Musicians for Equal Opportunities for Women (aka MEOW) is proud to announce that Kathy Valentine will be the Saturday Keynote Speaker at MEOW Con, the conference for women in music. The inaugural MEOW Con will be held in Austin, Texas at the Renaissance Hotel from October 24-26.

Valentine will address the crowd on the morning of Saturday, October 26, the final day of the event. Conference attendees will hear the bass player/guitarist/producer’s life story and the genesis of her amazing career, which includes more than 30 years as a member of The Go-Go’s, which she left in March.

The Go-Gos formed in 1978 and made history as the most commercially successful all-female band of all time to write and play all their own songs, creating such hits and classics as “We Got The Beat,” “Our Lips Are Sealed,” “Vacation,” “Head Over Heels” and “This Town.”

Valentine has also played with Girlschool, the Delphines, World’s Cutest Killers and currently, The Bluebonnets.

In addition to her speech, Valentine will present The Woman of Valor lifetime achievement award to honoree Suzi Quatro on Thursday evening,  October 24^th at the conference’s kick-off banquet.

MEOW Con is the only conference of its kind. Not only will it feature panel discussions, workshops, performances, a trade show and networking opportunities, but it will also examine the cultural impact of how women in music are perceived through the lens of film, literature, blogs and traditional music journalism.

“Kathy is an amazing musician and a compelling speaker,” says MEOW Director Carla DeSantis Black. “She has been on the front lines of rock and roll for more than three decades. She’s seen and done it all. The chance to hear her life experiences at MEOW Con will be a positive and life-changing experience for everyone in the room.”

The cost to attend MEOW Con is $200 through June 30th. Women of Valor Banquet tickets are $125 and sold separately through www.meowcon.eventbrite.com.

For more information, visit the official MEOW Con web site at www.meowcon.com.

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We were playing in LA at the Wiltern Theater in the winter of ’94. It was around a half an hour until showtime, and Nancy and I were on our final approach to stage readiness; make up on—looks together. We always spend the final few minutes singing together, breathing, and getting mental control. It’s a very important few minutes for us. We like our strength onstage to come from a place of peace, especially on a night like this one, where half the suits in town were checking us out to decide whether we had a future in the industry. My four year old daughter, Marie, was scampering happily around the backstage area chased by her nanny.

There was a knock on the door.

“Twenty minutes girls.”

” Okay.”

I took a deep breath and tried to release the freaky tension that was roiling in my stomach. Then I heard a loud thump. Then a wail.

The dressing room door quickly opened to reveal Marie’s nanny, Christine, and our older sister, Lynn, who runs our dressing rooms and backstage area. Marie was crying in Lynn’s arms. Blood was everywhere.

The rest of what happened then was like a bad dream. We looked at the wound. We looked at the time. Marie had run full-speed into a corner, and had laid open a large gash in her forehead. It was obvious to everyone that she needed stitches. She was terrified and hysterical. She yelled and bled and clung to me. Where a moment before I had been centered, liking what I saw in the mirror, and ready for the torque of the first song, I was now panicked, blood-soaked, and torn with emotion.

I decided that she had to go immediately to Cedar Sinai E.R. Then I was told that the audience was getting really excited out there. The place was jammed. It was LA; maybe the most critical gig on the itinerary for career reasons.

For a second I felt like Ethyl Merman in “There’s No Business Like Show Business” where someone bursts in on her backstage and cries, “We’ve found your long lost son! He’s been in a car crash and he’s waiting for you at the hospital!” To this she answers, “Thank God! Tell him I’ll be there after the sheooowww!”

I felt a ripping and tearing in my heart like I’ve never felt before as Marie was pried screaming from my arms and Lynn and Christine rushed her off into the night.

My job then was to pull myself together enough to do the show. Being out in front of people seemed incomprehensible to me. I remembered that a large portion of the industry-heavy audience was skeptical and needed to be dazzled. At that moment I simply felt like kicking their butts.

Being a singer is one of the worst gigs to have when you’re emotional or not in the mood. I can hardly remember what kind of performance I gave, but I probably deserve an Oscar for even doing it at all in my frame of mind. I felt such pain as I will never forget. The separation anxiety felt by mothers has got to be one of life’s darkest aches and most powerful gravities. If I hadn’t known before, I knew then what I had taken on.

