Cris Williamson

Decades before indie labels were the norm, and years before women had any real access to the industry, Cris Williamson and the Olivia Collective were busy changing the face of popular music. In 1975, the twenty-something former schoolteacher recorded The Changer and the Changed for her brainchild, Olivia Records, the first woman-owned, woman-focused record company. Her music and voice quickly became an essential part of the soundtrack of a movement and was the cornerstone of what would become known as “women’s music”—music created, performed, and marketed specifically for and by women. Today, The Changer and the Changed remains one of the best-selling independent releases of all time.

For Cris, the music has always been the vehicle for something larger. Her work appears on a regular basis in books and thesis papers, on radio, and in film. Her albums are part of the curriculum for women's studies courses, and thousands of people who may not even know her name join their voices in “Song of the Soul” around campfires and places of worship. She is embraced by women. She is sampled in hip-hop. Her music is used by midwives welcoming life into the world, while hospice choirs sing her songs in tender sacred escort. “She is often considered a treasure, passed hand-to-hand, person-to-person,” says the Boston Phoenix, “Williamson is a heroic character whose tireless activism continues.”

Today, with 32 full albums to her credit, Cris continues to tour the acoustic circuit, promoting her latest album, Motherland, and adding new material at each juncture. Her performance career has included three sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall and headlining many of the great folk festivals, including Newport, Kerrville, Moab, and Vancouver.  This last year Cris and Judy Dlugacz were honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award bestowed upon them by the Americana Music Association at their annual awards ceremony in the illustrious Ryman Theatre. The award was presented by NPR music critic Ann Powers.

2020 marks the 45^th anniversary of The Changer and the Changed. In addition to a full schedule of touring and teaching, Cris will be presenting a handful of Changer and the Changed all-star anniversary shows in select major cities—on land and at sea!

Linda Tillery

Linda Tillery is a Grammy© nominated vocalist, producer, percussionist, arranger and cultural historian. Since she first appeared on stage at the tender age of 19, she has been considered as one of the Bay Area’s most soulful and dynamic singers.  

She is recognized as a pioneer in Women's music, with her second solo album titled Linda Tillery released on Olivia Records in 1977 and winning a Bammy (Bay Area Music Award) for “Best Independently Produced Album.” Tillery was also twice named “Outstanding Female Vocalist” at the Bay Area Jazz Awards. In addition to performing, she was the producer on three of Olivia's first eight albums. Within the women's music genre, she has collaborated with June Millington, Deidre McCalla, Barbara Higbie, Holly Near, Margie Adam, and others.  

During the 1980s, Tillery branched out in many directions, recording three albums under her own name while becoming a central figure in Oakland’s R&B and funk scene. 

In the 90’s, Ms. Tillery became a founding member of Bobby McFerrin’s Voicestra, where she began serious study of improvisation and vocal performance. She toured with Voicestra for over five years. 

In addition to her performing credits Tillery has appeared on over 70 recordings by such artists as Carlos Santana, Boz Scaggs, Pete and Sheila Escovedo, Taj Mahal, Vicki Randle, Eric Bibb, Mickey Hart, Bobby McFerrin, Linda Ronstadt, Huey Lewis & The News, The Whispers, Turtle Island String Quartet and Keith Terry’s percussion ensemble, Crosspulse. 

In 1992, Tillery formed the 6-member Cultural Heritage Choir – a percussion driven, vocal ensemble.  

She has metamorphosed into an authority on the African Diaspora in song. Her current mission is to help preserve and share the rich musical traditions of African American roots music. 

Linda will be joined by Tammy Hall on piano, Ruthie Price on drums and Kofy Brown on bass. 

Karen Williams

Karen Williams is a force, a buzzsaw joke machine. She is proactively provocative, and fearless in confronting cliches, and investigating stereotypes through hyperbole. Her comedy stands out as a distinct, cantankerous voice in the lesbian community and a unique perspective on the world at large. “Human Beings: What A Concept,” Karen Williams’ debut comedy album, is a glimpse into the inner politics of a marginalized group that, by necessity, became curators and creators of their own culture. Karen addresses conformity in kindness, love, and relationships. She shares misgivings about aging, codependency, motherhood, and sexuality, especially regarding intersections with race and libertine living. Karen tells it like it is, as she sees it, cutting through the pleasantries with nuance, texture, ambiance, ambivalence, and gusto. She has lingo for those in the know and expertly crafted elaborations for those who aren’t. Throughout, Karen displays an unmatched genius for sarcasm, irony, and rhetoric. If something doesn’t make sense, she’ll knock some sense into it, but gracefully. Her technique is impressive. Rather than beat her opponent over the head, she’ll take the egregiously erroneous or misinformed stance as her own, stretch the faulty logic until it’s paper thin, and wrap the whole farce up into a bow. Karen Williams is special. For more about Karen's humor and healing work, visit www.hahainstitute.com  

