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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 1987)
Diversions Rocking Into a Man’s World Local women rock musicians overcome obstacles in a male-dominated field. In the '60s there were the "girl groups" like the Ronettes. the Shalign Las or the Supremes, in the '70s we s;ivs hands like Heart. Sii/i Quatroor Jellerson Starship fronted by "tougher" women; and in the HOs bands like tfie Go Gos or the Bangles, featuring all women lineups have come more into prominence. Hut today, as always, the popular music scene, especially rock, is dominated hy men Locally the story is largely the same Women who have been involved in rock music have run into countless obstacles some blatant, some subtle but have asserted themselves and have been gaining increasing support and respect among club owners and audiences as well as from their male peers. "People are so unused to see ing women musicians tfiat they think either there's something wrong with us or that we re go mg to bring out some men in the second set," says Dana Vion of the all woman band. I ransister "That’s because there aren't many role models around. Maybe we re the beginning of a new thing Women have music m them just as much as men do. and that's what it s about. It's not about taking any political stand. We like to play music and we’re women The main problem en countered by women locally is in dealing with club owners. "I feel like they think I’m here to day. gone tomorrow because I won't have the organizational ability to keep the band together or something,*' says Cam Hank, the leader of None It Any. “I don't know what the reasoning is. hut I lee I like I'm not taken seriously by the elub owners Hank says the problem hasn’t been nearly as great with male band members as with elub management. “I'm lucky I have the respect of the musicians I'm with because they are helping almost lorce people to respect me. ’ * Transfer's Paula Jo Voden agrees. “As long as I've been playing music in this town the men (in bands) have always been extremely supportive." she says. Even the “macho" heavy metal community supports the efforts ol bassist Rica Wright from the metal band My stress. “Ability as a musician is what matters," she says, "not whether it's a guy or girl ’* She adds that “rock and roll is kind of 'rebel music.’ and I feel like I'm a rebel tor playing it I gue>s I've always wanted to do what 1 wasn't supposed to do." Not all situations have been positive, of course. Kathy O/amch of Single Mary says she was once in a band with a man she found impossible to work with because he refused to acknowledge her or her ideas, but she says. “I'm not sure it was because I was a woman." She was. however, the only female in the band, and she says the guy didn't have the same problem with the other male members ol the group Hank says she also has run in to problems where she “couldn't put ms linger on ssh.it ssas wrong. I’ve had to chalk it up to ms being a female because I've seen the same people gisc more respect to male musicians I've worked with." “When a ssoman goes into a situation, nine times out ot 10 it’s all men. and she has to prove she's worthy of respect.” Vion says. ‘‘But they ss 11 I automatically give that respect to each other until they ’re proven wrong. ” Vion doesn't believe that this has been a real problem most of the time, but that it is something women have to cope ss ith “It is an issue that women are dealt with differently." she says, but thinks it is more likely "fear of the unknown instead of people going out to be sexist. " Hauk says she runs into the at titude "only as much as it would affect the rest of my life. If you're a girl you just learn that you have to speak twice as loud as the guy next to you ” Single Mary. My stress and Transister all focus mainly on original material, while None It Any plays a w ide range of cover songs. O/.anich, keyboard player Laura Rathbun and guitarist Jon Wallace all write songs tor Single Mary, with Wallace contributing a bit more than the two women in the group "I don’t think it has anything to do with us being Photo by Marty Schwarzbauer Dana \ ion drums for the hand. Transistor. “We’re not break ing tradition for the sake of breaking tradition," she says. women, says Katnnun. Me s lust more experienced and developed as a songwriter.” O/anieh agrees. “He's been playing rock music since he was a teenager,” she sa\s, “so he comes up with more rock songs. ” The original material Mystress performs is mainly written b\ guitarist Joe Weber and vocalist John Tejeda, but Wright says she composes her own bass lines. Vion. Vaden and lead uuitarist Margo inrard all write tor 1 ran sister, with Girard composing the majority of the hand's songs. When choosing songs by other artists for her hand, Transister’s bassist Cheryl Camelio says, “It doesn't matter whether they're by men or women.” “We just pick songs we like,” Ozanich agrees. “I sing guy songs’ ” Hauk says. “1 think it's a real advan tage that I can do the macho songs” without changing the gender of the lyrics. “I got that 1 / 2 PRICE! Oregon West - FITNESS - ACT NOW! Student discount Unlimited aerobics Complete co-ed spa facilities No long term contracts • low monthly fees BEST HOURS • BEST PRICES 6am 11pm 7 days a week L 485 1624 1475 Franklin Blvd Across from campus °v s49 Quality eyewear need not be expensive SINGLE VISION PRESCRIPTION LENSES AND FRAMES • Choose from a specially selectee group of fashion frames • FT-25-28 Bifocals $20 Extra Extra charge for high powers EYE EXAMS.*32 Dr. Dan Caldwell. Optometrist Santa Clara Square 689-1115 r r ^ L ~ j A DELIGHT TO WATCH The NEW YORK TIMES SUNDAY. FEBRUARY 1 2:30 PM HULT CENTER 687-5000 Tickets: S7-S15
