By Laura B. Whitmore
The annual She Rocks Showcase at the ASCAP Expo, held on May 8, 2018, added amazing energy to this Los Angeles conference of songwriters and music creators. Showcasing four amazingly talented and diverse musical acts, the showcase created a space for female musicians to shine.
Taking place at Ohm Nightclub in Hollywood, the event enjoyed an upgrade from previous years. With amazing sound sponsored by Cerwin Vega and fantastic lights and visuals, the evening kicked off with the Scottsdale, AZ-based duo 76th Street. Featuring the mad skills of Spencer Bryant and Haley Gold, the pair performed their original music with gorgeous harmonies and fun moves that drew the capacity crowd into the action.
Hosted by the WiMN’s own Laura B. Whitmore, the event then featured the flawless vocals and acoustic guitar of Melissa Polinar from Fort Worth, TX. With lush, sweeping vocals, strong songwriting and sweet acoustic stylings, Polinar had the crowd holding it’s breath and singing along.
A favorite of the evening, the third act was the Los Angeles-based duo French Toast. With Louisiana native Brittany Pfantz on guitar and vocals and French-born Charles Calvet working his magic on keys, guitar and other goodies, the unique energy and talent of this fairly new act was mesmerizing, energizing and downright mind blowing. Yes, yes, yes!
Rounding out the evening’s performances, hit songwriter Priscilla Renea took the stage to share some of the material from her upcoming solo release Coloured. Renea captured the crowd and held them in the palm of her hand with her crazy vocal skills and fantastic songwriting. Gracious and sharing, Renea gave the crowd and intimate and special experience and the audience gave the love right back.
The showcase concluded with a raffle befitting the Women’s International Music Network that offered prizes from their sponsors including Casio, 108 Rock Star Guitars, Sennheiser, Martin Guitar, Paul Mitchell and more. The evening also included free bars from Luna Bars, artist gifts from M.A.C Cosmetics, and other fun surprises.
The next WiMN showcase is coming up on June 27 in Nashville. Find out more here.
