Empowered Women ready to rock the Front Room
By Melanie Barnes, Entertainment Writer
February 13, 2008 | 6 a.m.
It’s that time of the month for women to burn their bras, shave their heads and rock out at 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Front Room for the Empowered Women’s Rock Show.
The free pro-fem rock show will include performances by Ones and Zeros, Erica and the Little Beans and the Ohio University a cappella group Title IX as part of a week-long tribute to empowering women.
Ones and Zeros is a new, punk-influenced trio of women channeling their talents into guitar, drums and bass. Although they have not had much exposure yet, they have been known to play kazoo and spit the occasional rap rhyme during a performance.
Erica and the Little Beans is a group headed by front woman Erica Boehnlein, president of Empowered Women of Ohio and the driving force behind Empowered Women’s Week. A blend of edgy-folk and pop, Erica and the Little Beans carries a slightly political, in-your-face element that is not afraid to have an opinion.
Title IX is the a cappella section of Ohio University Women’s Chorale, or the female version of the Singing Men of Ohio. Taking recently-popular songs and dropping all but the vocals, Title IX provides a fresh take on favorite songs.
The Empowered Women’s Rock Show is just a piece of the many events showcasing female talent this week. The weeklong celebration is the brainchild of Erica Boehnlein, who compiled the events in hopes of providing a platform for creative women while bringing attention to women’s rights.
“Empowered Women of Ohio is an outlet for women, including students, grad students, staff and faculty," Boehniein said. "We want women to feel like they have a space because women are often overlooked. They can have a space to showcase their talents and be proud that they are women."
This week also features a poetry slam on Tuesday night by political poet Alix Olsen, who has performed for OU’s Take Back the Night and OUT Weeks, which are dedicated to educating women about sexual assault and overcoming adversity respectively.
Director of OU’s LGBT Center Mickey Hart helped Boehnlein organize the first Woman’s Empowerment Week with his experience from PRIDE and OUT Week. He views this week as an opportunity for entertaining yet informative action for women.
“Empowered Women’s Week is a diverse grouping of events looking at the empowerment of women," Hart said. "This week is perfect because it ties in other great things on campus such as The Vagina Monologues, Queer Prom and the first anniversary of the Women’s Center being open. It’s a celebration of women and women’s voices on campus."
Formerly called “Swarm of Dykes,” a reference to a former OU feminist group of the '90s, the Empowered Women of Ohio began last year as a proactive female voice on campus. The name change came about as a move to include all forms equality and diversity among women as well as LGBT and multicultural groups.
“We wanted to strive to bridge the gap between women’s activism and women’s equality and try to find a positive middle ground. It’s important to connect women’s rights and LGBT rights," Boehnlein said. "It’s important to connect to see there is overlapping oppression in order to fight the cause you have to look at the different groups that are oppressed."
There will also be an Empowered Women’s Folk Show at 9 p.m. Thursday in the Baker Center second-floor multipurpose room featuring Ann Arbor, Mich., lesbian folk duo Nervous But Excited. There will be an open coffee bar for those attending, complete with add-in flavors and cookies to bring in a classic coffeehouse atmosphere. This event is also free.
Empowered Women of Ohio meet at 9 p.m. every Tuesday in Baker 501.
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Click here for a listing of all the Empowered Women's Week events.