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A night with the mighty Cameron

Organ virtuoso plans only semi-local tour stop with Richmond appearance

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Cameron Carpenter says the conditions of the organs in the various concert halls in which he plays are a huge factor in determining his set list. (Photo by Michael Hart; courtesy Buckle Sweet Media)

Cameron Carpenter, organist
A Night With the Mighty Wurlitzer
Oct. 7 at 8 p.m.
Byrd Theatre
2908 West Cary Street
Richmond, VA
Tickets: $35 ($45 at the door; $75 VIP)

 

Anyone who follows classical organ music — especially gays — know virtuoso Cameron Carpenter is the most iconoclastic and controversial organist to come along in decades. He’s also arguably the most famous.

Granted, it’s a field in which it takes little to be iconoclastic. Even with all the gay organists out there — some anecdotally guess church players are 70 percent gay in the U.S. — it’s a highly staid playing field. Churches that think musically outside the box are chucking the organ altogether in many cases, not thinking of ways to bring it into the 21st century.

Carpenter — though often of serious facial expression — is clearly having a field day. Sadly, his international tour hopping of the last several years has eluded Washington. Local fans will get their best chance to see him next week when his fall tour makes a Richmond, Va., stop. It’s a little more than two hours from D.C. During a lengthy phone interview this week from his Berlin home, the 30-year-old bi Juilliard-trained prodigy-turned-phenom who grew up home schooled in tiny Meadville, Pa., covered a broad swath of topics about his life, work, goals and musical philosophies. Comments have been edited for length.

BLADE: Why Berlin and how long have you lived there?

CARPENTER: I’ve been here a little over a year though my total time here, because of touring, has been probably half that. Initially I felt it was a good time to live in Europe. I didn’t want to live in the U.S. my entire life and I didn’t want to turn 30 there.

BLADE: Why?

CARPENTER: The U.S. is a very confused place right now. I don’t wish to renounce it, but I never really had any nationalistic sense at all. … Europe is more artist-friendly and its sense of history is much longer.

BLADE: How much do you vary your set list from night to night? What can we expect in Richmond?

CARPENTER: It’s hard to say. I understand it’s some kind of historic organ there, so that will be a big factor. I’ve gotten a lot of messages about the terrible shape it’s in which, of course, exacerbates the usual question marks of what I’ll be playing.

BLADE: But even if every organ you play had infinite capabilities, you’d still vary your program nightly?

CARPENTER: Oh yes, most definitely. When we get the touring organ on the road (a project Carpenter has been working on that will allow him to play anything anywhere anytime), I’m intent to keep doing that. … I think it’s just part of the ethos of being a classical musician. I know some who do the same thing every (night) within a tour and it would be difficult for me to get excited about that.

BLADE: But what about fans who read about something really great you did in another city but will likely only get one chance to hear you per year if they’re lucky?

CARPENTER: That does occasionally happen. I’ve been doing something interesting with the Mahler Fifth Symphony and I have recently been pairing it with a new transcription of Busoni’s piano transcription of Bach’s “Chaconne,” which was originally written for violin and putting them together as a massive prelude and fugue of sorts but it’s like 35 minutes or most of the second half of the program. I pretty much despair of playing in anywhere in the U.S., though, because you cannot do it unless it’s a massively well-equipped organ in perfect condition.

BLADE: So you’re obviously concerned, as one would expect, about sound quality and instrument quality in the various venues you play — does it bother you to think of people watching YouTube clips of your playing with the sound coming out of crappy computer speakers?

CARPENTER: It’s two different subjects. In a live experience, the acoustics are more alchemy than science so there are things we’re doing for the touring organ that will have the ability to make that organ sound great in any room, but that is a world of difference from watching something on YouTube. At this point, we just have a cultural literacy that understands YouTube and the very YouTube-ness of it. It’s a staggering cultural phenomenon and the price you pay for it is loss of fidelity … but the organ has certain remarkable traits that make it possible for much of its impact to be retained.

BLADE: What are your thoughts — even preliminarily — on your next album?

CARPENTER: I can’t really say much. I’m pursuing some options with a few different labels but it’s still in negotiation.

BLADE: But regardless of how it’s distributed, what would you like to record?

CARPENTER: My number one goal in life right now is seeing the touring organ to fruition so every discussion and question regards that as a priority. Having said that, launching it with the next album would really be a personal milestone and a cultural milestone. I think I’d like to record more of my own material. I’ve been composing a lot.

BLADE: Are your shoes custom?

CARPENTER: Yes. We’ve thought about marketing them but it’s such a small market.

BLADE: You have them in several colors — silver, red — how many pairs do you have?

CARPENTER: I really only have one truly functional pair. They can become worn out if you wear them on concrete and such. I get them from a company in Europe.

