‘We literally created a blueprint for other women’: World-traveling, all-female AC/DC tribute band, Whole Lotta Rosies, formed by Spokane-born musician

Before Trudi Keck was traveling the world and breaking barriers with Whole Lotta Rosies, the all-female AC/DC tribute band, she was spending her childhood in Spokane.

Keck and her twin sister Lauri were born and raised in the Lilac City and give credit to their parents, also born and raised in Spokane, for their work ethic. The two were also cheerleaders at West Valley High School, where Keck was captain before graduating in 1985.

Although Keck now plays guitar professionally and has loved rock music her entire life, she didn’t take up the instrument until after graduating from Eastern Washington University and moving to Los Angeles.

“They didn’t have guitar players in the band,” Keck said. “I didn’t really think about it back then, but I knew I always loved it.”

With her twin sister moving to Los Angeles herself, Keck took her degree in communications and minor in journalism to the City of Angels where she has made a career in the entertainment industry as a writer, producer, editor and director.

“I loved it,” Keck said. “I knew it was where I was supposed to be.”

Keck and her sister quickly dove into the Los Angeles music scene. In the 1990s, the market was dominated by all-male groups, whether tribute bands or those performing original works. Only a handful of bands had any female musicians involved at all.

Keck found herself in one of those groups, a cover band playing a wide array of music. Keck didn’t enjoy playing so many different kinds of songs from so many different bands, but around this time caught a performance from an original group, Powder. The band was all-male besides its female lead singer, and among its set of original music, the group performed a Led Zeppelin song to an uproarious response.

“It was in that very moment that I thought, ‘Well, if they go this crazy watching one female sing a Led Zeppelin song, how crazy would they go watching five females perform and play AC/DC songs?’ ” Keck said.

In summer 2000, Keck quickly rounded up a female drummer, bassist, lead vocalist and another guitarist to form “Whole Lotta Rosies” – a play on the AC/DC classic, “Whole Lotta Rosie.” Within just a few months, the first all-female band to pay tribute to a legendary all-male group was playing on the city’s famed Sunset Strip and gaining more and more notoriety with every show.

“We literally created a blueprint for other women wanting to do the same thing,” Keck said. “Wanting to show that female musicians could command the stage with the same power and authenticity as the original legends.”

Keck had no clue Whole Lotta Rosies would open the door for the plethora of all-female tribute bands now found across Los Angeles and the world. She also never would have guessed the band would end up taking the group around the country and even the world – something that not many tribute bands can say.

The band recently celebrated their 25-year anniversary with a packed show at the Garden Amphitheater in Orange County, California, where Keck’s sister joined them on the keyboard for “It’s A Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ’n’ Roll).” Keck is also collaborating with Bolted Down Custom Guitars to create a custom signature model guitar, an honor usually reserved for original artists.

“To rise to where we’ve risen to out of Los Angeles, in the heart of the music mecca of the world, is just unbelievable,” Keck said. “But I know that it’s not just things that are dropping our lap … it’s hard work, passion, dedication, and groundbreaking ideas that set us apart and started and continue to fuel our success.”