Suzanne Westenhoefer

No one ever accused Suzanne of being subtle, not the shuttle driver who took her to the airport, the woman she was in line with at the grocery store yesterday and certainly not her audiences.  Subtle, she is not.
After 25 years of groundbreaking, stereotype-shattering and brutally honest comedy, she’s not about to start pulling punches now.
The kid from Amish Country who began her comedy career on a dare is celebrating a quarter century of out, open, no-holds-barred comedy.
Suzanne tells the truth. The truth is life is funny, especially when it’s fermented in Suzanne’s mind. That’s why she could never be in the closet, making her a trailblazer when she started doing stand-up in the 1990s. She was the first openly lesbian comedian with an HBO Special and the first openly lesbian comedian on “Late Night with David Letterman.”
Heck, she was on Sally Jesse Raphael in 1991 on a show called “Breaking the Lesbian Stereotype…Lesbians Who Don’t Look Like Lesbians.” From “OMG, a lesbian has long hair and wears make up” to “I went to Helen and Jane’s wedding last weekend,” that’s how far we’ve come in the 25 years Suzanne has been telling her truth to audiences all over the world. Some of that is certainly thanks to her candor, courage and charisma.
Suzanne never does the same show twice. She can’t. She doesn’t write anything down. She charges boldly onto the stage and what happens is always a mystery and a delight. Enjoy a wild night of comedy in a city near you.

Vickie Shaw

Comedian Vickie Shaw is one of our favorite entertainers with Olivia. She has made women of Olivia laugh for over 20 years. Her "take no prisoners" (she's southern) style of comedy is incredibly hilarious and she takes you on a gut-busting journey of extreme humor. She has traveled the U.S. and the world (mostly with Olivia) making people all over the globe laugh until they cry! You've seen her on television, Comedy Central, four comedy specials on LOGO, Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen, and movies (Laughing Matters More), as well as benefits, fundraisers and numerous Pride events all over the U.S. You don't want to miss this incredible entertainer. 

Elvira Kurt

Elvira Kurt is a Canadian national treasure in the Dept. of Comedy, a trail-blazing queer icon who’s done all the things… like, host her own talk show: popcultured with Elvira Kurt, as well as a game show: Spin Off. She’s been in hit TV shows including Baroness Von Sketch Show - for which she was also a writer- teen TV staple, DeGrassi: The Next Generation and, for the youngest viewers, Treehouse TV’s Emmy nominated, Miss Persona. Then there's the long list of TV shows in which Elvira does it all as writer, producer and director of talent: Netflix’s upcoming Drink Masters, Crave TV’s Canada’s Drag Race, CBC’s The Great Canadian Baking Show, CTV’s Master Chef Canada. Add to that the many scripted and unscripted shows Elvira’s written for: Still Standing, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Game On, Little Mosque on the Prairie, to name but a few. There’s also the numerous doc series where she’s served as writer and host: First Comes Love, Gayest Show Ever, Adventures In Comedy. And the TV shows on which she’s been a judge or correspondent: The Second City’s Next Comedy Legend, eTalk Daily, ‘Q’ and ‘q'. It's a LOT. In her down time -ha!- Elvira, who is also a proud lesbian dad of two, travels the world with sold-out solo live shows, TV appearances and comedy special tapings. She wins stuff too, namely a few Canadian Screen Awards to go with her Canadian Comedy, SF Film Festival, Toronto Fringe Festival Awards, as well as the Jury Choice Award at the Cannes Short Film Showcase for Reel Women Seen -which she also wrote! Clearly, Elvira is no slouch… what’s next for this tireless teacup butch? Stay tuned! 

Dana Goldberg

Raised by a wild pack of Jews, otherwise known as her mother and two siblings, veteran comedian Dana Goldberg is a force of nature on stage. With performances at the San Francisco International Comedy Competition, The Comedy Festival produced by TBS and HBO, and the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, Goldberg’s quick wit and playful stage presence have earned her loyal fans across the country and abroad.

A crowd favorite, she has become a triple threat, combining her comedy, hosting, and writing talents to become one of the most sought-after entertainers on the circuit. Deeming her one of the top five funniest lesbians in America, Curve magazine raved, “Goldberg is one of the brightest lights in a stellar comedy landscape,” and Advocate.com named Goldberg one of the top three LGBT comedians in the nation. 

In addition to headlining clubs, theaters, and festivals around the country, Goldberg has performed at and emceed dozens of high profile events and has shared the national stage with luminaries such as President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, President Bill Clinton, Kerry Washington, Jennifer Lopez, John Lithgow, Alfred Molina, Jennifer Hudson, Sir Elton John, Mariah Carey, Shonda Rhimes, and many more. Combining her gift of humor with humanitarian efforts, Goldberg has helped to raise over thirty million dollars for nonprofits around the country in the fight for marriage equality, LGBT rights, women’s rights, and HIV and AIDS education and prevention.

