On Jan. 16, Tulsa-based rock band Labadie House put on their second “Girls Gone Rad” show in Oklahoma City. When the doors to Resonant Head opened, the mid-century, Wes Anderson–esque venue began to fill up with patrons of all ages clad in dyed hair, thick eyeliner, and platform shoes. The lo ok of the crowd made it clear this was a night for loud guitars and louder feelings.They eagerly anticipated the night’s stacked bill, featuring female-led acts Diva, The Burn Notice, Honduh Daze, and closing act Labadie House.Kristy Emory, lead singer of Labadie House, created the concept of “Girls Gone Rad” in 2019 after noticing that other female-focused shows were not highlighting a variety of genres. “There is nothing wrong with those acts but I just felt like, where are the punk bands? Where are the metal bands? Where are the rappers? We have so many good musicians to showcase, so I try to make sure that each of the shows are as eclectic as possible,” said Emory. This was the first GGR show at an all-ages venue, which meant a lot to Emory. She had recently heard that some audience members wished that they could bring their daughters to a show. That feedback has given the event a whole new meaning for her, to be able to give little girls something to aspire to. Despite the reputation Oklahoma often receives, the state is home to a wide range of creative artists, many of them women with passion, purpose, and stories to tell. “Girls Gone Rad” exists to celebrate exactly that. OKC alt-rock band Diva was the first to command the stage. Their opening song, “Fade Away,” began with zero subtlety as lead singer Maddy Foster belted out the first line, immediately setting the tone for the night. She performed with overwhelming energy and confidence, paired with clear vocal agility that appeared effortless despite its range. Her warm, powerful vocals were evidence of one of her artistic inspirations, Hayley Williams. Diva’s drummer, Sarah Stubblefield, only recently joined the band after meeting Foster while volunteering at Rock and Roll Camp For Girls OKC, a summer camp that teaches young girls and nonbinary kids how to play instruments. “It was a universe thing,” said Foster. “Sarah came in and was really the missing piece we needed. It skyrocketed from there.” Stubblefield and Foster have both had disheartening experiences as women in the music industry. Stubblefield recounts numerous times during soundchecks when the men running sound would disregard her input. “That’s why we do stuff like this,” said Stubblefield. “It’s so important to rally together and have this community. We love being involved in anything that has to do with women in music.” Foster describes how, as a woman in music, you have no choice but to be confident in your own ability. “There are a lot of ‘no’s,’ a lot of people who aren’t going to believe in you or trust that you are capable.” With the first set finished the crowd was ready for more. The Burn Notice is described as “pop punk but a little heavier” by lead singer, Brittney Ragland. “I don’t really feel like the world and our country support women very much. It is good to have stuff like this to show girl power. We are strong, powerful, and artistic,” she said. While having a good time is the top priority of their music, the band also enjoys incorporating political themes, with lyrics like, “We won’t give in until there’s no one left to fight / Arm in arm we are united / We use your hate to bind us tight.” Ragland’s neon green hair was complemented by the pink and purple stage lights as she wailed into the mic, while a friendly mosh pit formed in the crowd. The audience loosened up with the mixture of pushing and dancing, fueled by the band’s electrifying performance. The next act was the most experimental of the night, genre-wise. So experimental, in fact they coined their own genre, calling it “dealership noise punk”. Honduh Daze is a concept duo originally created in Los Angeles but now based in Tulsa. They had been asked to perform at a previous Tulsa GGR show, but had to opt out due to scheduling conflicts. When the opportunity arose again, they made it work by any means necessary. “If we could get more women in the scene it would be amazing, especially on stage and fronting. We are happy to be here.” said front woman Marie McIntosh. The concept of the band is that the duo works for Honda and is forced to sell cars in between songs or else they will be disbanded because they can’t pay their bills. “Everything is written out from start to finish. There’s a story throughout the whole set, humor blended in addition to our songs. We are trying to talk about capitalism and art, and how those worlds aren’t really working out. We try to do it in an entertaining way that makes people think about it, that is the goal,” Mcintosh explained. The added element of comedy created an amusing juxtaposition: listening to a hardcore anti-capitalist punk song bookended by an immediate plea to buy a Honda. It reflected the realistic feeling that no matter the context, you are constantly being sold something. The audience clearly followed the narrative and related to it on some level. Laughter and supportive cheers followed their rants in between each song. The performance was hard and heavy, yet seamlessly wove in the band’s message with clear intention. McIntosh’s experience as a woman in music has evolved over the years. While she believes things are improving and people are becoming more open-minded, representation remains important. Even now, there are still occasional diminishing responses from male audience members. “After finishing a set, a guy will come up to me, look at my pedal board, then look at my drummer, and will ask him about it. He is playing the drums. He doesn’t know what this is and you just saw me playing it.” McIntosh recounts. Labadie House capped off the night with a high-volume, passionate performance. Emory used every inch of the stage, singing each syllable with conviction and delivering full theatrics. Every woman leading a band that night had a distinct performance style. Though they differed from one another, each mesmerized the audience in her own way. “I remember playing a show when I first started out and carrying equipment in and someone’s said ‘oh honey, you don’t have to do that.’ I was like ‘well I’m actually in the band so I do have to.’ They just said ‘yeah right’ and laughed. That was in 2010, they just couldn’t imagine a female doing anything on stage with the boys and keeping up with them,” Emory recounts. “It’s gotten so much better.” No energy was spared, even with it being the final performance of the night. The vocal performance alone could have blown the roof off. “It’s like screaming in a pillow for me, I don’t have to scream in a pillow cause I can scream on stage,” she laughed. There is no set date for the next “Girls Gone Rad” show, but Emory is already thinking ahead to future lineups. In the past, GGR has also incorporated visual artists, and she plans to bring that element back. Ultimately, her goal is to continue inspiring women to get involved in music. “Go in your garage, grab a guitar and go for it.” The post An Evening of Oklahoma Women in Rock appeared first on Oklahoma Gazette. ...read more read less