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| In The News Musicians gather for second Eve Rising Festival Group aims for more visibility this time around September 8 - 14, 2011 Edition By Michael Witthaus mwitthaus@hippopress.com As Elle Gallo watched the first Eve Rising Festival unfold one year ago, she wasn’t thinking about a follow-up — yet. It was her initial effort as a promoter; Gallo conceived the event as a celebration of the female creative spirit, with a wide range of musical talent raising money for local charities. Success on that level would be enough, she reasoned. But by the end of the day, the future became much clearer in Gallo’s mind, especially after an impromptu performance of a Great American Songbook standard closed out the festival and revealed the unity of spirit present. “We invited all the musicians, whether they’d performed or not, up on stage and we sang ‘Over the Rainbow,’” Gallo recalled recently from her home in Haverhill. “Tears were flowing; it was such a joyous moment, and that was the grand finale.” Within a week after the day long festival ended, every performer had signed on to return. “The energy that day was palpable … it was such a feel good event,” says Gallo, whose own band also appeared. “The camaraderie between the musicians was incredible, and it’s been great to watch them over the last year since they met at Eve Rising, do shows together and hook up with each other. We’ve really become good friends and done a lot of work together.” This year’s show features a certified headliner in Robin Lane, a singer/guitarist who early on sang backup on the Neil Young classic Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, and later cemented a place in the pantheon of Boston musicians with her 1979 debut album, Robin Lane and The Chartbusters. Lane once said this of her decision to take up performing in what many considered a man’s world: “Somewhere in me,I knew I could do it too. But I was a girl, after all, and usually girls sat around watching the guys play their music.” Her charity, SongBird Sings, is among four organizations benefiting from the show. The nonprofit offers songwriting and recording workshops for at-risk youth, survivors of domestic violence, post-traumatic stress disorder, war and incarceration. It’s an effort that grew out of A Woman’s Voice, a program developed by Lane in 2001 to help her heal after what she described as “a painful end” to her first marriage. “She really embodies what this festival is all about,” Gallo says. The Eve Rising Foundation grew out of last year’s event, a formalized group with a board of directors and an ongoing mission to support local organizations. But women helping women remains the festival’s focus, Gallo stresses. Emmaus, Inc., which supports the homeless community, is again a beneficiary. The group works to move people in emergency situations toward independent living, and runs several properties around Haverhill. One of Gallo’s favorite moments of last year’s festival was when Emmaus director Gretchen Arntz spoke to the crowd. “She believes so much in what she’s doing,” Gallo says. “She’s an amazing spirit, and when she spoke, that was very moving.” Also receiving support at this year’s event is the Dana Farber charity Kick Cancer and a fund created by the Eve Rising board to help single mothers in Haverhill with the rising fees for children’s sports programs. Holding up this umbrella of giving is, of course, a first-rate lineup of musical talent. Among the standouts are singer/songwriter Amy Petty, who uses a loop pedal to turn a solo act into a band and (Petty label mate) Jen Kearney & The Lost Onion, blending elements of funk, jazz and Latin rhythms with soulful, powerful singing. The keyboard/guitar duo of Carrie Rowan & Adrienne Fawkes harmonizes and trades vocals — Rowan played solo last year — and Gallo, a singer in the mold of Joan Osborne and Janis Joplin, performs with her band. The show has moved to a new location. Last year’s site, Winnekenni Castle, located on the shores of Kenoza Lake, was beautiful but remote, forcing most in the crowd to take shuttle buses to the show. There were more than a few complaints about a shortage of parking as well. That problem is alleviated at this year’s venue, the rooftop deck of a multilevel garage in downtown Haverhill. “Winnekenni is a treasure and aesthetically was the perfect place,” Gallo says, “but we wanted to be somewhere that was highly visible in the community.” Gallo feels strongly that Eve Rising is fast becoming a tradition; she expresses hopes to expand it in 2012. “We may even do a two-day festival next year, with overnight camping,”
Haverhill, MA 8-17-11 Local Musicians and Artists Come Together to Celebrate “Eve Rising” a Collaborative Spirit that Encourages and Empowers Women through Music Haverhill, MA August 17, 2011- Dubbed as the next “Lilith Fair”, and recognized by the readers of Northshore Magazine as the North Shore’s best festival/fair; The 2nd annual Eve Rising Music Festival will be held on Saturday September 17 2011 at 1 Washington St, at the outdoor Rooftop Deck. Performances by several award winning artists, including: Robin Lane (of Robin Lane and The Chartbusters), The Elle Gallo Band, Julie Dougherty, Jen Kearney and the Lost Onion, Diane Blue, The Erinn Brown Band, Lori Diamond, Carrie Rowan, Karen Grenier, Amy Petty, Tara Greenblatt, Gracie Curran & The High Falutin’ Band, and Donna Fullman. The Eve Rising Music Festival brings together women in music, art and enterprise to celebrate and support women in need. ALL proceeds are donated to Emmaus, Inc; Kick Cancer Celebration (Dana Faber); CSSM a fund to help assist single mother’s with Haverhill city sports fees; and SongbirdSings, music for trauma survivors. Sponsored by The Wei Chi Center in Haverhill, The Eve Rising Music Festival will kick off on Friday night with a drum circle and a special meditation on site, and continue on Sunday at the