BLADE: Are they expensive?

CARPENTER: A few hundred Euros a pair. Certainly not expensive compared to having couture shoes custom made. They’re really more like dance shoes.

BLADE: And you’re dating someone these days I hear. How do you make that work with so much touring?

CARPENTER: It’s very good. I live with a 22-year-old philosophy prodigy and I guess the two of us have an essentially queer relationship … It lets me have the security of a home and a partner but obviously we both enjoy sleeping with other people from time to time. Travel actually excites that side of my life and I’m more social. I can be in the house for a very long time and have this hard-fought territory. It can be healthy to get out because I have a tendency to cocoon and overwork.

BLADE: Why are so many organists gay?

CARPENTER: Any answer I could give would be speculative but I can trod out whatever threadbare theory I have. I, of course, know no more than anyone else and less than some. But statistically or anecdotally, yes, it seems most American organists are gay or at least questionable if not questioning. It’s an unfair assumption because I also know a number of straight American organists. I also have some difficulty with the accuracy of the term gay as applied to myself … but I think the organ is a kind of voice in some ways and it’s kind of a mythical or mythological voice of empowerment and command so somehow down the channels of interpretation and tradition perhaps a sort of rivulet opened and appealed to a certain aesthetic branch of personality that was sort of gay. Theaters and churches are traditionally camp. You have myriad controls and buttons that can bring things from the softest whisper to an obnoxious roar. … Church, let’s face it, is a pretty innately camp environment where you have men wearing dresses acting out all this ceremony. In some ways, it’s the same as the theater. So where organst exist perhaps somehow appeals to the camp nature of where gay men express themselves. I wouldn’t really know though, because the organ never seemed any more gay or religious to me than the accordion.

BLADE: You didn’t grow up going to church or hearing the organ in a church?

CARPENTER: No

BLADE: Your family isn’t religious?

CARPENTER: No, I grew up in a religion-free house.

BLADE: What do you think of Virgil Fox? Are you flattered when people compare you to him?

CARPENTER: I don’t think about him a lot. Some of what he achieved was pretty remarkable for the time but I have a few reservations about him artistically. It’s a dangerous subject because the people who are really nostalgic and positive about him are kind of substituting experiences very vividly or positively and skipping over other things in a kind of substitution for the experience itself. I think what is born out of really studying a lot of the footage is a lot of it is simply not very sophisticated. When I hear people say I remind them of him or getting very nostalgic about it, I think they’re probably not really listening to me.

 

 

 

 

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Miscellaneous

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Five easy tips to help you avoid common risks

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Be sure to install baby gates if you have stairs in your home with young children. (Photo by Kasia Bialasiewicz/Bigstock)

Your home is more than just a place to eat and sleep; it’s your safe haven. As much as you might cherish your home, you should probably also recognize the potential hazards within its familiar walls. Accidents can happen in an instant, yet with a little foresight and some simple adjustments, you can transform your house into a safer haven. 

Accidents can happen anywhere, and with a few simple tweaks, you can lower risks in your space. Below you’ll find five tips for each room in your home to help prevent injuries, falls, and other mishaps. In short, home safety. 

This article was inspired by a shower in a rental we managed that began leaking through the kitchen ceiling below. If only the landlord had installed grab bars, right!? Below, we’ll guide you through the steps to fortify your bathroom, making it a place of relaxation without the fear of slips and falls. Then, we’ll venture into the room where the magic happens, where proper planning can ensure great nights and peaceful mornings. We’ll show you how to prevent accidents while you experiment becoming the next Gordon Ramsey. And we’ll include a few surprising solutions for those other rooms that hold their own unique hazards, offering solutions to safeguard against unexpected mishaps.

Bathroom Safety

Install Grab Bars: Adding grab bars near the shower and toilet can provide essential support for family members of all ages. Not only can they help with getting in and out, but they can help provide stability when washing. Make sure they are securely anchored to the wall.

Non-Slip Mats: Place non-slip mats inside the shower and bathtub to prevent slips. They’re a small investment that can save you from falls and head injuries.

Adjust Water Temperature:  Ensure your hot water is set to a safe temperature to avoid scalding. The hot water heater should be set to around 120°F (49°C)l, the middle setting on many water heater settings. 

Medicine Cabinet Locks: If you have young children, use childproof locks on your medicine cabinet to keep harmful substances out of reach.

Proper Lighting: Ensure there’s adequate lighting in the bathroom to avoid trips and falls during nighttime visits. Nightlights can be a simple and effective solution. 

Bedroom Safety

Clear Pathways: Keep pathways in the bedroom clutter free to prevent tripping. Ensure there’s enough space to move around comfortably, particularly getting around the bed.  Be aware where all furniture is when walking around to avoid stubbed toes, particularly at night.

