Call it sass, strength, charisma, cojones, spirit or spunk… comedian Margaret Cho and rockabilly/country Hall of Famer Wanda Jackson have it in spades.

Jackson may have grown up in the 50s and dated Elvis while Cho was a child of the 70s who dated, well… just about everybody (“Am I gay? Am I straight? I’m just slutty!”), but both women have approached their respective art forms with a full-speed-ahead velocity unhindered by convention or criticism. And that of course, is something to be applauded.

Rock star!

Duh.

Those who saw the latter part of her latest concert film Beautiful know that Cho wrapped things up by professing her love for music, picking up a guitar and rambling through a song she wrote. She promised that there would be more to come.

For her Friday, October 9th Rialto performance she will be “workshopping” a new show that will be a blend of fresh comedy and live music, the latter of which will be a taste of what’s to come from her forthcoming album Guitarded.

The “workshopping” part explains why the tour stops are entirely made up of cities the size if Tucson, while skipping major markets. And it also explains that this is a bit of a practice run to gear up for the big stuff.

It’s probably safe to say that Cho’s song was not exactly the highlight of Beautiful. So why the album?

You see, Margaret Cho, like most cult heroines, is loved. A lot. So if Cho wants to make an album, Cho makes an album. And she doesn’t just slap it together in the basement with a bunch of nobodies, she records it with the likes of Patty Griffin, Jon Brion, Grant Lee Phillips and others.

While this might make some roll their eyes, consider this: she’s had some time to improve and has worked with some excellent tutors. Also, most folks don’t jump into a new art form overnight (unless you are Cho, of course) and that aforementioned chutzpah and determination gets you far. And frankly, she’s earned it.

For her contributions to equal rights she’s been honored by the ACLU, GLAAD, The National Organization for Women and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, just to name a few. Also, she’s boldly and brilliantly hilarious. Shocking? Yes, but undeniably charming.

But there is no need to try to talk you into it if you already know Cho. To know her is to love her and if you do, you are probably reading this, ticket in hand.

Margaret Cho plays the Rialto Theatre on Friday, Oct. 9 with doors at 7 p.m. John Roberts opens and tickets are $36 for reserved seats and $56 for Gold seats. More info is at www.rialtotheatre.com.

Hopefully the ticket in your other hand will be one that gets you in to see the “Queen of Rockabilly”, Wanda Jackson, whose voice drips with more attitude than a drag queen in 100 degree weather. Especially when she sings her rockabilly hits such as the fiery “Fujiyama Mama”, “Let’s Have a Party” and “Riot in Cellblock #9” or the exotic and entrancing “Funnel of Love”. But Jackson has also had hits in the realms of country and gospel. After all, she grew up in Oklahoma before hitting the road as a performer as a teen with her father acting as her manager.

How do you know you made a splash in the world of music? It’s not just playing alongside the big boys, like Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly, though that doesn’t hurt. And it’s not just being brave enough to write your own songs when it just wasn’t done by woman. It’s not just being tough enough to be tough in a world full of safe female performer stereotypes.

Also on Saturday, Oct. 10, Jackson fans can make a day of it and see The Sweet Lady With The Nasty Voice, the documentary dedicated to the woman of the hour at the Crossroads 6 Cinema at 5:30.