In today’s music scene, the term “rock goddess” gets thrown around a lot. But just how many of these so-called deified dames truly transcend their own musical prowess for the good of all women? And how many do it for the love of those ladies who want to plug in their electric guitars and rock out? Meet Gail Silverman, the enigmatic visionary who founded Girls Rock & Girls Rule six years ago. What started as a one-night event at a now-defunct NYC club is now a leading national organization truly dedicated to giving women who want to rock new and exciting opportunities for exposure -- and a sense of community. “I decided to put together a one-night event with some other bands I knew at Meow Mix in NYC which then became an annual event for about four years,” explains Gail, who got into singing and formed her band when she moved to New York City in the 1990s. “In 2004 we decided to test the waters in another market, which was Hoboken, and three years ago we began touring and taking it to other cities.” Last year Girls Rock & Girls Rule brought four “core” New York City female-led and female-infused bands to 12 cities (preview events plus a nine-day tour) and this year GRGR will touch down in a total of 14 or 15 cities. To make this possible, GRGR had to expand its home base: Today, a team of volunteers led by four ladies who are the lead singers, guitarists and drummers for the GRGR “core bands" work countless hours to ensure shows run smoothly, everyone is having fun and females are getting the spotlight they deserve. 
It's a spotlight they didn’t always get in the past when they were passed up by radio stations and club owners for all-guy rock bands. “Although there were several organizations for ‘women in rock’ none of them really featured true rockers,” says Gail, recalling the music scene in 2001. “They were mostly singer-songwriter, pop and R&B. Whenever I was part of an event like that I didn’t feel there was a place where I fit as an artist. Also, I knew several other women in bands that were making a different kind of music and I wanted to create a space for that. Plus commercially on radio/MTV no one was giving any exposure and attention to these artists.” In addition to bringing women to the front of the stage, Gail expanded GRGR’s mission to give back to women and girls in the community and in 2003 began designating a portion of funds to women’s charities such as Voices of Women Organizing Project Battered Women’s Resource Center, Habitat For Humanity Women and Girl Build and its current beneficiary, Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls.
This fall, GRGR, Gail’s band G-Spot and the four other hardworking core New York City bands -- RewBee, Loki the Grump, Marisa Mini & Her Mojo and America’s Sweetheart -- are thrilled to embark on their second East Coast tour. They’ll head south this year, from Washington, D.C. to Norfolk, Va., Spartanburg, S.C.; Chapel Hill, N.C.; Tucker, Ga.; Nashville, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and then back to the Big Apple.
This year’s tour (which included preview summer gigs in New Haven, CT; Montclair, NJ, and Lindenhurst, Long Island) brings unprecedented number of up-and-coming fiery femmes to the stage to out rock the typical boy bands hogging all the 
attention. Bands gracing the stage with everything from punk-pop to indie rock and heavy metal include All Out Riot, The Rosies, Dormitory Effect, Infernophonic, New Day Dawn, Curly and the Rocket, Tami D’Mar, Pink Flag, Princess & the Criminals, Kink Ador, Shotgun Diary, S, South85, Vertigo, SPAREchange, The Banana Convention, SoulShine, Entheos, ZoiRose, Victims of Experience, Clarissa, Motorpsychos, Love Bettie and ShiraGirl. GRGR alumni are also seeing greater success with their future musical endeavors, with bands like Baltimore’s Odd Girl Out and New Jersey’s Infernophonic getting sought-after opening slots for bigger acts on bigger stages.
Just as the demand for girls who play 100 percent rock and roll grows, so has the supply of sponsors -- this year brings a whole slew of great companies to the bill, including Fuze, Rolling Rock, AirPlay Direct, Daisy Rock, D’Addario, JakPrints, NoisyPlanet, Sam Ash, Shure, and SonicBids. Plus -- GRGR has landed a coveted performance slot at the CMJ New Music Marathon, on Tuesday, October 21, at the Trash Bar in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood. As Gail sees it, GRGR isn’t just a tour -- it’s a revolution.
“I want GRGR to be the premier national showcase for women in hard rock music and the “go to” place to find new and up and coming talent in the heavy rock arena,” says Gail, adding that her ultimate dream is for us to be the next biggest and most well-known platform for women in rock. “Think of it as Warped Tour meets Lilith Fair packing a super-power punch!”
If your band has at least one female who rocks her heart out, and you want to learn more about Girls Rock & Girls Rule and be a part of future shows, check out the organization’s myspace site at myspace.com/girlsrockgirlsrule or sign up for the monthly newsletter at revolutionaryrecords.com
