The OC Women’s March will take over Downtown Santa Ana on Saturday, January 20, attracting throngs of sign-toting, slogan chanting, fist-pumping folks that are ready to march in solidarity into 2018 with their voices heard loud and clear. As the march winds around downtown and the rally begins, a handful of performers will take the event stage. The Weekly caught up with Dr. V and The Moans, The Atomic Cherry Bombs, and poet Iuri Lara to gain insight on why they’re hitting the streets and taking the stage for the second consecutive OC Women’s March.
Dr. V and The Moans
Before Vicki Calhoun earned a doctorate in Organizational Leadership, Education, she was singing alongside the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Fishbone. The Fullerton native has been pulled onstage with Eddie Vedder, George Clinton, and the late Chris Cornell, and this Saturday she’ll be making her way back to the Women’s March stage to promote her message of unity and equality.
Dr. V and The Moans performed at the inaugural OC Women’s March, but the group was met with unexpected technical difficulties. Despite the sound going out at the 2017 rally, Calhoun took hold of a megaphone and carried on, and shares that the sound issues didn’t take away from the message or energy in the moment.
“We killed it! Everyone was singing along with me, you could hear them calling out the words of the song, ‘the struggle is real’ while I sang through the megaphone. When you think about women trying to get their voices heard in general, and what was happening with the sound at the time, it was so impactful and so fitting.”
This year Calhoun looks forward to an improved sound system and performing with her band and collaborators, Santa Ana-based trio The Moans. With strong convictions in terms of unity and equal pay, she believes the Women’s March offers an opportunity to show support through strength in numbers, and serves as a reminder that women have to take a stand and stick together.
“It’s been awesome, just being a part of this movement and the movement of women,” Calhoun said. “Music has a big part to play when motivating people. We have to start writing songs about what’s going on the world, like Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On.’ We need more people talking about the climate of what’s happening today!”
The Atomic Cherry Bombs
The Atomic Cherry Bombs, an all-female performance troupe based out of Atomic Ballroom in Irvine, marched through the streets of Downtown Santa Ana at last year’s OC Women’s March. While they didn’t perform at the first-time event, they made an entrance by arriving dressed as powerful and controversial feminine figures ranging from flappers to Rosie the Riveter. Organizers caught wind of the troupe’s grand entrance, and invited them to perform at this year’s rally.
Nikki Marvin, a.k.a. Moxie Gold, is the director of The Atomic Cherry Bombs, and accepted the invite. Noting that dance can be an exercise in building confidence and a show of solidarity, she’s looking forward to taking her troupe onstage to perform The Supremes’ version of “These Boots Were Made for Walking.” Marvin also notes that while the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements are recent, the swing dance community has been experiencing their own challenges in terms of allegations and misconduct over the past two years.
“It’s really interesting that these movements are coming to light,” Marvin said. “There’s been several high up dance instructors considered mentors and teachers that have been accused of rape or misconduct. It’s been a real shock to the swing dance community.”
“I think in general people want to do better, and I think a lot of men in the scene and in the world in general don’t realize how bad things can be. And as women we’re finally saying no, this is our reality, and things have to change.”
With various safe spaces and new codes of conduct in place, the swing dance community is one of many groups creating change and making progress. With a strong sense of unity and a love for her dancers, Marvin is looking forward to the rally performance and celebrating the march and what it stands for. “The Atomic Cherry Bombs are very excited, in fact I haven’t seen them this excited to perform for a long time.”
Iuri Lara, Poet
Marching for indigenous women’s rights, the timeless battle to be heard, and Mother Earth herself, poet Iuri Lara is standing up and moving forward for many causes. The high school English teacher is a published poet with an M.F.A. in Poetry, and a proud participant in grassroots zines. The Santa Ana educator shares that while she was unable to attend last year’s march, she was inspired by those who participated and the women who have had the courage to let their voices be heard. She was also inspired by her indigenous female contemporaries, who approached the Orange County Women’s March Organizers about having a strong presence in this year’s march.
“There’s going to be a contingency of indigenous women and indigenous communities that are going to be representing, which didn’t’ happen last year,” Lara said. “I’m going to be part of that contingency and I’m really glad the main organizers are making room for that, and seeing that there’s an importance to make a unique space for people who self-identify as indigenous, or who are related to an actual tribe.”
The poem Lara plans to recite is a revised piece that was slightly altered to align with the Women’s March. She asserts that women have long been telling their stories, but the current media and social media attention has led to more voices beings heard. With her poem focusing on birth, the piece will tell the story of her own mother’s journey and tap into her belief that Mother Earth is a feminine force to be respected and reckoned with.
“The attack that’s happening right now is on humanity and all species, more so with this administration,” Lara said. “[This administration] is so carelessly implementing laws that really going to effect—and are already effecting—all life forms. The quality of life for animals, natural life, waters and oceans are all in question. I think women’s rights are human rights and rights of all species. Native people, we believe that mother earth is female, and so when we march for the female energy and spirit, we’re marching for all life.”
The OC Women’s March will be held on Saturday, January 20 in Downtown Santa Ana. March Route starting point is at the corner of Flower Street and West Civic Center Drive, event begins at 9 a.m. For more information visit www.ocwomensmarch.org.
If there’s music or art involved, she’ll take a chance on it.