Marie was back at the theater by half time, with seven stitches under a little bandage, and exciting stories about the hospital. Our second set was kind of an emotional, relieved blur, but the message stuck. I am Rock Mom.

Motherhood has engaged me in life the way I’ve never before been engaged. I’ve always floated a couple of feet above the ground, going in for surgical strikes and choosing my own moments. I’ve loved people totally but I’ve never been responsible for anyone else’s well-being; for their very formulation and education, setting them up for life. Now the eternal child must become a grown-up in some important ways. I’m teaching Marie about love, strength, always being there, and about recognizing, loving, and remaining herself. These are no small concepts in a world that values girls only if they can squeeze through the tiny window of body image, sexual image, popularity and conformity.

My wish for Marie is that she will be strong in herself; to somehow learn the lesson that what other people think really doesn’t matter (except her mother, of course). It’s taken me all my tormented life to learn that one, and now that I really believe it, I am free. I want that for her.

But having said that, now I care what my daughter thinks!

If she tells me my hair looks terrible, I somehow find myself at the mirror wondering if she’s right. When she was born in 1991, I essentially stopped wearing make up. It was the end of the eighties and I’d worked overtime doing my make up and hair duty. Now whenever she sees me in lipstick and eye make up I am showered with compliments, and I know very well that her loving, innocent mind is photographing me for her own posterity: “This is what Mom looked like at the close of the 20th century. She was still good-looking when she wore jungle red lips and Cleopatra eyes!’

It’s frustrating watching her eyes light up at the sight of a band guy’s bimbo girlfriend wearing stilettos, fishnets, lace mitts, a wash cloth for a skirt, and brandishing two store-bought silicone suzies. Marie still thinks that perverse vision is Saint Barbie.

It is powerful stuff for someone so young, with a soul so soft, to see all that, to watch and listen to the shows every night as thousands of people scream at her Mama and Aunt Nance. Touring is a big people’s world, but Marie is very brave, game, and I am still able to protect her.

Sometimes she will wake up in the middle of the night in the hotel bed and reach out for me. One night after a show in Indianapolis, I was awakened by a little voice making a request.

“Mama, sing ‘Barracuda.’”

I tried, I really did, lying there in the dark, to sing a bit of the shredder without breaking the water glass on the night stand. The problem with that song is that it can’t be sung as a lullaby. I think we finally settled for another of her then-favorites “Back to Avalon.” My voice was torn up from many shows in a row, but there was a poignancy about that half-whispered rendition that struck me through. It was a moment of wholeness that rang in me like a bell. This is where life had brought me. I was resonating with music and whispering with love.

That’s the good news.

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Mindy Abair

The Women’s Music Summit, produced by the Women’s International Music Network, has announced four of this year’s guest artists – Jennifer Batten, Mindy Abair, Starr Parodi and Leanne Summers.

The Summit, now in its second year, is offering a $75 discount to anyone who registers in the month of May and will feature musical instruction, insider tips, industry expertise and more.

The three-day event of music and networking takes place at Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, California, July 26th through 28th. Visit www.thewimn.com for more information.

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That is what the blog-o-sphere wants to know.

Queen Bey hasn’t exactly embraced the term, but – surprise – she’s on the current cover of the magazine that invented feminism, Ms.

So is she – or isn’t she? Although she wasn’t interviewed for Ms., she did offer her opinion on the subject to British Vogue:

“That word [feminist] can be very extreme, she said. “I guess I am a modern-day feminist. I do believe in equality. Why do you have to choose what type of woman you are? Why do you have to label yourself anything? I’m just a woman and I love being a woman.”

So what do YOU think? Has Beyoncé embraced the F word – or is it just wishful thinking on the part of Ms.?

If you like it then you better put a post on it.

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While A&F competitors H&M and American Eagle offer XXL sizes for both men and women, the largest woman’s size you will find at Abercrombie’s is a 10.

Despite the fact that most of his customers are impressionable teens, Jeffries has made the point loud and clear that he doesn’t want anyone who eats shopping at his store. Here are just a few of his choice comments on the subject:

“Abercrombie is only interested in people with washboard stomachs who look like they’re about to jump on a surfboard”

“Are we exclusionary? Absolutely. Those companies that are in trouble are trying to target everybody: young, old, fat, skinny. But then you become totally vanilla.”

