Coming to you from the studios at the Illinois Rock and Roll Museum on Route 66. It's the Rock and Roll Chicago podcast Hey everybody, it's Rory the roadie you weren't solemn and quiet this time. No, not this time.

I'm I'm I'm excited Yeah, this here is Hollywood Mike. Yes. I'm excited.

Yes week. Yeah, are you you're excited? I am very excited. You know what I did today.

I actually did something pretty cool today I went down to the Chicago Music Exchange. Okay, I've been on the search for a new amp Okay, and I've played several amps. I think I've fallen in love with the black cat by bad cat.

Really? Yeah, 100% hand-wired made in California. Very good. And and you bought it.

I didn't buy it Yeah, I didn't buy it yet because it's it costs a pretty penny. Okay, but We just bought a new guitar might be it might be I did buy it. So you need a new amp Yeah, that's right.

You can't play you can't play an old guitar through a new and vice versa You can't do that buy a new guitar do I am that's right But you know, I told my wife they're only like 250 bucks a piece. That's everything's 250 everything. Oh, yeah Yeah, that's what I've always said.

Sometimes 150. Yeah, that's right. Well, never tell him how much it awesome.

Yeah. Oh my god Yeah, especially on the Sabbath. Mm-hmm.

That's right. Oh, I see where you're going See where you're going see how I did that. There you go.

You take my excitement away from me. There we go You tell them who we got in the studio we have Sabbath I hear the all-girl black Sabbath tribute band Hey gals, you can't say it can't see all girl. It's women.

Oh also. I'm sorry. I'm I'm not woke Welcome how you doing? We're doing great Awesome.

Why don't we play a third grade here and go go and introduce yourselves tell everybody who you are and what you do in I'm Elise. I'm the lead singer the Ozzie the do Which everyone fits Wow, okay dual role dual role. Yeah, you get paid double then, right? No, that's right.

Okay. No Well, that's gonna be one of the questions we're gonna talk about that a little bit later, okay But if you look at their website at the descriptions of what they do in the band, mm-hmm Everybody's got like two names. Yep.

Yes. I saw that depends on which Sabbath era that's right performing. That's right.

Yeah Just grab just grab the mic. Yeah, you can do that. Hello.

I'm Lorena. I'm drummer Okay. Yes, but I'm she's she's she's Jill Ward.

Yeah And you are I'm Paula I am I'm like I try to play guitar here, okay Yeah, yeah I know she's a guitar player not because she's playing the guitar right now because once you put a guitar in a guitar players and When you talk to them they're like, huh So, how did this how did this crazy thing, you know all come about oh That would be me yeah, I We started the band We started the band with a friend of mine Lisa And how long ago was that? When did you when did you start the band? 2020 ish. Okay. All right Yeah, right, right like after that and then We we had a drummer We found a female drummer.

Mm-hmm. Then we had other than Lorena. Pardon me other than Lorena.

Yes Yes, okay and then We had looked for singers and we found a lease and it was a really cool story when she came for her audition We did it at the drummer's house and the drummer's dog actually bit her And she wore an Iron Maiden shirt, which I was like, all right, that's pretty cool and she and so then she auditioned So then she bit the head off the dog and she's like right you're in Exactly Yeah Now she howls with full moon Only what's a full moon watch out, right, right, right. So so let's go back to that the dog bit you. Yeah, so she So so did you just go down you auditioned anyway, which is blood draining out of your arm and yeah Break the skin I did have blood she told me her dog just like Grasp on and if you just sit still it'll be fine.

Just let him finish And I was like, all right and then I I don't know he just bit down and She had to tear him off of me and I had I have a scar on my arm But I went downstairs. I was like, well, this is a nice breaker like So it's safe to say that the dog doesn't just grip onto your arm and you know So if anyone ever tells you that their dog just does that don't trust it Don't worry. He's just tasting you.

That's all that's it. Don't worry. Yeah, that's you know, he's trying to decide if he really wants to bite You're not.

