On the Friday before Reading Week, a friend and I, deciding at the last minute that we deserved a break before the avalanche of work we were preparing to jump into, made our way to Sala Rossa to check out the We Are Women Artists show. We were pleasantly surprised at the unexpected rocking night out.
Organiser Amanda Mabro had arranged for the show to display as large an array of art as possible, including hilarious comedians, thrilling bands, solo singers, painters, photographers, writers, juggler and even a burlesque show.
Mc-ing the cabaret-like evening was comedienne DeAnn Smith, who somehow managed to make everything sound dirty and keep the whole audience laughing so hard we had to be asked to stop on more than one occasion.
Awesomeness consisted of clown and juggler Melissa Legge, while eccentric Miss Sugarpuss and the Oops Johnny troupe added that good old burlesque flavour every cabaret should have.
Musical treats included singer/voice over artist Lobelia, who’s voice has been compared to a new twist between Sarah McLaughlan and Tori Amos. Equally entrancing were solo singer and guitarist Abigail Lapell with her strong stage presence, tremolo voice and deep lyrics, and a female quartet called “Ladies of the Canyon,” a harmonious mix of folk voices and twangy country.
The most engaging aspect of L.O.T.C.’s music is that each singer took their turn leading the others in song, making it seem to the audience as though they were sharing a spontaneous moment with them.
Indie Rock band Reily’s fresh and innovative take on sound and performance was also one of the evening’s highlights, with their soft female vocals.
Most seductive, however, was the show’s own organiser’s band. Amanda Mabro’s strong jazzy voice creates a whole pop-cabaret, almost carnivalesque experience. The only words my friend was able to say at that point in the night were: “Wow!”
The entire evening was absolutely inspiring. Although the show was composed of completely different types of music and comedy, it was curated so that the audience was flawlessly transported from one emotion to the next.
The only setback the show had was its ineffective mix of stage arts with visual arts, although it was a difficult space in which to achieve this.
The paintings, photography and tables with books and crafts seemed not to get much notice from the viewers, as they were on the side walls in the dark and the stage acts were beckoning all the audience’s attention. “I wish we could’ve had more space to hang the artwork so it wouldn’t have to be in the dark behind the tables,” said Nadia Nespeca, one of the photographers featured in the show. Nonetheless, her excitement at being able to share her compellingly intimate yet uninhibited photographs in such an event was left unscathed.
If you missed the Wawa show this year, you can check out their artists on-line at www.thewawashow.com.