Female rockers have taken over the city and it could not be more welcomed. Music fans are more than content with it! One after another, these ladies have brought out some of the best music for this holiday season. One lady in particular held a special appeal for me this past weekend at Rockwood Music Hall. Who is this woman you ask? She is none other than the stunning Heather LaRose.
Arriving at Rockwood shortly after completing some new paintings at the Con Artist Collective, I was eager for a drink. I ordered a Founder’s Porter and the poor bartender had to pour out a good amount of it to pass the foamy mess from the tap. Luckily, after some time a nice cool porter was in my hand. I turned my attention to the space and to my surprise; a small but significant crowd was already forming. Usually, the collection of fans is quite sparse for the first show of the evening, however, that was not the case for Miss LaRose. People were probably also anxious to get away from the Santa Con folks wandering and stumbling the city. I don’t blame them; they are a wild bunch to avoid.
Heather LaRose was celebrating her new EP, “Beachside,” released that night. Before she went on stage with her four-piece band, Ryder Stuart, Kevin Myers, Paul Maddison and Daniel Golden, she excitingly came over and said hello. With that big grin on her face as well as her natural enjoyment for the performance ahead, she was immediately likeable. The tall energetic blonde, in a lovely embroidered jewel black dress, took the stage with many cheers from her fans. She took it upon herself to encourage people in the balcony to come down to the main concert floor for a more intimate experience. Heather wanted people to enjoy themselves that night, which would not be a problem at all. The audience was cheering and enthusiastic for the evening ahead. Miss LaRose’s confidence was clear as her band started us off with some solid folksy rock with her on an acoustic guitar. Her classy dress contrasted with her acoustic guitar was a fun mix. If anyone knows me well, I love back up vocalists and was drawn to the two talented woman, Bianca Muniz and Jen Fischer, who by Heather’s side sang proudly every minute of the show. Heather’s lovely voice that exploded with grace and power harmonized beautifully with her female contemporaries.
Along with her captivating voice, Heather was deeply animated on stage with her golden hair flowing and arms raised. All she had to do was smile and new fans were suddenly found. She won many of us head on. Shaking her hips she lived in a musical moment and loved it. When each song ended, Heather was polite and kind thanking the audience over and over again for being there. She also had a great sense of humor, making the audience laugh and beam with her quips. Eventually, the music took a bluesy rock turn as the tunes funneled through a catchy beat. While that action took place, Heather owned the microphone with pure glam. Her hand motions filled the stage with everlasting power. I don’t think I have ever seen a happier musician doing her thing. Probably my favorite thing about her music was her perfect harmonies with her band. Everything was perfectly balanced with an ideal flow that made her music genuine. Her voice carried through the space immaculately.
Heather’s music fit right into the theme of a weekend night out. Everyone would be empowered by her tunes to explore the town. As she told her stories, people listened in intently. It was all simply happy music to live by. From folk, to blues to even southern rock, a pop enjoyment exploded as well. Her band was able to blend through many genres at once. The attitude was strong and playful. Heather even screamed her heart out at times and that was when listeners could really hear her range. Her colleagues on stage were in their own zones but rocking hard. To spice things up toward the end of the night, she taught a chorus to the crowd and had us all sing along to the next song. That was a clever engagement strategy and it was very amusing. Her energy was addicting. Fans wanted an encore and she happily obliged with a wonderful rendition of Adele’s song Rolling in The Deep to send us all home.
Wow, Heather LaRose is a force of musical nature that all music fans need to enjoy. Every second of her show was astonishing. I loved it. She is going to be a musician to watch. For music fans across the world, why don’t you give your loved ones the gift of Heather LaRose this holiday season? It will be well worth it.
Jam On.