Burning Sage

November 6, 2004

Catch Burning Sage’s Final Regular Show this Year!

Burning Sage, Cleveland’s all female, original rock band will be playing their final regular gig of the year this Saturday night at the Maple Grove in Maple Heights.

Lin Sanders, the band’s powerful lead singer, is taking some time off over the winter to help her daughter recover from a serious illness.

“Lin’s family needs to be her top priority,” stated their drummer Sue Balaschak, “We’ll really miss performing together, but we support her decision 100%. Hopefully she’ll be able to come back in a few months.”

According to band members, the Maple Grove show was already booked so they decided to keep the gig because of their love for the club and respect of it’s owner, Nick Summa.

“In addition to being a great musician himself, Nick has been a tremendous supporter of local, original bands, “ said Balaschak. “We truly appreciate that and wanted to do this last gig at his place.”

Burning Sage is a power trio that blends classic rock influences, modern flair and innovative arrangements to create a style uniquely their own.

Their first full-length CD, “Purification,” was released on FireBand Records in October of 2003. Throughout the CD their dramatic signature sound manifests through a mixture of haunting vocals, trippy percussion, electric echoes and hard driving rock.

Burning Sage has been touring around the Midwest area, sharing billings with diverse national and international acts such as the Irish party band Gaelic Storm (seen in the movie, The Titanic), rocker guitarist Michael Schenker (UFO/Scorpions), Rusted Root’s Michael Glabicki, popular female rockers The Butchies and Michelle Malone, and even the international best selling author Wayne Dyer.

Along with headlining many club gigs, this past year found Burning Sage playing at a variety of festivals including the Starwood Festival in New York, National Woman’s Music Festival, Eastern Massachusetts Pagan Pride in Boston, and Ladyfest Lansing in Michigan.

Catch Burning Sage this Saturday, November 6th at the Maple Grove, 14832 Pease Road (Old Granger Rd), Maple Heights. They will perform at 10PM, followed by two bands from New York – pOparOxi and The Din.
- Exciting City Magazine

June, 2006
Women In Music - Featured Artist

"These women have no problem writing some kick ass material and completing a full sound without the gaps and hollow areas that many 3-piece bands seem to have problems with."

"Very well written material with near perfect structure in every song giving their material the full sound that some 4 and 5 piece acts struggle to deliver."

"I truly feel BURNING SAGE is destined to succeed because of their belief in themselves without having the ego that usually accompanies a talented artist. They are hard workers, go getters and they work very hard at their music and musical career. Their band and music is first and that is a sure sign of a band that is in the running to succeed."

"This is a great band that blends classic rock, acoustic, soulful and tribal beats and sounds to develop a very trademark style and distinguish their music as an artist that truly stands out above the usual the same-ole, same-ole sound of much of today’s music." - In-Tune Magazine - B. Donovan

By Deanna Adams

Still, there are those who prefer to rock on the wilder side.

In a home recording studio on Hessler Street in Cleveland’s University Circle, two members of the female trio Burning Sage – drummer Sue Balaschak, and vocalist/guitarist Lin Sanders – are mixing their EP with engineer Jay Bentoff. “I started out playing acoustic,” says Sanders, who lives in Akron, “but I really like the intensity of an electric guitar. And now I’m working on my pedal work – I love my pedals!”
At 38, bass player Lucy Marquez is the baby of the hard rock/electronica band. The others are in their mid-40s and feel they’ve earned their right to rock. While Balaschak played in a touring band for a decade, Sanders earned a fine arts degree at Kent State University and continues to work as a ceramic artist. Although some compare her voice to fellow Akronite Hynde, Sanders was more influenced by male rockers like Metallica’s Kirk Hammett and the band Tool. Since its inception in 2001, Burning Sage has earned supportive fans, yet they are also fans of each other.

“Lin’s developed a great guitar style,” boasts bandmate Balaschak. “She can really throw down and captivate an audience.”
Becoming cheerleaders for each other is especially important for women who realize that in the music industry, it’s still a man’s world. Despite the fact that many catch the music bug as teenagers, demands of family and making a living may interrupt their rock-and-roll dreams. “It’s a constant juggle of home, work, kids,” Sanders says. “Oftentimes, you have to shove your creative outlets aside.”
- Northern Ohio Live Magazine

"This is a bold presentation by a female group and the poignant lyrics make this a rock fan’s dream. Yes, this is truly a “kick-ass” band and if you are into rock music and female vocalists, you will not be disappointed. A good first presentation for the band Burning Sage and hopefully we will see more from this group in the future." - Zodiac Bistro

BURNING SAGE-Purification (FireBand Records) BURNING SAGE combine goth like vocals and metal style instrumentals to make an effective sound. Lin Sanders contributes the emotive vocals. She writes the lyrics too.............. The world is a mysterious place for this band. Melodies are routed in metal. Lin strengthens a thought with a chord. Lucy Marquez plays haunting, but melodic bass grooves. The definitive drum strokes come from Sue Balaschak. .............

