A brief chat with Rasputina

Melora Creager has been leading her cello-heavy rock troupe for over twenty years, and now she’s bringing them to Denver so we spoke to the main lady.M

Yellow Scene: When did the band form and what was the mission?

Melora Creager: I wanted to get to know other girls just like me – girls that were really skilled at the cello that wanted to play rock music, and dress up in old fashioned costumes. There aren’t many of us on the planet, I’ve found over all these years. That was around 1989 – a million years ago.

YS: Now there are bands like Apocalyptica – it seems like the cello is an accepted rock instrument. Is that gratifying?

MC: I think that it’s gratifying. When I started, there was nobody to look up to and we were really forging a path out of nowhere. People just really respond to the cello. People love the sound and it’s really close to the human voice. It’s a wonderful, unlimited instrument.

YS: Do you guys like playing Colorado?

MC: Yeah, Denver’s a great town for us and even the smaller towns like Fort Collins have been good for us.

YS: What can we expect from the set?

MC: We have so much material from over the years. We’re doing stuff from every era, plus a few songs from the new album.

YS: When this tour’s done, what’s next?

MC: I am getting a job in social work and working with people with disabilities, and I’m all excited about that and can’t wait for the tour to be over.