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Storm Large

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Storm Large
Background information
Birth nameSusan Storm Large
Born (1969-06-25) June 25, 1969 (age 55)
Southborough, Massachusetts, United States
OriginSan Francisco, California, United States
GenresRock, Metal, Jazz
InstrumentSinging
Years active1989–present
Websitestormlarge.com

Storm Large (born Susan Storm Large, June 25, 1969) is a singer, songwriter, actor, and author. She attracted national attention as a contestant on the CBS reality television show Rock Star: Supernova. For many years solely a rock artist, in recent years she has branched out into the theater and cabaret world. A resident of Portland, Oregon, she currently balances performing with her own band in venues around the country and touring with the Portland-based band Pink Martini around the world.

Personal life

Storm Large was born and raised in suburban Southborough, Massachusetts. Since around age five, she started singing and writing songs. She graduated in 1987 from St. Mark's School, a prestigious private school whose alumni include Ben Bradlee, Prince Hashim of Jordan, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt III. Her father Henry Large was a history teacher there, as well as the football team coach before he retired.[2]

After high school, she attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.,[1] where she earned an associate degree in 1989.

In the early 1990s Large moved to California and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Large moved to Portland, Oregon in 2002, originally planning to quit music and attend the Western Culinary Institute, but at the urging of friends and in particular Frank Faillace, owner of the Portland rock club Dante's, she began singing again with a band she called "The Balls".[3]

Large is bisexual, though she dislikes the term and instead calls herself "sexually omnivorous."[4]

Career

While in San Francisco Storm formed the bands Flower SF, Storm and Her Dirty Mouth, and Storm, Inc. Storm also performed with Michael Cavaseno as the duo Storm and Michael or Storm and Friends.

Storm, Inc. featured Shaunna Hall of 4 Non Blondes and P-Funk fame as a rhythm guitarist. Shaunna was featured on The Calm Years LP and toured with the band for a few months after the album's release.

On January 12, 2012, Storm published a memoir titled Crazy Enough.[5] It is an expansion on her cabaret show produced by Portland Center Stage. The book, published by Free Press, is an account of her growing up with a mother with psychological issues, her stint as a competitive rower, and her eventual successes.

The Balls

The Balls, also known as Storm and the Balls, were formed in May/June 2002[6] after Large moved to Portland from San Francisco. Storm and the Balls consisted of Davey Loprinzi (aka "Hotrod" Davey Nipples, formerly of Sweaty Nipples) on bass guitar, James Beaton on keyboards, and Brian Parnel on drums. The Balls drew what local media called a "cult-like" following in clubs, primarily during Wednesday night shows at Dante's. They perform "lounge-core, mash-up" renditions of artists such as ABBA, Black Sabbath, Cheap Trick, Billy Idol, Led Zeppelin, Motörhead and Olivia Newton-John as well as their own compositions. Large worked part-time as a bartender at Dante's when not touring with The Balls. The Balls opened for Everclear, Nina Hagen, Hank 3, Pleasure Club, and Nancy Sinatra, to name a few.[3]

The Balls' Davey Nipples and James Beaton were also touring musicians with Everclear. Drummer Brian Parnell was formerly in the band Motherload.

Storm has also sung with John Doe, Rufus Wainwright, China Forbes, Darcelle, George Clinton, Katey Sagal, Michael McKean, Eric McFadden and Animotion.

Drumattica

During live shows, Storm has filled in for Jen Folker on vocals alongside Rob Wynia (of Floater) with Drumattica out of Portland.[7]

San Francisco

Before moving to Portland, she performed in the San Francisco Bay Area with her former bands Storm Inc., Storm and Her Dirty Mouth, and FlowerSF.[1] During that time, she tended bar at Rat and Raven in Noe Valley.

Theatre

Large played Sally Bowles in a Portland Center Stage (PCS) production of the musical Cabaret.[1] PCS is also the site of the premiere of her autobiographical musical Crazy Enough.[8]

She has finished filming Rid of Me (by James Westby), starring Katie O'Grady, John Keyser, Theresa Russell, and Art Alexakis.

In 2008 Storm Large premiered her autobiographical, one woman show, Crazy Enough at Portland Center Stage. She got rave reviews.[9] The show appeared at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2010[10] and Off-Broadway in the spring of 2011.

She appeared in Randy Newman's Harps and Angels at the Mark Taper Forum from November 10 - December 22, 2010.

She has a cameo appearance as a German milkmaid in the feature film, Bucksville (dir. Chel White), starring Thomas Stroppel.

