Friday Photo Blog: Indy's Women on the Stage

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]ndianapolis is the Crossroads of America, and this is no more true than in music.  With music venues from the larger Vogue Theater to the smaller Melody Inn, music plays from Zionsville to spots such as Broad Ripple, Downtown Indianapolis, Fountain Square and many places in-between.

For this selection of photographs, I focus not on women who are musicians, but rather on amazing musicians, and oh yeah, they are women.  I began to notice the independent local music scene has a amazing group of women.  These musicians range in training from IU Bloomington’s Jacobs School of Music, Boston’s Berklee College of Music to those who learned in high schools or taught themselves.  The styles range from rock, soul, jazz, classical, and punk with instruments, including drums, guitars, bass, keyboards, saxophone, and the voice.

I hope you enjoy this set of pictures and encourage you to support local acts and venues.

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Eleadah Kemp (aka E) is the lead singer and hype machine that is unique among Indianapolis’ music scene. The four piece band she fronts, Among The Compromised, is relatively new to the scene and will have a nine track CD out in 2016.

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Rocky Rodriguez, keeps perfect time, and brings the funk with her band No Pit Cherries, who have been gigging in support of their 2015 release Pressure.

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Paige Talbert, plays bass for a newly formed four piece, Moxxie. Formed with music producers Jamie Jackson and Ryan Gibbons (drums/guitar) along with guitarist/singer Jessie Phelps, Moxxie is taking Indianapolis’ music scene by storm.

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Jade Howard, guitarist and lead singer of the LA based band 222, playing Fountain Square’s Radio Radio in January 2015. Tosha Jones, was keeping the beat for this power trio.

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Amanda Gardier, an extremely versatile sax player who can sit in with anyone anywhere. You can often find her playing in the jazz venues in and around Indianapolis, and also with the Charlie Ballantine’s band.

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Kelly Chelston of Cincinnati’s punk band Tiger Sex. This picture is from her post Christmas set during the Melody Inn’s Punk Rock Night show.

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Mina Keohane, Berkley School of Music (Boston) trained musician. Her singing, piano playing, and accordion skills make her a very sought after performer.

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Bee Taylor, a Nashville performer, both solo and along with the enigma that is Cody Brooks. This is during her performance at Fountain Square’s Radio Radio in November of 2015.

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Rachel Mare Jones has one of voices that BLOWS YOU AWAY! When the band says, “we’d like to bring Rachel up on stage for a song,” you turn to the stage and focus.

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Jen Roberts is singer/guitarist and CEO of Veseria. Her range from low to high, soft to loud, soothing to crushing is spellbinding. They’ll be releasing their fourth studio album in 2016.

[author title="About Tim McLaughlin" image="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/12645166_10206835147770898_2098738243215283438_n.jpg?oh=ee2429c64b75169356a96286f237203d&oe=5765D1AC"]Zionsville resident Tim McLaughin considers himself a documentarian behind the shutter. The owner of Hapless Guitar Photography, he enjoys shooting music and sports related photos, and as he likes to say, "almost anything."[/author]