MUSIC: Girls Rock Philly

Girls and Noise


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Published: Oct 20, 2010

Neal Santos

BANG THE DRUM: Girls Rock Philly director Beth Warshaw-Duncan is photographed Oct. 17 at the organizations new Frankford Avenue space.

That the city's rock clubs haven't already been filled with Girls Rock Philly alumnae says more about the dearth of all-ages venues where tweens and teens can support each other's bands than about the talent coming out of the weeklong summer sessions. Still, seeds are sprouting: This month's Swap-O-Rama Rama featured a DJ set from a GRP crew, while former camper Attia Taylor is turning heads with her Short Stories & Small Glories. Up next: a show at Johnny Brenda's on Nov. 6 to celebrate the camp's second compilation CD. (Yes, it's all-ages.)

Director Beth Warshaw-Duncan reels off some of this year's other big accomplishments: "We expanded camp about 50 percent from 2009, from 50 to 75 campers, and held our showcase at the Trocadero for the first time. We also held a Ladies Rock Camp for the first time that ran over Memorial Day Weekend 2010; won a Powerful Voices Award from Women's Way in May; are fiscally sponsoring and partnering with a new after-school music and tutoring program called Rock to the Future; and have just moved into a new practice space and office in Fishtown."

All of that takes a small army of volunteers, so it's only natural that GRP emphasizes cooperation over competition, and taking aesthetic risks over mastering the canon. Those lessons are just as crucial as guitar skills and drum techniques, and they resonate in the world beyond the scene.

"Young girls don't always have the encouragement that they do what they want to do and be who they want to be," says gear coordinator Tara Hoffman.

Camper-turned-volunteer Taylor concurs: "What we'll see is an increasing amount of female musicians in our local scene ... and most importantly a new breed of young women with the courage to take on challenges that they once thought weren't for them." 'M.J. Fine

Music Honorable Mentions

Making Time
Our most revered dance/pop/rock night celebrated 10 years with an enormous series of cocainesexjam parties, ending with a 3,500-plus throwdown with LCD Soundsystem at the Navy Yard. Club kids FTW.

The Philly F/M Fest
Because why shouldn't we have our very own SXSW?

Philly Folk Parade
The Spinning Leaves-led folk collective preaches building an unstoppable music community.

Matthew Feldman
Philly's most die-hard jazz advocate hosts a series at Moonstone, a show on GTown Radio and is pushing to open South Philly club Lucky Old Souls.