Celebrating the Ladies of Lilith Fair w/ Katia Cardenas & The Ladyrock Band

Acoustic Alt Rock & Pop

Katia Cardenas is celebrating the mind-blowing lineup of ladies who played at Lilith Fair, including Sarah McLachlan, Jewel, Sheryl Crow, Paula Cole, Tracy Chapman, and many more! Lilith Fair, founded by Sarah McLachlan, was a traveling music festival and concert tour that featured almost exclusively female performers from 1997 to 1999, and again in 2010, with the goal of challenging the male-dominated music industry. Twin Cities jazz and R&B vocalist Katia Cardenas performs with an all-female band, sharing memories of that pivotal time in music history and honoring the iconic artists who paved the way for so many since.

Katia Cardenas: Lead Vocals
Barb Brynstad: Bass, Backup Vocals
Jenny Case: Guitar, Backup Vocals
Christine Passig: Piano, Backup Vocals
Beth Varela: Drums

Katia Cardenas inspires audiences with her sultry, soulfull voice and infectious energy and presence. Possessing an impeccable range and dynamic style, Katia grew up in a musical family, and her professional training came largely “on the job,” throughout high school and college. Katia has since appeared at The Dakota, kj’s hideaway, the “Saturday Night Jazz” Series, and The Twin Cities Jazz Festival. Katia has also sung with show bands across the region including the Casablanca Orchestra, Sonically Speaking, Boogie Wonderland and Blue Water Kings. Her connection to the Twin Cities music scene dates back to the 1980s when her dad, Mark Cardenas, played keyboards for Morris Day & The Time in the film Purple Rain, and with Jesse Johnson’s Review.

Katia is passionate about music education and the arts, working as a Program Director at Walker West Music Academy in St. Paul, and heading up their Women in Jazz Initiative. Throughout the last 18 months, Katia and guitarist Jenny Case (Co-founder & Artistic Director of She Rock She Rock) have partnered to advocate for gender justice in the Twin Cities music scene through events with their respective non-profit organizations, including She Rock’s bi-monthly All Ages Open Jams open women, non-binary and trans musicians of all skill levels, hosted at Walker West. All are welcome to attend! Visit Sherocksherock.org for future dates.

“Katia Cardenas has long since been embraced by elders and peers alike. This is due mostly to raw talent, but she has an affability and charm that is impossible to resist.” (Kevin O’Connor, Jazz 88/KBEM 88.5 FM )