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MONICA HOOPER NWA Democrat-Gazette I 'm exhausted every day," Patti Steel admits when asked about her seemingly endless supply of energy. At any given time, she might don her cat ears or her heart- shaped sunglasses and zip from city to city playing music as a solo artist or as part of a duo or with her band. "I'm trying to get my name out as fast as I can because I want to make a splash. I'm not the type of artist that is going to casually come into the scene. I've been in the field for a long time," she explains. The multi-instrumentalist and singer has shared the stage with countless local musicians, but she's now taking time to promote her own songs, and her own music while not wasting a second of her momentum or her strong, soulful voice. (Think Brittney Howard of Alabama Shakes — big, brassy, bold.) "People don't know me as a solo artist; [they know] me as like a sidekick or someone to help another musician sound better. So now it's like, 'I got to take the stance,'" she says. "Music's my biggest passion, obviously. And I don't know what to do with myself if I'm not playing music." Propelled by her passion, it's the moment of connection with the crowd — even if it's just one person — that keeps Steel going despite hardships. "I love to play on stage and look in the crowd and see at least one person smiling and having a good time. Even if it's just one person, I've made a difference for them. And that to me that means everything. So I guess that's probably how I get the energy is knowing that, because my body hurts every day. I'm constantly dealing with medical and health issues, but I don't at Sunday, Sept. 18 3-7 pm Please register at www.bgozarkS.org 4703 N Crossover rd • Fayetteville • 479-750-2620 Free Family-Friendly event! www.malco.com www.malco.com www.malco.com www.malco.com 12 WHAT'S UP! SEPTEMBER 4-10, 2022 FYI Steel's EP, "No Better," comes out on Oct. 7. Keep up with her myriad of shows, music and more at pattisteel.com. FAQ Listen Here! Listen to a podcast inter- view with Patti Steel here: nwaonline.com/94steel/ and performance by Patti Steel and her band here: youtu.be/34-IK- gCNwJQ. See Steel Page 38 Patti Steel (front) with her band: Rob Butler (from left), Robert Geiger and Michael Tidsdale stopped by the offices of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat- Gazette to share two of their original songs from their EP "No Better." See the performance on the NWA Democrat- Gazette YouTube page. (Courtesy Photo) Patti Steps Up Steel embraces her own band and new album FAYETTEVILLE