This week sees the return of the annual Chicks Rockfest at Downtown's Poison Room. The event is now in its seventh year (an impressive feat for a homegrown festival) and it has stayed true to its initial mission of showcasing lesser-known performers and musicians of the female persuasion from around the country. As it says on the Web site (chicksrockfest.com), the only criteria to be met if you want to be considered for the festival are "you have a female in your band and that you do indeed rock." So, at least one vagina and a little inherent power in your music and your band has a shot to play. The fest prides itself on judging submission solely on the music and not prior accomplishments, genres or "who you know."

This year, the festival runs Thursday-Sunday and utilizes both of the Poison Room's performance stages. Tickets are $8 and club-goers 18 and up are permitted (all ages are allowed in on Sunday). Below is the schedule of performers each day, with local bands in bold.

Thursday
Toxic Stage (upstairs)

9 p.m. The Walker Project

10 p.m. Ruby Rendrag (New Orleans)

11 p.m. Dead Language (NYC)

12 a.m. The Whitney Barricklow Band

1 a.m. The Jellyhearts (Columbus, Ohio)

Poison Stage (downstairs)

8:45 p.m. Tangerine (Pittsburgh)

9:35 p.m. magpie (Columbus)

10:25 p.m. Mercurochrome

11:15 p.m. Subliminal

12:05 p.m. Pandora (Crete, Ill.)

12:55 p.m. Deadly Seven

Friday
Toxic Stage

8 p.m. Manifest Frequency (Atlanta)

9 p.m. Freyja (L.A./London)

10 p.m. Honeychuck (Washington D.C.)

11 p.m. Dirty Lenin (NYC)

12 a.m. Pike

1 a.m. FLUTTR EFFECT (Boston)

Poison Stage

8:15 p.m. Haflife (Detroit)

9:15 p.m. 8 Inch Betsy (Chicago)

10:15 p.m. 10 Sugar Charlie (Wichita, Kan.)

11:15 p.m. Tildebang (Columbus)

12:15 a.m. OttO Vector (Detroit)

1:15 a.m. Red Dahlia (Athens, Ohio)

Saturday
Toxic Stage

8 p.m. Jen Porter (Chicago)

8:50 p.m. The Locals (Chicago)

9:40 p.m. Tracy Walker

10:30 p.m. Jami Ross (Cleveland)

11:20 p.m. Rebecca Hart (NYC)

12:10 a.m. Casey Desmond (Boston)

1 a.m. Emerson Rose (Indianapolis)

Poison Stage

8:45 p.m. Whiskey Boots (Kansas City)

9 p.m. Crooked Rook

10:45 p.m. Crankbox

11:30 p.m. Motorpsychos (Pittsburgh)

12:15 a.m. The Outside (NYC)

1 a.m. Sunspot (Madison, Wisc.)

Sunday
Toxic Stage

7:15 p.m. Star Cherry Seven

7:55 p.m. Holly Spears

8:45 p.m. Katie Trotta (Indianapolis)

9:35 p.m. Meika Pauley (Cambridge, Mass.)

10:25 p.m. Rebecca Jed (Nashville)

11:15 p.m. Cookie Cutter Girl (Ipswich, Mass.)

12:05 a.m. Twisted Wood

Poison Stage

7:30 p.m. The Trojan Rabbit

8:20 p.m. Stewart (NYC)

9:10 p.m. Backseat Virtue

10 p.m. Pike

10:50 p.m. Vanity Theft

11:40 p.m. kelp

12:30 a.m. Cobalt (Chicago)

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CONTACT MIKE BREEN: mbreen(at)citybeat.com