Take Back The Revolutions - The Official Blog of the Women on Women Music Program

Video Fridays: Yeah Yeah Yeahs Concert Film Trailer

2010-07-30T08:30:00.009-05:00

Miss Exotic World 2010

2010-06-14T00:28:00.002-05:00

What does a girl do when she's turning 29, dreading 30, and unhappy with her position in life?

Head to Vegas, of course!

Last week, I packed up and went to Vegas to celebrate my 29th birthday and to attend the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend. The event consists of show kicking off the weekend, a show celebrating the legends of burlesque ("The Titans of Tease"), and culminates in the pagent for Miss Exotic World a/k/a The Reigning Queen of Burlesque. There is also a closing night event.

My first night there I barely had time to check in and shimmy into a dress and stilettos before heading to the kick off event. Entering the showroom at The Plaza hotel, where all of the shows were to be held, I was stunned by how many different kinds of ladies were in attendance. Women of all different races, shapes, sizes, and gender expressions (from high femme to uber butch) were there. What struck me the most was how comfortable everyone seemed in their own skin. Chicago's own Frenchie Kiss rocked the show, presenting her homage to the Flight of the Conchords. It was a great start to a glitter filled weekend.

Friday brought the ribbon cutting at the Hall of Fame, which was founded by burlesque legend Dixie Evans. It houses memorabilia from legends of the past, like Gypsy Rose Lee, and photos of current burlesque legends and winners of Miss Exotic World. The Hall has been a long time coming, and is very exciting to see it finally getting off the ground.

Friday evening brought the very exciting - and very long - Titans of Tease program. Performances and interviews with living legends like Satan's Angel and Candy "Baby" Caramelo were intertwined with performances by current legends, including Karl Lagerfeld's most recent muse Dirty Martini and the author of the recently released book The Burlesque Handbook Jo "Boobs" Weldon, who did a stunning tribute to Gypsy Rose Lee.

Saturday was the big event! A standing room only audience sat on the edge of our seats anxious to find out who would be crowned Miss Exotic World 2010. The host, Miss Astrid (seen here oficiating a wedding at last year's event) was one of the funniest, sharpest MC's I have seen in ages. In addition to her quick wit, she had the audience recite a pledge stating that we were all feminists and as such recognized that participating in a pagent is deeply ironic, and accordingly we promised to have fun. Hearing an entire showroom declare themselves to be feminists was just as thrilling as seeing all of the rhinestones, glitter and pasties that filled the evening.

The winners of the evening were all very deserving. New York's Miss Tickle took the trophy for Best Debut (the category for, as Miss Atrid put it, "when we don't know who the fuck you are"). Best Group went to the amazing Chicago Starlets for their charming painter's number. The new Reigning King of Burlesque was awarded to The Evil Hate Monkey (the cutest hateful thing since Gremlins), and Best Variety went to Lola Martinet and Tila Von Twirl, also from Chicago.

The competition for Miss Exotic World 2010 was stiff. One of my favorite performers, Nasty Canasta did a high-tech routine referencing The Portrait of Dorian Gray (and came in 2nd runner up!). Midnite Martini presented a stunning routine that showcased her flexibility and amazing strength (the fact that she teaches aerial burlesque makes me want to move to Seattle!). The winner, Roxi D'lite wowed with a routine featuring giant lit cigar and a dress made seemingly all of glitter.

By the time I boarded the plane to head back to Chicago, I had seen over 11 hours of burlesque dance, and had a brand new appreciation for art and the community it can foster among women. I can't wait for next year!

Vixens with Vinyl

2010-06-08T09:39:00.004-05:00

A vintage photo gallery of Chicks-n-Records, thanks to Retrospace.

(I liked the title "Chicks with Discs" better.)

Witty Women: Quote of the Week

2010-05-17T08:30:00.001-05:00

You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.
— Indira Gandhi

Feminist Action Figures - Bronte Sisters Power Up!

2010-05-12T08:00:00.004-05:00

I was tipped off to this YouTube gem from my friend and fan of the Bronte sisters, Tarina yesterday. If only there were feminist action figures!

Witty Women: Quote of the Week

2010-05-10T13:15:00.002-05:00

From a first class lady who left us today -

"You have to be taught to be second class; you're not born that way."
- Lena Horne

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

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Happy Mother's Day to all the moms, stepmoms, grandmas, godmothers, aunts, and like-a-moms reading today! We also remember today all the wonderful women we've lost, especially Pat, and know that they live on in us.

Happy Birthday to The Pill!