“A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong.”

Jeffries’ reprehensible attitude doesn’t just stop at the store. Last October a law suit was filed against the 68-year-old CEO by 55-year-old Michael Bustin, the former pilot of Jeffries’ private jet, who says Jeffries fired him because he was too old for the job.

Bustin claims Jeffries insisted on well-shaved, boxer-clad models wearing color-specific hand gloves, a Phil Collins song playing during boarding and specific seating arrangements for his dogs.

Really? He such a hipster that he prefers Phil Collins to Vampire Weekend?

This creep should be kicked out of his own store – and society.

The post Abercrombie CEO Hates Ugly and Fat Chicks appeared first on MEOW.

This awesome original video was produced by Kim Gordon and Spike Jonez. Doesn’t get much better than that.

Want to see the band perform live on this momentous occasion? Here’s where you’ll find them:

THE BREEDERS ON TOUR

5/9 Royale Nightclub, Boston, MA
5/11 Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ONT Canada
5/12 Majestic Theatre, Detroit, MI
5/14 Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, TN
5/15 Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA
5/17 Hangout Festival, Gulf Shores, AL
5/24 Primavera Sound 2013, Barcelona, Spain
5/25 This is Not A Love Song Festival, Nimes, France
5/27 Le Bikini, Toulouse, France
5/28 Le Rocher De Palmer, Bordeaux, France
5/30 Primavera Sound 2013, Porto, Portugal
6/1 Le Trianon, Paris, France
6/2 Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, Belgium
6/3 Paradiso, Amsterdam, Holland
6/14 Vicar Street, Dublin, Ireland
6/15 The Limelight, Belfast, Ireland
6/17 ABC, Glasgow, Scotland
6/18 Ritz, Manchester, England
6/19 Forum, London, England
6/21 ATP Festival, Camber Sands, UK
7/20 Pitchfork Music Festival, Chicago, IL
8/3 Osheaga Festival, Montreal, QC CANADA
8/26 Rio Theatre, Santa Cruz, CA
8/27 The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
8/30 Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
8/31 Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
9/1 Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival, Seattle, WA
9/7 Hopscotch Music Festival, Raleigh, NC
10/26 All Tomorrow’s Parties, Altona North, Melbourne, Australia
10/28 Enmore theatre, Sydney, Australia
10/29 Tivoli theatre, Brisbane, Australia
10/31 Astor Theatre, Perth, Australia

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This year the eleven-year-old music festival expands from one to two weekends, taking place October 4-6 and 11-13.

Isn’t until the 24th name on the bill that you find a female artist out of 130 on one of the eight stages – Grimes – in the headlining spot. The big-name, big fonts are dominated by all male bands – Depeche Mode, the Cure, Muse, Kings of Leon and Lionel Ritchie.

Women and mixed bands do comprise many of the supporting spots, though. You can see Neko Case, Haim, Wild Belle, Courtyard Hounds, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, Delta Rae, Shovels and Rope and more.

Two weekend passes sold out immediately. To see the entire line-up visit aclfestival.com.

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The film, which has already shown at SXSW and Sundance, follows four back-up singers: Judith Hill (currently on “The Voice”), Merry Clayton, Darlene Love (a legend in her own right) and Lisa Fischer.

Twenty Feet from Stardom traces the backup singers’ history—from those Phil Spector–produced pop tunes and soul-inspired British Explosion acts (Joe Cocker, the Rolling Stones) of the 1960s, to their reversal of fortune when the recording industry changed in the 1990s, and into today. Bruce Springsteen, Bette Midler and other close proximity stars are also interviewed.

The reviews rave about this one, so mark your calendar and support the back-up ladies.

The post Twenty Feet from Stardom Hits Theaters in June appeared first on MEOW.

Los Lobos saxophonist Steve Berlin, who also produced East Los Angeles-based Quetzal’s latest and third album, Worksongs, once paid the group the ultimate compliment. “Los Lobos has carried the torch long enough,” Berlin said, “and I think Quetzal is the next to step up and speak for the community.”

“I like that comment and I think it’s beautiful,” Quetzal singer Martha Gonzalez responded. “But we’ve always been accountable to the community. That’s what we sing about and what we feel is important. If you’re at all affected by the world, you will identify with our music.”