Television

Rock Star

Large is most widely known for her appearances as a contestant on Rock Star: Supernova. She was eliminated on September 6, 2006 (in the last show before the season finale). After elimination, host Dave Navarro recorded a guitar track for her single "Ladylike" and she was slated to open for the band Rock Star Supernova on tour in January 2007, though she and fellow contestant Magni Ásgeirsson were dropped from the billing for financial reasons.[11] On October 14, 2006, "Ladylike" debuted at #5 on Billboard's "Hot Singles Sales" chart.

Other appearances

In addition to being a contestant on Rock Star: Supernova, Large appeared as a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on September 11, 2006.[12] She discussed her childhood (and her unique name) with Ellen and performed Queen's "We Are the Champions" with Paul Mirkovich from the Rock Star: Supernova house band accompanying her on piano.

On September 26, 2006, Large sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" on the second season finale of ESPN reality television show The Contender. She performed the national anthem again on November 4, 2006 at the Portland Trail Blazers' opening home game of their 2006-2007 NBA season. The broadcast appeared on Fox Sports Northwest, the Seattle and Portland affiliate of Fox Sports Net.

Storm appeared in a street interview in an episode of Real Sex on HBO.

After Pink Martini vocalist China Forbes underwent vocal cord surgery,[13] Large toured with the band from July 4 through December 16, 2011 as a temporary replacement, then joined the band on 2013 album Get Happy and as co-lead singer on the follow-up world tour.

Discography

Studio albums

Album Name Release Storm's Alias
Big Daddy Large 1995 FlowerSF
Storm and Her Dirty Mouth 1998 Storm and Her Dirty Mouth
The Calm Years 2000 Storm Inc.
Hanging With The Balls 2003 The Balls
Vasectomy 2005 The Balls
Ladylike Side One June 5, 2007 Storm Large
Crazy Enough 2009 Storm Large
Le Bonheur 2014 Storm Large

Singles

Single Name Note Release Date
Ladylike Storm and The Balls 2006
Ladylike Featuring Dave Navarro 2006

Other album appearances

  • "Little Drummer Boy" (as FlowerSF) on Christmas Time in San Francisco by Various Artists 1995
  • "Ego" (as FlowerSF) on She's a Rebel by Various Artists 1997
  • "About You," "Let Go" on Infinite Syndrome by Bugs 1997
  • "I'm not alright", "Lust", "Superman", "Ima Yora", "Geraldine", "Crazy Love" on Storm & her dirty mouth by Storm & her dirty mouth 1998
  • "You Don't Bring Me Flowers Anymore (Ruff Mix)" on You Are Here by Insecto 1999
  • "Rape Me" (as Storm Inc.) on Nearvana: San Francisco by Various Artists 2002
  • "Down," "Lovetractors 4 Sale" on Planet of the Fish by Alien Lovestock 2004
  • "Valentine's Day," "Closer Closer," "Ruin Everything" on Sessions at East by Auditory Sculpture 2006
  • "Asylum Road" on Dearly Departed by Various Artists 2008
  • "Voices" on Shakers' Sessions by Various Artist 2011

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Storm Large: The bare facts". The Oregonian. April 2, 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  2. ^ "Storm Large Biography - Read the Official Rockstar Bio and View Photos". Stormlargefans.com. 1969-07-25. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
  3. ^ a b "Storm Large and (finally) The Balls, back at Dante's « Oregon Music News". Oregonmusicnews.com. 2010-04-17. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
  4. ^ Portland Center Stage. "Crazy Enough (6/12/2009)". Retrieved 2012-03-18.
  5. ^ http://stormlarge.com/crazy-enough-a-memoir-by-storm-large-intro-excerpt/
  6. ^ "Storm Large & the Balls: Information from". Answers.com. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
  7. ^ "Drumattica w/ Storm Large "Remedy"". YouTube. 2006-06-24. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
  8. ^ Marty Hughley (April 3, 2009). "Storm Large bares it all in her autobiographical musical, 'Crazy Enough'". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2005-04-05.
  9. ^ "Theater review: Storm Large's story is poignant, painful". April 6, 2009. Retrieved 2013-10-25.
  10. ^ Suzanne Black (August 9, 2010). "Storm Large Crazy Enough". Retrieved 2013-10-25.
  11. ^ "More Problems for Rockstar Supernova". TMZ.com. October 11, 2006.
  12. ^ "Storm Large on Ellen". YouTube. 2006-09-11. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
  13. ^ "China Forbes to Take Year-Long Leave of Absence from Pink Martini". Wweek.com. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
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