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		Pike’s Peak: Austin-based singer Patrice Pike first earned national attention as part of Texas rock outfit Sister Seven. Her long-anticipated new solo disc, “Unraveling,” is due Oct. 17.


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By JOEY GUERRA OCT. 13, 2006

Bisexual Texas rocker Patrice Pike hits warp speed — and headlines the 12th annual Houston Women’s Festival — after a successful stint on ‘Rock Star: Supernova’

MORE INFO:
12th Annual Houston Women’s Festival

With Patrice Pike, Garrison Starr, Deidre McCalla, Adrian and the Sickness, Echoset, the Ginn Sisters, the Ginger Leigh Band, Erika Luckett and Laurel

11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Oct. 21

Jones Plaza, 601 Louisiana (downtown Houston)

$12 advance, $15 at the door

www.hwfestival.org

Upon returning home to Austin after a two-month stint on “Rock Star: Supernova,” Patrice Pike had one thing in mind: margaritas.

“I landed in the airport, and there was this big welcome-home party,” Pike says. “I just wanted to go to my favorite restaurant in Austin, have a margarita and chill out.

“Polvo’s … is my favorite in terms of down-home, delicious Mexican food. They have a lot of exotic sauces, a big outdoor porch area. Nothing super-fancy about it. Just delicious.”

Pike says she had never seen a reality show before being cast on the second season of “Rock Star: Supernova.” Not even—gasp!—one episode of “American Idol.”

She compares the experience to “really going, kind of like, to another planet.”

“A lot of the community I run in is not really TV culture,” Pike says. “When you’re an artist, you try to spend your spare time making art and writing songs. I try to read a lot.

“I came back, and a lot of my friends were like, ‘Now we’re addicted to reality TV, and it’s your fault!’”

It’s doubtful the bisexual, Texas-bred singer will find herself TiVo-ing small-screen singing competitions anytime soon. Nevertheless, Pike earned a place in reality-show history during her two-month stint on “Rock Star.”

The down-and-dirty talent show featured 15 contestants from all over the world vying for the lead singer slot in a band that includes Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee, Metallica bassist Jason Newsted and Guns N’ Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke.

Though Pike gave her all each week she was on the show, she initially declined the offer to audition for “Rock Star.”

“When I got the call, it just sounded so off the map of what I was doing,” Pike says. “It was going to be a pretty interesting group of guys, and they … had no intentions of being a heavy-metal band.

“I just really thought about how interesting it might be for me to go totally out of the box and to put myself in a situation where I would be challenged on every level, from personal and spiritual to creative.”

Each week, one would-be rocker was ejected from the competition via a mix of public vote and band consensus. The group shared space, meals and frequent spats within the confines of a single (albeit roomy) house. Behind-the-scenes moments were broadcast online each week as a companion to the TV performance show.

“There’s no distraction, unless you just emotionally couldn’t deal,” Pike, 36, says. “There are no phones, there are no computers. You wake up, and you think about your next performance.”

During her “Rock Star” run, Pike tackled tunes from Jefferson Airplane, Nirvana the Beatles and Radiohead. She was backed by Lee during a fiery, week-five rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground;” and even showcased an accomplished original tune, “Beautiful Thing,” before being eliminated in the eighth week of the competition.

The “Rock Star” title was ultimately won by Lukas Rossi, a brooding Canadian rocker with a penchant for eye makeup and strained vocals. Houston-based singer Dilana Robichaux was the runner up; outrageous Dallas diva Zayra Alvarez finished in eighth place.

Though she fell short of the finale, Pike remains proud of her work on the show.

“I just wanted to use the performance opportunities as a portal,” she says. “What I wanted to do was go on the show and challenge Supernova to stretch what they had in mind for their band. If they could see me in the band, I wanted to be in it.

“I knew that if they didn’t want that, at least I would have communicated clearly who I am, and I would be let go. I got everything that I wanted.”

