Carolyn Wonderland: Rocked my soul

She reminds me of everyone woman I want to be.

She's a rock. She's vulnerability.

She's running toward a dream and winning.

Her voice is a blues version of Joplin with a whirlwind demand to not look away.

She is the unstoppable force.

And, that force comes with confidence and don't-get-in-her-way might.

In the songs, I travel and hear her journey. I hear of times when she was beat down. I hear when she cried. I hear when she fought back and said, "Nope, you're not stepping on me again. I am woman, hear me roar. . . I am THE woman, hear my roar."

Snuggled inside the high and mighty rocking roar are lyrics of love, passion, fight and might. These lyrics dare you to look away because, honestly, you just can't.

A look around the room, and you see a room packed with hungry dedicated passionate rock-n-roll veterans- -people that adore her so much that they talk about her, and they get there way before the show to prepare for the journey.


One woman called her nothing less than "wonderful- -a Janis of our time and a unique musician that you just have to see." Carolyn Wonderland was knighted as the chick of soul and rock-n-roll.

Underneath the pounding voice with this roar of soul was a sense that not only could she take on anything, she could love like no other too.

Wiping away a tear or two or three, and taking a moment to get it together after a tribute to a musician friend, she shakes it off and returns back to her courageous roar.

This moment, shows that in all the layers, her strength of song comes not only in her dare to give everything on stage at every moment, but also the strength within her vulnerability to be simply honest in the moment too.

She laughs, tilts her head back, takes a drink of whiskey, and cheers to the audience and the band.

She plays a multitude of instruments with the same latitude of stand-back-here-I-come-rock-n-roll.

She reminds me of every woman I've known that said to herself, "No. I am more than that. And, get off of my back. I've had enough. Step off!"

She reminds me of my dear mentor that went off to be a volunteer in the Peace Corps in her mid-50s. She reminds me of the strength it takes to just let go.

She reminds me of what it's like to truly know yourself for the first time and not give a rip of what people say.

She reminds me of Kathy who was tough from the third grade- -kicking the boys in the shins with her boots. The boys didn't bug her anymore.

Carolyn reminds me of every good friend that said I could, said I already had, and said I had a roar of my own; it's okay to bark back, and it's ok to give everything you've got into the thing that you love.

Audiences truly got this from her.  By the end of the evening, we were all so geared up, I got the feeling that nothing, and no one could come against us.

Thank you Carolyn.

You rock in more ways than one.