“Ladyfest Ohio,” a non-profit feminist arts and activism festival, will present “Ladysing for Ladyfest” at Workbook Studios Saturday.
The night will serve as a fundraiser as organizers try to raise money to fund this year’s festival, which will take place Memorial Day weekend.
“This is a benefit, but we’re showcasing women who are supporting ‘Ladyfest’ and what we stand for. It’s a great preview of what’s to come,” said Kate Johnson, a member of the volunteer group organizing the festival and its antecedent fundraisers.
The night will start out with feminist films focusing on women performers and will be followed by live music by local bands. The Alwood Sisters will provide “dreamy acoustic pop.” Marcy Mays of Scrawl aims to bring a powerful solo performance. Estee Louder will add its brand of driving rock ‘n’ roll to the mix. Di Di Mao will bring its intricate indie rock, and The Fairmount Girls will top things off with music that is labeled as “melodic rock with pop sensibilities.”
“We asked a number of people because we wanted a huge lineup, but some people were busy. But we’re really happy with the final lineup. There are strong bands who have really held their own in the music scene,” Johnson said
Sharon Kim, who is helping organize the festival said, “It is also showcasing a good portion of great music coming from Columbus.”
While the night is comprised of rock-influenced female bands, each band comes from a different genre. It adds a different sound to a varied lineup, which has something that can appeal to all tastes.
“This is the first completely female focused music event we’ve done,” Kim said. “We’re really excited.”
Tera Stockdale, drummer for Di Di Mao, is also very excited about the event and what it is bringing to Columbus.
“I think it is an important time to be doing a festival of this nature,” Stockdale said. “The political planet is in need of a pro-women event.”
“Ladyfest Ohio” is dedicated to promoting the artistic talents and political goals of women – past, present, future. The concept began in Olympia, Wash., four years ago as a result of the Riot Grrl movement.
Rather than turn it into just another annual event, organizers encouraged other women to hold their own events, spurring “Ladyfests” all over the world. The Ohio version will include workshops, a film and video festival, visual and performance art and music.
Organizers are currently accepting submissions for art, film, music, performance, and workshops. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 28.
“Ladysing for Ladyfest” will begin at 9 p.m. Admission, which includes a raffle ticket, is $7.
For directions to Workbook Studio go to www.workbookstudio.com. For more information on this event and other upcoming events go to www.ladyfestohio.org or e-mail [email protected].
