The women that make up the Las Vegas music scene are no monolith. They’re the electrifying frontwomen commanding the stage. They’re the beatmakers and crate-digging DJs that control the sonic experience. They’re resident performers and residency execs. They’re the promoters and bookers behind the best shows. They’re the fresh faces driving new trends in the nightclubs.

Some are regarded in the community as musical veterans; others represent the next generation. Regardless, each woman highlighted here contributes something special to the scene—and they’re certainly not the only ones. Our Valley is chock full of talented femmes bringing their talents to the table. These are just 13 of Las Vegas’ women in music, and their skill sets run the gamut.

Cindy Espinosa

Bassist/synth player for Viaje Nahual

For all the flavor and spice Latin psychedelic rock act Viaje Nahual offers, Cindy Espinosa still stands out as the secret ingredient. The 34-year-old is a triple threat in the rising local band, leading on bass, synths and vocals whenever the mood strikes.

“Music, for me, it has that spark. It makes me feel alive,” Cindy says. “And I’m sure it’s the same feeling for everyone. You just have to pick up the instrument and start jamming.”

It’s not a coincidence that both Cindy and her sister Randy, drummer of the doom metal band Häxa, gravitate to these more rhythmic roles. They’re daughters of dancers, after all.

“Dance is one of the highlights in our music history for Randy and me,” she says. “We would listen to other kinds of music like blues and stuff that’s more chill, but dance music was mainly the thing that kept us cool.”

The Espinosa sisters forged a dance-surf band called The Koroks years before, but their differing tastes led them to join their own respective bands. And they couldn’t be any more different. Cindy still thinks about her first real influence, the radiant neo-psych of French indie project Melody’s Echo Chamber and how that style, along with the versatile palettes of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Café Tacvba and Bomba Estéreo have shaped her artistry.

Seeing women in local bands used to be a rarity, but Cindy has noticed “women are definitely shining a bit brighter now,” and she’s proud to be able to point to frontwomen like Dama Vicke and Gabbi Fisher of Elevated Undergrounds in the scene. Of course, her sister Randy will still be her No. 1.

“I just like to support her,” she says. “I like to show up and be there for her and her band. We share the same love for music.” –AS

Randy Espinosa

Drummer for HÄxA

It’s hard to believe that drummer Randy Espinosa is shy—she’s the only girl in the five-piece doom metal band Häxa; she rides motorcycles, wears fringe jackets adorned with band pins and dons black cowboy hats. These aspects alone challenge “feminine” stereotypes, but for this shy rocker, they’re the product of being inspired by the confident women around her, especially her sister Cindy.

“A lot of females give it their all and I think it’s awesome that they’re out there, and I need to learn from them,” says Randy. “I get nervous and overthink—I even look at Cindy and I know she’s nervous too, but she’s out there just being authentically herself.”

Raised on a diverse musical diet spanning from ‘60s rock classics to Latin essentials, Randy’s upbringing in a musically inclined family laid the foundation for her eclectic tastes. Naturally, the Espinosa sisters began to discover musical genres of their own.

Randy had an early affinity for classical music, and now plays in a doom metal band. How did she go from one end of the spectrum to the other? “Metal is basically like Beethoven but with electric guitars,” she says.

Her early metal influences include Deep Purple’s Machine Head and Mercyful Fate’s Don’t Break The Oath. Poetic lyricism is another factor that draws Randy into the realm of this genre. Its darker themes and elements have a profound effect on her.

In the early days, the two sisters would jam together and lean into their gift of rhythm. “When we would make music together, I feel like it was very easy, and I don’t have the same relationship with musicians,” Randy says. And although they play in different sectors, the two still find ways to support and learn from each other. “We have different ideas and [play] different genres but she doesn’t understand how good she is,” she says. –GR

Zoe Thrall

Director of Studio Operations at The Hideout

To Zoe Thrall, the current state of the music industry is one with abundant opportunities for women to become involved beyond direct musicianship. With over 40 years of experience in the industry, her perspective comes from the frontlines of music production. As the director of studio operations at prominent local commercial recording studio The Hideout, Thrall’s role involves overseeing the entire business, from day-to-day operations to direct client interaction, negotiating deals, staff management and more.

