Eugene Women in the Blues hold March 8th Womenspace Benefit at Cozmic

Vipertoons Productions and The Eugene Weekly present Eugene Women in the Blues, a benefit for Womenspace, at Cozmic (199 West 8^th, Eugene, OR.) on International Women’s Day, Saturday, March 8 from 6 - 11 p.m. The benefit will feature Eugene area blues musicians and bands including Deb Cleveland with The Vipers, Gaye Lee Russell, Joanne Broh, Barbara Healy, Lynda Duffy, Darcy Lee Gribble with Heavy Chevy, Matrisha Armitage with Bajuana Tea, the Fiddlin’ Big Sue Band, Janie Smith, and Naomi Debacker.

For more than ten years, powerful, gospel-trained vocalist Deb Cleveland has performed with the no-nonsense, straight-up blues band, The Vipers, including a European tour.  She also performs soulful, swinging, jazzy blues and funk with her own Deb Cleveland Band.

Dynamic singer and charismatic entertainer Gaye Lee Russell performs with the Badass Band.  Joanne Broh sings upbeat blues with some rock for spice and splash of funk with the appropriately named Joanne Broh Band.  Deb Cleveland, Gaye Lee Russell, and Joanne Broh are all previous winners of the Rainy Day Blues Society’s Rooster Award for “Best Female Blues Vocalist.”

Barbara Healy’s soulful vocals and lyrics have ignited West coast stages and radio waves for more than thirty years.  Her fifth CD, Shades of Blues, was released last year with her band, Barbara Healy & Her Groove Too Band.

 

Explosive, sultry vocalist Lynda Duffy performs R & B and blues with the richly blended Americana band Barefoot Leroy.  Darcy Lee Gribble performs with the rockin’ blues and soul band Heavy Chevy.  Matrisha Armitage is one-half of Bajuana Tea, a duo combining old and new school in a way that and captures audiences with creative originals and classic covers.

The Fiddlin’ Big Sue Band, comprised of Sue and Tom Hunnel and Janet Nelson, has been performing their brand of good old time music for more than three decades.  Multi-instrumentalist Janie Smith has performed with numerous area bands over the last 35 years and currently plays saxophone with Heavy Chevy.

Womenspace believes each person has the right to live a life free from violence and fear of abuse. The agency’s mission is to prevent domestic violence in intimate partner relationships in Lane County and support survivors in claiming personal power. One in four women and one in seven men will experience some form of domestic violence in their lifetime. Locally, one in three police call outs are domestic violence related. By providing support and resources to survivors of intimate partner violence, educating the community and working together, Womenspace knows we can decrease the rate of domestic violence and create a healthier and safer community for everyone.

Advance tickets for $10 are available at Cozmic, CD World, and House of Records, or online here at cozmicpresents.com.  Tickets at the door are on a sliding scale of $12 to $18 with a suggested admission of $15.  The show runs from 6 pm to 11 pm.