Wei Chi Center with a day of free energy work, guided and moving meditations to welcome in the changes of fall and close the weekend. Tickets in advance can be purchased online for only $7.00. Tickets at the gate are $10.00 and kids under 12 years old are $5.00. Vendors and on-site volunteers are still welcome. www.everising.org For more information or an interview contact Elle Gallo, elle@ellegallo.com, 978-476-1908 Elle Gallo
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www.twitter.com/ellegallo "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the
only thing that ever does."~ Margaret Mead Our own Lilith Female artists band together for Eve Rising festival July 15 - 21,2010 HIPPO Press
By Michael Witthaus, music@hippopress.com
A 19th-century castle provides the backdrop for full day of music on the shores of Kenoza Lake, as the Eve Rising 2010 Music Festival celebrates the feminine creative spirit while raising money for two womencentric charities. A dozen artists, including several who are familiar to Granite State fans, are scheduled to perform. The all female lineup ranges from ethereal folk to high-energy blues and rock. Eve Rising is the brainchild of Elle Gallo, a singer in the mold of Joan Osborne and Janis Joplin, who will perform with band at the festival. Gallo founded the Haverhill, Mass.,-based organization as a way to collaborate with other artists to support worthy causes — “women empowering women,” says their mission statement. “One day I woke up and had this idea in my mind to do something to raise money for local charities,” Gallo said recently during a break from preparations for the show, the first she’s ever promoted. Her initial request for performers brought more than 200 responses. “Musicians are so amazing, they rose to the occasion so quickly to help.” Some performers, including blues singer Lisa Marie and songwriter Carrie Rowan, Gallo knew and admired from previous gigs. She got in touch with Manchester’s Amy Petty after hearing her on an independent radio station that was playing songs from another friend, acoustic soul stylist Lori Diamond. “It wasn’t about the concert; I just called to tell her how amazing her music was,” she said. “We became very quick friends. When I asked her to play Eve Rising, she said yes right away.” Said Petty, “Eve Rising isn’t the only female-fronted music festival in the world, but it is everything that I want one to be; a group of women who love music and love each other coming together to help women in need with no hidden agendas.” Nashua songwriter Karen Grenier was booked on the basis of her electronic press kit. Grenier’s songs have appeared on television shows like Dawson’s Creek, and she’s a regular at venues like the Holy Grail in Epping and Whippersnappers in Londonderry. “All of these performers have a real purpose and a message in their music and that’s what I wanted to get across for this festival,” Gallo said. “Bringing people of like minds together who really believe in change [and] bonding with other people to promote that kind of change.” All festival proceeds will be donated to two local charities: Emmaus Inc., a Haverhill-based organization that that provides housing and services to homeless adults and families; and the YWCA of Greater Lawrence. The group was pleased to secure Winnekenni Castle, and they plan to give some money to the historic structure’s restoration efforts. It was built in 1872 by local chemist and agriculturalist Dr. James R. Nichols after he traveled to England and admired the castles there. Four-foot-thick walls, fashioned entirely from local rocks and stones, are all that remain after a fire gutted the elaborate interior in 1969. A sustained volunteer effort has transformed it into a vital part of the community, a recreational park offering concerts, plays, workshops, craft fairs and other events. “I’ve done some work there, we did a show last year with Lisa Marie and Greta Heller,” Gallo said. “We love the venue. It has a built-in stage, a huge open field — a beautiful setting.” While born in Gallo’s imagination, Eve Rising is not a one-woman effort. “Part of the reason I support women is because I have this really amazing support group of women, some of whom have been my friend since I was a kid,” she said. “Many of them are working hand in hand with me on this project.” Gallo took an interesting route into show business, entering the Miss North Shore beauty pageant in the early 1990s with hopes of meeting a talent scout. In 1993, she would win the Miss Massachusetts pageant, but initially she was out of her element: “I showed up in tight acid-washed jeans with white high heel boots and a fuzzy pink sweater,” she recalls. “All the other women were in business suits. Oops! That was my induction.” The other contestants represented a world of promise, Gallo said. “The beauty pageant was the angel that kind of came in and saved my life, to tell you the truth. They were everything I thought I couldn’t be. They taught me how to behave like a lady, how to speak in front of a crowd, how to speak in front of the Senate. Five years later, I was able to win a title and go on to Miss America.” These days, it’s Gallo who’s taking performers under her wing, creating a website (with the help of her husband, who runs Commonwealth Computers) and showcasing artists on her Facebook page. “The sharing of fans is something we feel very strongly about,” she said. “There’s enough to go around. Music lovers are music lovers, and if it’s good, they’re going to come around and support us.”
