South side state of mind: Cindy brings her act to Cape

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Southeast Missourian learned that the show has been postponed and will be rescheduled at a different venue.

Cindy Youngren isn't really from any "south side," geographically speaking.

She's from Brimfield, Ill., a town of 850 -- too small to have a south or north side -- near Peoria in the heart of Illinois.

But, she says, "south side" isn't a specific place as much as it is an attitude, which is why her musical act is called South Side Cindy. To her, it means tough and street smart.

"I'm not from the south side of Chicago, but that's what everybody wants me to be," Youngren said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "South side is more of a state of mind for us."

Youngren and her band are rolling into town Nov. 3 for a gig at Bill and Chas' in downtown Cape Girardeau. Listeners should expect to hear a sound influenced by female vocalists of various genres, from Fiona Apple to Bonnie Raitt to Joan Jett.

Youngren said songwriting is a passion as much as performing.

"I like for there to be some kind of good meaning to the song and put some poetry to it, so everybody can relate to it in their own way," Youngren said of her approach.

Some already might have heard her sound -- South Side Cindy's "We the People" has received radio airplay cross the country, Youngren said, including on 99.3 FM in Cape Girardeau. The tour that will bring her to Cape Girardeau between Illinois show dates is a follow-up to that single's success, Youngren said.

The band setup includes guitars, keyboards, bass and drums. The group has opened for Ted Nugent, Joan Jett and other big names, so those checking out the show should expect a fairly refined and polished sound.

For more on the band check out its Facebook page, southsidecindy.net.

msanders@semissourian.com

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