Rock and roll has been a type of music dominated by men since its inception during the 50s. As a genre, it has been difficult for female bands to gain a foothold in the mainstream.

Whether this is due to society stubbornly holding on to old archetypal roles of women or industry leaders only willing to accept a certain amount of risk is up for debate.

The fact is, however, that when you turn on a rock station, most of the time a man’s voice will find your ears.

At The Cat’s Cradle on Wednesday Nov. 19, the audience awaited Jennifer O’Connor to step on stage, to be followed by Amy Ray, the headliner. Looking around the crowd, it became obvious that there were slightly more women at the show than men.

It could be inferred that this ratio only shows that sexism is still alive in our society today, but as anyone who was at the show will tell you, the guys were just missing out on an excellent show.

Jennifer O’Connor came on stage and began her set as the audience was still filing in. As she moved through her songs, the pairing of her voice to the longing guitar rifts drew my attention immediately. With a pure, yet raspy blues voice reminiscent of Nora Jones and Sarah Bareilles, she captured the audience.

Her placid on-stage demeanor seemed to be in stark contrast the passion in her music. However, O’Connor shook the jitters as each song progressed and began to really feel the music during the second half of her set.

As O’Connor stepped off the stage, the audience took a break to grab a beverage of choice or simply mingle in front of the stage. As Amy Ray and Kaia Wilson (guitar) each stepped out on stage to tune instruments and ready the stage, all heads turned in anticipation.

The floor lights dimmed at 10:08 p.m. as the last words of The Clash’s “I’m So Bored with the USA” faded out over the speakers, and the audience cheered, sensing that the moment they awaited had finally arrived.

The band stepped out and began with “Birds of a Feather.” The song is a perfect match for her register and the longing for unity and love within her voice fit the lyrics well.

Ray, Wilson and Melissa York (drums) were the focal points of the show, all showing an individual reaction to the music. Ray is focused and determined while playing, which makes her lyrics all the more powerful. Wilson seems to be almost possessed by the guitar, acting more as a medium channeling the spirit of the music than simply a musician. York is intense, playing a powerful drum line and banging her head in rhythm with the bass drum.

Ray’s lyrics show her commitment to activism and creating a feeling of understanding across all walks of life. As Ray said, “What ties the record together for me is this human yearning to be understood and the yearning to become empathetic with other people-how to love each other and be kind even when we’re brutally angry.”

The band took a break after playing “SLC Radio,” a song which calls out for people to make a stand against the mainstream, to shake “the bible belt blues.” The break came at a good time, as “SLC Radio” is a high energy song  with a powerful sound that makes you want to get up and dance. The crowd began to call out for a story from the band’s time on the road, and Ray complied.

She began by describing the packing up process of the band after shows as haphazard and chaotic. Ray began to pull the Econoline 350 around, not knowing that everything was still behind the van. Unfortunately, what made her stop was not a fellow member shouting for her to wait, but the unexpected bump of a Fender Mustang being rolled over by a tire. Everyone in the crowd got a good laugh, especially since the Mustang survived the experience.

Ray even broke out a mandolin for a fast paced solo bit before bringing O’Connor and the rest of the band out for their last song.

From start to finish, Ray’s performance had my foot tapping and my butt on the edge of my seat. The energy that she and her band put into the music is intoxicating, which made it hard to scribble down notes, as I just wanted to drop my pen and join the crowd.

If you’re still skeptical, just look around the Internet for videos of her performances. Her new CD Didn’t It Feel Kinder is available on Itunes, along with some of her older music. I highly suggest that you not miss out next time she comes around.