WHAT'S SHE DONE?
*Allegra was the 2nd Place Winner at the San Diego County Fair's Musicpalooza 2009 out of over 400 applicants.
*Allegra is a finalist in the 2009 San Diego Songwriter's Contest sponsored by Shaner Promotions, and she is headed to the Belly Up for the Finals in August! www.bellyuptavern.com
*Allegra is the WINNER of the San Diego Songwriters Guild's "Songwriter/Performance Contest" at the BELLY UP in March, 2009
*Allegra was rated in the top 5 songwriters in San Diego by the SDSG at Humphrey's in December 2008
*Allegra was nominated in 2006 and again in 2008 at the San Diego HAT Awards for San Diego's Best Vocalist.
*Allegra can be contacted for original or cover shows, both solo and with a band, bar/grills, restaurants, coffee houses, venues, weddings, birthdays, private events, etc. by way of her email @ [email protected] or via myspace, twitter, or facebook @ username allegrasings.
WHO IS SHE??
Allegra has a voice...and she's not afraid to use it. She currently spends her days writing new material to add to her 50 plus originals, giving vocal instruction, broadening her guitar and vocal skills by adding new material to her cover song rep and in the meantime changing and altering the way the songs are done; she makes each and every song not-just-another-cover. And when the sun goes down, Allegra gets up, grabs her guitar, hops in her '72 Scout and takes off to any number of gigs that she plays nightly all around San Diego and Los Angeles: Cowboy bar downtown? Done. Wine Bar in Hillcrest? Yes. Posh grill in La Jolla? Certainly. Irish pub in the Gaslamp? You bet. Beach bar on the drag in Pacific Beach? She's there belting out her tunes with her twelve string ovation strapped to her chest, flip flops on her feet, business cards in hand and cd's for sale.
Allegra's vocals are almost impossible to liken to any one performer. Imagine Etta James meets Ella Fitzgerald meets Alanis meets Janice Joplin. And with a touch of country storytelling in her lyrics, sprinkled with some silly, outgoing, personable humor in between tunes, all you need is the cherry on top! An instant bond with her audiences is inevitable and her amazing rhythms never fail to get them dancing. Venue patrons and owners alike love Allegra not only because of her top-notch musicianship, professionalism and quality but also because of the passion and energy that she consistently brings to the stage.
Allegra currently has an EP of four of her original songs and she's planning on a full CD by the end of 2009. These four are merely a sampler platter. Her real draw, however, is in her live show. Almost any musician can sound great on a recording but the true test is how a musician connects with the crowd. Allegra has that rare quality to reach out an grab 'em with a sound even better than any recording. She is a woman not to miss, and a musician bound for greatness!
The Allegra Collective "Whipping Post"
"Last year at the Salute to Americana show at Humphrey's Backstage Lounge, I had the pleasure of seeing the Allegra Collective play live. I was not sure who Allegra was, but everyone who knew her had great things to say about her. Sweet Joyce Ann was quoted as saying, "Allegra has a beautiful voice and a mainstream style of songwriting!" Veronica May told me that she would be the best choice to headline the event. I decided to take their word for it, and was very pleased with the results!
She arrived that evening dressed in a classy mini-dress. She brought with her, a percussionist, bassist, and drummer. She played guitar. From the first song that I heard her sing, all I could think of is, "Why is this girl not signed? She blows away anyone on American Idol." She added a few covers that she rearranged and made her own, like Zombie, Free Fallin', and Whipping Post. Hearing her sing those songs was like entering into transcendental meditation.
She is not average by any means. Right away, I asked the Manager at Humphrey's to book her a regular show there. I hope to see her back at Humphrey's soon. Scott Zensen was quoted saying: "I been a long time fan of Allegra and have written about her voice many times before in the MyWeek Blog, So I thought it was time for someone to do a feature on her".
MyWeek decided to acknowledge her talent as the cover story for May 2008. Here is an interview that I had with Allegra:
How long have you been singing and writing?
I've been singing for as long as I've been talking. i remember putting on concerts for our parents and their friends at dinner parties, as well as giving them 'private shows' whenever i learned the words to a new song on the radio or one of my tapes. We would always sing as a family as well and i would sing in church in my younger years. I started writing in high school with my first band, "Next Exit" consisting of three members; a drummer, a violinist and myself on guitar and vocals. It was an interesting mix, but we had a good time, performing in battle of the bands at school and doing various different random appearances. I continued writing through college, and it wasn't until then that i started writing music that is still in my repertoire.
What is the best gig you have played so far?
The San Diego Songwriters Guild "Songwriter/Performer Competition" at the Belly Up! I won first place out of 32 entries. It was pretty awesome, and who would ever forget playing a venue like the Belly Up!
All I have to say about this artist is that she is the real deal! So go to her next show and be proud that she has emerged from San Diego, because someone will discover her soon!"
Sandi Shaner
Allegra "Get me Through This"
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