“I think any woman who wants to enter the audio industry has great opportunities available to them,” says Thrall. “Whether it be purely on the technology side, working for an audio manufacturer, or equipment manufacturer, or on the creative side, being a musician or a record producer, there’s great opportunities.”

Thrall is considered a trailblazer in her industry. Her career is packed with decades of experience, spanning from engineering, to studio management at NYC’s Power Station Studios, to touring with Steven Van Zandt’s band, the Disciples of Soul.

Her love for music stems from childhood, where she tried out various instruments, and her interest in audio engineering was sparked during her college years. Even today, her interest and admiration for all aspects of sound influence her.

“Being in an environment with a lot of creative people, whether it’s strictly from the artists perspective, or from a producer’s perspective and engineers perspective, that’s what influences me on a day to day basis,” says Thrall. “I love the creative process. Even the way that we make records; I love the technology.”

When asked about promoting diversity and representation in the music industry, Zoe highlights the importance of organizations like Women in Music, She Is the Music and Women’s Audio Mission, which create spaces for female musical creators to thrive. She also spotlights local artists like Ellie Smith, whose latest single “Everybody Loves Me” is making waves, and Harmony Shay, with her captivating song “Wreckage.”

“I like the diversity—from country to classical to jazz, pop, hip-hop, R&B. Vegas is just an amazing place to make music,” says Thrall. –GR

Natalie Burge

Booking Manager for Red Dwarf and Fat Cat

Natalie Burge has had a lifetime of great gigs. The booking manager of Red Dwarf and Fat Cat, two distinctively different bars rooted in their respective realms of punk rock and jazz and blues, entered the spotlight as a singer on the first season of American Idol. She eventually went on to study artist management in the blues mecca of Chicago, where she met legendary guitarist Earl Slick and became his artist manager, touring with him regularly.

“I fully own and accept with great honor and joy that I am a blues broad,” Burge says. “My whole life has been in rock ’n’ roll and blues.”

Moving in those circles as a woman hasn’t always been friction-free, “but one thing I have found consistently powerful, and always makes it to the end, is accountability, ownership of yourself,” Burge says. “You can absolutely be graceful and take no f*cks.”

Burge had every intention of leaving the music business behind when she moved to Las Vegas, but after meeting Red Dwarf owner Russell Gardner during the pandemic, she discovered her calling wasn’t quite over just yet.

“I believe that my life has taken me from participating in the creation of music to nurturing the people who create music. It’s extraordinarily powerful to see human beings come together that may have never come together otherwise,” she says.

Live music is the lifeblood of both bars, and Burge intentionally fosters a scene where touring bands, such as the badass women of South Africa’s The SoapGirls and Sacramento’s Dog Party, can thrive and local artists can play the originals they adore.

“It blows my mind how many unreal musicians are here that don’t get paid to play what’s in their heart. They’re never asked,” she says. “My whole idea is do your gig that you pay your mortgage with. Then come to our space where you feed your soul.” –AS

DJ Maybelline

Doo-wop Vinyl DJ

DJ Maybelline’s gravitation to music is an innate, magnetic force that’s drawn her and generations of her family to its embrace for years. Her mother constantly played records in her childhood home in Long Beach; her father sang in bandas, a genre of Mexican music that’s native to their roots in Sinaloa; and her various relatives play instruments and contribute to their own bands.

“We actually moved to Vegas because my dad got a job at a radio station,” she recalls. “He was a DJ at one of the Mexican stations here in town.”

