great article on cousin Samantha http://www.sfgate.com/columns/thefemalespectator

Austin, Texas -- Samantha Stollenwerck might not have been offered an evening slot at the South by Southwest music conference, but she'll do her damnedest to make sure her afternoon showcase at the tiny Momo's bar, at the wrong end of Sixth Street, is the best show of her young life.

It took all of Stollenwerck's money and frequent-flier miles to shuttle her and her band, the Ritual, to this most famous of pop music showcase festivals recently, where agents, record-company execs and producers hopscotch from venue to venue looking for the Next Big Thing. But it was worth any amount of time and money to the aspiring San Francisco singer-songwriter.

"We had to come! How could we not?" she says, tossing a head full of unruly blond curls as she cruises the streets near the Austin Convention Center the night before D-Day, looking for barbecue for dinner. "You know what they say," she says with a sunny smile. "Luck is the intersection of hard work and opportunity."

And if opportunity doesn't knock on her door, Stollenwerck, 26, will go gunning for it.

At a gig at the Hotel Utah in San Francisco the week before, she mingled with her rapidly growing network of supporters, including Counting Crows guitarist Dan Vickrey, who said he once invited the tomboyish singer to play poker with his friends, "but she took all our money." Stollenwerck raised a shot of tequila and toasted her first foray into the Texas melee. "To Austin! To music!" She downed her shot, slamming one open hand down on the bar and letting loose an infectious alto guffaw that hinted of her biggest gift, her voice.

Underplayed on her shoestring-budget debut CD, "Square One," Stollenwerck's voice hints of the earthy charms of a young Melissa Etheridge or Bonnie Raitt. To hear her live is to understand the buzz. Sincere and organically soulful, she is as different from packaged young talents like Britney Spears as they come. And despite having enlisted the talents of heavyweight entertainment lawyer Jacqueline Sabec, the Cal graduate is still a babe in the music woods in many respects.

"Today I went to see Jason Mraz in this outdoor venue," she says in Austin, walking backward while she speaks and gesturing enthusiastically with her hands. "And he was so amazing that it made me cry. I mean, there was this huge crowd, and he was so good ..." her voice trails off; perhaps she is imagining herself in such a setting.

Finally settling on a restaurant, Stollenwerck and her friends are joined by another group that includes Jerry Hall, (a.k.a. the former Mrs. Jagger) and her friend Rachel Fuller, the live-in girlfriend of Pete Townsend and a singer in her own right who is also in Austin to do a gig. Both Hall and Fuller are solicitous of the young chanteuse, and promise to come to her show the next day. During the dinner, Robert Plant, a friend of Fuller's, comes over to say hello.

"OK, I'm freaking out a little here," says Stollenwerck under her breath to manager Jennifer Brazill. "I mean, this is too much."

When Plant leaves, she smiles at him and softly says goodbye -- but he doesn't notice. He might be the only one within 20 miles to be unresponsive to Stollenwerck's charms. Although she is resolutely granola-crunchy in her appearance -- eschewing makeup for the most part and looking as if she shops Haight Street secondhand stores -- she is also naturally stunning. As she moves through South by Southwest crowds, heads turn. It is not a coincidence that her showcase -- which also features four other fetching female singers -- has acquired the subtitle "Indie music never looked so fine."

She squirms a bit when this is mentioned. "I know, that's a little weird, huh? I'm not sure why it doesn't just say we're musicians."

Stollenwerck leaves dinner on the early side, nervous about her gig the next day. Before she goes she turns to Hall for an embrace. "You seem like such a great spirit," she says warmly. "I hope you come tomorrow."

To Stollenwerck's delight, Hall brings not only Fuller but her sister Rosie as well. The crowd at Momo's is divided between an indoor stage area and an outdoor patio. And on a gorgeous March afternoon in Texas, far more are outdoors than in. But Stollenwerck is undaunted by the smallish audience in front of her, and plows into her 40-minute set with fire and abandon. She proves herself not just a great singer but also an able guitarist, and by the end of her set, the audience is in her pocket.

After she is rushed by friends and well-wishers, a couple of men cautiously approach. They are with Rounder Records, they tell her. That was an awesome show. Does she have representation? A CD for them? Stollenwerck plays it cool, but dashes quickly to get copies of "Square One," which she thrusts into waiting hands. "Here you go," she says breezily. "It's not that good, but you get the idea."

Asked later why she would say such a thing, she winces. "Did I really say that? Oh God, I don't know. I have to be honest. I guess I was just trying to say that my voice sounds higher on the record -- I don't feel that I was able to pull up the soul from deep down. I wanted them to know I was capable of doing better."

Before leaving, Hall puts her arm around Stollenwerck's shoulder. "You have a wonderful voice, darlin,' " she says in a soft drawl. "I think you have a very bright future."

Stollenwerck, for a moment, is speechless.

"Was it worth it?" Stollenwerck ponders later, lugging her gear out of the club. She stops and looks around. "Hell, yeah. It was worth it."

She smiles slowly, knowing her journey is just beginning. "Anyway, we'll see what happens from here."  ¶ 9:46 AM