Spring Break
All Female Band Stops at SLCC for a Nation-wide College Tour
Gerald Narciso
Issue date: 4/14/05 Section: Entertainment
On a day it rained heavily outdoors, coincidently, it was also raining inside SLCC's South City Campus. "Raining Jane," that is.
Last Monday, "Raining Jane," the LA-based "eclectic rock-folk band" treated students to an hour long set filled with smooth, original tracks (as well as free Ben and Jerry's ice cream). That deadly combination left students torn whether to attend their classes or watch the band.
"When I walked by, I admit I had to stop for a while and check them out," said student Chelsea Crook. "I thought they had a unique sound. I was impressed."
The ever-so-versatile group has been compared to everybody from the "Fugees" to "Fleetwood Mac." Each of the four members of the group can play multiple instruments. Did I forget to mention they were an all female band?
"I think people definitely judge us before hearing the music, based on the fact that we're all women," said bassist/guitarist Becky Gebhardt. "I mean, I'd probably do the same thing."
Gebhardt, along with Mona Tavakoli (drums), Chaska Potter (guitar/vocals), and Mai Bloomfield (guitarist/cellist/vocals) make up "Raining Jane". This real life "Josie and the Pussycats" hope they will be recognized for their talent rather than a gimmick. It helps that the group have received good reviews from critics. "Raining Jane" was listed as part of Music Connection Magazine's "Hot 100 Unsigned Artists." Currently, the band is in the middle of a Nation-wide college tour promoting their newly released sophomore album, "Diamond Lane."
"We hooked up with a couple of producers that we really clicked with artistically and personality wise," said Gephardt.
Gebhardt is referring to producers Mark Johnson and Robin Moxey. Johnson, who is a Grammy Award winning producer, has worked with such acts such Ben Harper and Jackson Browne. The album contains 10 original tracks, plus a remake of the Bob Marley classic, "Turn the Lights Down." That rendition (which included Tavakoli rapping the verse from Lauren Hill's version of the Marley classic) was one of the biggest highlights of last Monday's concert.
It was that sort of multi-dimensional element that "Raining Jane" brings, that had the lobby packed with both fans and intrigued onlookers. Along with rapping, the audience saw band members use unique lingo ("totally bust") and even more unique instruments. Bloomfield played a cello, and Tavakoli played probably the most distinctive instrument I'd ever seen, a cajon. It is literally a wooden box that she sat on and played it like a drum set - no lie.
Other notable songs were "Diamond Love" and "Wyoming" in which Tavakoli stated, "Utah is much cooler than that place." Even though I have a feeling she says that every city they go, the band cannot deny the enthusiasm the students displayed throughout the show. It's that sort of support that the band says will bring them back here.
"I thought it was amazing that people were enjoying the entire concert," said Gebhardt. "It seems as if people came and stayed as long as they could. And we appreciate that."
Last Monday, "Raining Jane," the LA-based "eclectic rock-folk band" treated students to an hour long set filled with smooth, original tracks (as well as free Ben and Jerry's ice cream). That deadly combination left students torn whether to attend their classes or watch the band.
"When I walked by, I admit I had to stop for a while and check them out," said student Chelsea Crook. "I thought they had a unique sound. I was impressed."
The ever-so-versatile group has been compared to everybody from the "Fugees" to "Fleetwood Mac." Each of the four members of the group can play multiple instruments. Did I forget to mention they were an all female band?
"I think people definitely judge us before hearing the music, based on the fact that we're all women," said bassist/guitarist Becky Gebhardt. "I mean, I'd probably do the same thing."
Gebhardt, along with Mona Tavakoli (drums), Chaska Potter (guitar/vocals), and Mai Bloomfield (guitarist/cellist/vocals) make up "Raining Jane". This real life "Josie and the Pussycats" hope they will be recognized for their talent rather than a gimmick. It helps that the group have received good reviews from critics. "Raining Jane" was listed as part of Music Connection Magazine's "Hot 100 Unsigned Artists." Currently, the band is in the middle of a Nation-wide college tour promoting their newly released sophomore album, "Diamond Lane."
"We hooked up with a couple of producers that we really clicked with artistically and personality wise," said Gephardt.
Gebhardt is referring to producers Mark Johnson and Robin Moxey. Johnson, who is a Grammy Award winning producer, has worked with such acts such Ben Harper and Jackson Browne. The album contains 10 original tracks, plus a remake of the Bob Marley classic, "Turn the Lights Down." That rendition (which included Tavakoli rapping the verse from Lauren Hill's version of the Marley classic) was one of the biggest highlights of last Monday's concert.
It was that sort of multi-dimensional element that "Raining Jane" brings, that had the lobby packed with both fans and intrigued onlookers. Along with rapping, the audience saw band members use unique lingo ("totally bust") and even more unique instruments. Bloomfield played a cello, and Tavakoli played probably the most distinctive instrument I'd ever seen, a cajon. It is literally a wooden box that she sat on and played it like a drum set - no lie.
Other notable songs were "Diamond Love" and "Wyoming" in which Tavakoli stated, "Utah is much cooler than that place." Even though I have a feeling she says that every city they go, the band cannot deny the enthusiasm the students displayed throughout the show. It's that sort of support that the band says will bring them back here.
"I thought it was amazing that people were enjoying the entire concert," said Gebhardt. "It seems as if people came and stayed as long as they could. And we appreciate that."
