Jackie Popovec (The Vindys)

Performance Anxiety

Today’s guest reminds me that there is some amazing talent out there that needs to be heard. Welcome Jackie Popovec from Youngstown, Ohio’s own The Vindys. She’s a powerhouse vocalist whose voice is a Venn Diagram of some heavy hitters like Amy Winehouse, Christina Aguilera, & Carrie Underwood. And the rest of the band ain’t so bad either. They rock with an early Chicago sound. Think Terry Kath meets Eddie Van Halen with killer horns. They’ve been around for over ten years now, but Jackie has been singing for a bit longer than that. She and the band started off doing covers and sneaking in an original here and there. Now they’re doing their own stuff and throwing in covers you wouldn’t think of!

But this whole conversation starts off with horror movies. And Spinal Tap. And how Jackie started writing songs. She was in her teens and her dad knew some people in some venues who would let a teenage Jackie play her own music. She was always drawn to belters but hearing jazz greats like Etta James, Sarah Vaughan, & Ella Fitzgerald really changed her approach.

The band was poised to record a new album this summer when they were asked to join Pat Benetar on tour. So they made the obvious choice to put the album on hold and explore some new markets opening for a legend. And their live show is amazing! They’ve written a song for the Pittsburgh Pirates that was picked up by ESPN, they’ve played with a symphony orchestra, and are on a steady upward trajectory. Check out their music wherever you check out your music. See them on tour this summer with Pat Benetar. Follow them @TheVindys on social media. Check out their YouTube channel for great unreleased stuff. Check us out @PerformanceAnx on social media. Our merch is available at performanceanx.threadless.com. Keep us up with coffee money at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now brace yourself for the amazing Jackie Popovec of The Vindys on Performance Anxiety; part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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