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Vicki Genfan blows away the competition to win Guitar Player Superstar 2008Quick! Name a really great female guitarist. (I’ll wait.) Hard-pressed? Sure, we’ve got a lot of guitar players, but if your mind goes blank after naming a couple of singer-songwriters, then you’re not alone. It’s the guys who usually take center stage, but not with someone like Vicki Genfan around. Last weekend, she was the only woman out of 10 finalists to compete for Guitar Player magazine’s Superstar 2008. Judges included guitar gods Steve Vai (Whitesnake, Frank Zappa) and Elliot Easton (the Cars). (Yeah, they’re men. You’re not surprised, right?)
The competition was held at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. Genfan was the sixth to play, dazzling them with her two-handed tapping technique on the acoustic guitar (one of only two finalists to play an acoustic). Women, this technique is hurt-your-fingers hard. She takes her right hand away from the body of the guitar and taps the strings on the neck then returns so quickly to slam out a flurry of notes that you’ll swear she has three hands. Judge Easton joked that maybe she was “too good” for this competition, with Vai adding that maybe she should run for vice president. (I’m thinking yes, but only if she can see Russia from her house.)
At the end of the evening, Genfan was announced as the winner, taking home more than $12,000 in prizes. I’ve watched the video of this about 10 times, and every time I cheer so loudly I scare my cats. Her tour schedule only shows concerts for San Francisco, the Czech Republic and Germany. In the past, though, she’s played all over the states (including Provincetown) and on an Olivia tour. Ah, so there is a chance for me to see her live. I’ll leave the cats at home. How cool is this, women? Have you heard of Genfan before? Are you ready to download a few tunes and check her tour schedule? Submitted by on September 18, 2008 - 1:00pm. |
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awesome I want to see her
Gonna check her out
I haven't read Guitar Player in a while now (shame on me). But really; the majority of interviews are with male guitar players... Nice to know a new gen of female guitar players is out there.
The only female guitarist that - immediately - came to my mind was Jennifer Batten. Remember her? I attended a clinic (way back when I was still in high school) and Jennifer showed off her skillz. Dang. I knew then I could never be that good a solo player. I am a very reliable rhythm guitarist, tho :)
_ _ _ _ _
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." (Dr. Seuss)
Jennifer Batten
For those of you who don't know, she's the hot guitarist who's played with Michael Jackson, among others. She'll blow your hair back.
I hear ya about Guitar Player. Most guitar mags cater to men.
I must say
I must say I haven't heard of her before. I will definately look for her tracks.
And about two-handed tapping: recently I've been watching (youtube) and listening to Kaki King - she uses this a lot and she is really good. Another great guitarist who happens to be a woman :)
Kaki King
Yeah, that's exactly who i thought of before i'd even finished the first paragraph. I thought, "Wait a sec. Did Kaki King compete and somehow not even make it as a finalist?"
At any rate, i'm glad to hear that there are some killer lady guitarists out there. They have to pick up the slack from people like me who can barely make it through a whole song without screwing up.
cool indeed.
i love this whole "fingerstyle"-thing. i think it's amazing.
never heard about her before though, so i checked her out on myspace and it sounded really good.
anyway.. i'm happy for her that she got into that list. she deserves it.
she's like...
...if Kaki King and Ani Difranco found a way to procreate and then got their kid hooked on crack and playing the guitar. Dang.
Seriously though, I hadn't head of her so big thanks for the tip - love what I have heard thus far!
Yeah Vicki Genfan!
Can't wait to check her out. I think every time a woman makes a mark, it pulls us all up a little bit.
www.SeekingSaraSummers.com
Not hard-pressed.
"Quick! Name a really great female guitarist. (I’ll wait.)
Hard-pressed?"
Uh, no, not hard-pressed at all, actually. I can think of many really great female guitarists. Carrie Brownstein, Anita Robinson, Ani Difranco, Marnie Stern, Liz Phair (way back when, of course), Lisa Liu, Kaki King, Wanda Jackson...
And for the record, that took all of 45 seconds.
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this. If it is difficult for
You are the exception
Most people can't name that many great female guitarists. When I asked friends, they'd say their favorite singer-songwriter then scratch their heads.
I can name a lot more too but then, I'm a guitar player.
most people need to venture
More....
I agree with the two ladies above me.... There have been and still are many fantastic female guitarists.... to add to those mentioned in the posts above:
June Millington from Fanny was an absolutely incredible hard rock guitarist and very talented songwriter. She is also a queer woman!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33UnXwgWJ8E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0By2IbNvavc
And what about Wendy Melovin from the Revolution? She was one hell of a guitarist... and also a queer woman!
Mia Clarke from Electrelane- guitar genius. Her trademark 'amp f*cking' has to be seen and heard to be believed. She's bisexual as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHpofo_PpNA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGWSxE7Ql-U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo8hINxOhVI
Abby DeWald from the Ditty Bops is also a great guitarist.... she's not a flashy player, but the chord changes and fingerpicking on Ditty Bops songs are notoriously difficult to play. Oh, and she's gay too ;-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DRKzqISgrs
Something tells me that gay and bisexual women have a special gift!
Hip To The Beat, Mommie-O!
Thanks for that great post
Thanks for that great post and linking all those great videos, Sorch'!
You've got a point, queer women seem to have a flair for being incredible musicians ;-) Thanks for the Ditty Bops link also, it's the first time I ever checked out their work and I am impressed! Their guitar interplay is really complex!
But don't forget the kickass Kelly Johnson from Girlschool (RIP Kelly)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbnalCFx-dc
...Or the truely unique and talented Kaki King, for that matter!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shYdqbJgQdc
"Of course I'm not wrong!"
Lesborock
Wow!
Thanks for those great links, Schmanet!
That Girlschool clip is what classic rock and roll is all about- incredible, sizzling guitarwork, tight riffs and bags of attitude. I love the slight echo effect on the vocals as well..... I can really imagine those chicks giving someone like Mary Hopkins a heart attack!
And lordy- that Kaki King vid is amazing! It's the first time I've listened to one of her guitar workouts while seeing her creating the sounds and I am blown away. How does she do it? I love her less elaborate track 'Pull Me Out Alive', but I'll really have to explore her more complex, guitar-only based stuff.
Wow, us dykes rock!
Hip To The Beat, Mommie-O!
Yay for Vicki
Vicki has been around and known mostly in the "underground" guitar community for a few years.....I first heard of her in Acoustic Guitar Magazine, back when I was heavily into the acoustic-tapping players like Hedges, Preston Reed, Phil Keaggy. etc.
This is so great, and great for the guitar community!!
AMAZING!!