Woman Up: Kerry Pastine and crew bringing strong female vibes to eTown Friday
Music Fest featuring women-fronted bands also has Mojomama, Cass Clayton Band on the bill
By KALENE MCCORT | kmccort@prairiemountainmedia.com | Boulder Daily Camera PUBLISHED: February 27, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. | UPDATED: February 28, 2020 at 9:24 a.m.
Denver-based creative Kerry Pastine is a musical force — a red-lipped, tattooed, dark-haired phenom who seems like she could have easily stepped off the screen of a John Waters film. From fronting big-band blues group The Informants to rocking area stages with the Crime Scene, Pastine continues to captivate audiences with her impressive vocal range and undeniable stage presence. Friday, Pastine will join Mojomama and The Cass Clayton Band for the Woman Up Music Festival — a high-energy night of female-fronted bands at eTown Hall. We caught up with the powerhouse, ahead of her Boulder gig, to talk style icons, her early love of Hollywood musicals and her obsession with mid-century modern art.
Daily Camera: How did you get involved with Woman Up Music Festival and what are you most looking forward to about it?
Kerry Pastine: Woman Up Festivals are concerts presented by SHE E.O. — She Entertainment Organization — founded by myself, Jessica Rogalski, of Mojomama, and Cass Clayton and a handful of other women in the industry. We are an all-women coalition — almost 200 strong — of music-industry professionals who set out to support, network and inform each other. Our festivals are exciting because we love being together, we love singing together and it really brings up our morale as musicians in many ways. The music industry is a tough business, and at times can be very lonely, which is why our festivals are so important. The musical gatherings amplify our creative passion, our love of music and we get to merge our loving fans into one big family. I call them the “FAMS.”
DC: What is it about rockabilly blues that speaks to your soul?
KP: What speaks to my soul is the beat, the groove, the grease of an older era of music. It feels rough around the edges, but allows us to shake off the blues with a dance beat. It celebrates life in all of its phases and invites everyone on the dance floor. Even though we write our own music, we are a mixed bag of sounds from the past: ‘50s- and ‘60s-style music, jump blues, rock ‘n’ roll, soul, surf, go-go and a teeny bit of rockabilly — rock/hillbilly. I also love a cinematic sound; something that makes me feel like I’m in a movie. It could be a spaghetti western or a crime noir or even a Tarantino film with all the kitsch sounds and styles.
DC: You have such a great sense of style. If you had the opportunity to raid the closet of anyone, who would it be and why? Who are some of your favorite style icons?
KP: Thank you so much. I love fashion and have since I was about 5 years old. My sister used to let me look at her Vogue magazines when I was little and I also used to watch a lot of ‘50s movies with big bands, tuxedos and huge gowns. I would raid the closets of Hollywood sets circa 1940 to 1960. And, maybe the closet of Shirley Bassey in the ‘60s, Grace Jones in the ‘80s and Marlene Dietrich in the ‘40s and London’s punk scene in the ‘70s, aka Vivian Westwood. When people see me, they should be able to understand what I do by my uniform. I entertain.
DC: In the video for “City of Love,” y’all cruise around Denver in an epic seafoam ’65 Continental. I have to ask, is this your ride? Have you always been drawn to mid-century swag?
KP: God, I wish that was my car. This car belongs to our friend, Felix LaFore. We have a tour vehicle. Yes, I have always had a thing for mid-century modern art, furniture and architecture and I use to collect it and sell it for years. It’s outrageous and cool and I suppose preserving the exceptional style and detail of the ‘60s era has translated into every facet of my life; my lyrics and sound, my interior design style, my fashion. I even paint on large canvas in that style.
DC: Do you remember some of the music in your youth that had a profound impact on you? Who could you not get enough of? DC: Do you remember some of the music in your youth that had a profound impact on you? Who could you not get enough of?
KP: When I was 5 years old, I become addicted to watching old Hollywood musicals, where I would be swept away by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers or Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse dancing together with a big band orchestra backing them up as they sang, tapped and jumped across the floor. Around the same time, I would sneak down into my sisters’ psychedelic bedroom when they were in high school and listen to their music. I think that’s when I fell in love with the record player and that’s where I first heard Bowie. I liked everything as a kid — big band, gospel, rock and roll, top 40, psychedelic music — and as I got older I continued to seek out different and varied styles. I eventually came back to swing and jazz, western swing, jump blues and jazz. Patsy Cline, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington and Keely Smith are who I cannot get enough of.
DC: Lastly, what’s the most rewarding aspect of fronting such an amazing band?
KP: Thank you for such wonderful compliments. I’m so glad you dig our music. I am in love with my band and feel very lucky to have my partner-in-crime, guitarist, designer and husband, Paul Shellooe “Pauly 6 String.” He and I have been building this life since 2004. There is nothing quite like a creative team of passionate people that share the same vision. It becomes this journey of moving through life’s ups and downs to our own soundtrack and musical language.
Our bass player, Troy Robey, is one of Denver’s most sought-after bass players. He’s truly a cool cat and can play anything with swagger, style and amazing tone. Amy Shelley on drums, and our newest member, is also a professional musician and has been on the music scene for many years. Troy introduced all of us and it was an instant connection in personality, humor and musical taste. We’re having a ball together. One of the biggest rewards, for me, is in seeing the joy and emotion that our music evokes in the listener, especially live, where they can hit the dance floor and escape into another world for a while. I like making people feel good. I also like making people feel, period. It’s healing and when a message is paired with a sound, there’s nothing more powerful.
If you go
What: Woman Up Music Festival
When: 6:30 p.m. Friday
Where: eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder
Cost: $22-$40
More info: etown.org/events/woman-up-music-festival
