On Sunday, November 24, SoMa nightclub Oasis will host a tribute concert to rock legend Linda Ronstadt. The show features an all-star line-up of talent, including local legends Leigh Crow, Ruby Vixenn, Heklina, and others. The evening is a fundraiser for No Mas Muertes (No More Deaths), an organization that is near and dear to Ronstadt's heart. Ronstadt has often asked fans to donate to the organization, which offers legal help to immigrants.
According to its website, the mission of No Mas Muertes "is to end death and suffering in the Mexico—US borderlands through civil initiative: people of conscience working openly and in community to uphold fundamental human rights." Ronstadt is part Mexican on her father's side.
Leigh Crow spoke to the Bay Area Reporter about the Oasis show.
"I had been thinking about promoting a show like this, then got into a move and got waylaid from it," she said. "But then after the documentary came out, Heklina said we should do a live Linda Ronstadt tribute. I said I would book this because I've already thought it through!"
Crow then asked a variety of vocalists from the Bay Area country scene to come and sing.
"We're also going to get some jazz notes and some Latin notes," she said. "We decided it would be a great fundraiser to show how important, influential and inspirational Linda has been to so many different vocalists of so many kinds."
Crow addressed what she thought Ronstadt's legacy might be.
"She's one of the greatest singers of this century," Crow said. "She could seemingly master any genre she saw fit."
In addition to rock, Ronstadt has sung jazz pop standards, Mexican music, and country. She even performed in a Broadway musical, The Pirates of Penzance, in the early 1980s. Now retired due to a battle with Parkinson's Disease, Ronstadt makes her home in San Francisco. She was recently the subject of Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, a feature-length documentary.
Crow said that she doesn't know if Ronstadt is aware of the Oasis show. An attempt was made to find Ronstadt's publicist, but she didn't know if they had succeeded.
"But because it's a fundraiser hopefully she won't give us a cease and desist," Crow said with a laugh.
The Oasis show is comprised primarily of female vocalists, including Marilyn Fowler, Jill Rogers, Catherine Foreman and Jessica Rose. They'll be backed up by what Crow calls "an all-star, killer band."
Peter Fogel will be heard on guitar, with Joshua Raoul Brody on keyboards, Jen Gandy on a second guitar, and Tim Perdue on bass. Crow said that pre-sales for the show have been good.
"People are very excited when I tell them about the show," Crow said. "A lot of people have forgotten about how much they love Linda throughout the ages. She's been a top-selling vocalist in every decade. I've heard her most of my life, and I think the documentary really gave people a renewed interest into her music."
Crow has a message for those who might be on the fence about coming to the show.
"Coming to this show would expose them to a lot of great music of a lot of different kinds," she said. "If they have any interest in learning about the past century of music they should come. Linda has been an inspiration to all kinds of vocalists, so I think her impact is pretty important."
Tracks of My Tears: A Linda Ronstadt Tribute, Sunday November 24, 7pm at Oasis, 298 11 St. $20. www.sfoasis.com No Mas Muertes: www.nomoredeaths.org