Team Dresch
The fest goes on
Despite the Gossip’s cancellation, Siren Nation a success
By Luciana Lopez
Published: November 9th, 2007 | 1:22am
It’s standard for bands to thank audiences for turning out — but bands thanking organizers for a “safe space” is a little unusual. Swan Island’s gratitude during the inaugural Siren Nation women’s music and arts festival echoed what showgoers and other performers felt during the event, which took place November 1–4, 2007.
Because Portland, Oregon, is already swimming with arts festivals, Siren Nation aimed for something a little different: a showcase for female artists with an emphasis on supporting women and gay/lesbian/queer communities. Standout acts included the reunited Team Dresch, Swan Island, Liv Warfield, Siren’s Echo, and other heavies in the Portland music scene.
Natalia Kay, Siren Nation’s executive director, feels that the festival is necessary and important. “Other festivals, in terms of gender, don't reflect the talent that's out there [among women],” she says. “"I think women are very definitely not being promoted and showcased in the music industry.”
The festival kicked off with an opening-night party on November 1 with live music and popular Portland DJs DJ Anjali and DJ Beyonda. The four-day event included two nights of live music, a free film festival, free workshops, and a community marketplace.
Siren Nation originally sprang from a brainstorming session about two and a half years ago, as Kay and Tamara J. Brown, now the festival's director of promotions, were thinking about ideas for new events. Kay recruited December Carson, who, along with Brown and Kay, had considerable experience in different parts of the music industry in promotions, public relations, and booking. With all three on board and more volunteers joining in, what at first felt extravagant began to feel possible.
The women opted for the slow road, bringing in board members, crafting lineups, and hosting fundraisers to ease the financial pressure from festival ticket sales. Guitarist Jamie Stillway noted during the festival how many pancake breakfasts she’d already played to help the event get off the ground.
Still, isn’t there a saying about the best laid plans? A few weeks before the festival, headliners the Gossip pulled out due to commitments in Europe.
Though the band’s cancellation sent festival organizers scrambling to find a backup, the frenzy was brief, as days later seminal queercore rockers Team Dresch agreed to step into the headlining spot. The band had reunited in 2004 and continued playing together since, writing and working on a new album for a 2008 release.
Organizers were pleased and relieved, a feeling that carried over to the festival. Lisa Marsicek — the MC for the November 2 showcase who was in character as her vaudeville-era alter ego Miz Kitty — introduced Team Dresch as “superheroes” for saving the day. And the band, ferocious, powerful and sharp as ever, proved themselves worthy of the praise.
Ticket sales were strong but not stellar; none of the nights sold out the 778-capacity Wonder Ballroom, the venue for the two main nights of music. Ticket sales, festival backers hope, will increase as they establish a reputation for quality programming.
With this year’s festival under their belts, organizers plan to make the festival an annual fixture on Portland’s music calendar, growing in years to come. Now, though, it’s time for some rest. “I could go on and on,” Kay said in a post-festival e-mail. “But it’s my day off!”
Issue #35
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