Roxanna Ward

Cabaret-comic extraordinaire Roxanna Ward hails from Laguna Beach, California. Her engaging blend of piano bar and comedy caused one reviewer to observe, “It’s as if Bette Midler and Steve Allen had a love child.” A pianist, musical arranger, producer, conductor (Milwaukee Symphony), and teacher, Ward has worked with legends Dolly Parton, Laura Nyro, Tennessee Ernie Ford, and Bea Arthur. As a songwriter, she penned the R&B single “Remember Who You Are,” which reached number 16 on Billboard’s jazz chart when recorded by the Phyllis Hyman, and more recently was recorded by Suede. Roxanna is a beloved member of the Olivia family; her Olivia debut was on an Alaska cruise in 1992. Since then, she's joined us several times a year, and her brilliant comedy, writing, musicianship, and singing endears her to audiences everywhere. Whether you are seeing Roxanna for the first time or the tenth, she always makes you laugh and warms your heart. 

Be Steadwell

Be Steadwell is a musician, filmmaker, storyteller from Washington DC.  In her live performances, she utilizes looping, vocal layering and beat boxing to compose her songs on stage.  Be's original music features earnest lyricism, and Affirming LGBTQ content. 

  After receiving a BA at Oberlin College, Be completed her MFA in film at Howard University in 2014.  Her film Vow of Silence featured in film festivals around the world, including Black Star, HBO's OutFest, The Schomburg Center, Inside Out Toronto, and Fringe Fest UK. In 2017, Issa Rae Featured Vow of Silence on her Short Film Sundays Series.   

 Be has shared stages with fellow artist Activists Big Freedia, Nona Hendryx, Nikky Finney and Gina Yashere.  In 2017 Be sang at The Women's March on the National Mall behind Maxwell and Janelle Monae in Toshi Reagon's Big Lovely Band.  In May 2018 Be released her newest album "Queer Love Songs".  In 2019 Be composed the music for The Alvin Ailey dance company's production of "the gone".  Later that year, Be wrote and directed a musical “A Letter to My Ex”. Be’s musical tells stories of love, loss and intimacy through a collage of music, movement and film -- narrating one character’s journey through the year following a breakup. 

 In 2020, Be released her newest album, “Succulent”. During the pandemic, you can find Be on her Patreon channel – patreon.com/besteadwell 

C.C. Carter

Voted one of Women We Love by Go Magazine 2015, audiences go into a frenzy when C.C. Carter “Struts” her full-figured body across the stage, scatting hip-hop and spoken word that boast of her voluptuousness. Her raw and piercing poetry has landed her National Slam titles including the 5th Annual Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Competition and the Behind Our Mask 1st Annual Slam.  

She is a favorite at music festivals and women’s spaces everywhere. The multicultural Wordstress fuses her craft of poetry with the harsh realities of Living Large in a Shrinking America – the title of her nationally acclaimed one- woman show. This show is a favorite for Love Your Body and Pre-Vday events on college and university campuses. 

Her poetry has been nominated for a Lambda Literary Award for best lesbian poetry and she was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame for Arts and Entertainment. Women's Studies Departments, African American and LGBTQ student unions often collaborate to bring her to their colleges and universities. She's a triple threat that speaks across a myriad of demographics and diversities 

Whether performing or emceeing in front of thousands, doing informal readings at book stores, conducting master classes on performance poetry or giving lectures on the "isms" faced by a multicultural, lesbian, full figured femme spoken word artist, C.C. Carter delivers a profound performance every time. 

She has quickly become a favorite act to book for – Black History Month, Women's History Month, National Poetry Month, Pride and LGBTQ events.  

Jen Kober

Originally from Lake Charles, Louisiana, Jen Kober has energetically bounded onto the national stage bringing crowds to their feet with her original blend of stand-up, storytelling, and improvised rock-n-roll comedy.  Her hard-hitting hour is phenomenally funny - Kober commands the stage and dares you not to laugh. Jen was the 2017 Winner of NPR's Snap Judgement Comedic Performance of the Year for her Girl Scout Cookie Caper story, which went viral upon its release earlier that year. Kober received the 2018 Comedic Performance of the Year for her story titled Nana Vs. OJ.  

Jen appeared on Netflix in 2019 as she joined the cast of two of its original shows. Including RuPaul’s sitcom, AJ & The Queen and Dead to Me.  Jen had audiences rolling in the aisles on The Righteous Gemstones on HBO, played a no-nonsense detective in The Purge on USA Network, and was a wacky science teacher in Diary Of A Future President, on Disney+  

In 2021 Jen 's momentum continues with a recurring role on American Horror Story, a guest star  on Showtime's Black Monday  with Regina Hall and Don Cheadle, and a Season 2 regular on Apple TV's new queer sitcom, The Browns. Jen is also featured in Audible's Pride Special, Owning It.  

