Las Vegas Weekly

Xoch, goddess of flowers, song … and positive thoughts

Complaints are a dime a dozen in the local music scene – the lack of all-ages venues, scheming promoters, indifferent audiences and competition from the nightlife industry, to name a few. However, at least one local musician is staying positive about the local industry, because, hey, it could always be worse.

Xoch (pronounced ‘zoach’ and based off Aztec mythological figures Xochipili and Xochiquetal, the god and goddess of music and flowers, respectively) previously lived and worked in New York City before relocating to Las Vegas in November 2008 for a record deal that later fell through. “New York is a tough nut to crack,” she says, adding that with thousands more venues than Las Vegas, seeing the same local musician twice in the Big Apple can be a rarity. The Vegas music scene by comparison is a musician’s best friend.

Of course, the positive attitude about the local scene might be easier to swallow when you’ve already obtained a bit of commercial success. The leggy blonde has had 27 of her songs licensed for use in commercials, movies and television shows, including Laguna Beach and All My Children. She’s also begun dabbling as a movie extra, even scoring a one-line speaking role as a cocktail waitress in Get Him To The Greek, which stars Jonah Hill and is set for release in April 2010.

A one-line role might not seem like much, but Xoch says many extras wait years to finally say one line. The experience also made her eligible to become a member of the Screen Actor’s Guild. Despite her excitement over cinematic adventures, the pop-rocker says she’s mostly dedicated to putting the finishing touches on a new CD, which she hopes to release early next year.

With plenty to look forward to, Xoch didn’t seem concerned that the majority of the dozen or so in attendance at her Sunday afternoon Girl Festival show at Sam Ash were musicians scheduled to perform after her. She didn’t hold back vocally, either, letting loose with a powerful acoustic set with her guitarist, Vince Ripper.

She considered the performance important, even if the makeshift venue was empty. “It’s always an uphill battle (for women),” Xoch said after leaving the stage. “I’m just glad (the GirlFestival organizers) were able to make this possible.”