The group makes a sound that slow metal fans will like. All of the eight songs are over three minutes long. "Pandora's Box" weaves around for nine and a half minutes. Lin use a soft, thin voice on this one. The speaker warns of involvement with a beautiful lady. On the other hand, the passionate lady has a lot of power over him. He's going to go ahead and let her evil out. The speaker can only stand by, watching the mistake happen. The spoken part says "You get what you want. And you get what you deserve."

............ This is very well done.

[8 points] (Jack Little)

- Metal Maidens

Burning Sage is a female rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. Lin has a voice that is perfect for the hard rock sound, ranging from powerful and driven to echoing and breathless, this weaves well with the mesmerizing guitars and solid percussion. This trio has all the right qualities in equal amounts. My favorite song is the bittersweet ballad "Walk Away." The name of the band or their first album is no coincidence, "washing" in the smoke of burning sage has long been used in "smudging" ceremonies to promote purification, protection, longevity and immortality. In its own way, this CD will have the same effect.
4 wands (out of 5)
- Spiral Songs

On the Cover
Burning Sage – Dramatic, Simmering and Raw
By Sage Satori
October 27, 2005

Burning Sage is an outstanding, all-female rock band, based in Cleveland Ohio. Their sound can be described as classic rock influenced, infused with today’s innovative intensity. The lyrics and vocals have emotional impact with a ‘blues meets metal’ edge.
In touring the Midwest area, Burning Sage has shared billings with diverse national and international acts such as the Irish party band Gaelic Storm (seen in the movie, The Titanic), rocker guitarist Michael Schenker (UFO/Scorpions), Rusted Root’s Michael Glabicki, popular female rockers The Butchies and Michelle Malone, VH1 world-music artist Janah, and national best selling author Wayne Dyer.
Along with headlining many club gigs, Burning Sage has performed at a variety of festivals including the Starwood Festival in New York, “Rockin’ in the Streets” in Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, The National Women’s Music Festival, and Ladyfest Lansing in Michigan.
Sue Balaschak, the awesome percussionist of the band, shared a brief glimpse of the band’s initial beginning, “The three of us got together in the fall of 2001 when Lin and I independently answered another person’s ‘Musicians Wanted’ advertisement. I had worked with Lucy before and brought her with me. After a few months of sorting different personalities and styles, Lin, Lucy and I gave birth to Burning Sage.”
Lin Sanders has been playing acoustically around her home town of Akron off and on for over 15 years. She started playing at the age of 13. Back in the day her influences were Stevie Nicks, the Heart sisters and Neil Young. Today, she really likes Tool and Metalica. Lin is the lyricist and primary songwriter. She has had her songs performed by other artists and shopped around Nashville.
When asked about the philosophy behind the lyrics Lin had this to say, “Any philosophy is not intended, it is channeled, subconscious energy. I like feeling intensely, and I like our music to express that. The lyrical content is, as I said, subconscious channel. Sometimes it could mean something I am saying to someone. Sometimes I don't know what they mean maybe for a couple of weeks till they reveal their meaning. I write my experiences and feelings about issues, usually of the heart, and hopefully it will not have been in vain, and others can relate and use it the way I have used music to help me cope and express myself.”
On to Lucy:
Lucy Marquez has been playing bass for about 8-10 years now. She studied with Mike Barrick of Bad Boys of Blues and Walking Cane. She loves the Blues and Hard Rock which comes through in her anchored, melodic base lines. She can really hold a groove. Sue states that “Lucy is the best I’ve ever worked with. She’s a drummer’s dream.”
As for Sue:
“I live the drums. I always have. I started playing when I was 10 and was playing in my first little wedding band when I was 12. I’ve played everything from Polka to Drum Corps to Hard Rock. I toured full time, professionally throughout the 80’s and had the opportunity to play on some major, national stages and got some radio airplay. With Burning Sage, I have found my musical soul mate in Lin and feel more fulfilled artistically than I ever have before. When Lin comes to us with a new song, the entire arrangement will often pop into my head. Sometimes I can hear the song completed before we even start working on it. It’s very magical.”
Sue went on to say “I love playing my djembe. Hand drumming puts me more touch with the spiritual side of drumming. This happens when I play the kit too, but I believe there is so much more spirit in hand crafted drums. When I accompany Lin’s acoustic performances, I really feel a softer edged intensity. With the band I’m connected more to universal energy. With the djembe, I’m more connected to Mother Earth’s energy.”
When asked about “outstanding moments” during their time together Sue answered, “I’d say we’re all in agreement on these things: Crafting the songs “Pandora’s Box” and “The Bed” any time we get the opportunity to throw down on stage, performing for an appreciative audience. And eating on tour! We’re some eatin’ mother f,ers!” (Snicker, they sure don’t look like it.)
Their first full-length CD, “Purification,” was released on FireBand Records in 2003. Throughout the CD their dramatic signature sound manifests through a mixture of haunting vocals, trippy percussion, electric echoes and hard driving rock. Available at www.cdbaby.com
Regarding their direction for the future, Lin said “To see how far we can go and how good we can get.”
I think that says it all.
I asked how different their acoustic sets are from when they all play together? This is what Lin said: “If I am playing "alone" without any accompaniment, it is like being naked and exposed up there. It’s a different kind of intensity. The full band is a very intense, driven, dramatic e - North Coast VOICE Magazine