See Jen Now ...  

• as The Manager of The Muse on Season 10 of American Horror Story 

• as Lydia, Regina Hall's cell mate on Black Monday  on Showtime 

• as Ms Gregory, a saucy science teacher on Diary of a Future President on Disney+ 

• as Officer Lafayette on RuPaul's AJ & The Queen on Netflix 

• as Detective Isabel Shaw on The Purge on USA Network 

• as Denim on The Righteous Gemstones on HBO 

• as Rabbi Kaufman on the season finale of the Netflix Original Series Dead to Me 

• spinning stories on NPR's Snap Judgement Live Tour 

• as food court maven Brenda on The Middle 

• as Joan on BET's Real Husbands of Hollywood  starring Kevin Hart 

• as Judge Selma on Franklin & Bash 

• as Nurse Dena on The Mindy Project  

• as Little Ed on Anger Management with Charlie Sheen 

• knocking out Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm 

Sandra Valls

“Talented and Hilarious” – Los Angeles Times
“Comedic Gold!” – Latina Magazine
“A Knock Out” – My San Antonio
"She brings to light issues that impact the women of color community!" - QWOC Media
"Valls is as true to her ethnicity as she is to her sexuality; knocking TV audiences on their behinds!" Curve Magazine

Sandra Valls is a comic, actor, singer, writer, and badass. She is best known for her powerful stand-up comedy performances in Showtime’s The Latin Divas of Comedy and Pride: LGBT Comedy Slam, hosted by Bruce Vilanch. Her unique mix of physical comedy and brilliant story telling make it easy to see why the Los Angeles Times calls Sandra “Talented and Hilarious”! Curve included her in their 2017 Power List as One of the Most Influential Queer Women in the Country and voted her One of the Top 10 Funniest Lesbian Comics. Latina Magazine voted Sandra One of the Top 33 Bad Ass Comics with Latin Roots and Go Magazine has named her One of the Top 100 Women We Love. 

Sandra made her Off-Broadway debut at the famous SoHo Playhouse with her smash hit play THE LATINA CHRISTMAS SPECIAL, which she co-wrote and stars in.  One of her other highlights is sharing the stage with Melissa Etheridge at the Lesbian Political Action Committee (LPAC) event in New York City honoring Billy Jean King. 

Her other television credits include but are not limited to Outlaugh Festival, One Night Stand Up (LOGO), Comic’s Unleashed with Byron Allen (ABC), Habla! (HBO), Que Locos (Galavision), Funny is Funny, Latino 101 (Sitv), BET’s Comic View, NickMom Night Out (Nickelodeon), and countless other TV spots including MTV3’s Quiero Mis Quince, Wanna be Latinos and Top Tr3ce, Mun2 Comedy Documentary and I love Jenny! 

Sandra is also a favorite onstage as an emcee. Her hosting credits include TEDX Women, Women in Medicine: Lesbian Health Fund Conference, San Antonio LGBT Chamber of Commerce Coming Out Day, Equality San Antonio – Spirit of Texas Brunch, Latino Institute at Creating Change, La Femme Film Awards (11 years in a row), Power UP 10 Amazing Gay Women and Men Gala, and GLAAD Awards and London Lesbian Film Festival…to name a few. 

Always an human rights activist, Sandra was also honored in her hometown of Laredo, Texas with the 2013 International Woman’s Day Award for being a trailblazer and empowering women and was chosen by Unidos-The National Latino LGBT Human Rights Organization to be part of their prestigious list for Project VISIBLE Latinos LGBT in the USA and Puerto Rico: Out in Leadership. GLAAD has honored Sandra’s work at Mun2 with a Special Recognition Award for her groundbreaking achievements in production for promoting fair and accurate representation of the LGBTQI community in English-speaking Latino television. 

Furthermore, The California Senate presented Sandra with a Certificate of Recognition for her relentless support of people in recovery in the LGBTQI community as exemplified by her leadership in producing “One Gay at a Time", a comedy show that celebrates people in recovery. 

Sandra is also an actor, singer, and a published author. Pick up your copy of (Out on the Edge: America’s Rebel Comics) and read all about what it’s like to be a lesbian and a woman of color in the comedy world! 

Catch Sandra sharing her healing and wisdom online Women's Empowerment Event: Rise up and Kick Ass. www.riseupkickass.com. 