All right, so tell So, how did that audition go other than getting bitten so you started off on guitar You had a different yet different drummer other than Lorraine. It was the original bass player and I know actually no So everything's kind of switching around everything then So then we had we had at least come back actually on a stage at Ranger Recording I don't know if you guys know where that that's in Bensonville. Okay, and then after that she was in the band So then my friend Lisa moved to Florida.

So we had a bass boy. We had to find a bass player So we found a bass player. It's a usual thing that happens in balance there in the meantime Our drummer left she she self-selected out and then we found we were lucky enough to find Lorena Mm-hmm, and then our Second bass player left and then we were lucky enough to find the bass player now Lisa She's from California.

She played in a Dio tribute band called dia. Okay, I'll girl, you know, I've heard of that band. Yeah.

Yeah, I certainly have Wow Interesting. Yeah, they played one of the like rock for Ronnie like Yes, I think so, yeah, I know I definitely have heard of them sure you're not mixing it up with mamma mia No, I know you're I know you're very Yes, I love me some mamma mia. I know that yeah Okay.

Oh, please. Is that gonna be your first selection for us? We were just talking about that with our yeah They were talking about how so many members of their band have going on like they're they're former singers now the lead singer of Kansas Oh, yeah, and so they were talking about, you know, they're currently singers gonna get called by Abba They'd only have to change two letters in the t-shirt. That's right.

He got the job actually because he fit into the skirt. I Gotta get them sound effects. Yeah, we do goosh.

Yeah, so so I'll ask you not It's not a hard question or anything, but kind of an unusual question Maybe you know whenever we have bands in here, let's face it, you know, most most rock bands are men, right and it's easy It's a bunch of guys sitting around a table saying oh, yeah, I was hanging out with this guy We were drinking beer one night or we know each other in high school. Blah blah blah blah blah band formed, right? How do four women get together and say, you know, we're gonna play Sabbath music and you know Like how do four women meet each other and just decide you're gonna be in a groundbreaking if not the first metal band ever I'll just say that it's been an interesting process. I've learned a lot about People's temperament more so I've been in other bands that are you know, I'm the only female and it's a completely different vibe I'll say the the best part is I feel like We're all we all come from such a different background I mean, I wouldn't say that any of us like typically would have assumed we'd be in an all-blacks So what is so what is your background? What your were your influences for me? I grew up on everything but I do, you know musical theater is like, you know, I'm choir and that type of thing I got into metal and like my early teens, but like more like new metal, right? You know not sharing my age or anything, but just saying that's where I was at and then just gravitated, you know Backwards.

Mm-hmm the timeline and you know, obviously Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden those guys paved the way so Well, you know and you have you have you know, not so much Ozzie but definitely Ronnie James Dio I guess a little bit of Ozzie and his theatrical performances not necessarily in his vocal training But Ronnie James Dio for sure a lot of things that you learn in Classical vocal instruction and musical theater in the whole bit can translate over into anything that that Dio does So, I mean people don't realize that if you're classically trained and you've been singing theater or opera Yeah, we can do metal because there's really not much of it Just throw in a couple primal screams every once in a while and you've pretty much got it, right, right for sure Yeah, what about as a percussionist? well Talking about backgrounds and different backgrounds. I'm from Mexico. No, yeah I'm really new into metal.

My background in music is more Beatles Eagles Okay, Chicago like more, you know, yeah, right and and then once I came here like three years ago They were looking for a drummer and it's at Sabbath. So I said, hey, why not? Practice a little bit and that's it and they they they sent me the setlist and I knew Probably three four songs, right? Right and then it was like a ten list and it was war pigs and then it says Practice more and more and then I I enjoy learning about the story of the songs and the lyrics So yeah, then I am now a big big black Sabbath fan. How difficult was it to learn the intro to war pigs? I'm still struggling.