Secure Rugs: If you have throw rugs, use rug grippers or double-sided tape to keep them from slipping. Loose rugs are a common trip hazard. 

Bed Rails: For anyone at risk of falling out of bed, consider installing bed rails to provide extra support and prevent falls.

Nightstands with Drawers: Opt for nightstands with drawers to keep essential items.  This reduces the need to get out of bed at night, minimizing the risk of falls, as you race to grab what you need and not lose a moment’s rest.

Fire Safety: Install battery-operated smoke detectors in the bedrooms if there are none. Make sure to install them 36 inches away from an air vent or the edge of a ceiling fan.  Also six inches away from the joint between the wall and ceiling.  And test smoke detectors regularly.

Kitchen Safety

Non-Slip Flooring: Choose slip-resistant rugs in the kitchen, especially in areas where spills are common. Mats near the sink and stove can also help and you can often buy them fairly cheaply at Costco.

Childproof Cabinets: If you have little ones, use childproof latches on cabinets and drawers to prevent them from accessing potentially hazardous items.

Anti-tip brackets: Install an anti-tip bracket behind the range. These are often used when children are in the home. Although they are less likely to open the oven door and use it as a step stool to get to the stove-top, adults can also benefit from installing these. 

Adequate Lighting: Proper lighting is crucial in the kitchen to avoid accidents. Under-cabinet lighting can illuminate work areas effectively.

Secure Heavy Items: Ensure heavy pots and pans are stored at waist level to prevent straining or dropping them from high shelves.

Sharp Object Storage: Keep knives and other sharp objects in a secure drawer or block. And handle all sharp items with extreme care, even when washing and drying. These steps reduce the risk of accidental cuts.  

Other Safety Tips

Furniture Anchors: Secure heavy furniture, like bookshelves and dressers, to the wall to prevent tip-overs, especially if you have young children.

Adequate Outlets: Check for damaged outlets and replace them promptly. Avoid overloading circuits with too many devices. Install placeholder plugs in outlets to prevent young curious fingers (or tongues?) from going inside an electrical outlet.

Stair Gates: If your home has stairs, install safety gates at the top and bottom to prevent falls, especially if you have toddlers or pets to keep them off of the stairs when you cannot monitor them.

Emergency Escape Plan: Develop and practice an emergency escape plan with your family, including a designated meeting place outside.

Carbon Monoxide Detector:  If your home burns any fossil fuels for heating or appliances, install carbon monoxide detectors in common areas of your home to detect this odorless gas. The D.C. building codes require this if you use a fireplace or if you have an attached garage. In essence, if there is any potential source of carbon monoxide in the home, be sure to install these detectors.

Remember, a safer home not only prevents accidents but also provides peace of mind for you and your family. Implement these simple tips to create a secure environment in every room of your house.

With these practical tips and a few adjustments, you can significantly reduce the risk of injuries and falls in your home. Enjoy peace of mind in your now much safer haven.

Scott Bloom is owner and senior property manager of Columbia Property Management.

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Celebrity News

Lizzo makes $50K donation to Marsha P. Johnson Institute

Singer is vocal LGBTQ ally

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Lizzo at the 65th Grammy Awards (Screenshot from the Grammy Awards)

When Lizzo sings “If I’m shinin,’ everybody gonna shine,” in her hit song, “Juice,” she means it. Proof of that came this week on Instagram when the LGBTQ ally announced the first winner of her annual Juneteenth Giveback Campaign is the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, a national nonprofit based in Richmond, Calif., dedicated to the protection and defense of Black transgender people. 

And she did so in song: “On the first day of Juneteenth, Lizzo gave to me,” she sang in her video, posted Tuesday, as she revealed her $50,000 gift to MPJI.

“That’s right, we know who Marsha P. Johnson is. We know what Marsha P. Johnson has done for the LGBTQ, emphasis on that ‘T,’ Q community,” said Lizzo to her 13.5 million followers. “Thank you so much to the people at the Marsha P. Johnson Institute. You deserve this, and I hope this helps you so much as you help protect our Black trans family.” 

“What the Marsha P. Johnson Institute does is protects and defends the rights of Black transgender people. They do this by organizing community, advocating for the people, and creating an intentional healing community, developing transformative leadership and promoting collective power,” she said. 

“We are overjoyed for the shoutout from Lizzo today, the generosity of her sharing her platform and the recognition of MPJI and its work,” said Elle Moxley, MPJI’s executive director. “The resources from this campaign will ensure the protection and defense of Black transgender people continue at a time where it is so vitally needed. We are so grateful for the support of Lizzo and her fans.”