She admits that her interest in becoming a disc jockey strengthened when she started going to her brother’s gigs. Her younger brother Will Lizarraga fronts his own high frequency rockabilly band, Will & The Hi-Rollers. She jokes, “I noticed that in between the bands they’d have a house DJ, and I thought ‘Eh, this kind of sucks. I wish they’d play cooler stuff.’”

Taking matters into her own hands, she began collecting records with the intention of playing them at shows—while simultaneously getting deeper into swing dancing. She began spinning alongside DJ El Gallo Negro at Henderson’s Gold Mine Tavern in 2006, and has since seen those Water Street nights snowball into a DJ career that has landed her opportunities to go on tour and spin in other countries.

Rockabilly’s global relevance is holding steady, but DJ Maybelline says the local rockabilly scene is niche and dwindling away. In the past, one of her favorite nights at the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend showcased special performances by musicians from the 1950s and 1960s.

“If you’re trying to get into Viva now you won’t see any of that—there’s Brian Setzer and a handful of others but before, Chuck Berry was there, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis,” she says. “Those are legendary acts, but it’s just not possible anymore.”

Yet DJ Maybelline remains undeterred. As she navigates a changing musical landscape, her dedication to her craft and to the tight-knit group of rockabilly enthusiasts around her keep the records spinning. –GR

Amanda Moore-Saunders

Senior Vice President of Residencies at Live Nation

When Live Nation opened its Las Vegas office in 2015, it did so with a team of two. That challenge proved to be no match for Amanda Moore-Saunders. As senior vice president of Las Vegas residencies at Live Nation, Moore-Saunders has launched some of the biggest Strip residencies, including for Garth Brooks, Usher and the Backstreet Boys.

“I have a baby now, but I always used to say my babies were my residencies,” she says. “I do approach it from an almost maternal way, in terms of not just how much I care about it, but also the sense of responsibility I have to the artists.”

Moore-Saunders, who got her start at a record label in radio promotions and A&R more than 20 years ago, has essentially watched these artists grow up. She vividly remembers the Backstreet Boys’ nine-show residency becoming an 80-plus run. It’s also still surreal to think she promoted Usher’s hit single “Yeah!” well before he ever had a residency—let alone two.

“I’ve never met a person who works harder than Usher. So to see all of that hard work, and that brilliant creativity and talent, to see all of that be received the way that it was, to see all of the opportunities that evolved from him taking advantage of this opportunity, it was so powerful,” Moore-Saunders says. “I definitely cried through all of the Super Bowl performance. I was so proud of him and so proud to be a part of it.”

Like many women in music, Moore-Saunders still faces discrimination. And in a networking profession like hers, it’s difficult not to feel left out at times. “You think about the dinner or drink hangs that you don’t get invited to, and all of those are relationship builders, the golf games,” she says. “There are different barriers of entry, and you have to find ways to still stand out and that’s through your quality of work.”

Last year alone, Live Nation promoted more than 600 residency concerts. It’s impossible not to stand out with numbers like that. “I’m fortunate that I have this arsenal of expertise, but it’s a hybrid of many different facets of the music industry,” she says. “I sort of found that unicorn role for me.” –AS

Turchese Pantani

Director of Marketing and Entertainment at Drai’s Management Group

Drai’s Live moved the needle with its full-length concert performances, spotlighting the top talent in hip-hop and R&B and inspiring other clubs to follow suit. As director of marketing and entertainment for Drai’s Management Group, Turchese Pantani has been integral to getting that concert series off the ground and keeping it at the top of everyone’s itinerary.

“We had Megan Thee Stallion perform before she was who she is right now because we recognized the talent and how big she was going to be,” says Pantani. “We’ve definitely had talks about how we want to bring more female artists here because they’re blooming. Obviously, we look at artists who are at the forefront of what they’re doing, and women are. And it’s great to see.”

