With its wild, aggressive showmanship, Detroit punk rock band Glitter Trash is unexpectedly high energy for their middle-aged members.

Michael Rys, who books bands at Toledo venues with GPR Productions, said, “They bring energy and excitement that defies their ages. They’re all veterans.”

Glitter Trash debuted May 15 with a show in Toledo. After seeing the audience’s response and hearing that Glitter Trash recently played sold-out shows in Chicago, Denver and Wyoming, Rys knew he had to bring them back.

Jenna Talia

“They’re really making a name for themselves,” Rys said.

Glitter Trash will return to Toledo for a Sept. 18 show at Woodchuck’s. Toledo’s own Yeti Machete will open the show at 10 p.m., followed by Detroit-based band Caustic Attitude. Doors open at 9 p.m. with a $3 cover charge.

Jenna Talia, lead singer and founding member of Glitter Trash, said the idea for the band started two years ago when she bought a guitar at a pawn shop and tried to teach herself how to play. Frustrated, she was about to throw the guitar in the trash when she asked a friend and the band’s future guitarist, Homeless, for help.

“He showed me how to play power chords and the rest is history,” Jenna Talia said.

Along with bass player Sin Der Ella, Jenna Talia and Homeless began putting songs together in 2009. Since she can’t read music, Jenna Talia said she relies on Homeless for most of the technical elements. Glitter Trash came together as a band in 2010.

“The band started out as an art punk project,” Jenna Talia said. “We’ve got punk roots, glam influence and we’ve got good old dirty rock and roll.”

Glitter Trash has brought a “contagious atmosphere” to their shows and has been able to relate to a much younger audience, Jenna Talia said. The release of emotion that happens during shows has helped Jenna Talia to accept herself, which is something the artist wants to share with her audience.

“I’m a transsexual lead singer. People don’t know what to expect,” Jenna Talia said. “I’m a pretty destructive entertainer. I get very physical onstage.”

Jenna Talia said the inspiration for most of Glitter Trash’s songs comes from her struggle to accept her identity as a transsexual and how she used self-destruction to cope.

“While they may deal with some serious subject matter in their songs, the atmosphere is very fun,” Rys said. “Jenna is who she is: An attraction in and of itself. And the band members are not wallflowers, either.”

“It isn’t about looks; it isn’t about any of that stuff. It’s about accepting yourself. That’s what Glitter Trash is all about. Not being afraid of being who you are, and living your life,” Jenna Talia said.

Although Jenna Talia said she used to be very competitive when she played football, hockey and raced bikes semi-professionally, she admitted that it doesn’t even compare to the rush she gets from playing shows. Using the same tough attitude from her sports career, Jenna Talia is determined to duke it out in Detroit’s brutal music scene.

“I don’t do this just for the fun of it. It’s part of my being,” Jenna Talia said.

Rys said GPR Productions trades a lot of shows between Detroit and Toledo, and strives to pair a Toledo band with the unique bands they bring in from out of town.

“I think there’s a lot of untapped talent and people need to get off the couch and see it,” Rys said.

Tags: Glitter Trash, Jenna Talia, Woodchuck's

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 14th, 2010 at 11:33 am and is filed under In Concert, Star.
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