See I Knew that was gonna be the answer because I I I I have not met a drummer that actually plays it, right? Not saying that drummers can't it's not easy to play. It isn't yeah It's not easy to do that off count and open up that hi-hat and hit it exactly where it's supposed to be. Yeah Yeah, I'm doing better each time.

Yeah Good good. Were you a music major at all? Did you study in school or no? Everything was like since I was a kid. I knew I loved drumming Yeah, I started by myself like nobody told me anything and then also I learned how to read because Now that I'm playing Aussie and these things that are more complicated, right? I need to read because sometimes I do not understand what's going on just by ear, right? Right, so I started like oh Sorry, I'm still learning good still learning Yeah, I bet I Watched I watched the videos I watched the videos and you seem like the true metal chick though I'm assuming that you're the one that wanted to start the whole Sabbath thing and you Drew up listening to metal or am I wrong on that? kind of sorta Originally, I wanted to do like a Van Halen type thing.

Okay, I could not find Any girl singers and I still can't that one. It's dude the David Lee Roth The David Lee Roth baritone, I mean, that's you know, yeah, that's so that and I thought about like a Led Zeppelin tribute, you know My friend didn't want to do that. She said well, there's too many Led Zeppelin tributes in Chicago And yeah, which is true.

There's some really great ones. So right this we kind of Settled on this it just kind of happens like okay. Well, what about Aussie and yeah, so So I'm more of a Van Halen ish type.

Okay, you know, so but I totally get it though. It's you know Yeah, there's a lot of Led Zeppelin tributes not just Chicago anywhere, right? and then I could see it's it's hard to find a female singer because a lot of what David Lee Roth does is mid baritone Yeah Yeah All that crap, yeah with all the effects and everything Yeah, so I could I could see where that would be kind of difficult to do something like that But I really like to play jazz. Okay.

Wow, so I can read I know a little bit of theory So nice, you know, so classically trained were you a music major at all or no. No, I'm a finance Okay major and management MBA. I'm not Wow.

Okay. No, so when did when did music and playing the guitar come into your life? Did you start off relatively young yeah six Wow, okay Excellent so I'm dying to hear this I'm dying here is I think we should have asked him to play a song like right now. That's fine with me Why don't we just take a little break right here? Yeah.

All right. We'll be right back. You're listening to the rock-and-roll Chicago podcast I'm Christy from crime cave podcast I've had a huge interest in true crime since my days of watching marathons of snapped back in the mid 90s I needed an outlet to talk about the cases that have haunted me for a very long time With each episode under 20 minutes.

I shine a light on some of the most bizarre cases in the last 50 years Join me in the crime cave Hi, I'm Rick Anthony I'd like to thank my radio brothers Ray the roadie and Hollywood Mike for allowing me to tell you about my podcast The someone you should know podcast we spotlight musicians authors and interesting people and we like to say we're making a difference One artist at a time the podcast is heard twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays And you could check it out on your favorite streaming platforms and on the web at someone you should know podcast.com That's the someone you should know podcast with me Rick Anthony making a difference one artist at a time Already for the first time tonight sabbath on All right, very nice yeah, there's a sample of it right there, that's right screaming guitar scream Yeah, I think that's the first time we had a high-gain guitar like that in the studio. He's doing this I believe Yeah, it is that sounds awesome in these headphones It does it does Wow, that's pretty cool So, where do you where do you guys go to play like who's saying? Yeah, we got to have a Sabbath tribute band everywhere The newest news that we have is that we're playing Rockfest in Kadat, Wisconsin The the like the all tribute band festival that goes up there. Is that what it is? No, it's all national acts.

Okay the day that we're playing we are playing on a tribute stage, but The other bands like on the best that day is like stabbing westward shine down. Oh, they're tooth I can't you know everybody off the top of my head, but The headliner for that weekend is jelly roll. Well, no.

Oh, wow. No kidding. Yeah, how'd you guys land that? Persistence Honestly, so I I mean Paula and I share most of the like managerial parts of the band I suppose But I'm pushy and she's not so I tend to just keep sending that email until they tell me no And we end up getting a lot of really great shows out of that Also just word-of-mouth and other bands reaching out like, you know Mm-hmm.

