Velvet Rouge kicks off XPNFest with powerful femme energy

Velvet Rouge opened the first day of XPoNential Fest with an electrifying performance. This is their second appearance on an WXPN stage this year, stopping by World Cafe for a Free at Noon concert just a few weeks ago. They performed every track from their latest self-titled EP, their second project since the 2021 release Dark Hallways. The Philly-born, LA-based band brought a surge of passion and energy that set the tone for the entire festival.

Gina Zo embraces her idols

Led by frontwoman Gina Zo, Velvet Rouge has been steadily making a name for themselves in the rock scene. Zo, who began her music career in her teens, gained national attention after appearing on The Voice under Blake Shelton’s team, but it was working with her idol Gwen Stefani as a mentor that cemented her confidence and artistic direction. Since then, Zo has navigated the ups and downs of the industry, especially the challenges of working with labels, eventually opting for independence.

Now, she’s fully embraced a persona that channels the boldness of Gwen Stefani and the ethereal intensity of Stevie Nicks. She confidently came on stage in a tattered black bodysuit with flashy buckled up silver heel boots. She definitely stood out against the attire of her band, in a good way. Velvet Rouge’s self-released music is about fully embracing authenticity and raw emotion, which Zo fully expressed on set opener “Shattered.” The bouncy bassline on “I Don’t Know Why” by Alex Baranowski mirrored Zo’s energy bouncing all around the stage, really feeling the pulse of the crowd.

Velvet Rouge | photo by Ellen C Miller

​​“Thank you all so much for hanging out with us today, I’m so grateful for this weather.” After Xponential 2023 behind us, I would say that sentiment is the same for many of us. Velvet Rouge played a mix of tracks from their EP, including crowd favorites like “Lonely Since the Day We Met” and “When Did I Become.” Zo’s stage presence was magnetic, moving effortlessly between fierce rock ‘n’ roll screams and delicate, emotional moments. Her red guitar—bright and bold—matched her fiery stage persona, and she owned the stage with confidence, at times falling to her knees or losing herself in the music as her bandmates backed her with intense, tight instrumentation like in  “Trail” with its gritty bass and guitar solo from Joe McEnany. They even threw in an amazing cover of Brandi Carlile’s “Broken Horses.” a song that mirrors a lot of the same struggles Zo has gone through in the past.

Her journey, marked by resilience and determination, was palpable during their set at XPoNential Fest. Zo expressed her gratitude to WXPN for the opportunity, and for always playing her song, “Lonely Since the Day We Met” on the radio. In quieter moments, “15th Street” offered a more subdued but equally captivating experience. In the beginning of the song the quick hi-hat strikes–which the drummer Buddy Mazzenga sustained while Zo re-tuned–invited in a more twangy beat before a powerful crescendo, shifting from a haunting country-tinged melody to the full-throated delivery that has become her signature. Velvet Rouge’s tight, cohesive sound had the crowd buzzing their XPoNential set only solidified their reputation as a must-watch act.