We got a new review…well, it’s a few days old, but we just got it via email. Lots of folks have been writing great things about the MASCARA TOUR on their newsletters and music review emails. THANK YOU people!
MASCARA TOUR HAS INSTANT FANS
SECTION D, PAGE 8 —SEPTEMBER 10 - SEPTEMBER 16, 2009 THE KNOXVILLE JOURNAL
BySTEPHANIE EDWARDS
S.Edwards@TheKnoxvilleJournal.com
Four women, four guitars, four microphones, one snare drum and tons of playful attitude make for an interesting recipe — one that can only be called the Mascara Tour. These ladies cruised to Knoxville to offer our city a taste of Nashville during two performances — one at WDVX’s Blue Plate Special and the other at the Crown & Goose in the Old City on Sept. 8. Each of these musicians has their own band, but they decided that they would set out on a musical journey touring East Tennessee and Western North
Carolina, while serving as each other’s backup, both vocally and instrumentally.
Regardless of who was taking the lead at each particular moment, her fellow musicians
supported her 100 per- cent. Their ability to harmonize was out of this
world, especially considering the fact that they do not perform together on a regular basis.
The Blue Plate Special show was their first live performance, with all of them on the stage at the same time. But it absolutely didn’t show. During the Blue Plate, they each played a few of their favorite tunes … all of which the audi- ence completely ate up pun intended. Then, at the evening show at Crown & Goose, they sprinkled in a few more of their original music and some cover songs.
Morgan Bracy gave an outstanding performance at both Knoxville shows. This young woman has a lot of depth to her music, and she can play anything from pop to country in an effortlessly flawless manner, which is enough for the less musically inclined
crowd to be green with envy. It is easy to see that she believes every
word she sings. It’s not just about getting the right notes and words to come out of
her mouth, but instead, she wants her fans to feel the emotion that her
songs bring to the table. Her tunes “Looking Glass” and “No Place Like Home” definitely
demonstrate her power to grab a hold of the audience members’ hearts and keep them
captive throughout each song.
Rachel Pearl added a fun-loving touch to the tour. Not only does she have an incredible voice, but she has lots of sass and pizzazz, as well. From her charm to her cute, quirky stage presence, there’s not much to not love about her. I absolutely adore her
song which is about getting pulled over by the police and flirting her way out of a ticket. Her songs have an upbeat ‘40s, bluesy feel about them. All I have to say is eat your heart out Zooey Deschanel, and if you know me, you know that I am a huge fan of Deschanel’s music. Pearl also performed a unique version of Etta James’ hit “At last.” She completely made the song her own, a chal- lenge that I’m sure most musicians could not even begin to meet.
Treva Blomquist is a folk diva, with a surprisingly extensive musical range. Her song “You Deserve Better” was inspired by a friend who was dating someone she
shouldn’t have - something that most women can relate to, and Blomquist took great
care to make the song uplifting instead of bitter. If you listen closely enough to her songs, you can hear traces of country, though not the overly twangy sound that is associated with the genre. The words from the title of her song, “I Could Get Used to This” are the perfect way to describe how I feel about her music. I am looking forward to listening to her CD and becoming better acquainted with her musical abilities.
Roxie Randle garnered emphatic applause from audiences at both Knoxville shows, especially with her song “Where does Love Go?” This sad break-up song was defnitely heartfelt, as was her rendition of “War Between Us.” Randle had a way of captivating the audience in a way that only a singer-songwriter can.
I have not seen a crowd of Knoxvillians react to a band in such a way as they did at both of the Mascara Tour performances. Maybe it’s a sign that these girls should team up more often!
