Sami Grisafe was playing in a key volleyball playoff match during her senior year at Redlands ( Calif. ) High School, but her mind was elsewhere … where she was supposed to be at the time.
Grisafe was to be performing in the school's rendition of The Larrabee Project, so, when volleyball ended, with a victory, she literally ran to the theatre. And they had held the start of the show for Grisafe.
Grisafe's high school run is, well, not much different from her current gigs in Chicago.
She's the standout quarterback for the Chicago Force, in her fifth season with the women's tackle football team. Grisafe also has been a bartender at The Closet in Lakeview for three years and is an aspiring actress. Plus, she sings vocals and plays the ukulele for The Wick, a four-person, Chicago-based band that describes its musical genre as rock/soul, or, provoc-rock. Lyrically, the subject matter of their songs range from social struggles, such as addiction and suicide, to love and sex.
The Wick was established last November and has already recorded its debut album, "The Wick on Wax," which was released on iTunes this spring.
"I've always had an eclectic, dynamic day-to-day lifestyle," Grisafe said.
Grisafe played baseball in her native California for nine years, then became the first woman in California to play quarterback in a varsity Division I football game. She quarterbacked Team USA last summer in Sweden to the gold medal in the first Women's International Football Competition.
"Playing on the Force is like having 45 sisters; it's really a great support system," Grisafe said. "The Force is more than just teammates; it's like my family, especially since my real familymy mom, dad and brother, Kyleare in California and I now usually only see them once a year."
That includes Force owner/general manager Linda Bache.
"Linda has been like a mom to me. She's really helped me develop and grow up. She's been a huge influence to me and I'm very thankful to her," Grisafe said.
The Wick will be performing Wed., June 22, at Martyrs, 3855 N. Lincoln, starting at 10 p.m.
"I love the band. We have so much fun together and have done so much in such a short period of time," Grisafe said.
STATS
Name: Sami Grisafe
Age: 26
Neighborhood: Rogers Park
Favorite football team: San Francisco 49ers
Favorite football player: Joe Montana
Relationship status: Dating Ren
Favorite musical group: Counting Crows
Favorite performer: Ani DiFranco
Photos by Ross Forman