Hana Pestle and Erin McCarley

Before going to the Joshua Radin Concert at the Fillmore in San Fransisco, CA, I had planned to primarily write about his performance and simply mention the opening acts. But these ladies deserve some attention. My expectations for the evening of August 21st were to drive up to San Fransisco and watch a great musician, Joshua Radin, perform. I was ready to endure two opening acts patiently before seeing the headliner but was pleasantly surprised by these two women, their stage presence and their art.

Powerhouse Sing-a-Longs With Hana

The talented and soulful Hana Pestle was the first musician to grace the stage that night. She entered alone, save her guitar and filled the Fillmore auditorium with her powerful voice and guitar playing. Hana showed amazing versatility as she switched from a sweet, melodious voice to a bold and soulful one. Her voice is comparable to Alanis Morrisette's who is known for her ability to wail and then drop to a whisper.

Hana performed several of her original songs and also played two covers. During her first cover song she invited the audience to join in a heartfelt and intense rendition of Radiohead's Creep. She ended her set with all five verses of Hallelujah. Though both of these songs are frequently covered by musicians, Hana made each of them her own by applying her unique style and personal emotion.

Stories with Erin McCarley

Following Hana Pestle was a firey and fun Erin McCarley. McCarley was joined by her keyboard player and Joshua Radin's cellist. Her original songs had a sassy mix of rock, soul and pop music elements. Her fist song was sexy and bold. She entraced the crowd with her sultry voice and seductive moves. You could tell she was enjoying herself onstage.

She shared several stories about her songs including one named Blue Suitcase which was inspired by a religious conversation with a friend. Blue Suitcase begins with the words, "O wise one if you know the answer why'd you ask the question?" The rest of her lyrics are consistently witty and unique.

Erin also played the first single off her debut album entitled Pony coming out October 28th. The single is already available on itunes for those of us who simply cannot wait until then.

Seeing these two ladies create such awesome music and wail like they mean it made me feel proud to be a woman and gave me hope for women in the music industry. They show that a female musician does not have to sell her sensuality to sell her music. These two vocal powerhouses are a wonderful addition to the music world with their creativity and boldness.

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