We want to see what this is all about You know, a lot of times people will say that like I had to just find out this was amazing though So it's a nice compliment, but you know, it's like an insult and a compliment all in one. It's curiosity Yeah, but don't you love when your friends come out and they see you for the first time and they walk up to you and They're good. Like, you know, it's like you're really good.

It's like what did you expect me to suck? Did you come out here expecting that you're gonna throw shit at me and everything You have heard me sing other things, you know, why are you so shocked, you know, yeah, you guys really suck, right? Yeah, or I love whenever he's like, oh good job and it's like I didn't just paint your house That's true, that's true our next show coming up though is actually Near and dear to my heart We this is the second time we've done it but it's a bark at the moon benefit, so it's raising money for animals So local we find a local rescue We find a venue that's near it And then we just put on a show for free with a couple other bands and do raffles and stuff You just take the initiative and do it. That's that's That's one way to do a show and I get back to the community. That's pretty cool.

It's nice Yeah, where's home base for you guys? Do you have a one place? Did you like to play all the time? Hmm I have a lot of different places that I love to play, but I'll say like one of my favorite places is Livewire I like Reggie's those are both in Chicago They're more like, you know, right across the street the floor. Oh, yeah, you guys have played the Forge. Yeah, we have We will probably there in May.

Yeah, well, we're there in May. Oh, really? What's the date May 4th? with the Iron Maidens in Paradise Kitty Which is an all-guns-and-roses band that actually sounds like a pretty incredible night Those are both all those are yeah, those are all female bands every single one on May 4th. I hope I'm not playing Because I would like to see that you usually are.

Yeah, I know. I don't know your schedule that far in advance. I'm sorry Yeah, you know, I know we've already got like 60 on the calendar.

So I'll have to check Wow, that's pretty cool That sounds like an amazing time actually, yeah, right over here at the Forge Well, so if the guys at the Forge ever wanted to sponsor somebody Oh, they could just come right across they just walk right across the street knock on the door It's a man. We want you know, just slap down a check and a check and we'll be advertising from them till the cows come home Yeah, absolutely. Come on out What is this? It's July 19th, so later in the year, but I mean a lot of exciting stuff until then that one's just like this the kind of Wow, this is pretty cool that we're on the same, you know, that's very cool I mean kill switching gauge is playing nice day night, and I love kill switching.

That's a great band They do holy diver. I'm actually Gonna try to work my way in there Wow because they do that they do that tribute band thing in Kenosha It's like a three-day. Yeah, we played that tribute island last year.

Yeah We played that last year and two years ago. Okay, three years ago, okay Yeah, that's a fun time. So you guys both do all of your social media or somebody else in the band got that responsibility? That's you.

Okay So, you know you do anything I'm always on time Yeah, she always keeps everybody in line. Okay have great attitude, right? So that counts. Yeah, that's right Yeah, I'm always in a good mood.

Mm-hmm. So that helps the thing. I'm My job is like keep the vibe right good.

Are you the newest member of the band? The bass player bass players the newest in your second Like the second newest yeah, so when did you start playing with the band almost two years ago, okay So you've been around for a little while? Yeah What's your favorite gig you played I like mother blood it was really good Okay. Yeah, it was good. It was challenging because there was like a lot of air and but I enjoyed like playing out You know, like right so it was nice outside outside Streets and I like that thing that this beautiful city What's the one story from the road that you guys talk about over and over and over again? If I feel like it's changed over time just because our members have changed let's hear them all Well For me definitely the dog thing, but that's you know, that's old news.

Well, you weren't a member of the band yet. So yeah That doesn't count And then our our second bassist and I were pretty close. So one time we were driving down the street the wrong way in Chicago, you know a lot of one-way streets and Sometimes it can be a little confusing for some Anyways, so the secret is that the clues when you see those headlights coming at you That that was a good one We had a pizza delivered in the middle of a show And the gas we've done that.

