Gritty Rocks Live: Women’s Day Edition
Gritty In Pink is a new and quickly growing community aimed at empowering women in music, and I have been lucky enough to work on their team these past few months. Last January they made their debut in the LA music scene with a monthly concert series at The Satellite. When the pandemic hit, they transitioned to shows on Instagram Live. In celebration of International Women’s Day, Gritty In Pink hosted a virtual show and fundraiser for breast cancer awareness organization Keep A Breast on Tuesday, March 9. They recruited eleven female acts to appear on the show. The power packed lineup included Meet Me @ The Altar, Madeline Rosene, Chastity Ashley, SZNS, Maya Karli, Stuntdriver, Danielle Bloom, Gritty’s Bandmate of the Month Jayelle featuring Mel Johnson, Alex Windsor, Alexa Rae, and host Shiragirl.
Punk rock singer Shiragirl kicked the show off with a bang performing a tenacious and spunky cover of “Cherry Bomb” by Joan Jett, supported by Alex Windsor on guitar and Alexa Rae on drums. Jett was the perfect choice for this Women’s Day tribute considering how many doors she has opened for women in rock music. Shiragirl also threw out a fun fact, calling attention to Joan Jett’s appearance on the Shiragirl stage at Warped Tour. Subsequently, Shiragirl honored Bikini Kill, an iconic riot girl punk band from the 90s, with a spirited cover of “Rebel Girl”.
Following the exciting opener, pop punk band Meet Me @ The Altar hopped on to the livestream to chat with the Gritty gang. After being featured as an artist to watch in Rolling Stone, their segment on the show was highly anticipated, and I am happy to say they did not disappoint. Opening up some extremely important conversations, the band talked about the importance of persistence and the difficulties of breaking into a straight, white male dominated genre as three women of color. They also left a special treat for fans with the announcement of a new song written for Women’s History Month coming out later this month.
Some other highlights of the show for me were:
Jayelle and Mel Johnson’s stripped-down version of Jayelle’s new song “Double Standard'' absolutely blew me away. Released on International Women’s Day, this catchy track has been playing on repeat on my phone. I loved the song’s message of calling out sexism in the music industry and society in general. This acoustic rendition of the single allowed Jayelle’s stunning vocals to shine through and allowed the audience to feel the frustration behind the lyrics.
DJ and drummer Chastity Ashley put on a spectacular show as well, transforming my home into a rave. It was like nothing I have ever experienced before. She incorporated songs such as “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana and “Wonderwall” by Oasis, putting an electronic twist on them, and playing along on her conga drum. For a second, I forgot that the show was virtual and felt like I was surrounded by a crowd enjoying a concert in pre-COVID times. She’s performed with Mötley Crüe, My Chemical Romance, Ke$ha, and Kanye West, so being able to see her on the Gritty show was a pleasure.
Maya Karli performed a piano version of “Make It Stop,” a track about wanting the pain to go away after a breakup. Her performance was stunning as she allowed raw emotion to flow through in her singing. The piano added a haunting component to the song, bringing chills to the online audience.
Overall, Gritty In Pink put on an amazing live fundraiser show and Women’s Day afterparty, highlighting so many talented female artists. Not to mention, they raised $200 for Keep A Breast! They’re planning to bring a female empowerment event to USC at the end of the semester, so make sure you keep your eyes open for that. In the meantime, they will be hosting their next GRL show on Instagram @grittyinpinklife on March 23. I know I’ll be there, and I hope you will be too.
- Ashley Nguyen