Mimi Gonzalez

Mimi Gonzalez is a comedian, writer, Pisces and feminist who farms black walnut in mid-Michigan in between live performances and facilitating writing workshops. Her favorite triggers: the U.S. military, bi-sexuality, MichFest, identity politics and real liberation. She’s been profiled in Curve and can be seen on Logo, Comedy Central and Gala y Univision even though her greatest feat of speaking Spanish is pronouncing her name correctly. When she’s not entertaining on an Olivia cruise, she’s working nationally at Prides, colleges, clubs, live military theaters and every bathroom mirror she meets. All of her comedy journals included poetry so in 2018 she made another dream come true and achieved an MFA in Creative Writing leading to a form of comedic expression she's calling "Punchlines & Poetry." Mimi believes deeply in serving the creative impulse in herself and others and is expanding the container of creativity for so many through her "Write Hear" writing workshops.  

“Funny, sexy, sharp, positive…Mimi Gonzalez is a comic, life-affirming force.” Provincetown Magazine. 

Michele Balan

MICHELE BALAN was a finalist on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, and titleholder of "Last Woman Comic Standing." Michele was voted one of the “Top 10 Comics” by Backstage Magazine and The San Francisco Bay Times. Broadway World honored Michele at number two in their Top 10 List of cabaret performers.

Michele headlines around the country at leading comedy clubs, festivals such as Montreal’s “Just for Laughs,” corporate events, JCCs, country clubs, on cruises, and more! She has appeared several times on The Joy Behar Show, The View, and has numerous appearances on HBO, Showtime, Comedy Central, Byron Allen's Comics Unleashed, and recently on NBC’s The Today Show, and Gotham Live.

Jessica Kirson

Jessica Kirson is a powerhouse on stage. She’s a hilariously relatable performer of sheer silliness, vulnerability, and ridiculous characters. Her countless comedic character videos have racked up over 50 million views on social media. Her audience is multigenerational, creating an excuse for large groups of friends and families to spend a night out together. In an era where only 10% of all touring comedians are female, Jessica stands out as one of the strongest comedians regardless of gender. 

Jessica produced FX’s Hysterical, a feature-length documentary that premiered at SXSW 2021. The film explores the changing landscape of women in stand-up comedy and features Margaret Cho, Nikki Glazer, Chelsea Handler, Fortune Feimster, and other notable comedians. Her one-hour special Talking to Myself was executive produced by Bill Burr and debuted on Comedy Central. She is a regular on This Week at the Comedy Cellar and has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The View, HBO’s Crashing, and Kevin Can Wait. She also recently acted in and served as a consultant, producer, and writer on the Robert De Niro film The Comedian. 

Jessica’s highly anticipated prank call album, The Call Girls, also featuring Rachel Feinstein, was released on September 24th. Recorded virtually during the depths of quarantine, the album features characters such as old Jewish grandmothers, sexy co-eds, a conservative mother and her gay son, and more. 

Jessica’s characters are coming to life in her new podcast, Disgusting Hawk with rave reviews. Through her Relatively Sane podcast, Jessica has interviewed the likes of Bill Burr, Jim Gaffigan, and Rosie O’Donnell. 

She was awarded “Best Female Comic” by the MAC association in New York City and received the prestigious Nightlife Award for “Best Stand-up Comedian.” In her spare time, Jessica is a regular contributor to The Howard Stern Show, where she produces and stars in prank calls for the program. 

Barbara Higbie

Called "a bolt of bright sunlight" by the L.A.Times,  a “classy talent” by the Boston Globe and “the most exciting musician we’ve heard” by the S.F. Chronicle, Barbara Higbie brings joy, enthusiasm and virtuosity to every performance. She is a Grammy-nominated, Bammy and Glama award winning composer, singer-songwriter and fiddler, appearing on over 100 albums, (including 16 of her own), recording with Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Cris Williamson, Holly Near, Teresa Trull and many others. Her duet recording, “Unexpected,” with singer-songwriter, Teresa Trull (on Olivia/Second Wave Records) made Higbie/Trull one of the most popular acts in Women’s Music. At the same time, Barbara was the first woman to be signed to the famed instrumental label, Windham Hill Records, where she co-led a group that recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival, and toured internationally for many years. 

The youngest of six kids from a musical family, Higbie started piano at age four. At age 13, her family moved from small town Indiana to Ghana, West Africa. At 17, Higbie attended Mills College, at 18, the Sorbonne in Paris and at 21, was awarded a prestigious Watson Fellowship to collect traditional music in West Africa. At 22, she placed 6th in the National Women’s Fiddle Contest. Her first solo CD on Sony Records, a singer-songwriter album in 1990, was named “Top Ten of the Year” by the Washington Post. In 2011, Higbie was named the first “Artist in Residence” for the famed west coast jazz club, Yoshi’s. There, she founded the group “Hills to Hollers” with gospel/blues singer Linda Tillery and bluegrass star, Laurie Lewis. Her most recent album, 2022’s “Murmuration” is a return to her Windham Hill roots. It is the second installment of a 3-part instrumental “Chillogy”, produced by Lisa Vogel, featuring the brilliant Jami Sieber, cello, Vicki Randle, guitar and Michaelle Goerlitz, percussion. Barbara has performed on over 35 Olivia trips and counts them among the very best experiences of her life. 

