIGHT IN THE KISSER! She blew everyone away with her new originals so well written with music to compliment every feeling you could pull out of each verse. She sang, she played the guitar, and yes, she cussed for $20. She hung out and signed CD's, t-shirts and I'm sure a few other inappropriate things. I forgot to ask Stef just how many CD's they sold that night, but I'm sure they did great. Then… if anyone could follow Sarah, it was Fine Lines (formally Something for Jess). They won the GoGirls Battle of the Bands last August and deservedly so. Not only did they provide the backline for ALL of us, they took the stage with a HUGE presence and made sure we left wanting more.
This story can't stop here because you're only as good as your sound engineer. Barry Woods came in from Louisiana to make sure we ALL sounded our best and had Dawn Cook from Manifest Frequency as his right hand. Some things got off kilter and thanks to Barry's knowledge and expertise, things were back to being great in no time. You think this story could end just yet? No, it can't, because NONE of this would have happened if it weren't for the tenacity of Madalyn Sklar and HER right hand girl Georgia Moncrief. This has been going on for six years now and I can't imagine what it takes to make it happen, but she makes it happen. I know I speak for ALL of the musicians involved with GoGirls Music when I say that you've out done yourself, you've exceeded our expectations, you've raised the bar, you've made a lifetime friend out of me and we all love you (appropriately and inappropriately). Thank you GoGirls for making this Invasion of the Gogirls the best weekend I've ever experienced and I can't wait to see what happens next year!!!!"
Leslie Starnes of Bon Terra - Austin, TX
