Maria to Play AS220's 20 Fest

No new words from Maria -- but her web tutor Matt Obert recommends checking out the Upcoming Shows page while you're here.

Never Like You

Teacher
Why do you teach me
What you teach me
When you know anyway
Anyway
I never want to be like you?

Cold Blows The Wind

This is an 18th century tune, but the first version I ever heard was by Ween! The version here comes from an old collection of folk songs and has a verse my dad and I added. It's actually supposed to be sung by a guy in his grave and his love, and the woman wants one last kiss, and he says that he can't give it to her because it would kill her, so she plans to poison herself to be with him. It's wicked sad. I first performed this song on Halloween night in a duet with Matty Charles!

Cold Blows The Wind (mp3)

Hole In The Horizon

This is me on organ and vocals and my dad on guitar and a cheap little drum machine. My dad wrote this one day and we recorded it the next. My mom worried about the lyrics but I think this song is about sacrifice and being strong enough to go to the next level. It could be about lots of different things, I guess.

Hole In The Horizon (mp3)

Fly

The great thing about this is the five layers of cello recorded in my living room by the amazing and wonderful Margie Wienk, who just played one part after the other while she listened on headphones, without ever making a mistake! You can kinda hear that I had a cold when I recorded this. I've never performed this live because I can't imagine it without cellos. Someday...

Fly (mp3)

I Will Not Change

This is my first band, The Vitatonics, recorded live in March 2003 at Arliene Grocery on the lower east side in NYC. They were such a great band! Sort of a Providence super group with Paige van Antwerp and Geoff Griffin from Plymouth Rock on drums and guitar, Joel Thibodeau of String Builder on guitar and lap steel, and Alec K. Redfearn of the Eyesores and Gutter Helmet on bass. I played rhythm guitar and sang and was really unbelievably lucky to have such a great band when I was only eleven! My dad and I wrote this one together.

I Will Not Change (mp3)

Just Keep Dreaming

This isn't the really old version that I thought I put up. This is the one from my demo. It features Joe Hocking on guitar.

Just Keep Dreaming (mp3)

April update

Working on my website for the first time in a very long time and have changed a few things. I added and few links and moved around and added some images.

I am going to play an open mic next wed. (April 20th) unless something else comes up. When i get the details on where it is i will put the info in my upcoming shows.

MARIA VENTURA BIO

Maria's been singing almost constantly since her crib days, but it wasn't until Paige van Antwerp, the drummer from the band Plymouth Rock, heard her playing guitar and singing at her home that Maria was invited to sing a few songs with that band at White Electric, a small club in Providence, RI. Maria played and sang three songs with the band that night and it was something of a local sensation, with people in the Providence arts and music communities still talking about it months later. At that point, in the first half of 2001, Maria was 9 years old.

Soon after that, Maria played her first full set in Providence, RI at AS220, a great art and performance space where she has been playing fairly regularly ever since, as well as at other Providence clubs like The Green Room and The Century Lounge.

In mid 2002, Cynthia Hopkins of Gloria Deluxe first heard Maria play and sing when they were both on the same bill at an AS220 benefit concert. Maria was then invited to be the opening act at a CD release party for Gloria Deluxe at Arlene Grocery in NYC. Since then, Maria has played at Arlene's several times (as recently as three weeks ago) both solo and with her now defunct rock band, The Vitatonics. She has also played at other NYC venues including FEZ, Pete's Candy Store, Low Bar and twice at the Three Farms summer music festival on the East River, where she opened for David Johansen of New York Dolls and Buster Poindexter fame.

When Maria was 11, she formed the all-girl punk band The Prom Bombs. Unfortunately, after only three loud, fast, raucous shows, The Prom Bombs fell apart.

About the same time, Maria joined up with Joel Thibodeau of String Builder to form the duet The Hiccups. They've played New York, Providence and New Hampshire and still get together to do a show occasionally.

Also about that time, Maria was recorded singing for a video segment in Cynthia Hopkins' play Accidental Nostalgia, which has already had successful runs in RI, NY, and Seattle, Washington, and which will soon be touring the country.