As one of Time Magazine’s Persons of the Year for 2019 and a 2023 Grammy winner, Lizzo is more than a pop star but an inspiration to millions of fans for her body-positive attitude, her self-confidence on stage and in her videos, her empowering music and her activism. She’s also the founder of her own clothing line, Yitty. In 2021, she made headlines when she publicly corrected a paparazzo for using “she/her” pronouns and misgendering Demi Levato.

As part of her campaign, now in its 4th year, Lizzo recognizes Black-led grassroots organizations and businesses and encourages her fans to join her in supporting each of the five organizations she highlights this week. Fans who take action by donating are  entered into a drawing for an all-expenses paid trip to see her perform at Fuji Rock in Japan later this year. 

This week’s other nonprofits receiving gifts are: Black Girls Smile, Sphinx Music, the University of Houston and Save Our Sisters United.

Find out more about Lizzo’s 4th annual Juneteenth Giveback Campaign by clicking here.

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Celebrity News

Anne Heche dies after removal from life support

Actress dated Ellen DeGeneres in late 1990s

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(Screenshot/YouTube Inside Edition)

Actress Anne Heche died after she was removed from life support on Sunday, nearly two weeks after her Mini-Cooper crashed through a two-story house in Los Angeles’ Mar Vista neighborhood. Investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department believe she was intoxicated at the time.

She sustained a severe anoxic brain injury along with severe burns and was being treated at the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills Hospital, near Chatsworth in the San Fernando Valley.

The 53-year-old actress who was a star of films like “Donnie Brasco,” the political satire “Wag the Dog” and the 1998 remake of “Psycho,” had been declared legally dead under California law on Friday, however, her family kept her alive long enough to be an organ donor.

In a statement Friday, the LAPD announced that: “As of today, there will be no further investigative efforts made in this case. Any information or records that have been requested prior to this turn of events will still be collected as they arrive as a matter of formalities and included in the overall case. When a person suspected of a crime expires, we do not present for filing consideration.” LAPD detectives had previously made public that investigators into the crash found narcotics in a blood sample taken from Heche.

The actress’s family released a statement on Friday:

“Today we lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend. Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy. Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact,” the statement added.

Heche was married to camera operator Coleman Laffoon from 2001 to 2009. The two had a son, Homer, together. She had another son, named Atlas, during a relationship with actor James Tupper, her co-star on the TV series “Men In Trees.”

Laffoon left a moving tribute on an Instagram reel in which he also gave an update on how their 20-year-old son Homer Laffoon is coping with the loss of his mother.

“I loved her and I miss her, and I’m always going to,” he said adding: “Homer is okay. He’s grieving, of course, and it’s rough. It’s really rough, as probably anybody can imagine. But he’s surrounded by family and he’s strong, and he’s gonna be okay.”

“Rest In Peace, Mom, I love you, Homer,” the actor’s 20-year-old son, Homer, said in a statement after Heche was declared legally dead on Friday.“ My brother Atlas and I lost our Mom,” read the statement. “After six days of almost unbelievable emotional swings, I am left with a deep, wordless sadness. Hopefully, my mom is free from pain and beginning to explore what I like to imagine as her eternal freedom. Over those six days, thousands of friends, family, and fans made their hearts known to me. I am grateful for their love, as I am for the support of my Dad, Coley, and my stepmom Alexi who continue to be my rock during this time. Rest In Peace Mom, I love you, Homer.”

Tupper, a Canadian actor who starred alongside Heche in “Men in Trees,” had a 13-year-old son, Atlas, with her. “Love you forever,” Tupper, 57, wrote on his Instagram post’s caption with a broken heart emoji, which shared an image of the actress from Men in Trees.

Between 1997 and 2000, Heche was also in a relationship with talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.

“This is a sad day,” DeGeneres posted on Twitter. “I’m sending Anne’s children, family and friends all of my love.” The year after her break-up with the comedian, in September 2001, Heche recounted in her memoir “Call Me Crazy,” about her lifelong struggles with mental health and a childhood of abuse.

KTLA’s entertainment reporter Sam Rubin noted that over the past two decades, Heche’s career pivoted several times. In 2017, she hosted a weekly radio show on SiriusXM with Jason Ellis called “Love and Heche.”

In 2020, Heche made her way into the podcast world. She launched “Better Together” which she cohosted alongside Heather Duffy Boylston. The show was described as a way to celebrate friendship. 

She also worked in smaller films, on Broadway, and on TV shows. She recently had recurring roles on the network series “Chicago P.D.,” and “All Rise” and was a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars.”

People magazine reported that several of Heche’s acting projects are expected to be released posthumously.

These include “Girl in Room 13,” expected to be released on Lifetime in September, “What Remains,” scheduled to be released in 2023, and HBO Max TV series “The Idol,” created by Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson.

In her Instagram post from earlier this year Heche stands between her sons Atlas, 13 and Homer, 20.

From KTLA:

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