Women Musicians Show at The Cat Club, Hollywood, April 28, 2002
Gals RULE at The Cat Club
Sheena Metal, Milktooth, Lisa Johnson, Roberta Donnay, Danielle Egnew, Danielle Lo Presti, Eileen Carey, Shredmistress Rynata
Hosted by: Female Guitarist Shredmistress Rynata
written by: Peter G. Lancellotti
Shredmistress Rynata, founder of FemMuse.com, put on an outstanding showcase of Female Indie Artists Sunday night, April 28th inside the intimate setting of Sunset strip’s The Cat Club.
Mc’d by the wildly outrageous and witty Sheena Metal of 97.1 FM talk radio, the evening opened with the intense ovations of The Shredmistress and her band The Fem Jam, also joined by Maral, bassist for the band Sanaiya currently on hiatus. Rynata’s philosophy and theme behind the evening of music was to display women in integral roles playing a hugely important part in the development of every genre and style of music. Proving this time and time again, after only nine months – yes, the length of a pregnancy – she has given birth to an extraordinary opportunity for women breaking into the industry. The men are also welcomed with open arms, but the imperative behind FemMuse is to have at least one woman in the band, if not more.
The evening’s line-up was an amazing blend of eclectic styles from several genres pleasing the audience to no end. The Cat Club was packed, including its catwalk staircase to the second level.
Singer/songwriter Lisa Johnson
A fantastic local artist on the LA music scene, combined powerful vocals and heartfelt messages with an acoustic style all her own. Her all-original material deserves definitive merit to the folk rock genre and gives reason to artists everywhere to continue the work of meaningful music that touches the heart.
Grammy nominated Roberta Donnay
Having a commanding style of alternative pop and a voice not known since Joni Mitchel, put a smile on all our faces. She has an extensive resume from film, television and radio and is truly a leader in the indie artist realm. Having appeared around the country with the likes of The Black Crowes, Eddie Money, Dan Fogelberg, Neil Young and Huey Lewis – her performance of the night warmed our hearts and made us realize why America pop rules. Roberta’s efforts on the music scene is inspirational with her charity work that includes the recent Benefit for Afghan Women in San Francisco and New York in 2001. Ending her set with an incredible jam session with the Shredmistress, we hope she will continue to work with the FemMuse network inspiring artists everywhere.
Danielle Egnew of the band Pope Jane
A long time friend of the evening’s hostess Sheena Metal, gave us a riveting solo performance with a vocal range that amazed and dazzled the audience. Coming from Montana and playing the Northwest circuit for years, Danielle has decided to come to the LA music scene to contribute a luscious and sensual act that is a must-see and definitively touched by the muse. Having opened for Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart back in 2000, she shared an evening of original music that rivals the likes of Tori Amos and Kate Bush.
Danielle Lo Presti and The Masses
Danielle’s band shook the house with their cutting edge blend of rock and punk. Their recent release of “Dear Mr. Penis Head” – actually a thank you note to a music industry attorney in LA who told her there was no place for a female that does “Adult/Thinking Rock” – has been endorsed by the Queen of Indie Music, Ani DiFranco as well as garnering a nomination at the LA Music Awards for best Indie Pop CD of the year. The band has been featured on KPBS Radio and festival stages throughout the southern California area. It is for certain that this band has much to offer and we will assuredly be hearing more of them in the coming months.
Eileen Carey, musical storyteller
With a bluesy vocal style blended splendidly with a folk rock beat, Eileen expresses herself like an angel. Reminiscent of the styles of K.D. Lang and Shawn Colvin, Eileen is the woman to listen for as she commands attention and presence on stage. Nominated for Best Adult Contemporary Artist at the 2000 Los Angeles Music Awards, she is also a major contributor to the FemMuse network and associate of Shredmistress Rynata, and is – as she puts it – a humble silent partner. Her sensitive, yet powerful, singer/songwriting talents have been recognized nationally with the song “That Town” which goes to show that independent artists can and will rank up there with big names who have big budgets.
Milktooth
Originally from San Francisco and recently transplanted in Los Angeles, received a welcoming response to their aggressive grunge/rock style. The overtones of heavy metal, ethereal psychedelics and smoky female vocals ended the evening’s showcase with quite a big bang. Vocalist/bassist Rebecca Hill and guitarist/vocalist Josh Chase formed the band in 1998. Their all-original music showcases influences from Soundgarden, Radiohead, Swans and U2 all wrapped up in a neatly woven experimental drama that continues to make indie music so worthy of larger audiences. MilkTooth, the self-released title of their debut CD in August 2001, is moody, dark and raw showing once again, that the indie scene doesn’t have to be Trent Reznor or Marilyn Manson to be a hit! And Milktooth is a hit!
It’s Guitar Shredding Time
Following the line-up of Shredmistress Rynata’s evening, she made an announcement for aspiring musicians to come up on stage and show us their stuff in a jam session that rocked The Cat Club till closing. Guitarist/vocalist Kathryn Grimm (www.kathryngrimm.com) Bassist/vocalist Leon Randolf, and Percussionist Steve Schaaff all added their musical talents during the night’s delivery of one the best indie shows in southern California.