The Uptown Music Collective’s season will kick off on November 17th and 18th at the Community Arts Center in Williamsport with Women of Rock: The Music of Heart & Pat Benatar. When you think of women who really rock, the band Heart, and Pat Benatar are always near the top of any list. For the first show of the season, Uptown Music Collective students will pay tribute to these influential and creative musicians. The performance will feature the non-profit music school’s renowned assemblage of young female vocalists paying tribute to two legendary voices. Supported by an army of young musicians on guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums. Fairfield Auto Group and PPL are sponsoring the show in part.

In the big leagues of classic rock, there are only a few undisputed champions in the Women’s bracket. At the top of that list has to be 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Heart. With over 35 million records sold worldwide, including top 10 albums in the in the 1970s, 80s, 90s, and 2010s. Led by the Wilson sisters, Ann and Nancy, Heart has led the way in Rock music with strong songwriting, powerful vocals, stadium-filling performances, and chart-topping songs, including the classics Barracuda, Magic Man, Crazy on You, Even it Up, Alone, and a lot more.

Another musician who quickly comes to mind when discussing Women of Rock is Pat Benatar. She is a four-time Grammy Award winner with two multi-platinum albums, five platinum albums, three gold albums, and 15 Billboard Top 40 singles. Benatar is best known for her chart-topping hits Hit Me with Your Best Shot, Love Is a Battlefield, We Belong, and Invincible. Her gutsy voice, great music, strong presence, and take no prisoners approach to rock and roll, paved for her, a road to success in a time when rock and roll stardom was still primarily a boys’ club.

“Growing up in the 1970’s, the music of Heart and Pat Benatar were frequently on my turntable (that’s the thing we played our “records” on back then), said Collective Executive Director, Dave Brumbaugh. “I found both to be unique, powerful, and inspirational as a young musician. I’m looking forward to hearing my students take their music to the stage, and tearing the roof off of the Community Arts Center.”

Women of Rock: The Music of Heart & Pat Benatar will feature Collective students who have been diligently preparing for this event for over two months. Along with the live music, there will be a professional grade light and sound show organized by the students themselves. As with all Uptown Music Collective performances, the students are not only the performers but also direct the show. There is also a group of younger students, called “Tech Monkeys” who will serve as stage technicians and spotlight operators. The cast for the show is drawn from the Uptown Music Collective’s much heralded Special Performance Group 1. The students have set a goal to get 1,500 people see the show over its two-night run.

This show is being produced by Collective Senior, Nate Schreffler (Sullivan County High School). It is directed by Uptown Music Collective seniors Chloe Taylor (Montoursville Area H.S.) & Emily LaCerra (Loyalsock Township H.S.) along with a leadership committee that includes UMC students Alexis Carnevale (WAHS), Cade Palmatier (Jersey Shore H.S.), David Chubirka (Montoursville Area H.S), David Montis (St, John Neumann), Enso Tran (WAHS), Isabella Cole (Loyalsock Township H.S.), Izzy Brumbaugh (WAHS), and Tate Berkey (Danville H.S.).

“Performing a tribute to Heart and Pat Benatar is a very exciting way to kick off the 2017-2018 performance season,” said Student Director, Emily LaCerra. “I love that we are doing a tribute to influential women artists who have helped define the great things that women have brought to rock music. It’s especially awesome that we’re doing this show on the same stage that Pat Benatar performed on five years ago when she came to Williamsport. I’m very excited to be learning more and more about both artists, and to portray their music in an accurate way for the first show of my senior performance season.”

Additional sponsors for this performance include Steve & Martha Huddy, Newberry Estates, State Farm Agent Kellen Moore, The Lockard Agency, Jersey Shore State Bank, Jeff & Crissy, Fast Signs, and The (Re)Imagination Group. Media sponsors include Lamar Advertising, NorthCentralPa.com, The Graphic Hive, 99.3 FM WZXR, and all of Backyard Broadcasting. Tickets for the performance are $15.00 in advance and $20.00 on performance nights. Advance tickets are available at the Community Arts Center (Box Office, Website, & App), Alabaster Coffee, K&S Music, Buttorff’s Hardware, Catch-All Self Storage, Rupert’s Specialty Meats, Way Cool Beans, Hoyer’s Photo, and the Uptown Music Collective

For the complete list of ticket vendors, sponsors, and other details about the show visit uptownmusic.org or call 570-329-0888. Also, check out Collective’s official Facebook page, as well as other Collective social media outlets for teasers, previews, behind the scenes info and more from the performance.