North Central Texas College and Denton nonprofit organization Friends With Benefits presented the 3rd annual She-Rock event last weekend at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios, with two days of music led by female musicians.
Many acts were local to North Texas. Exceptions included Seratones from Louisiana, Dream Place from San Antonio and Hey Cowboy from Austin. The event had over 20 artists perform on the three stages – two inside the venue and one outdoor. The photos and videos in this article are from the second day, Saturday, March 5.
Hosts across the weekend introducing the bands were Jupiter, Marie De Menthe, Paige Monroe, Tulla Moore and Milo Cox. The College set up a table to hand out swag for patrons and the Friends With Benefits table raffled a car as part of a fundraiser sponsored by Honda of Denton.
The music ran from soulful pop to dreamy alt-rock, from hip-hop/r&b to crunchy punk. It was refreshing to hear a full night of female voices singing about loving yourself, perseverance, consent, the strength of spirit, and fighting the patriarchy.
“We have the power, and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise,” AJ Haynes of the Seratones said from the closing set of the outdoor stage.
The full list of performers across both days: Claws Out Comedy, Chelsey Danielle, Greymenthe, DJ Pandai’a, DOLCE, Hextape, Absolut (Lut), Ms. Bossy, LG (Team Genius), Ava Thompson, Naomi Kliewer, The Side Chicks, Hey Cowboy, Megan Storie, Dream Place, Starfruit, Pearl Earl, Love Sick Mary, Matchstick Ghost, Hen & the Cocks, and Seratones.
NOTE: This video contains language that some might find offensive.
Megan Storie performed with her band on the indoor stage at She-Rock, hosted at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios. Photo: Jessica Waffles
The crowd for Hen & the Cocks outside were excited to experience the band’s energy. Photo: Jessica Waffles
AJ Haynes of the Seratones delivered a funky and powerfully soulful performance as the outdoor stage headliner of night 2 at the She-Rock event at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios. Photo: Jessica Waffles
David Fletcher and Carley Elsey embrace to dance during the Matchstick Ghost set. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Pearl Earl performs as the headliners of the indoor stage for the 2nd night of She-Rock at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Candace Garza of Dream Place danced throughout the band’s performance, bringing a playful vibe to their set. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Matchstick Ghost performed on the outdoor stage at the 2nd night of She-Rock at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios. Photo: Jessica Waffles
The Side Chicks performed on the Speakeasy Stage, and were in such demand to be heard that it was difficult to squeeze into this area full of listeners. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Louisiana’s Seratones made a lasting impression on the music fans on Denton, closing out the outdoor stage with gusto. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Starfruit played the indoor stage of She-Rock on day 2 at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Isabella Martinez plays lead guitar for Dream Place during day 2 of She-Rock hosted at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios. Photo: Jessica Waffles
JoAnn Henkel of Hen & the Cocks jumped down from the stage to engage with people at the front of the crowd. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Seratones made the trip up from Louisiana to play at She-Rock 2022 in Denton. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Hen & the Cocks performed on the outdoor stage at She-Rock on the 2nd night of the event, March 5, 2022. Photo: Jessica Waffles
The clamor of music fans during the show reflected the supportive nature of the Denton music community. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Dream Place made a 5-hour drive from San Antonio to play the event, saying it was “definitely worth it” during their high-energy set that got the crowd dancing. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Bailey Chapman of Pearl Earl during the closing set of She-Rock weekend at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios. Photo: Jessica Waffles
Jessica Waffles is a freelance photographer/videographer and regular contributor to KXT.
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