With the recent surge of women in rock, females are firmly establishing their position in music history. Singers such as No Doubt's Gwen Stefani, hip hop artists Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliott and Grammy winner Norah Jones are just some of the female musicians dominating the charts. But it doesn't stop there. Women are influencing the local scene as well, introducing a new flavor to a variety of musical styles. \nAva, a four-piece band out of West Lafayette that frequents local venue Rhino's, located at 325 S. Walnut St., is one such band featuring a female front "man." Ava is submitting its "estrogen rock" to Live From Bloomington, an annual event scheduled this year on Apr. 8 at various venues around Bloomington. Each band interested in playing must submit one original song, and a committee of students, local journalists and radio station personnel and reprsentatives from local music establishments will select the bands to perform at the event. \nAva, fresh out of the studio after recording their Classy EP, will submit the song "Worthless" off their most recent album. \n"It's a song we all contributed to," drummer Dave Evans says. "It has a really powerful beat and a great vocal melody." \nEvans says it was his idea to incorporate a female vocalist."(Fans) come for the chick -- they stay for the rock," he says.\nAnd come they do. \nComposed of Evans, guitarists Rob Soden, bassist Brad Threkeld and female vocalist Kalli Scheffen, Ava has been playing at venues across the Midwest for just over a year and has made quite a name for itself in such a short time. \nScheffen says Ava attracts sizeable, diverse crowds to its live shows. \n"Our 50-year-old neighbors come to our shows," she says. "Everyone really seems to like our style of music."\nIn addition to the LFB concert, a CD will be released featuring a song from each band on the bill. Jessi Williams, director of the event and a major supporter of local bands, believes the event is an excellent way to open people up to the diversity of Bloomington music. \n"Everybody should come out and support, because all these bands are ridiculously talented," she says. \nKnowing how hard it is for local bands to get the recognition they deserve, Williams says she has made it her mission to promote every LFB band and spread the word about local talent. \n"Once you discover (a local band) it doesn't matter if the rest of the world does," she says. "And if they ever make it big you can say you knew them back when." \nBands selected for LFB will be notified on or around Nov. 11. Ava is excited at the possibility of spreading it's music to "first Bloomington, then the world," Evans says. \nWhether it's driving hundreds of miles to play a show, performing for a crowd of seven or playing at club without a separate women's restroom, the members of Ava know firsthand how difficult it is to make it as a band. But come show time, none of this matters Scheffen says.\n"Our only goal is to rock as hard as we can on stage," she says.
For more information about LFB or how to get involved, e-mail \nlfb@indiana.edu.
