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Rush hours to after hours

By Mark Brown, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published December 20, 2007 at 12:05 a.m.

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Susan Phelan

Photo by Matt Mcclain / The Rocky

Susan Phelan

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Listen to Susan Phelan deliver traffic reports on the radio every morning for KHOW, The Fox and other Clear Channel stations, and she sounds like just another soccer mom scrambling to get the kids to school.

Phelan in real life, however, is a revelation: a stunning 6-foot-1-inch redhead with lush head-to-toe tattoos who plays stand-up bass in several musical configurations, most notably the sublime Angie Stevens Band.

"They say I sound like a librarian or something like that. Maybe that's KHOW. I rock it up a little bit for KBPI. But yeah, people usually are surprised when they find out that that's me," says Phelan, 39.

Her training before that? A couple of years as a professional wrestler with Powerful Women of Wrestling, which probably contributes to her athleticism in surfing atop her bass as she plays it. See it all, complete with wrestling clips, on her MySpace page.

Rocky pop music writer Mark Brown spoke with Phelan recently about a few of her favorite things. The tattoos

"I was about 23 when I got my first one. In the past five or six years I've gone pretty strong. My first tattoo is one that I have since covered. It was on my back, a lion with a scorpion tail. It was just faded and I went with this whole Asian theme so I decided to cover it up. I had a bunch of little tattoos at first then I decided I wanted to go big. My artist, Grendel at Peter Tat-2, inspired me with her art so I wanted to cover my body with her art. I wanted a geisha and said, 'Just make it big.' That's where it started."

The bass

Her father, Jack Phelan, "owned a musical instrument store (in Carmel, Ind.) when I was growing up. He was a jazz bassist. I started playing at age 7. We made my own bass, we put KISS stickers on it. He passed on in 2004 and I inherited his upright bass. That's when I started playing upright."

Pro wrestling to radio

"I did (wrestling) in the early '90s, pretty much straight out of college. I was 20, living on Miami Beach - we toured the Midwest and South - taping a late-night TV show. I wrestled as Liberty. Despite the fact that most of the matches were choreographed, there were times when grudges were worked out in the ring. Hits were harder, some dirty tricks were played, but most of the time, we all got along. I've worked at Starbucks, I've taught music. I got into traffic reporting about six years ago. A friend of mine was working there and called to tell me there was an opening. I submitted a demo tape and I was in the right place at the right time."

Juggling late-night gigs with early-morning radio

"Thankfully I have time off during the day when I can sleep . . . I have a gig tonight, I have to play, won't get home till 11:30 or 12 and I have to be at work at 6. I'm getting used to it. I love playing music and I love doing traffic, so I'm excited to do either."

A music career that takes off

"It's something I'm so passionate about, I'm not going to give up. You can push me in my wheelchair when I'm 80 years old, you can prop me up with my bass. I wanna travel the world and play for the masses. Angie (Stevens) is talented enough that the world should know about her. Definitely the plan is to someday quit traffic and do music full time."

What helps

"Just getting people in the door. Once they're there it's easy to capture them. With Angie's music and our energy together, once we get the people in the door they love it . . . She was just on the HBO show, Big Love. Slowly but surely, the next gig is better than the last gig."

Has Angie ever fallen off the bass when they ride it during the show?

"No. Angie did that one show where she hopped up on my bass in three-inch heels. No mishaps yet."

Ever faced sexist attitude as a female musician?

"Not after I get onstage. They can think what they want till I get onstage. I know I can bring it as hard as any man up onstage. It's kinda funny - people are usually pretty surprised when I get done playing. I'm a pretty decent player. There are still not a lot of women out there."

Susan Phelan

* When and where: 8 p.m. Friday, D Note, 7519 Grandview Ave, Arvada, with the Angie Stevens Band, $7; and 7 p.m. Sunday, Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret, 16th Street Mall at Arapahoe Street, with Velvet Elvis, $20 online or $25 at the door.

* Information: myspace.com/chixbassist

Comments

  • December 20, 2007

    5:11 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    marywolf writes:

    Just saw the magnificent photo and read the great article about the FABULOUS Susan Phelan. I have traveled to and through the Denver area several times and ALWAYS enjoy hearing the soft, sultry voice of Susan giving her traffic reports. (She has a cute, little lisp sometimes that reminds me of Barbara Walters and Jane Pauley.) Susan is right up there with them in my book. My daughters have heard Susan play a couple times when we were in town and say they have NEVER seen a more unusual and outstanding woman performer. They think she should be world famous or at least be on the Dave Letterman or Jay Leno Show. Thanks for recognizing this outstanding woman with so many outstanding talents. WAY TO GO!!!!!