Cyndi Lauper comes to D.C. for a summer full of queer music. (Lauper photo by Joann Toy)
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ZACK ROSEN
Friday, May 18, 2007
Back in the ’80s, all bets were on Çyndi Lauper to be the musical face of a generation, while critics said rival Madonna was a short-term novelty act.
Of course, it didn’t quite work out that way.
Despite Lauper’s career setbacks, she has always managed to connect with a legion of gay fans and her “True Colors” tour, a fundraiser for the Human Rights Campaign, promises to be the musical highlight of a summer filled with gay-friendly acts.
Like a portable dance club with a social conscience, Lauper’s upcoming national tour, in conjunction with HRC and the Matthew Shepard Foundation, brings together a comprehensive roster of new and classic queer acts to raise money for gay rights.
The June 17 show at the Merriweather Post Pavilion (www.merriweathermusic.com) finds Lauper joined by Erasure, Debbie Harry, the Dresden Dolls, host Margaret Cho and special guest Rufus Wainwright to perform five hours of non-stop music. One dollar from each ticket sold will go to HRC and its grassroots campaign to support the hate crimes bill currently being reviewed by the Senate.
Already passed in the House, the bill was renamed the Matthew Shepard Act by Senate supporters in honor of the gay University of Wyoming student who was slain in a 1998 hate crime. True Colors tour organizers are also using the concerts to urge President Bush to sign the bill into law, although White House advisers have already recommended a veto.
In an interview with the Blade, Lauper, who has worked with HRC before, says that she decided to team up with the gay rights organization because of the current issues facing gay and transgender people.
“I’ve long admired [HRC’s] work and they are fighting at a national level for the issues that concern me the most: marriage equality and ending hate crimes,” Lauper says.
The concerts will feature a service that provides attendees with contact information for their legislators so that they can conduct phone and letter writing campaigns. Additionally, Lauper believes that any exposure to the cause is a positive one.
“Certain right-wingers are already flapping about [True Colors],” Lauper says. “So if it engages debate, then it is engaging discussions which are crucial to changing what’s wrong in this country. It [could be] an icebreaker for parents to talk to their gay kids. … If you can change one mind, you’ve made a difference.”
Lauper, who has a lesbian sister, encourages people to attend the True Colors concert with their families.
“A lot of my family is going to be at the shows,” she says. “We want families. Bring your lover, sister, mother, father, brother, cousin, best friends … uncles. Bring ‘em all out.”
WHILE TRUE COLORS might be the big gay glam act of the summer, a host of other queer artists are heading to town. Indie musicians have long been linked to a gay fan base and several upcoming acts are led by singers that either came out nonchalantly or were never “in” to begin with.
Brooklyn-based musician Chris Garneau will be playing at The Red and The Black (www.redandblackbar.com) on June 14. Garneau, whose somber voice and spare piano betray his debt to Elliot Smith and Jeff Buckley, has only recently had any press around his sexual orientation.
“I’ve been out forever,” Garneau says. “It’s only recently that I have put out a record and had to formally do press. I have no issue being out.”
He says that his shows attract a wide variety of people.
“It’s so diverse,” he says of his audience. “There’s no clear community at any given show. Even at home, in New York, it’s such a mixture of people. Most of the crowd will fit between their mid- to late-20s, gay, straight, hipsters … [there’s a] weird, older, kind of yuppie crowd at a lot of shows. It’s pretty bizarre.”
Other indie acts coming to town include post-punk revivalists Bloc Party, whose lead singer Kele Okereke casually outed himself in January to the Guardian in the U.K. They’ll be playing D.A.R. Constitution Hall (www.dar.org) on June 3. Trippy folksters Grizzly Bear will be opening for Canadian chanteuse Feist at the 9:30 club on June 13. Grizzly front man Ed Droste, far from shy about his sexual orientation, lamented to Prefix magazine that no one outside the gay media will cover him.
SUMMERTIME SHOWS AT Wolf Trap, an outdoor venue off the Beltway in Virginia, have become a Washington cultural tradition. The national park seems especially gay this summer, so grab a picnic basket and head out for some queer music under the stars.
Pink Martini, the 12-member mini-orchestra that plays songs with an international flair, kicks off Wolf Trap’s gay offerings on June 18. The group recently released a new album “Hey Eugene,” which was featured on NPR’s Morning Edition on May 15. Gay pianist Thomas Lauderdale is one of the group’s founders, and its resident chanteuse China Forbes is an easy mark for diva worshippers.
Lesbian crooner k.d. lang is next up on the slate, and she’s appearing together with country favorite Lyle Lovett, suggesting that lang will be returning to her down-home roots as she did on her recent album “Reintarnation.” The countrified duo play the park on June 20, but if folk music is more your style, then don’t miss the Indigo Girls on Aug. 26.
Anyone wanting to relive their dramatic ’80s angst will have full opportunity on July 2. Alternative godfather Morrissey will be giving a concert at Wolf Trap, and although he’s never been fully forthcoming about his sexual orientation, his many gay fans will most likely flock to the show.
Of course, concerts aren’t the park’s only fare. Full-out productions are part and parcel of Wolf Trap’s attractions, and this summer is no different.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar,” June 8-10, will star the 1973 film’s leading man, Ted Neeley. He seems to have made intermittent stabs at the role throughout the years, leading one to wonder if he really is the resurrected Jesus touring the musical theater circuit.
The Paul Taylor Dance Company performs a concert on June 26. Taylor, whose autobiography “Private Domain” describes affairs with both women and men, has had a legendary impact on the modern dance world.
Each year Wolf Trap stages at least one massive production, and this year’s contribution is Lerner and Lowe’s “Camelot.” From July 10-15, Michael York, who played the bisexual Brian in the film version of “Cabaret,” will play King Arthur in this classic musical.
Show queens and their mothers will probably make up the majority of the audience on July 29, when gay cabaret singer Michael Feinstein pairs up with Broadway diva Linda Eder. It’s interesting to note that Feinstein’s website highlights a number of photos of the performer playing for and laughing with then-President Reagan and then-first lady Nancy Reagan.
CLUB QUEENS SHOULDN’T despair this summer, especially at Pride time. Pop star Ari Gold will be visiting from New York to perform at Cobalt (www.cobaltdc.com) on June 7 in support of Capital Pride and his new album “Transport Systems.” Gold sports the triple distinction of being gay, Jewish and hot — a fact that has won him a wide range of admirers.
“I get the most fan mail from gay men of all ages,” says Gold. “Some are very young who are struggling to come out, and some are from men over the age of 50 who are struggling to come out and my music has made them feel good about who they are. Obviously, there’s a particular resonance for the ones who are gay and Jewish.”
Gold notes that more than his gay identity, he’s had to deal with serious flack about being Jewish.
“I’ve been very adamant about keeping my name, even when people told me it’s too Jewish,” Gold says. “I wanted to prove that Jews could be sexy pop stars. I never anticipated I’d be battling the stereotype in this way.”
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