Chick with Picks

Well, my debut performance as music impresario seemed to go off without a hitch.

This weekend was the maiden voyage for "Chicks with Picks," the live music arm of The Girlie Show in Oklahoma City. During Saturday's shop-a-thon, we featured 9 women or women-led musical artists playing impossibly-tight back-to-back-to-back-to-back sets. Time was short and logistics were daunting, but thanks to the classiness and and all-around professional behavior of each of the acts, the show was a smashing success.

Organizing and pulling off such an event gives one new-found respect for big-time happenings like Live Aid and Woodstock. How do you tell Sting he can only play 4 songs in order to get U2 onstage at 3:30? It's tough, and Lord knows I don't have the personality of a Bill Graham, so it helps to have a group of musicians down with the cause.

"Chicks with Picks" showed the breadth of creativity and musicianship among Oklahoma City women, and it was truly the first event of its kind in our increasingly vibrant city. Acoustic singer-songwriter, electronica, punkabilly, jazz, pop, blues -- we covered the gamut.

Kudos to each and every performer for their time and talent, and to Marilyn, Dawn and Erin for believing in me. I heart you all!