2010-05-08T08:00:00.003-05:00

This week marks the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granting approval to the birth control pill, a decision which revolutionized women's reproductive health. The domino effect of the availability of reliable birth control in this country was wide-ranging. Single women could embrace their sexuality without fear of pregnancy and married couples could plan if and when they wanted to start a family. How many marriages were strengthened or saved, and how many bad marriages prevented in the first place, we will never know. But beyond the biological effect of The Pill, in a time where women could be fired from their jobs simply for getting pregnant, it meant that women could think long term about college, post-graduate studies, career plans, travel, and anything else that they wished to achieve or do in their lives. In this way, the ability to choose when and if to have children resulted in more women going to college and becoming doctors, lawyers and scientists, more women going further in the field of business, more women being free to dedicate their early career years to more challenging work or service opportunities... all of which undoubtedly improved the standard of living of their families as well. Plus, when those women did decide to have families, they were much more likely to be in stable marriages and less likely to be living in poverty.

One outspoken woman who heartily embraced The Pill was the legendary singer Loretta Lynn. Married at 14 years old and a mom of four by the age of 17, Loretta's 1974 song "The Pill" was the first to discuss the subject, and it did so from a very personal perspective of a woman tired of being pregnant every year. Though it was banned at my radio stations, Loretta was later told by doctors working in rural areas that it had done more to increase awareness of the pill's availability than anything else - something no doubt Loretta had in mind when writing a song that would speak to her own background. Here now is Loretta Lynn with "The Pill" -

Video Fridays: Dum Dum Girls "Jail La La"

2010-05-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

Witty Women: Quote of the Week

2010-05-03T15:00:00.001-05:00

Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good.

Luckily, this is not difficult.

- Charlotte Whitton

Witty Women: Quote of the Week

2010-04-26T10:55:00.007-05:00

"I am not half as patient with old women

now that I am one."

- Emily Carr

My First Time

2010-04-25T22:29:00.002-05:00

In today's Los Angeles Times, music critic David Ulin had a charming article about taking his daughter to see her favorite pop star Taylor Swift play the Staples Center. The article captures that spark we get as youth seeing the artist we idolize play live, when we finally feel alive, energized and like nothing will ever be the same. I love that her dad was with her for it, and it reminded me of my first concert, which my mom took me to when I was 14. As a side note, I found the article through my favorite feminist news/culture site Jezebel, and the stories in the comments are great, too.

As readers of this blog/former listeners of the show know, Tori Amos is my number one, all time favorite artist forever and ever, amen. My fandom started during my freshman year of high school, when I would listen to Boys for Pele on repeat in the dark, burning incense and brooding. I was a charming teen.

When I found out that she was going to be playing the week of my birthday, I decided that I HAD to go. I had been denied access to seeing Hole and Garbage, but nothing was going to stand in the way of my seeing Tori. My parents were rather strict, so my mother insisted on listening to the disc before giving me permission. I was a little nervous, as the lyrics to the songs, not to mention the racy liner photos, might give her pause. Luckily Amos' singing is so breathy that my mother missed most of the dirty parts and agreed to take me. I think it helped that the show was in a theater, and she plays piano. It was decided that she would take my sister and I and we could each bring a friend. I was psyched.

The day tickets went on sale we sat around the kitchen table waiting for the clock to hit 10:00 a.m. so we could call Ticketmaster. Even just calling for tickets made me heady. Not only was I excited to see Tori play live, I was excited to see my first concert, period. I was so grown up!

The drive there felt like the longest drive of my life. I can still remember the butterflies I felt when we walked to our row, nosebleed seats in the top of the Rosemont theater. She played heavily from Boys for Pele and I don't think I breathed through the entire set. I definitly cried and had that rush of thinking that it was the Most Important Night of All Time. Eating at Dennys afterwards, I was pretty sure my mom was the coolest mom ever.

Of all the firsts young women go through, I think the first concert (or first time seeing an artist you truly, truly love) is near the top of the list of potentially life changing events. The feeling of community, of connection and exhiliration - it just can't be beat. Cheers to Ulin for helping his daughter experience that, and here's to all the parents who got our fandom and let us have our moment, our Most Important Night of All Time.

A Festival For the Rest of Y'All

2010-04-20T20:10:00.003-05:00

Summer is quickly approaching and with it comes more music festivals than you can shake a stick at. Chicago is home to festivals of all shapes and sizes, from street fairs hosting a bunch of music, to the stages at Taste of Chicago, to huge festivals like Pitchfork and Lollapalooza. Traveling festivals like the Vans Warped Tour and Lilith Fair will be swinging by nearby suburbs on their tours around the country.

