Rising Rocker

Vicci Martinez has been playing music since she picked up the violin at age six. Her dreams of a life in music are about to pay off, big time. In fact, the twenty-two-year-old Tacoman may have signed with an important record label by the time you read this; her oversized talent already landed her representation by Bill Leopold, the manager who shepherds the careers of such high-caliber artists as Melissa Etheridge. Martinez is so close to forging a career she can feel it. “This isn’t a fantasy anymore,” she says, “now it’s work.” She’s got amazing singing chops and is accomplished on the guitar. So confidant of her chances for success that she told the producers of American Idol “no thanks” when they wanted her for the first season of the show, Martinez is maturing into a rocker of the old-fashioned school: her music is influenced by Paul Simon and Dave Matthews and makes you want to strut with the sun on your face. She’ll be on the road plenty this summer but you can catch her locally at Jazzbones on July 21. At the end of each day, Martinez says she struggles with whether or not she deserves her mounting success. The answer is “Go, Vicci, go.”

Photo by Jim Cecil