Orianthi has given new light to the rocker girl genre, particularly because she really knows what she’s doing. As a novice guitar player, I can’t help but watch in awe (and sometimes drool) over the youtube videos my boy showed me; videos that actually convinced Michael Jackson to want to meet her and eventually hire her for what would have been his This Is It tour. She has also played with Carrie Underwood, and jammed with Santana on stage when she was just 18.
I find is incredibly refreshing to watch Orianthi play with such grace and natural ability, things that have been notably reserved for male rockers like Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, and Jimmy Page to name a few. My boy could list them on and on. Not only is she an excellent role model for girls who want to be more than just a spectacle on stage, she shows us that such artistic dedication can actually pay off in a big way.
What I find disturbing though, is the way that they seem to be marketing this girl. She’s fantastic live, just like all the great guitarists that went before her. How were they marketed? Their music catered to their talent. Trying to shove Orianthi into a pop-rock genre seems like a complete waste. While they scatter her amazing solos here and there in the single “According to You” I wish for something more, like that she’d been around in the 60′s and 70′s instead, so she wouldn’t have to compete to a pop market and look “hot” in her videos. The plus side? Kiddies will see that it’s her playing in the videos, and she’ll attract an audience who will pay to see her live. Maybe some little girl will drag her parents to the nearest Guitar Center instead of buying skanky Miley Cyrus inspired clothes at the local Wal-Mart.