Julie Wolf

Julie Wolf is a music producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, music director and teacher. She has appeared on stages around the world and on numerous critically acclaimed recordings. She has collaborated with Carly Simon, Indigo Girls, Ani DiFranco, Maceo Parker, Bruce Cockburn, Amy Ray, Dar Williams, Rumer and Wayne Horvitz among many others. Recent highlights include television performances with Carly Simon (Late Night with Stephen Colbert, The View and Live with Kelly and Michael), recording a duet with Carly Simon for the release of Chimes of Freedom:The Songs of Bob Dylan, producing Bruce Cockburn, working with Joan Baez and producing records for multiple artists of varying genres.

Based in Oakland, California, Julie is a part of a vibrant creative community that includes musicians, dancers, choreographers, poets, filmmakers, actors, directors, writers, teachers, healers and activists. She runs Julie Wolf Music, specializing in music production, composing for film and dance, sound design, and music/audio editing. Recent producing credits include Katie Cash’s Gift Horse, Cris Williamson’s Motherland, Gina Breedlove’s Language of Light, Rachel Friedman’s My Marching Band, The Lost American JazzBook (winner of Jazz Vocal Album Of The Year at the 14th Independent Music Awards), A Fragile Tomorrow’s One Way Ticket (winner of Best Cover Of The Year/15th Independent Music Awards) and Lucia Lilikoi’s Vessel. Julie also teaches music and production clinics, workshops and private students.

Throughout all of these adventures, Julie has continued her work with Olivia which began in 1994, making this her longest standing gig! She’s thrilled to be here with us accompanying many of the musicians onboard, giving some rare solo performances from behind the piano and reuniting with Olivia community!

Antigone Rising

In more than 20 years as one of America's hardest-working bands, Antigone Rising has established a far-reaching reputation for sticking to their instincts. While the all-female New York natives’ live performances have earned the long-term devotion of fans, Antigone Rising's passionate social conscience continues to manifest itself in the group's tireless activism.   

In 2014, the band launched the ambitious nonprofit organization Girls Rising, whose live presentations reflect the same passionate belief that drives the trio's music. Throughout the year, Girls Rising partners with local school districts and youth centers to create programming that's designed to inspire and empower young girls and LGBTQ youth through live performances, presentations, and workshops. The band also presents the annual Girls Rising Music Festival and Game Changer Awards, now in its sixth year. The festival showcases female artists the band has mentored, as well as giving these artists opportunities to perform alongside nationally recognized Grammy-winning artists. Girls Rising also awards scholarships to deserving girls established through private donations as well as celebrity grants to local youth created by Melissa Etheridge, Joan Jett, Carnie Wilson, and, most recently, Paula Cole.  

The creation of Girls Rising was originally set in motion after Antigone Rising was invited by the US State Department to travel as cultural ambassadors throughout the Middle East. After touring the Middle East, the band traveled to Asia, Europe, Mexico, and throughout the United States bringing the Girls Rising program to schools, refugee camps, and community centers, spreading a message of inclusion.  

The band’s activism is reflected in much of Antigone Rising’s latest work, as the trio continues releasing singles to download and stream throughout the year. On the heels of the trio’s final pre-pandemic tour, Antigone Rising made one final stop at Bird & Egg Studio in Oakland, CA. During a day-long session with producer, Julie Wolf, at the helm, the band recorded a handful of songs live. Initially intended to be a stand-alone EP, it was later decided to include the tracks alongside their studio version counterparts to round out what would eventually become True Joy.  

During a year of pandemic seclusion, a handful of new songs were written and recorded through the magic of home studios and drop boxes, followed by a successful Kickstarter campaign that enabled the band to complete their True Joy vision.  

True Joy album highlights include the song “Avalanche”, a powerful anthem of female empowerment, “Right There with You”, a southern rock blues ballad, and “Badlands”, a song co-written with Grammy award winning songwriter, Lori McKenna in which the band's harmonies nod in the direction of Crosby, Stills and Nash. 

Gaye Adegbalola

GAYE TODD ADEGBALOLA (pronounced AH - DEG - BA - LOLA), is a multi-instrumentalist and composer. She is a Blues Music Award (BMA) winner and a founding member of Saffire -The UppityBlues Women (1984-2009). Her CD about LGBTQ issues, “Gaye Without Shame” was nominated for a BMA and her children’s CD, “Blues in All Flavors" won the Parents’ Choice Gold Award. Her 2019 release, “The Griot” (pronounced GREE - OH) chronicles topical blues for topical times.  