Oddly, Maria (whose middle name is Joelle) and Joel Thibodeau have the same birthday, July 16th. Last summer, for Maria's twelfth and Joel's twenty-eighth birthdays, they rented AS220 and had a party with ten bands. At the party, Maria played and sang solo, with The Hiccups and The Prom Bombs, and did a rousing cover of Helter Skelter with V.Majestic and of The Zombies' "She's Not There" with Mahi Mahi.

Not long before this, on the same stage, Maria did a one show, one song stint as the drummer in an all-Ventura Danzig tribute band, singing a song about Hamlet (don't ask!). And soon after that, Maria opened for the Blue Man Group at a benefit at Rhode Island College, where she played for her first audience of over 1,000 people.

All told, Maria plays guitar, keyboards, saxophone, and a little bit of drums. A few weeks ago, she started accordion lessons with Providence's amazing composer and band leader, Alec K. Redfearn, who had been the bass player in The Vitatonics.

Maria recently turned 13 and is currently without a band, although she is actively trying to recruit members to reform The Prom Bombs. A recent live show by Boston's Juliana Hatfield and her band has inspired Maria to focus more singularly on playing electric guitar and straight-ahead rock'n roll.

Contact Info:

If you would like to contact me, please send an E-mail to

chepizarro <AT> comcast <DOT> net

Past Shows

March 5 and 6, 2005:
I was in a Cabaret show in providence, RI at AS220. I sang 2 songs in this show. One that my dad and I wrote and another that the Director and feature artist Venus Prescott wrote. Other artists that performed in this Cabaret were Keith Munslow, Pam Murray, Princess Pearl, and super funny actress Casey Seymour Kim.

DATE	CITY	VENUE	OTHER INFORMATION
Saturday 7/16/05	Providence, RI	AS220 115 Empire Street 401.831.9327	Maria Ventura celebrates her 14th birthday and AS220's 20th Anniversary at the same time! She will be doing a solo set, and then a set with Domenick Panzarella (Alec K. Redfearn and the Eyesores, Denim Venom), Paul Servicio (Mahi Mahi) and her brother Nathan (C+) backing her up. Her set is from 5:00 - 6:00 PM on the mainstage. Joel Thibodeau of Stringbuilder and Death Vessel (and Maria's former bandmate in The Hiccups) has the same birthday as Maria, and by some cosmic coincidence, Stringbuilder will be playing a reunion show at the 20 Fest, from 2:00 to 3:00 PM on the main stage.
Wednesday 7/27/05	Providence, RI	Tazza Caffe 250 Westminster St. Providence, RI 02903 Phone 401.421.3300 Fax 401.421.0031	Maria is opening for The Chad Burdick Band at Tazza Caffe. She'll go on sometime between 8:00 and 9:00 PM.
Friday 8/12/05	Raynham, MA	Rick's Music World 421 New State Hwy. Raynham, Ma. 02767 508.977.0200	Maria and Friends at Rick's Music World in Raynham, MA as part of the Dessert Club Summer Series. It's a night of music that Maria is putting together that will feature her teachers and her friends, young and old, as well as two sets by Maria. Also featured will be Maria's newest friend, Shayna Gonsalves, an absolutely amazing violinist at only 16 years of age.

Date	Location	Event
Saturday, February 12	First Parrish Church, Taunton MA	The Dessert Club
Tuesday, February 15	Tazza Caffe	Magdalena Project Benefit
Saturday, March 5	AS220, Providence RI	Camp Cabaret
Sunday, March 6	AS220, Providence RI	Camp Cabaret

In 2002, 2003, and 2004 I played at the Three Farms Festival in New York. Last year I opened for David Johansen from the New York Dolls!

In 2003 I opened for the Blue Man Group at RI College at a benefit for Perishable Theater.

YO YO YO

This is my NEW WEBSITE!!! YAY, I have only had one lesson on how to run the sight and thats why it is still UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!! MERRY X-MAS!! Thanx for teaching me Matt!!

Hello, peepz

I am playing at a gig this friday (Dec.17). It is a benifit to get food for the homeless! I am playing with my new band too!! We are still arguing over a name for the band but i want it to be Filing Cabinet. ROCK ON!!