Yeah, we've done the show at the burlesque. Oh, yeah, that was Yeah at the Debonair Social Club, okay recently closed, but we did a I mean burlesque to Black Sabbath great job girl picked a song and Came up with a routine for the song. So there was a couple of different like skills that they were showing but one of the girls had like I don't you know, you just haven't just haven't put in the time Profession it is.

Yes. It is one of the oldest I hear But yeah, she had like a belt and like I don't even know how to explain it like a welding Like our song. Yeah saw so it made sparks Yeah, she had like spurred Wow like real fire coming off of her and then the other girl was setting herself on fire That's pretty impressive.

I mean when you're playing Black Sabbath, like I couldn't even like part of me. I couldn't even focus That gives a whole new meaning to the term firecrackers, that's right Wow Wow any pictures on your website So speaking of the website, what is the website? Sabbath a Chicago calm. Okay.

We started out as Sabbath of Chicago just to kind of identify ourselves But as it's gone on we're we're kind of trying to go by just Sabbath. We don't feel it's necessary. Yeah Yeah, I can't imagine that there's other Sabbath us.

Yeah We just figure we'll just be Sabbath, but it's a good identifier like, you know, it's it's it's it's a it's a it's it's a You know, if you're looking it up online just that way it's you know, it takes you straight to us. So Sabbath of Chicago calm And then we have Facebook YouTube Instagram. Yeah, I found you guys on all of those things for sure So you guys kind of answered this question already you do all eras of Sabbath, right? and then I mean probably including that era like in the in the 80s where Their personnel was like a revolving door But is it pretty much just limited to? to Ozzie and Dio is Vocally, you know, we don't do any of the other vocalists.

Yeah, I'm trying to remember who that guy was between there Ian-ian Gillan Dylan. Yes. That was it.

Yeah, and then there's Tony I Believe there was a there was a Tony in there. Mm-hmm Yeah, see that's that's we tell you I owe music that's the guitar player Yeah, yeah, but it was it was a different Tony and then you branch out you do some you do Ozzie solo stuff You do some deal solo stuff is as well. Yeah, so They're all jumping from style to style so like I mean, I'm sure right It's you know, I'm jumping from Ozzie to Dio, but like, you know, she's jumping from Bill Ward to Vinnie You know, I don't know Bob Daisley like she's all over the place so Each of us, you know, I'd love to hear that song Well, you were you just playing my mom coming home or that that is our next we haven't really she we have never rehearsed it As a band.

Oh, wow So this would totally be like a parking lot song if you did that like like like raw unrehearsed Absolutely, it would not we need we would really need to practice this one. Okay better. Okay Give us give us a give us something else.

Give us another one Well, that's why they're figuring this out why don't we just take a quick break here, okay, we can do that You're listening to the rock and roll Chicago podcast And here we go for the second time tonight sabbath To the witch How's that I Would have kept going on that you can't be why'd you stop I was in a trance That sounded great, yeah Man you've got a powerful voice. I'll tell you So So what was the choice to go with the purple sparkly super strat instead of playing an SG I don't own an SG. Okay.

I own that Jackson Rhodes guitars. Yeah those live I don't play this live. Okay brought it.

Okay, the the Jacksons are not it looks great I Rarely play this one out. Yeah, like a white Gibson like Randy Rhoads. Sure.

Sure black Jackson like Randy Rhoads, right, right. Okay. All right leopard print But you don't have the you don't have the Tony I owe me with the cross with the cross fret markers or anything.

Okay I'm sorry Yeah, no, it sounds fantastic and wonderful, yeah, so were you guys what do you guys have coming up? I guess it's gonna be kind of like mid May right April May. Yeah. Yeah.

What do you guys have coming up like mid? early April Let's see in April, I think we're playing in Wisconsin also and then I don't know the thing in the broad stop. Oh, yeah, March 30th. Wow.