The Italian-born Pantani originally aspired to be a nurse, but marketing felt more naturally aligned with her love for entertainment. Those who know the story of film producer and nightlife vet Victor Drai know she couldn’t have picked a better place to pursue that. At Drai’s, Pantani’s job has its pinch-me moments, from watching Chance the Rapper surprise 50 Cent and Jeezy onstage to hosting celebrities like Travis Scott, Ciara and Cardi B.

“We put a lot of emphasis on these live shows and making sure you see this full production element behind it,” she says. “From the moment you walk into Drai’s, we have dancers. We have some artists who bring their full band. We created a custom full-build stage for Chris Brown just because he envisioned his show at Drai’s in a certain way.”

Being a woman in nightlife still has its frustrations (“I was playing tennis and trying to explain what I did, and the person just kept asking, ‘So yeah, you’re a bottle girl, right?’”) but Pantani says it’s getting better every day.

“[Drai’s] really has made it a priority to have strong female leads in managing positions. Obviously, it’s a boys’ club in nightlife in general, but I think that’s changing because we have such strong females that want to take charge.” –AS

Michelle Johnson

Singer, founder of diva Las Vegas Productions

Michelle Johnson, known as Vegas’ “First Lady of Jazz,” boasts a rich musical career spanning genres. Raised across various countries due to her father’s diplomatic career, Johnson’s multicultural upbringing influenced her multilingual vocal prowess.

“My father worked as the Liberian ambassador to Egypt. I lived in different countries, including Hong Kong and Egypt,” she says. Arriving in Las Vegas in 1995, Johnson embraced the city’s vibrant music scene. “When I moved here, one of the things that struck me was the camaraderie and the family-like energy—that has not changed.”

Despite the changes brought on by social media, Johnson cherishes face-to-face interactions and fostering authentic connections among fellow musicians. Specializing in jazz standards, Johnson’s passion for the genre stems from a love for the 1930s and 1940s era, influenced by legends like Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald. She stresses the importance of authenticity over trends, urging artists to find their unique voice and message.

Beyond performing, Johnson’s Diva Las Vegas Productions provides a platform for Black female producers and champions diversity in entertainment. “I wanted to get a piece of that corporate event pie,” says Johnson. With a focus on tailored entertainment, the company crafts shows based on client preferences.

A regular at Myron’s at the Smith Center, Johnson enchants audiences with her well-designed performances, blending captivating vocals with true connection.

“What I want to be known for is my cabaret work and my artistry of being able to make people feel comfortable in an intimate setting. I’m the storyteller, and that’s my theater background coming through,” she says. –GR

Shana Salazar

Promoter for Black Sheep Booking, bassist for msmrs

Since she started Black Sheep Booking in 2022, Shana Salazar has been on an intentional mission: Keep the music scene alive. She’s organized more than 120 shows, collaborated with female-led showcases like Desert Honeypot, debuted a local music fest called SunCan and has plans to launch another with Pigeon Hat Collective this April. And this isn’t even her day job.

“I work full time, then I do law school in the evening, and then I do Black Sheep by myself on top of that,” says Salazar. “I’ve got time management down now to a T.” Did we mention she also plays bass in the alt-rock, post-hardcore band Msmrs?

Early into managing a local band, Salazar noticed there were more shows happening in the scene than there were promoters. Eager to fix that, and to create more opportunities for up-and-comers, she created Black Sheep Booking.

Her love for Pixies and Interpol may have swayed early Black Sheep bills to feature more alt-rock acts, but Salazar’s shows have become an eclectic experiment in discovery. On any given night, you might hear the wayward dance punk of Spring Breeding, the jangly pop of The Patterns, or Hunter’s Briefcase’s wavy psych rock. It’s a tasteful representation of the scene, no matter the bill.

“One of my favorite things is seeing bands progress. I’ve seen bands go from playing a show to 10 people, to now packing an entire room,” Salazar says. “The Dollheads, they’ve been on a bunch of Black Sheep shows, and seeing their growth, it’s just absolutely amazing.”