And then some. Pike’s success on the show has resulted in a wealth of new fans, a slew of intriguing offers and the perfect moment to release her long-awaited new solo disc, “Unraveling.”

She headlines the 12th annual Houston Women’s Festival, Oct. 21 at Jones Plaza. The eclectic lineup also includes Garrison Starr, Deidre McCalla, Adrian and the Sickness, Echoset, the Ginn Sisters, the Ginger Leigh Band, Erika Luckett and Laurel.

It’s all a prime springboard for an adventurous new beginning. But Pike is no novice. She toured the world and scaled the charts as lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist for vibrant jam band Sister Seven. During its run, the Texas outfit released three independent discs and three major label albums.

Sister Seven called it quits in 2000, but Pike has spent the last several years making music on her own terms. There have been various live recordings and collaborations with the Black Box Rebellion, but Pike is finally ready to introduce the world to her true solo sound.

“Unraveling” is due in stores Oct. 17 via Pike’s own indie imprint, ZainWayne Records. Confident lead-off tune “Beautiful Thing” comes fresh from the “Supernova” stage, and the jangly title track soars on Pike’s strident vocals and solid instrumentation.

“It was really about making a well-rounded record that represents where I am creatively now,” she says. “Being on the show really brought me back to some of my rock roots. I had really gone away from that in a big way from the point Sister Seven split up.”

Equally compelling moments on the disc are “Ridiculous Mess” and “Pressure & Heat,” pop-rock gems that were remixed after Pike’s “Supernova” stint. Indeed, the reality experience had a profound effect on Pike’s entire outlook and approach to music.

“I felt like I really needed to shake up the comfortable zone that I’d created for myself,” she says. “I actually have created a bubble for myself in my work.”

Personally, Pike has always colored outside the lines. During her early years, she took up the violin, French horn and various percussion instruments. Pike also taught herself how to play guitar—and studied jazz, opera and traditional African-American spirituals at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas. (That mix would eventually find its way into her music.)

Her lifelong interest in religious studies is reflected in various tattoos. The images include Hebrew lettering around her arm, Joan of Arc on her shoulder, a Celtic cross, Hindu goddesses and a Tibetan dragon.

Pike dropped out of college and moved to Austin in 1992, where she is a much-loved part of the city’s acclaimed music scene. She recently played to “a sea of people” at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

A large pocket of support comes from lesbian fans, who identify with Pike’s earthy spirit, quiet confidence and effortless grace. Pike is grateful for the love but stresses the importance of always being upfront about her bisexuality.

“I never want to be benefiting from the support I get from being queer and not be true to the details of what my sexuality is in terms of making a better place for bisexuals within the realm of the GLBT community,” she says.

“It’s been, at times, a struggle, because I’ve been very adamant about being out in terms of my bisexuality. Sometimes people don’t really understand that.”

Pike hopes her stance helps tear down some of the walls between gay men, lesbians and bisexuals.

“We struggle and we fight and we celebrate our sexuality as a queer community, but there’s sometimes a double standard with bisexuals in our community, in terms of how we’re perceived,” Pike says.

“Being bi isn’t necessarily about not being able to decide. It’s about being bold, being true in your expression of your sexuality and proclaiming that you are attracted to both men and women. It doesn’t mean that you can’t be in a committed relationship.

“I think it’s really important for people to think about that and talk about that. Fighting for our rights as a queer community, in terms of our juxtaposition with heterosexual society, is so much mirrored in that.”

For now, Pike is relishing her reality-fame momentum and is looking forward to being back in Houston, a place she knows very well.

In fact, don’t be surprised if you catch her perusing the latest art exhibit—or partying like, you guessed it, a rock star.

“If I have time off, I spend a lot of time going to museums and stuff like that. It’s so much more developed than Austin,” Pike says.

“At night, of course, I’ll go out bar-hopping with my friends. It’s always a tough choice. I love to go to Chance’s and hang out with friends. And I used to go out with my friend to all the boy bars and just dance my ass off. It’s so much fun.”

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