Gaye has received the Kristen Lems “Social Change Through Music” Award at the National Women’s Music Festival in 2018 and in 2019 the “Koko Taylor Queen of the Blues" Award for preserving traditional blues from the Jus’ Blues Foundation.  Along with her music recognitions she is a former Virginia State Teacher of the Year (8th grade science) and has been honored as an OUTstanding Virginian. The Library of Virginia recognized her as one of the 2018 Virginia Women in History Honorees (along with Barbara Kingsolver, Rita Dove and others).  

Mother of Juno Lumumba Kahlil, Gaye is a long-time activist, who continues to provide a voice for those who have been marginalized by society.  By definition of her life’s work, she is indeed a griot.   

Mouths of Babes

“If I was forced to categorize it, I’d call it modern folk. It’s powerful, romantic, and giddy. And the two are insanely infectious together onstage, like a musical and a personal love fest all at once.” So says the Huffington Post of Mouths of Babes.

With more than a dozen albums and over a thousand shows between them, Ty Greenstein and Ingrid Elizabeth of Mouths of Babes are no strangers to the contemporary folk-Americana music scene. For years, their respective bands Girlyman and Coyote Grace captivated thousands of loyal fans as they crisscrossed the country, rocked festival main stages, and toured with the likes of Indigo Girls and Dar Williams. Now, as Mouths of Babes, this award-winning duo has distilled the very best of the songwriting, musicianship, and humor of their previous groups into a sound that brings more style and depth than ever before.

The key to the Mouths of Babes magic is in the contrast; the differences in both their songwriting and personal styles makes for an unusually satisfying yin and yang. The Chicago Tribune writes, “They offer unique counterpoints to one another…Trading jokes and sharing elegant harmonies, the two women display an intuitive professional bond.” They easily switch off lead vocals and play a wide array of instruments, with Ty on acoustic and electric guitars and foot percussion and Ingrid playing upright bass, ukulele, cajon, and harmonica.

The band's debut full-length album, Brighter in the Dark, earned honors as a finalist in the 2018 John Lennon Songwriting Contest for the haunting and heartfelt title track, while “Any Other Day,” a song addressing privilege and police violence, was selected as the winner of the 2018 Independent Music Award for Best Social Action Song.

“This pair of road warriors sounds refreshingly new and breathes new life into a seemingly overcrowded genre. Those who enjoy acoustic music rich in passion and fervor would be wise to check [them] out.” –Submerge Magazine.

Kofy Brown

Kofy Brown, an Oakland, CA musician, singer and songwriter has been a pioneering force in the Bay Area’s hip-hop soul scene for the last couple of decades. Leading her band on tour paving the way for other indie artist to trek forth, the Kofy Brown Band have spread the gospel of Brown’s unique style of soul, rock, funk and more all-over North America, Canada and Europe. Kofy Brown has thrived by following her own creative path.  She and her band have developed a reputation for putting on an outstanding live show.  Her music is a soulful combination of funk, rock, blues and hip-hop topped off with a singing and rap style she calls word song. 

Katie Cash

 
Singer-songwriter and guitarist Katie Cash writes personally charged, emotion-packed songs and performs them with a passionate urgency that has made her a local star in the Bay Area music scene. As a member of multiple bands including Skip The Needle, Cash made her debut solo album “Gift Horse”, produced by Julie Wolf (Ani DiFranco, Carly Simon, Indigo Girls).  The album showcases her pointed songwriting and the edgy musical sensibility that's been honed by extensive roadwork and onstage experience.  

“Katie Cash gave excellent support with her rock and folk endeavors, entwining delicate and powerful into a set so worth seeing.” – The Bay Bridged 

Gina Chavez

Growing up in Austin, TX, Gina Chavez didn’t pick up a guitar until she was in college. The instrument proved to be her ticket around the world. Since then, she has traveled to Japan as a cultural ambassador for the city of Austin. She also toured the world as a cultural ambassador with the US State Dept, performing to international audiences in 10 countries. To date, Chavez has won multiple awards, including 12 Austin Music Awards and the Grand Prize for the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. She topped the iTunes and Amazon Latin charts with her second album, Up.Rooted. She closed out the decade alongside Oprah, Loretta Lynn and Beyonce as one of 100 women featured in Garden & Gun’s new book, Southern Women: 100 Stories of Innovators, Artists and Icons. 

Chavez’s multi-ethnic folk-pop sound also won her spotlights on national TV and radio shows in the US. She has been featured on NPR’s three nationally broadcast shows:  NPR's All Things Considered, First Listen, and Tiny Desk Concerts. Her performances garnered nearly 1 million views on YouTube and earned her a spot on NPR’s Top 15 Tiny Desk Concerts. She also was chosen to perform at The Kate on a nationally televised hour-long episode on PBS. 

To date, the artist has released three award-winning albums that showcase Chavez’s versatility as a songwriter and performer: her acoustic folk-pop debut album Hanging Spoons (2007), her Spanish/English album Up.Rooted (2014) and her soul/R&B EP Lightbeam (2018).  

