Drummer Roger Taylor of the 70s British rock band known as “Queen” has a Gilroyan protégé.
Known onstage as “Rogetta Taylor,” Gilroy native Dana Parker, 30, is eight months pregnant with her second baby girl – and still commanding the trap set as the drummer for The Killer Queens. The all-female tribute band shares “a love and respect for Queen’s musical depth and intelligence.”
“Hopefully, she’ll pick up the bass, and then we can have a family band,” jokes Parker, of her soon-to-arrive newborn. Parker’s husband also plays the guitar.
Together with her Killer Queen bandmates – “Frederika Mercury,” “Brianna May” and “Dawn Deacon” – Parker and her fellow female rockers promise to “tear up the stage and bring a great party atmosphere” during their Sept. 14 performance at the 9Lives Club in downtown Gilroy. Their set list is jam-packed with Queen classics, from “We Will Rock You” to “Fat Bottomed Girls” to “Another One Bites the Dust.”
The show in Gilroy will be a trip down memory lane for Parker. The 2000 Gilroy High School alumna performed at 9Lives with her ska band in the late 90s, back when the concert venue was the Gaslighter Theater.
With less than five weeks to go until her due date, the Sept. 14 gig marks Parker’s last performance with The Killer Queens before she takes a temporary hiatus to spend some quality time with the newest member of her family.
“The thing it’s hard on is your stamina,” she said, of the four-hour band rehearsals. “I get a little tired faster.”
This isn’t Parker’s first rodeo as a pregnant percussionist. She continued to play the drums while carrying her first daughter, Scarlet, who is now 17 months old.
Parker is as homegrown as Garlic City musicians come, nurturing her love of music while participating in the Gilroy High School marching, symphonic and jazz bands, in addition to singing in the choir for four years. She has a bachelor’s degree in music and percussion performance from San Jose State University, and has performed for several Bay Area theater productions. Parker lives in Gilroy, where she teaches private percussion lessons. She also works as a part-time youth director for a church in Santa Clara.
“We have been practicing for only about six months, but are getting shows all over the Bay Area and are excited to play at 9Lives Club in Gilroy,” she said. “This show is the perfect opportunity for those who are interested to come out and support local musicians.”
Tickets are available for $8 in advance or $10 at the door. Contact Dana Parker at (408) 607-5692 or purchase tickets online from 9Lives by clicking here. Doors open at 8 p.m.