Worksongs is a socially-conscious Latin folk/roots rock blend that includes touches of son, bolero and son jajocho. Gonzalez’s vocals alternately soar and whisper the band’s messages of love and hope (her brother and fellow band member, Gabriel, also sings), while the rest of the band – Quetzal Flores (guitar/jarana/banjo sexto), Edson Gianesi (percussion), Dante Pascuzzo (bass), and Kiko Cornejo (drums) – provides a steady, funky beat. 

Gonzalez has been a member of the group for the past eight years and is married to its founder. Before joining Quetzal, she acted in commercials and films and sang background vocals for Toledo and the Rhythm Tribe. Gonzalez talked with ROCKRGRL about her career thus far.

How did you meet the band?

I met Quetzal Flores in 1995. The band needed a singer, so a friend gave him my number. I thought it was for background singing because I was a background singer for bands around LA at that time.

How did your brother Gabriel get involved?

We have been singing together for years. He’s worked with Juan Gabriel and Lucha Villa, so I thought he’d be perfect. The guys at the time didn’t sing very much. Nobody wanted to try background vocals or try to harmonize with me. That’s when I suggested he start coming to rehearsals.

What made you want to become a singer?

Well, I never really wanted to be a singer. I wanted to be a mime, like Marcel Marceau. I used to see mime troupes in elementary school. I studied it for awhile in junior high school with a guy who studied with Marceau. I studied theater, mime and Kabuki Theater for many years in high school, and it was my college major. My dad was a singer and, back then, it was never that appealing to me. It was the furthest thing from my mind. But everything kept bringing me back to music. Even when I was acting professionally, people would ask if I could sing. I’d always loved music, but never considered it as a career.

What are your influences, besides Marcel Marceau?

I’ve always been inspired by Kabuko and Chinese theater. In terms of music, I’ve always been a big soul fan – Chaka Khan, Teena Marie. I’m a complete Angeleno, so I grew up listening to a lot of soul music. I got into classic rock later on.

What instruments do you play?

Congas and cajon. A cajon is a wooden box with a sound hole in it. It’s Peruvian. A lot of Latin American countries use it, but it’s more prominent in Peruvian and Cuban cultures. You slap it with your hand and you can find different tones throughout the box.

My uncle by marriage, Tom Beneke, makes my instruments, including my tarima – that’s played with your feet. And I play chekere, a percussion instrument, as well. It’s a gourd that’s hollowed out on one side and draped with a beaded net so that when you play it, you get the sound of the gourd from the bottom edge. Then you rock it back and forth with the beads. I use a Shure 57 microphone and a 58 for the percussion and the tarima.

How do you care for your voice?

I won’t eat for two hours before I sing because otherwise I get a lot of phlegm. I don’t drink anything cold for a couple of hours before that. I’m a better performer when I do that. After I sing, for at least an hour, I try not to drink anything cold. Your coval chords are so warm that if you down something cold you send them into shock. It can lead to long-term damage if you do that over and over.

Drinking alcohol really affects how you sing and how long your career can last. It can deteriorate your vocal chords. I also like running to expand my lung capacity. It helps so that I don’t have to strain my voice. I can use my diaphragm.

Do you feel an obligation to carry on in the tradition of other Chicano bands, especially when it comes to political discourse?

We don’t necessarily try to be political, although we’re referred to that way a lot. I feel that we write love songs. Love is just not about a man and a woman, or love between two women or two men. It encompasses the love that you have for your community.

We sing about working people from a different perspective. Sometimes it’s important to say something because nobody else touches on it. It’s a challenge to write beautiful songs and say something that may be difficult for people to hear. For example, parts of the lyrics from Worksongs are ideas from a book called “Grassroots Post-Modernism: Remaking the Soil of Cultures” by Gustavo Esteva and Madhu Suri Prakash. It’s about people who organize within a system. We used to think that nobody wanted to hear about this, but then we got responses like, “Wow, this song touched me!” You realize you’re not the only person that feels that way. Other people identify with it, too.

Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?

I made up my mind eight years ago that music was what I would do It’s what my dad used to do, what my brother and sister do.  It’s like the family muse. I will always be doing music in some way, shape or form, whether with Quetzal or with members of Quetzal in other projects. This is my life.

This interview by Desiree Guzetta appeared in ROCKRGRL Magazine Issue #49, Fall 2003. 

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