Currently, Chavez lives in Austin with her wife, Jodi Granado. Together, they co-founded the Niñas Arriba, a college fund that offers full scholarships to a private, Catholic university for young girls in Soyapango, El Salvador. 

Angie K.

Angie Keilhauer is an international touring artist known for her success on NBC’s hit TV show, The Voice. Recently signed to Jake Owen’s new management company, Good Company Entertainment, Angie K is shaking up Nashville with her fresh blend of Modern and Latin Country. The El Salvador born and Georgia raised country artist just released her new viral single “Country is as Country Does”, which has immediately been added to 6 editorial mega-playlists on Apple Music and Spotify. This song comes right on the heels of her single “Real Talk”, which catapulted her onto the country scene by making her a 'Highway Find' on Sirius XM The Highway. Touring an average of 10-12 cities a month for the past 8 years, Angie has played over 1000+ live shows. In 2017, her Disney duet with Jordan Fisher, “Happily Ever After”, became the soundtrack to the nightly fireworks show at Magic Kingdom. The single has already amassed over 30 million cumulative streams. Angie has opened for artists like Jake Owen, Tanya Tucker, Sammy Kershaw, Trace Adkins, Melissa Etheridge, and more. 

Richelle Donigan

Richelle Evelyn Donigan is a masterful Yoga Instructor, Life Coach, Author, and Speaker. She has been in the work and study of transformation for more than 40 years. Richelle has an extraordinary gift for creating safe empowering spaces for beginners and communities that have been traditionally underserved. She has created and led numerous retreats and workshops focusing on LGBTQ Communities. Her Butch Yoga workshops allow Butch Identified women to come as they are, listen and be heard by other Butches and support one another as they share and practice together. Richelle’s Vision Workshops are life changing. You will walk out with powerful clarity and strategies to create a life that you absolutely LOVE. A consummate teacher, Richelle embodies wellness and is dedicated to uplifting community with the profound healing practices of Yoga & Vision. 

DJ Rockaway

Born and raised in Queens, DJ Rockaway has been bringing her passion and love for music to US and international dance floors for nearly two decades. Although she is true New Yorker (just listen to her talk!), she is a regular on both the East and West coasts. You’ll find her spinning at nightclubs, weddings and other private events, and galas for national nonprofits, such as NCLR, HRC, and Equality California, to name a few—and she is also a regular DJ on Olivia cruise and resort vacations.

The executive producer of the San Francisco Women’s Stage and the founder of PLAY San Francisco and PLAY San Jose, monthly events for women who love to dance, DJ Rockaway has created a unique mix of music styles—dance, hip-hop, R&B, house, club, retro—that allows her to play for all who love to dance and feel the music. In her spare time, you can find her behind a camera lens, playing with her drone, or filming and editing music videos. For DJ Rockaway, music is more than a blend of sounds, music is an experience… she wants you to feel it, live it, escape into it.

DJ Tatiana

Born in Madrid and based in Denver Colorado, Tatiana is an established International female DJ with over 20 years in the industry. Her passion for music, international travel and an undeniable energy that draws crowds to the dance floor, has placed DJ Tatiana into a class of her own making her one of the most sought-after DJ’s in the game. Tatiana’s experience traveling the world has allowed her to become fluent in different genres and sounds including hip hop, top 40 remixes, moombahton, house, Latin and circuit. Her honed DJ skills, mass following and extensive music library that knows no borders, allows her to play to any crowd.

DJ Tatiana has current monthly residencies in Denver Colorado, San Francisco, CA and Los Angeles, CA drawing crowds of 2500 - 3000 people nightly, as well as her other monthly residency at  First Fridays, the largest monthly women's party in the USA. She also holds seasonal residencies at Temple Nightclub and at DRLO Live in Madrid, Spain.

Aside from these residencies, former Billboard DJ Tatiana demonstrates international relevancy, headlining events around the world.

DJ Rocabye

DJ Rocabye is one of the most sought-after DJs in Houston, with over 13 years of experience. She is best known for the unique style and flavor she creates when blending and mixing music genres. Rocabye started DJing in Indianapolis, Indiana, and worked in some of the hottest nightclubs and biggest events there, including The Indiana Black Expo and Circle City Classic.  

DJ Rocabye's presence has been felt far and wide, resonating strongly in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, and Houston, where she is known as one of the best DJ entertainers in the business. At nightclubs to corporate events and anything in between, she amazes her audience with her ability to keep the dance floor packed. She has performed for crowds as big as 800,000 people and opened for major recording artists such as Tweet, Adina Howard, and Siya.  

DJ Rocabye currently mixes for Houston's 102.5 FM radio station, in addition to spinning both at private parties and giant events, like Eden, Houston’s official LGBT Pride Girl + party.