Melora Creager’s quirky charm school etiquette reaches deeper than one might think
At the height of their popularity, Rasputina consisted of three ladies in corsets with cellos, and the token male on drums. That’s not a recipe for mass success, though in today’s YouTube dominated environment, they might stand a better chance.
But their influence was far reaching. The so captivated Marilyn Manson he became their producer. And Melora Creager actually toured with Nirvana, not as opening act, but on stage.
Rasputina is Creager’s vision and though the personnel and gender have changed, the music has become more focused on her vision. I was fortunate enough to spend a couple days on the road following them and saw the dedication of their fans first hand.
Creager empowers women, and it was insightful to see young girls who were barely born when Rasputina released their first album, waiting around in hopes of getting an autograph.
The shows were a dream. But the most insightful part of the experience came at Blueberry Hill in St. Louis, where they were to do a show. I was loitering near the back of the audience during the opening act, and was surprised when I realized the tiny woman standing next to me was Melora in her street clothes. We talked for a minute, and during that time, no one around us realized it was her. Despite the fact they’d all paid to come there to see her.
Maybe that’s why she sparkles onstage. She is her art.
