“I have a phrase now – that I think I may get t-shirts made for – it’s goes ‘don’t sleep on the wild card’,” said Rochelle Walker, known within the St. Louis music scene as Coco Soul.
It has a certain ring to it since she came from out of nowhere to win the Missouri leg of The Hard Rock Café Rising Battle of the Bands.
As one of several hundred performers in Missouri alone, competitors had to rely on fans and friends to vote them through to the finals.
Coco didn’t make the cut when the votes were counted, but the powers that be saw something in the R&B powerhouse – and decided she would be the one to perform alongside the eight finalists who were voted through.
“The wild card was someone the company believed in the artist enough to send them to the next round – that’s how I got there,” Coco said. “It’s not so much about the popularity of the artist, but the quality of the artist.”
When the finals were held live a few weeks ago, she brought the house down as bands from across the state were charged with the task of wowing a crowd with all original music.
“When I get on stage I feel like I’m in my living room with people who know and love me and we’re just hanging out,” Coco said. “We’re having fun.”
She may have been having fun, but her caliber as a force to be reckoned with on stage was solidified when she came from wild card status to win the Missouri competition.
Now the real work begins.
“When I found out I won, I was like ‘man I have to get out here and hustle – and get people to vote for me online,” Coco said. “And to really sell myself – and the idea that I want to represent St. Louis’.”
She’s now in a pool of 70 bands. The top 25 will compete for three top prizes that included tens of thousands of dollars in cash and musical equipment.
The grand prize winner will open up The Hard Rock Festival in Rome, Italy – which boasts an anticipated audience of 40,000 and will featuring some of the biggest names in music from around the world – including the United States.
“Right now, I’m representing St. Louis for the world,” Coco said. “They have people who are competing in this in Dubai and Abu Dabi. If I win great, if I don’t wonderful – I’d still feel great about this whole journey.”
St. Louis has until May 7th to vote Coco through at https://www.facebook.com/hardrock?sk=app_205164529573076&app_data=eyJpZCI6IjM0NDciLCJhcnRpc3RfaWQiOiI3MzY3MzIifQ==&ref=ts
“There is a part of me that is like ‘I need to get Rosetta stone,’ we can really do this…we can take this all the way,’” Coco said.
“I would freakin’ love to take St. Louis soul to another country and for them to say ‘wow, what’s going on there…’ and to see all of the talent that’s in St. Louis. I would be honored.”
The online voting for Hard Rock Rising Battle of the Bands continues through May 7. To cast your vote, visit https://www.facebook.com/hardrock?sk=app_205164529573076&app_data=eyJpZCI6IjM0NDciLCJhcnRpc3RfaWQiOiI3MzY3MzIifQ==&ref=ts
