wordz: Press

DIVA'S ROCKIN AT THE INTERNET CAFE
"On Friday, April 21st, three of New Jersey's hottest female singers performed at the Internet Cafe (1 West Front Street) in Red Bank. While the music was acoustic and laid-back, the performances were anything but subdued. Starting off the night was Dale Lakata. Lakata currently fronts the band Wordz, formerly known as The Magic Words. The current lineup consists of Lakata (lead vocals/guitar), John Dowbachuk (bass), Gary Chiocchi (drums) and John Ohrin (lead guitar). The Magic Words had appeared on the soundtrack for David Kaiserman's film, "Driven Together," released in 2000. Accompanying Dale Lakata on this particular evening was Jeff Lakata, who was trying out his new classical guitar. Jeff Lakata is from the band Mad Cow. Residing in Bridgewater, Dale began the night with the beautiful "Hydrogen." Also included in the set were "Tender Place" (written by Jeff and Dale), "New Life" and "Tell It To The Clowns." Dale explained that "Never Never Land" had nothing to do with Michael Jackson. Instead, it was influenced by a guy that she saw falling asleep on his feet at the Stone Pony one evening. Whie the Rolling Stones' "Ruby Tuesday" was a nice touch, the Patti Smith-Bruce Springsteen penned "Because The Night was a definate highlight. Jeff's classically-influenced licks added a welcome ingredient to each of the cuts...."

RAW DIVAS AT THE INTERNET CAFE
I recieved an email from Dale Lakata about a special show that she is a part of. On Friday, April 21st, the Internet Cafe in Red Bank will be showcasing the raw side of "three divas." This show will feature Tia Bocker (of Sukker Punch), Terry Little (of Juice) and Dale Lakata (of Wordz). I was informed recently that Jeff Hornlien (of The Riffsurfers) will be accompanying Tia Bocker on guitar. Hornlien and Bocker performed together in Stargazer. Before Sukker Punch became a single guitar attack, they were known as BlueScream. Check out the following websites to find out more about these rockin' divas: www.juicemusic.net, http://wordzr4u.com, and www.sukkerpunch.com.

SICA Music
Fri & Sat., March 10 & 11, Long Branch
....Blow UpRadio.com's Folk You! returns to SICA's Canning Company on Saturday, March 11, 8-11pm featuring Dale Lakata (from Wordz), Jason Didner, Johanna Stahley and Rick Barry. $5 Cover Charge. Folk You! is an opportunity to see acoustic music in an intimate venue. The performers range from singer/songwriters to bands doing rare "stripped down" performances. SICA is a non-profit corporation whose purpose is to increase the general public's accessiblity, awareness and appreciastion of the contemporary arts in central New Jersey. For more information on SICA, visit www.sica.org. SICA is located at 20 Third Avenue in Long Branch.

from May 2005 Chorus and Verse
..."Dale Lakata of Wordz Presents Touch III - A Benefit for 180 Turning Lives Around at The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ
A group of the Jersey Shore area's veteran female musicians will put their talent to good use during a benefit show for an organization which mainly helps women in need.
Mimi Cross, Blue Scream, Wordz (formerly The Magic Words) and Minds Of Society will all perform during the Touch III – Rock for a Cause benefit on May 5 at The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ. The show will benefit 180 Turning Lives Around, which is based locally in Hazlet.
“The reason we wanted to focus on 180 Turning Lives Around for the Touch shows was because I had heard that they were in dire need and we as women wanted to help support a place which supports victimized women and their children,” said Dale Lakata, lead vocalist and guitarist of Wordz.
Lakata will present the show through her own Red Letter Publicity. 180 Turning Lives Around is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to ending domestic violence and sexual assault in Monmouth County. The group has been saving individuals for almost 30 years, Lakata said.
“Their caring staff provides immediate and long-term support in assisting clients with the trauma they've experienced while supporting them in obtaining services and making decisions that will turn their lives around,” she said.
The first of the Touch benefits was also held at The Saint in 1999. It moved one year later to The Brighton Bar, in nearby Long Branch.
Jeff Lakata of Wordz and Mad Cow will be performing at Torch III
“We donated over $800 raised to 180 Turning Lives Around (then known as The Women's Center of Monmouth County),” Lakata said. “There's been a prevalence at all these Touch benefits of female led acts or solo performers.”
Lakata said that she started Red Letter Publicity in order to help promote her projects and favorite causes. Aside from Touch III, Lakata has put benefits together for Clean Ocean Action and played at benefits for the New Jersey Environmental Fundraising and The Surfer's Environmental Alliance. She said she is looking to take part in more benefit shows for organizations such as AmeriCares and The National Cancer Institute in the near future.
“(Playing benefits) is a way I can give a bit back of what I do - sing, play guitar and write songs, which I hope will move someone while raising awareness for a good cause,” Lakata said.
Dale Lakata founded The Magic Words in 1995. After taking a break from the scene, Lakata returned with Wordz. The new band includes bass player, John Dowbachuk, guitarist Jeff Lakata, who is also Dale’s husband, and drummer Gary Chiocchi.
“Jeff is doing only a few more shows with us and is moving on to concentrate on his own project, Mad Cow, a cover band,” Dale Lakata said. “We currently are auditioning lead guitarists.”
"Wordz is a four-piece rock project with elements of Latin, jazz, pop and blues interlaced in our sound,” Lakata said.
“The name change came when my last guitarist and co-writer of two new songs 'Tell It to the Clowns' and 'Hydrogen,' Ken Goodman, suggested a modernization of the name,” Lakata said. “Wordz seemed simpler and more what we'd become today, so I agreed and we became Wordz. Not only did my name change because of my marriage, but our band's name changed.”

The band will soon release its new album ,“Hope Road.”

The first Touch benefit featured Shades of Violet, Mimi Cross, Rachel, Crash Happy, Terry Little, Kristie Lee and Wordz. A year later at the Brighton Bar, Wordz was joined by Allie Moss (of Secret Agent Abe), Terry Little, Rosemary's Baby, Rockin Robin Rox, Dawne Allynne and Lorri Tomlinson. Planet Janet had been scheduled to play, but had to cancel.

"I put the latest show together with the help of Tia Bocker of Blue Scream, whose band will also be appearing,” Lakata said. “The other acts: Mimi Cross and Minds of Society are good acts that I'd known. Mimi came on board when Juice (Terry Little's project) had to back out because of a conflict.”

Tickets for the show are $8. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the first band will play at 8:30 p.m. The Saint is located at 601 Main Street, in Asbury Park. The club's web site can be found at www.thesaintnj.com and its hotline is (732) 775-9144...."
by Josh Davidson i
Managing Editor of Chorus and Verse

©2005, Chorus and Verse