Eve Rising Festival: Inspiring a Little Help July 10, 2010 Mamapalooza Wordpress A performing songwriter/friend of mine asked me to sing harmonies for her performance at an upcoming festival. Lori Diamond is a musical force to be reckoned with, a mom of three, with a voice to die for. Not only has she inspired me to get back to my own piano-playing roots, but in a world where people can be so catty and cutthroat with each other, Lori is a generous spirit of collaboration. We are both moms always working for life balance – it’s comforting to know that I’m not alone in trying to navigate this “follow your bliss” life, and that there are others who are in the same boat and willing to help. She keeps an impressive performance schedule at www.loridiamond.net. Lori is one of the performers in the upcoming Eve Rising Festival, Sunday, July 18 at the Winnikenni Castle in Haverhill, MA. The festival is spearheaded by Elle Gallo, an amazing performer in her own right. Elle dreams big – she wants to change the world. Starting the Eve Rising festival is how she plans to do it – featuring female performers across musical genres, and raising money for charities and organizations that empower women. Elle’s music website is www.ellegallo.com, and more information about the Eve Rising Festival is at online at http://everising.org. I asked Lori and Elle to answer three questions for me: What drives you to be a positive and helping force for other women, rather than competing with them? Lori: I think it’s incredibly important for women to work together to raise each other up. Too often we feel as if there is only room for one at the top – when in reality, success is both abundant and boundless! Elle: I’m driven by an inner certainty that when women come together with honesty, sincerity and compassion, there isn’t a thing we cannot accomplish together. Part of the female DNA is giving birth – we are capable of sowing the seeds of new ideas, new ways of thinking and approaching challenges then nurturing them, feeding them, loving them into fruition. Not only are we capable, but we are responsible for this! As well, I know that the key to a happy and successful life is to cause others to have what we feel we are lacking in our own lives. One woman liberated affects the whole, and the contagious energy of the freeing of spirit can affect the climate of our communities. Was there an a-ha moment or event in your life that made it obvious that this is how you want to be? Have you always been that way? Lori: Unfortunately, it took me longer than I would care to admit… but, luckily, somewhere down the line, I figured out that everyone brings valuable gifts to the table, and it’s not up to me to offer judgment. Offering support and upliftment is not only easier, but is profoundly more joyful – for everyone involved! Elle: I’m not sure that there was ever a single a-ha moment that set me on this path. I’ve certainly always embodied a compassion for humanity; but perhaps my varied personal history caused these seeds to grow within me. Just in the short time since I started having children I’ve been “that” mom who stood in the grocery line with 3 babies (age 3, 1 and a newborn) after hours of very challenging (torturous, really) shopping – at my wits end, fighting tears - to be told that my credit card was declined -3 times in one month. I’ve also been the soccer-mom proudly signing my children up for one of the more expensive private schools in the area. My younger years exposed me to high-risk situations as a rebellious teen, and brought me to the State Senate as a spokesperson for the importance of open communication between adults and teens. I walked in dark alleys with pennies in my pocket and in the spotlights of Atlantic City Convention Center wearing expensive gowns and donning the crown of Miss MA. I’ve had lunch with friends in the homeless community of Boston, and champagne with celebrities and dignitaries. In my early 20’s I was diagnosed with severe depression, and today help others to change their mindset in order to achieve lasting happiness. I’ve been a breakfast bar waitress, a hairdresser, a special needs teacher, a momma, and an entertainer. I’ve covered the gamut of social circles and emotional levels, so I think I have a pretty solid understanding of people. Perhaps these are the reasons I care so deeply about other people’s trials and am committed to their successful outcomes. I’ve spent years learning the philosophies of different “religions” and ways of thinking. They have stirred my spirit and awoken me from slumber. I feel a responsibility to share the approaches that changed my life with other women. We are all sisters, after all. And – how do you see it working for you as a result? Lori: Does it work for me? I’d say so. I’ve only had a couple of folks challenge me on my “style”, but as cliché as it may sound, in the end, I listen to my heart. Elle: How have these outlooks served me? I have the most meaningful relationships with those around me. I have been blessed with a support system that overwhelms me with gratitude every single day. I AM truly happy knowing that I am fulfilling my destiny in this lifetime. About