A diverse crowd filled the Knitting Factory on June 10th 2004 in support of the Step Up Women's Network Step Up and Rock Festival. The benefit show was organized by the non-profit group in an effort to raise awareness and funds for important causes affecting women nationwide. Benefiting from the show is the Young Survivor Coalition- the only international, non-profit network of breast cancer survivors and supporters dedicated to the concerns and issues that are unique to young women and breast cancer (www.youngsurvival.org). The bill included southern rocker Plumb, French jazz impressionario Keren Ann, headliner Lucy Woodward and contest winner Wendy Starland.

I arrived to the venue to find Keren Ann onstage with little but her guitar and two band mates, one on trumpet, the other also caressing six strings. The sounds emanating from the stage reminded me of sweet peach nectar dripping down your chin after picking ripe the fruit from the tree. This was summertime Jazz, sung to the tune of a laid back porch jam during mid-day break when it's too hot to work in the fields. Her sleek voice and laidback approach made me wish I had gotten to the venue a bit earlier, as I missed an number of compositions that were sure to melt me like an ice cream cone on a sunny day.

Next up was Plumb, a rocking woman by any standard. Plumb, whose work was reminiscent of a more mature Michelle Branch or less eccentric Alanis, led her five-piece combo with energy to spare. She disappointed many a male audience member by relaying the fact that she was married, and performed a song she wrote about the experience. Stand out songs included "Taken," "Real," and the showstopper "Boy's Don't Cry." Plumb recently composed a song entitled "Wrong" that was released by Kimberly Locke (of American Idol Fame) and is touring the country before heading back into the studio to record.

The highlight of the night was the presentation of the 1st Annual Step Up and Rock Award to rising pop sensation Wendy Starland. Introduced by the evening's host, Maria Chambers of VH1's XM Satellite Radio station, Ms. Starland was presented with a Daisy Rock custom guitar. After some rock star posing, the truly down to earth Starland dumped the guitar backstage and got down to business fronting her pop rock quintet. Playing signature songs like "Do Your Dancing," "Outside Looking In" and "One Down and One To Go," Wendy rocked a crowd of long time fans and Women in Rock aficionados. Her stunning voice harkens back to 80's women rockers like Taylor Dayne and Sade, with a rasp and drawl that exemplifies mature vocal prowess.

Starland's music may be familiar to you, though you might not know it yet. Her self produced / written / performed and engineered single "Garden of Temptation" was featured on the NBC primetime series Las Vegas. Access Hollywood took notice and included Wendy in a segment on the "Music of Las Vegas". Another composition gaining attention is "Stolen Love," which was selected to be the love theme for Universal's Living the Lie staring Cameron Diaz and Kathleen Turner.