Nothing better, especially during the holiday season, than a night that combines amazing Minnesota musicians, highlights women on and off stage and helps women and children experiencing homelessness. Tina Schlieske’s VaJamma Party : Party with a purpose , PERIOD! happening December 14 at the Parkway Theater will deliver all that and more. I got a sneak peek of Quatro last month at Molly Maher’s second Wednesday of the month residency at the White Squirrel. You don’t want to miss this! Big thanks to Tina for answering five questions about the event.
Please tell us about the new super band, Quarto. I’m assuming the name Quatro is a nod to rock legend, Suzi Quatro.
Well Quatro is indeed is a nod to Suzi…Molly came up with that!
It all started around 2018 I think…I was doing my artist residency at the Icehouse where I was inviting artists to come and join me for some songs.
One particular show I had Molly, Mary Bue, and Marlee McCleod join me. We were all up in the dressing room talking about life…there was the wild fires burning in CA, we were all in different degrees of menopause and other aging situations, I’m sure there was talk of the state of the world in general, when Molly picked up her guitar and started playing. We all started singing whatever came to mind and right there we wrote Burn It All, the first Quatro penned song.We actually played it that night at the Icehouse. A couple years went by, and I found the recording on my phone and re-recorded it and sent it back to Molly.
We both thought that we have something here, why don’t we do something with it, and Quatro was born. Marlee moved back to Alabama and Becky (Kapell) joined soon after.
What is a VaJamma Party?
VaJamma Party came from what we were calling our rehearsals / hangs. I believe Becky came up with the name VaJamma jams…since I live in California now, Molly would organize these ‘get togethers’ for when I came into town. It would usually be the core of me, Molly, and Becky, and then we would invite other women artists to come and just talk, play, bounce off new song ideas with each other, vent about the biz…
Why did you chose a drive for period products and diapers?
Again, one of Molly’s brilliant ideas. I got offered to do another show at the Parkway before my other holiday shows. I really wanted to do something different. There was too little time to organize a proper fundraiser so we opted for a drive and what a perfect drive to have with an all female band! There are many food drives, toy drives, clothes drives that are so important during this time of year and are very well covered. We love an underdog so we thought a menstrual product and diaper drive suited us. It’s something so basic but so overlooked. Maybe it’s because there is a stigma attached to it, maybe it’s because women have the tendency to just deal with it, and it certainly doesn’t scream the holidays like a food or toy drive but it is so important nonetheless. What women in shelters or women living below the poverty line have to do each month is shocking. It’s simple thing to do, bring a box of tampons, or a package of pads or diapers and you can make someone’s life a little better.
Please tell us more about the event – time, place and lineup?
The event will have a ‘house band’, Jenny Case on guitar (Flamin’ Oh’s, She Rock, She Rock) Barb Brynstad on bass (Turn, Turn, Turn), and Alyse Emanuel on drums. Mary Bue, Becky Kapell, and Molly will join me for some Quatro songs as well contributing their own work. We also have Davina Lozier (Davina and the Vagabonds), Mae Simpson (Mae Simpson Band), Jaedyn James, and Kelley Smith adding their songs and a holiday tune. I will do some of my own tunes too. Plus, we are working on doing a holiday sing-along to get everyone in the holiday spirit!
Should we bring items for the drive?
We would love for people to bring any unopened box of tampons and / or package of pads and / or diapers. We will bring all period and diaper products to various women’s shelters in need across the Twin Cities Metro area.
And this just in!! The first 50 people to bring in any menstrual products and / or diapers will receive a FREE VaJamma Party Limited Edition tote bag filled with some goodies!
Slumber holiday party comfy attire encouraged!!
The VaJamma Party is at the Parkway Theater on Thursday, Dec 14th. Doors are at 6:30, music starts at 7:30. Tickets are $25 in advance / $35 at the door.
Mostly Minnesota 