Ladies Rise Up and Rock Kicks Off in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, Calif. - March 19, 2013 - PRLog -- Innovative new concert series Ladies Rise Up and Rock will launch Saturday, March 23, at the Regency Lodge in San Francisco, CA. Rising indie stars Kiwi Time and the Wellspring join Fender guitar goddess Gretchen Menn to kick off the event, hosted by LA comedian Samantha Hale. Partial proceeds from the concert will benefit the GRAMMY in the Schools campaign.

Today, promoters behind the Ladies Rise Up and Rock series have confirmed popular all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band Zepparella as surprise guests to the evening's lineup. Zepparella have toured extensively, opening for Weezer in the summer of 2012.

"The time is right to build an entire show featuring women making music, and to use this as an opportunity to benefit music education in schools," says Carl J. Mancuso, founder of the Ladies Rise Up and Rock series.

Mancuso was inspired to tackle the music education funding problem after a Facebook conversation with acclaimed singer-songwriter J.D. Souther (Linda Ronstadt, the Eagles). Souther was expressing concerns about funding cuts to music education in schools across the United States.

Ladies Rise Up and Rock: SF headliner Gretchen Menn was recently named one of Fender's top 10 Guitar Goddesses, as well as appearing on the cover of the February issue of Pure Guitar Magazine. Folk-rock duo the Wellspring will be supporting, their first show since their debut showcase at Austin's SXSW music festival. Kiwi Time, featured as one of San Francisco's Top Ten Local Bands by local radio giants LIVE 105, will open the show. The event is to be hosted by LA Comedian Samantha Hale, of the Map the Music documentary, which debuted on the Documentary Channel.

Ladies Rise Up and Rock features female independent musicians from all parts of the music scene, spotlighting women making their mark in music. Mancuso and his PR firm, Upswing Public Relations, will use San Francisco as the first city to test the model for the series, networking with indie bands on the rise to promote independent female artists. For the San Francisco launch, Mancuso partnered with Spotlight Events Consulting SF, design and PR business Flying Ace Media, and San Francisco sister rock duo Deer Park Avenue.

Ladies Rise Up and Rock is sponsored by AEG Live and Best Beverage Catering (BBC). General Admission tickets are $13 with limited VIP seating available for $24. Purchase tickets at http://www.axs.com/events/3317/ladies-rise-up-and-rock or call the Regency Center at (888) 929-7849.

For more information, visit http://ladiesriseupandrock.com.