"NOBODY CAN BRING ME DOWN"

I have sent out a call for stories from rock campers about how the Rock'n'Roll Camp for Girls has affected their lives, and man, are they sending me throat-lumpers and tear-eliciters. Like this excerpt from Madison, a 15-year-old guitar player who lives in a small town on the coast:

When I entered the Rock 'n' Roll Camp For Girls, I was a shy, quiet little girl who had been home-schooled for three years, moved 10 times in her 14 years of life, and had hardly even made friends in the city she was currently living in. But when I left the Rock 'n' Roll Camp For Girls, I was a brave, noisy, strong girl.

Thank you, Rock 'n' Roll Camp, for changing my life, and the lives of hundreds of others. Because of you, I can defend myself, and speak my mind. Nobody can bring me down.

If you want to fill the world with more brave, noisy, strong girls, consider this. We're holding a swanky benefit feast in Portland on October 25th, featuring food by the illustrious Simpatica, a silent auction full of awesome items and services (an Emily the Strange electric Epiphone guitar donated by Dark Horse Comics, a Fender electric guitar, keg-and-multiple-pizzas party-in-a-box, and more), and a solo performance by Carrie Brownstein. It's $100 per plate. It's going to be so worth it. Here you can reserve your ticket/pay/donate (do it soon--must RSVP by October 20, and seats are limited!) Spread the word.

Also at that link, you can watch a great little montage of clips from last year's showcase, starting with the Electric Ligers, who start off with the battle cry, "Scream if you hate captivity!" and then burst out from their cages. The tiny guitarist plays her guitar with an electric toothbrush.

Right here you can see Silo 24 from this year's second session singing "Wanna Be Free." I think they are eleven. They are a three-piece: just drums, guitar, and vocals. At this point, they had existed as a band for exactly six days.

If this is the future, I feel a lot better about the world.

(That's Sticks and Auzzie, the Silo 24 drummer and guitarist, in the foreground of the photo at left.)