Cause For Concern

Orange County, CA's Cause for Concern has hung on from the days of post-punk through the grunge and riot grrl eras. While the fashion in rock for most of the 1990s was hard-edged and macho, Cause for Concern, a band that "just happens" to be all-female, produced — and continues to produce — music that is melodic, poignant, sweet, and at the same time, high-energy.

A very different band known by the name of Cause for Concern was formed in the early '80s and went through several lineup changes. The one surviving member from that band's early days, guitarist Leslie Stoddard, formed a new group with the same name when she met singer Suzanne Graham in 1988. Graham had the smooth yet forceful voice to match Stoddard's versatile folk-rock guitar sound. The band's lineup was completed with the addition of Kym Eastwood on bass and Roseanna Curtale on drums. By 1994, the lineup had changed to include Kelley Duarte on bass and Wendy Colton on drums. This incarnation of Cause for Concern played steadily at clubs all over Southern California, slowly building a loyal following. The band got a big break touring as the opening act on the 1996 Doobie Brothers national tour.

In 1998, Cause for Concern released a CD, All I Want, on its own label. Subsequently, the lineup underwent more changes. Bassist Duarte left to be replaced by Pam Thompson, and the band gained Joan Loos as second guitarist and Jill Moran on backup vocals. This revitalized version of Cause for Concern recorded a three-song EP in 2000. Cause for Concern ended the year 2000 by playing at the Rockrgrl Music Conference in Seattle.