Gosh, that place has been there forever What Well, that's the new brat stop the original one burned down yeah it did Gosh, when was that? That was um Got a long time ago. Yeah, so I mean well most I mean It's people most people consider it the original knocks. I think it's been at least 20 years Oh at least I think the original burnt down like 80.

Yeah Yeah, you're gonna have a blast there. You're gonna have a lot of fun there. Yeah, that place is great Yeah, I've played there a few times and depending on the band that's there I mean, it's it can be a rowdy crowd, but I think you guys are gonna have a good time there for sure Yeah, we've uh, so February 24th and JJ Kelly's is the bark at the moon benefit and then March 2nd We're playing at the Hobart Art Theater with damaged justice, which is a female fronted Metallica band.

Okay, okay And then March Or sorry, that's March 9th. Excuse me, and then March 30th. We have the brat stop with thrasher April 13th is also a damaged justice at Rock House But by Fox River And then right May 4th at the forge Beyond that I think most of our other shows that we got for the year Like far north or right, right.

We'll play in Wisconsin and Milwaukee would play Polly's pub, right? Yeah Oh, yeah, Polly's pub. Yeah. I love that place.

Yeah. Yeah, that's a fun place to it. That's great.

Right, right crowd. Yeah Yeah, I love rock metal and was gone. Oh, yeah Area they have a lot of I mean like Sam Wow, that's cool.

So do you do a lot of things where it's But like a combined show with other all-female Metal bands because it seems like it seems like you've named off quite a few of them Is that I don't I don't think we like aim for that But I think that that's a lot of the shows that get pitched to us Yeah, so, you know the ones that we do I try to divvy it up. I also try to like work with bands that Like fans of ours are in bands, you know, so like they support us and I'm like, oh, let's do a show together that kind of thing I like to You know utilize all the community resources like local artists to do our artwork that type of thing, right? Right, right. So what's your what's the band's favorite song? Oh all right, like My favorite Sabbath song my favorite song to sing in Sabbath.

Ah, because that's two different things One that you guys do For me Sabbath bloody Sabbath. Yeah, okay I think I think that should be the song you take us out with Really okay. Wow.

Yes That's a technical time by the way, that's right That's right, yeah Yeah All righty and for the final time this evening Sabbath She didn't do it That's right, that's good stage fright Well, yeah, well ladies that was fantastic that was loved it Thanks a lot for coming out Very interesting got to get out and see you guys See the whole band everybody go out and see him. Yeah, that's right All right, and they're gonna be down here at the Forge the Forge Yeah, you got to go over and try to get some sponsorships and see them on beautiful route 66 here in downtown Juliet That's right across the street from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. That's right Thank you There you have it an all-woman Sabbath Yeah, that was kind of impressive it was impressive man, it's it that's pretty cool She had that she had that fender blues jr. Kind of or blues deluxe cooking over there.

Yeah. Yeah Yeah, I was kind of impressed by that sound. Yeah, she's really good.

Yeah, they're all good and she can sing Holy crap, you can really sing. Yeah, you guys didn't see it She was I mean she was backed away from the microphone and that power was coming through Yeah, except poor Lorena just couldn't get that laughing. Yeah, she couldn't do that and she tried she couldn't do the Couldn't do that either We weren't on she did.

Yeah, but not once we went live Like stage fright. Yeah. Yeah.

No that I bet you know, I've seen the videos online. Mm-hmm The videos probably don't do it justice I think we've got to get out and see them got to get out and see them definitely Yeah, and you everybody out there got to go out and see them. Make sure you get out there They're gonna be all over the place.

They're gonna be in Wisconsin and a big huge fest So make your plans to get out there now And as always tune in every Tuesday for another exciting episode of the rock and roll Chicago podcast See you next week The rock and roll Chicago podcast is edited by Paul Martin theme song courtesy of M&R Rush the rock and roll Chicago Podcast does not own the rights to any of the music heard on the show The music is used to promote the guests that are featured