Cathy DiToro yearns to give female rockers a stage to shine.
That’s what's behind Project HERA, her nonprofit, presenting “Lilith Fest: A Tribute to Lilith Fair and Women in Music” at The NorVA on Saturday night.
Lilith Fair, the traveling music event founded by Sarah McLachlan, featured more than 100 female artists across 57 shows from 1997 to 1999. Some of the bigger names were Sheryl Crow, Jewel, Tracy Chapman, Alanis Morissette and Queen Latifah.
DiToro is a former Fairfax County high school guidance counselor who gave up that career to pursue music, only to navigate a male-dominated industry with limited opportunities. She got started by finding a band on Craigslist to sing with. Now she is the lead singer of two cover bands, The Legwarmers and So Fetch.
“I started to play cool rooms and wanted to pay it forward,” she said.
DiToro enjoys mentoring aspiring female musicians, part of her inspiration for starting Project HERA in 2017. She has since hosted curated shows, workshops, open mics and networking events to showcase women. The project, named after the Greek goddess Hera, reflects her love for Greek mythology.
“I’ve had a unique journey,” DiToro said. “That’s another reason I like to connect with other musicians because there is a path to being able to make money doing this, and I love talking about that with other people.”
DiToro suggested a ladies’ night to a friend who owned a bar. What became a weekly gig built up a roster of female musicians.
“Lilith was always my inspiration for all of it,” she said.
When the pandemic hit, the idea went dormant. DiToro revived it in 2023 by having the musicians sing the songs from the Lilith Fair festivals. She invited regional and local rockers to be on the bill. Lilith Fest started in Northern Virginia, had a date in Atlanta and another in Washington.
The NorVA is the fourth iteration with a new twist.
“It will be the first time we’re straying away from only Lilith artists,” DiToro said.
The Norfolk show will feature recognizable, nostalgic songs, but DiToro wants the participants to feel free to expand to other music.
“My ultimate goal is to take it more in a diverse direction,” DiToro said. “The NorVA is going to be the start of us trickling into other artists. This show is our maiden voyage of branching out.”
DiToro and her ’80s tribute band The Legwarmers played The NorVA before, but she was touched to get the invitation to bring this event there.
“I absolutely love that room,” she said. “It’s one of the coolest rooms I’ve ever played in an area that appreciates the arts.”
Clover Stokes and Mari Cornell are among the local artists who will join 20 other performers on Saturday.
Stokes, 20, graduated from Salem High and is navigating how to become a professional musician at a time when most of her peers are in college. She took a few community college classes before deciding music was her calling, with influences that include Stevie Nicks, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell and Linda Ronstadt.
“I finally told my parents I couldn’t see myself continuing that route and I pushed for music,” said Stokes, who sings with the folk rock band Monarch.
Her mother helps with public relations and her father sets up equipment for shows. Stokes has performed locally, most recently at Harborfest with Monarch, but never at The NorVA.
“I’ve been going to concerts there since I was a teenager,” she said. “The fact that I’m going to be on stage there is pretty wild.
Stokes enjoys writing music as much as performing.
“I want to be what Stevie Nicks was for me when I was growing up,” she said. “She inspired me to be somebody. I want to be able to do that for other little girls.”
Nashville-born Cornell spent decades in the music industry and the path for women, she said, remains challenging.
Cornell, a Virginia Beach resident since 17, isn't interested in trying to look or move in a suggestive way on stage.
"When you just want to play good music, it’s a little bit harder to do things that way."
While working at an arcade in Town Center, someone heard her singing to herself and suggested she audition for “Live! On Atlantic,” the summertime Oceanfront music series. It launched her career.
Her four-piece band, Mari and The Flow, blends blues, rock and soul with a modern sense of groove. She’s stoked for the Saturday show and the support from HERA.
“The fact that there are people out there who want to see women being uplifted instead of put down is encouraging to me,” she said.
Stokes and Cornell are excited to meet DiToro, who said the feeling is mutual.
“We find our people,” DiToro said. “I’m at a point in my life where I’m leading with community and support and empowerment, not competition, stress, anxiety and competitiveness.”
Visit the NorVA for tickets and information.
