Metal Moms: Fact or Fiction?
It’s probably not surprising to anyone that I-Rock 93.5 has a predominantly male listener base. Something like 80% male to be specific. That being said, it doesn’t mean that the remaining 20% of us women have to be stuck in the kitchen making sandwiches. We’re gonna get right in the thick of all that metal mayhem.
Now, I’m sure that the age ranges of our minority are just as wide as the male population, but there is one group of women (myself included) who are particularly interesting. Those women who are both rocker chicks and soccer moms. Yes, as crazy as it sounds, there are women out there who can hold their own at the PTA meeting, and in the mosh pit. We take great pride in blasting our heavy metal during the car ride to school in the morning, much to the embarrassment of our mortified children. We throw on our Slipknot t-shirts and crank up the speakers while we clean the house. We don’t care what the country club moms are doing this weekend, because we know we’re going to a concert. Any concert.
From a musical standpoint, it’s true there are many more male artists in the genre than there are female. That’s not to say that we don’t have quality representation though. I for one, am proud to be able to say that bands like In This Moment, Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless, and New Year’s Day are fronted by some of the most badass bitches out there. They hold their own in an industry that could have just as easily chewed them up and spit them out.
For their part, the male majority of our rock community is amazing when it comes to inclusion in this club. I have been to dozens of shows over the years, and have been in mosh pits, and crowd surfed many different times. I have never once felt out of place or made to feel uncomfortable by the people around me. In fact, it’s usually the opposite. Guys go out of their way to make sure you can see the stage, or take extra care when they see a girl in the mosh pit. That is why I love this community so much. We take care of and respect each other.
So, the next time your kids roll their eyes at you when you turn up the radio to I-Rock 93.5, remember, you’re in good company. You’ve got Maria and Lzzy and Taylor and Ash representin’. You’ve also got a bunch of guys who think you’re just as awesome as you were ten(or maybe twenty) years ago. You still look damn good in that Metallica shirt. You have every reason to hold your head up high, and raise your horns up even higher.
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