The promoter leverages her platform for the community. At the SunCan festival, she collected six cars’ worth of canned goods for The Solidarity Fridge. She’s also an out-and-proud advocate for harm reduction, with organizations like End Overdose present at her events.

Mentors like Danielle O’Hara of Nevermore Productions have helped shape Salazar as a promoter. “I definitely think there is some sort of sisterhood, especially because there’s not really that many female-presenting venue owners,” she says. “It’s nice to have other women around in the scene.” –AS

Dan Pereira

Promoter/musician

If there was a poster child for the modern riot grrrl, it would depict Dan Pereira. She’s typically sporting her long jet black hair, razor-sharp graphic eyeliner, a ripped-up band tee and one or two metal chains. But her dedication to heavy music goes beyond her looks—it’s become her entire life.

At 8 years old, her metal-adjacent mom Pam Pereira enrolled her in Girls Rock Vegas where she picked up playing the guitar, drums and bass. At 13 she began going to local punk shows, eventually beginning to write her own music. Currently, she plays in three bands.

Swamp Brain is Pereira’s baby, a sludge violence group that started as a solo project; She wrote all the parts for its demo, sang and played the drums and bass. It’s since grown into a two-piece. Additionally, she plays bass in the hardcore punk band Klorine and guitar in Sakura, a Spanish D-beat band. Influenced by acts like Bikini Kill, Hole and Alice Bag, Pereria’s sound pays homage to their raw femme fury.

“I gravitated towards pretty much any angry woman screaming at the top of her lungs and playing a guitar,” says Pereira. “When I was younger, I would dream of doing the same thing.”

Today, she’s the operations lead at the Punk Rock Museum, where she not only ensures smooth daily ops and visitor satisfaction, but regularly throws DJ nights, organizes events and books local bands. In her free time she’s a promoter for local booking group 1-800-Deadass Productions, alongside her mom and her mom’s boyfriend Daniel Isch, where she works towards highlighting people of color in the music scene while curating a femme-protected space. These efforts are inspired by personal adolescent experiences, where womanhood was a second thought in the heavily masculine punk world. It’s safe to say that if not for Pereira’s hard work, the scene could potentially be deprived of some sick acts.

“A woman’s presence on stage can be more powerful,” says Pereira. “I love when a girl comes out super decked out wearing chains and armor, like a f*cking warrior.” –GR

Mariah Baldwin

Frontwoman of Mojave Sun, creator of Desert HoneyPot Showcase

Mojave Sun’s leading lady of blues-rock entangles a mesh of musical influences from her youth to create the mesmerizing Miss Desert Honey seen onstage.

Growing up in the small town of Crystal Lake, Illinois, Mariah Baldwin fondly looks back on blasting AC/DC in car rides with her dad. Baldwin’s uncle also drummed for the ’90s alt-rock band Ednaswap, and a chance encounter with the band’s frontwoman, Anne Preven, left a lasting impression on her, as did hanging out at Kingston Mines, Chicago’s legendary blues club.

“I saw these old-school blues players, they had to be in their 60s or 70s, and they were just singing with their soul, pretty much yowling and crying, and I just loved that,” Baldwin says. “I loved seeing so much emotion evoked on the stage.”

Since 2022, the singer has also spearheaded Desert Honeypot, a female-led music showcase that’s operated as a safe space for networking, creativity and camaraderie. The Honeypot represents a place of empowerment, for both the women involved and the showcase’s founder.

Early into her career, Baldwin wrestled with being sexualized as a performer. But not only is she happy to see that changing, she’s vowed to be a part of the solution by supporting nonprofits like The Embracing Project, which advocates for young survivors of trafficking and abuse.

“I want to give these girls examples of women being in their true essence and not having to be like ‘I’m just a body,’” Baldwin says. “I’m more than a body. I am a voice. I am a story. I am a person.”

With Desert Honeypot, Baldwin aspires to make that message even clearer. She’s currently seeking sponsors for a festivalized version of the showcase and has booked more touring bands to foster networking with local acts—anything to help the frontwomen of the future.