Eve Rising’s Charities This year, Eve Rising is a benefit for Emmaus of Haverhill, MA and the YWCA of Greater Lawrence. Emmaus is a non profit organization that provides housing and services for homeless individuals and families, developing affordable housing and helping people to rebuild their lives. http://www.emmausinc.org/ The YWCA’s mission is to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA provides all kinds of support services – in situations of domestic violence, sexual assault, transitional housing need, women’s health advocacy and gender-specific programs for girls. On their website, a statistic is listed that the YWCA helps 32 women to secure restraining orders every week; 46% of women have repeat mammograms through the YWCA’s programs, 139 calls are received by their Domestic Violence Program, that the average household income of families using YWCA childcare is $15,000, and that 88% of donation dollars go to fund programs like these. http://www.ywcalawrence.org/donate/index.asp If you can get to Haverhill, MA on Sunday, July 18 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm – join Elle, Lori, and the other amazing women giving their time and talent to raise money for moms helping moms and women helping women. If not – consider looking through the websites of the amazing charities and sending a donation, or spreading the word about them. Or – find charities local to you that do the same. Whatever you can do, whatever you can give, however you can help will be appreciated. Get inspired – a little help goes a long way! Kim Jennings, Guest blogger
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ALL ABOUT EVE: Women lift voices to lift each otherJuly 1, 2010 By Bruce Amaro Special to The Haverhill Gazette The first Eve Rising music and arts festival was conceived and created in Haverhill. A concert by women artists from the Merrimack Valley and beyond will benefit services for women and families in Greater Haverhill. Bradford's Elle Gallo, frontwoman of a popular band that plays locally and throughout New England, has gathered a group of women musicians from several genres to perform on Sunday, July 18, at Winnekenni Park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission tickets are $10. Children 14 and younger will be admitted free. "I believe strongly that when women unite for a common goal they are unstoppable. I also believe that the nurturing energy of women is precisely what the world needs today. This is why we chose to help empower women with our festival," Gallo said. Organizers will donate the proceeds of the festival to Emmaus and the Lawrence YWCA. They would like to increase the number of agencies they can support and would welcome more sponsors and vendors. "Our main priority is raising awareness and funds for the chosen charities, YWCA of Lawrence and Emmaus Inc. of Haverhill. The charities help women and families regain empowerment, and help with growth and development," said Tina Upton the festival's graphic designer and volunteer coordinator. Performers are: Karen Grenier, a New York native singer/songwriter who performs often in Provincetown. Erinn Brown, described as a sultry singer/songwriter/musician, Brown performs solo or with a band, sometimes with fellow Eve Rising performer Alison Keslow. Lisa Marie, a blues, R&B and rockabilly singer from Boston. Jen Kearney, a Lowell musician who plays piano and guitar and writes and sings in a variety of styles, including funk, reggae, soul, Latin and rock 'n' roll. Alison Keslow, a Boston-area bass player. Julie Dougherty, a Boston-area folk performer since the 1960s, performs Irish, country folk, and pop folk, all in her original style. Amy Petty, Laura Vecchione, who arrived in Boston by way of New York, has a southern style that belies her northern roots. Lori Diamond, from the western part of Massachusetts, is a singer/songwriter, pianist. Patti Derosa, another New York transplant who landed in Boston, performs music with a Caribbean beat. The Elle Gallo band, after four years together, is making a name for itself around New England.
Haverhill comedian AmyTee will keep things moving between sets. Vendors will include Circle of Wisdom, a metaphysical book store based in Andover. Owner Cathy Kneeland will sell books, music, crystals, jewelry, incense and gifts. "The Eve Rising Festival is a great way for me to join with other creative women and make a difference in the lives of women and families in need," Kneeland said. A few popular psychic and intuitive readers will offer 15-minute readings for $15 each. With less than three weeks until the festival, Gallo said the organizers would welcome a local company to sponsor the event. Portable toilets, a sound company and tents are still needed, Gallo said, and donations of goods or money are welcome. "The big picture and main intent of this incredible event, is to not only support, but educate and empower women of all walks of life. From getting resources for basic life needs, to learning exciting ways to constantly grow and expand their spirits, the goal here is empowerment," said performer Lori Diamond. | |
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