By Ellen Angelico
What if there was a band that was made up of highly attractive people that were super hard-working and put on an ultra-entertaining show?
Hailing from our fair city and calling themselves "Nashville’s Foxiest Band," The Worsties are poised to rock your face off at the Nashville Pride Festival. Singer Anna Worstell, nominated in 2008 for Best Front Person in the Nashville Nightlife Awards, has a magnetic stage presence from which you can’t quite tear yourself away.
Their show was exciting enough to attract the attention of the likes of Bon Jovi, who they recently opened for at Soldier Field in Chicago.
"Being able to accomplish a dream to play in a stadium, and Soldier Field of all places, only made us want to hop on a bus and keep going," Worstell says. "We learned so much and we handled everything as professionally as possible. It was noticed across the board from the sound crew to the management team and that was cool for us to hear. It was an amazing opportunity, hopefully the first of many. Not to mention that we ruled the stage, too!"
It’s that hustle which sets The Worsties apart. They just returned from a highly successful trip to the South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin.
"It was our third year in a row in Austin, and this year was all about the fans," Worstell says. "We felt like we made an impact and connection. People were appreciative of the high impact electric show that we provide and there was a level of energy from the crowds this year that we had never felt before. That energy makes us perform harder so you feel as though you’re always trading this positive energy back and forth with the audience. It also felt good to run into some fans that drove all the way from Mexico just to catch our show. It puts so much into perspective and that fan energy and affirmation keeps us going."
With all this national attention, one might think that The Worsties would have chosen to take off to New York or L.A., but The Worsties keep it local and are really involved in Nashville. To an outsider, Nashville may not seem like the town to have a kickin’ indie rock band, but the Worsties are at the center of a dynamic and exciting undercurrent of independent music coming out of Music City.
"We finally had an opportunity to play at Lipstick Lounge for our CD release party and it was a blast," Worstell says. "Our show was well-received and the crowd energy was highly addictive. What a cool place to hang out, too."
Speaking of Lipstick, while The Worsties might not be a queer-identified group, they are certainly queer-friendly.
"The Worsties have always been supporters of equality on all levels,” Worstell says. "Nashville Pride is going to be a perfect way for us to express that.”
With a new EP out and a bunch of tour dates ahead, what’s next for The Worsties? “Fame," Worstell says with a laugh. "Just kidding…kind of."
For more on The Worsties, check out the "Videos" section of www.theworsties.com.