Out of these, Lollapalooza is the largest, both in size and in stature. With 3 days, 91 bands and 34 DJs, and hundreds of thousands of attendees, it is a force to be reckoned with. Bands and artists who play Lolla have the chance to up their fame level and reach out to people who may have never heard their music before. I'm sorry, let me amend that - male bands and artists will have the chance to reach out to new fans. Because, much like last year, Lollapalooza is heavy on the dudes and light on the ladies. Of the 91 bands, 70 are all male and only 21 are female artists or bands with at least 1 female member. Of the 34 DJs, 30 are male and 4 are female.

With numbers like these, one would guess that there just aren't that many women involved in music. Perhaps they are stuck at home, churning the butter and making babies. But that just isn't the case. There are plenty of women, both musicians and DJs, to pick from. In 2010, the music industry is still an old boys club, and its biggest party of the summer, Lollapalooza, is a prime example of how rocking out with your co*k out still reigns supreme.

At least this summer we see the return of Lilith Fair. Started in the 1990s as an answer to male dominated summer tours, the need for an all female event is just as crucial today as it was then. And with an incredibly diverse touring lineup - depending on the city you could see folk, indie, pop, country, hip hop and soul all in one day - Lilith Fair is a refreshing answer to the phallocentric, hipster heavy festivals elsewhere.

Take Action on Equal Pay Day!

2010-04-20T14:00:00.001-05:00

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Equal Pay Day is today, and while I would wish you a happy one, its not a holiday for being happy. Equal Pay Day is a symbolic date when women's earnings into a second year finally catch up to the salary made by men in the previous year. While there's been some narrowing of the gap between men and women's pay in the last decade or so, it's unfortunately more attributable to more static salaries for men than increases for women. Over the course of her lifetime, the average women could loose out on over $700,000 or more in pay due to this inequity, an amount that makes a significant real world impact on things like retirement security, mortgage foreclosures, and quality of life, particularly as a woman gets older.

The good news is that the Paycheck Fairness Act is currently pending in the Senate, and you can help pass the Paycheck Fairness Act by writing to your Senators. Do it today!

Witty Women: Quote of the Week

2010-04-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Don't agonize, organize.
– Florynce Kennedy
(American civil rights and feminist activist)

Video Fridays: Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

2010-04-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

How about the new video from Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, "Tell Me"?

Witty Women: Quote of the Week

2010-04-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.
I just wish that He didn't trust me so much."
-Mother Teresa

CHIRP Record Fair & Other Delights is THIS WEEKEND!

2010-04-07T11:00:00.001-05:00

If you've never been to the CHIRP Record Fair & Other Delights, you don't know what you're missing! Picture aisle after aisle of vinyl and CDs, just waiting for you to love them and take them home. Plus, there's beer and snacks, and live music and DJs! Best of all, it all benefits the Chicago Independent Radio Project and CHIRPradio.org. Hot tip: Print out this page, and you'll get a discount on admission!

Witty Women: Quote of the Week

2010-04-05T13:00:00.000-05:00

"Girls have got balls. They're just a little higher up that's all."
- Joan Jett

Witty Women: Quote of the Week

2010-03-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

"I've been a man many times. That's what I'm trying to atone for now."

- Helen Reddy, apparent believer in reincarnation

Witty Women: Quote of the Week

2010-03-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

"No matter the fight, don't be ladylike!
God almighty made women, and the Rockefeller gang of thieves made the ladies. "

- Mother Jones, labor organizer and co-founder of IWW

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

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A hearty happy St. Patrick's Day to you and yours! Don't you wish there really was a vending machine for green beer? Maybe that's just my Irish side talking... Have a great day!

Lilith Fair Chicago Date Info Revealed

2010-03-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Some information has leaked out regarding the upcoming return of Lilith Fair this summer. The Chicago date will be Saturday, July 17th, at the First Midwest Theatre. The lineup for Chicago so far includes Cat Power, Heart, Kate Nash, Kelly Clarkson, La Roux, Mary J Blige, Meaghan Smith, Sarah McLachlan, Vedera , and Vita Chambers, plus a yet to be determined local band.

Yes, that's the same weekend as Pitchfork Festival - kind of a bad scheduling call, in my opinion, as plenty of folks going to Pitchfork would probably have wanted to see Lilith. For more information, check out the Lilith Facebook page.

Witty Women: Quote of the Week

2010-03-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

"Be bold. If you're going to make an error, make a doozy,
and don't be afraid to hit the ball."

- Billie Jean King, tennis ace and advocate for women in sports

Video Fridays: Bjork's Triumph of a Heart

2010-03-12T14:00:00.000-06:00

This week's video is from our girl Bjork. Happy Friday everyone!