Tonight the female-fueled One More Girl on a Stage festival kicks off at the York Street Cafe in Newport. The event — which starts tonight at 7 p.m. and continues tomorrow at the same time — features a diverse batch of local bands and solo performers. Proceeds benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer awareness/research. —-
Organizer Kelly Thomas (who heads up many charitable music events, raising over $7500 for breast cancer orgs in the past three years) says the event is about creating a community-minded affair with a good cause attached.
“It's more about … taking care of each other,” Thomas says, “(and not) about lack of opportunity for women in the local music scene.
“The breast cancer connection runs deep and rampant with ladies in general. The show has a great vibe due to the camaraderie of local female acts getting to share the stage, hear each other's music and the main goal of raising cash and awareness for a health issue that tends to mostly effect women.”
Thomas also stresses that this is not some “whiney women fest.”
“This is about having fun," she says, "not taking ourselves too seriously and doing a great thing for the community all at the same time.”
Along with nonstop music (a second “acoustic” stage will feature music on the top floor), there will be an art exhibit on the third floor and the Black-N-Bluegrass rollergirls will be on hand to help with the raffles and silent auction, which will also raise funds for the cause.
Tickets are $7 at the door (you can buy a two-night pass tonight for just $10). Those 18 years and older are welcome to attend. (And, as a side note, it's awesome to see York Street offering music a little more regularly now — it's one of the nicest listening rooms in the area.)
Below is the schedule for both nights:
FRIDAY
Second Floor Stage
7 p.m. Vicki D'Salle
7:45 p.m. Lauren Houston
8:45 p.m. Tupelo Honey
10 p.m. Vicki D'Salle
10:45 p.m. Wonky Tonk
11:45 p.m. Darlene
Third Floor Acoustic Stage
7:30 p.m. Raison D'etre
8:30 p.m. Shiny and The Spoon
9:30 p.m. Kate Haralson
10:30 p.m. Carol Walker
11:30 p.m. Audrey Cecil and Amanda Lucas
SATURDAY
Second Floor Stage
7 p.m. Keshvar Project
8 p.m. Vicki D'Salle
9 p.m. J Dorsey Blues featuring Kristen Kreft
10 p.m. Lydia Loveless
11 p.m. Kelly Thomas and Ryan Malott with full band
12 a.m. De Los Muertos
Third Floor Acoustic Stage
7 p.m. Robin and Joani Lacy
8 p.m. Blue Confessions
9 p.m. Honeycombs
10 p.m. Smitten Hicks
11 p.m. Jenny Ward
12 a.m. Stick Figure Drawings
For more info, go here.