“I’m very excited about all the women that I see putting out new music and stepping in and out of Vegas and being proud of who they are,” she says. “I just want to give them the message to keep going.” –AS

Piper Ferrari

Vocalist for Roman Candle

For vocalist, graphic and clothing designer Piper Ferrari, her incessant need to create is often fueled by spite. A few years ago, that drive prompted Ferrari to leave her 9-to-5 and pursue her passion. Now, the 24-year-old’s relentless dedication has paid off. She’s established herself as a self-reliant powerhouse constantly pushing her band and brand to new heights.

Ferrari’s early band Sowithout, an experimental screamo group, was just a glimpse into the capacity of her voice. “When I was in Sowithout, I was the only girl in a hardcore band in the entire [local] scene, which was crazy,” recalls Ferrari. “Now there’s a bunch of women playing in bands—people aren’t looking at gender as much.”

Her current project Roman Candle hit the ground running in 2023 with EP Discount Fireworks. The mere 14-minute, 5-track record revolves around themes that require screaming to truly get the message across. In “Gaslighting Isn’t Real (You’re Just Crazy),” Ferrari confronts the complexities of loss and self-doubt. She grapples with accepting one’s exit from her life while struggling to piece together the remnants of a fractured relationship. Her delivery oscillates between introspective rumination and bold declaration.

“There’s something different about feminine rage,” says Ferrari. “Girls will come up to me after shows and say I’m their inspiration to be in a band, design or to do whatever it is that they want to do, and that’s really cool to me.”

Not long after an initial fandom formed, Roman Candle hopped on a couple of tours including one with Portland’s own female-fronted metalcore band Dying Wish and got signed to a management company and booking agency. And though the band has recently faced adversity and undergone a couple lineup changes, Ferrari remains steadfast in her commitment to her craft and vision. –GR

Tsvetelina Stefanova

Founder of Bad Moon Booking, keyboards & vocalist for Same Sex Mary

Tsvetelina Stefanova stands as an early pioneer of one of the best eras of local music history—when the Bunkhouse reigned supreme and garage and psych-rock bands were at the forefront of the scene. Her transfixing performances as the keyboardist and vocalist of Same Sex Mary give audiences something to remember, but she’s known for doing much more. As founder of Bad Moon Booking, she’s the driving force behind the organization’s mission to promote emerging talent and foster a sense of community within the valley’s music scene. As her own band’s manager, Stefanova delved into music marketing and promotions, and by booking her own bands tours and gigs, she forged a network of connections.

Bad Moon Booking was born out of necessity in 2015, fueled by Stefanova’s abundance of do-it-yourself spirit. It put on local shows and festivals, including Boulder City’s Dillinger Block Party and the beloved Life is Sh*t Festival—an all-day art and music extravaganza, held at Maryland Parkway’s Dive Bar, that provides crusty punk counterprogramming to the similarly-named, hyper-optimistic giant music fest held Downtown at the same time.

“[Bad Moon Booking] definitely didn’t turn out to be a super big moneymaker as everyone knows, especially in the way that we run our agency. That is kind of like the DIY mindset,” says Stefanova. “Many independent artists are painfully aware of what it takes, and we’ve got to help each other out.”

Bad Moon’s focus has shifted to curating gigs and tours for select bands. Last year, it organized a tour for instrumental space rockers Peaceful Retreat and facilitated LA’s Pearl Earl’s East Coast summer tour. But besides the bands her agency assists directly, Stefanova notes Sunday Mourning, the Sundogs and Elevated Undergrounds—all femme-fronted—as her current favorite local bands.

Stefanova notes the growing presence of women-led concert booking organizations and observes a renewed energy in the music scene post-pandemic, with younger individuals becoming actively involved. She loves to see it. “Vegas has a lot of heart, and we all work hard to cultivate culture—it’s going in a good direction,” she says. –GR

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