a&e features
The business of performing at Pride
Show me the money: Crowds expect big names but most events are non-profits
When asked why she made Pittsburgh the site of her first Pride appearance in 2012 as opposed to a trendier city, out rocker Melissa Etheridge was matter of fact: āPittsburgh showed me the money,ā she told the crowd to a huge round of applause.
In retrospect, though, it wasnāt the stretch it might have seemed at first glance. Despite her industry cred as a Grammy-winning soul rocker with enough pop sensibility to have secured an impressive run of radio hits in the ā90s, Etheridge has always projected a rootsy, blue-collar vibe much the same way Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp have straddled the heartland/A-lister fence for decades on end. And yet, for Pittsburgh Pride, it was a huge moment.
āShe really was up there just preaching and having fun,ā says Gary Van Horn, president of the board of the Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh, the agency that produces Pittsburgh Pride. āShe used the pulpit and she was speaking to her people.ā
Van Horn says Etheridge was contracted to do a 75-minute set but ended up playing for about two-and-a-half hours. And although details of her contract are protected, as is the industry norm, by a confidentiality clause, Van Horn says he didnāt find her fee outrageous considering she travels with 11 people counting band members and manager, whose travel and hotel expenses have to be paid. After deciding in 2006 to move Pittsburgh Pride downtown and have a big-name headliner give a full concert-length set for which patrons would have to purchase tickets, Van Horn says he and his team couldnāt have been more pleased with Etheridgeās set.
āAt the end of the day, I would be very, very shocked if she cleared more than thousands of dollars just knowing she had to pay everybody,ā he says. āThere is a thought process out there that they should be doing this for free since itās a non-profit Pride event, but this is their job. This is how they pay their bills, they go and perform. Obviously itās important to do charity work sometimes, but there are over 120 Pride events in the U.S. that I know of and weāre only talking about a handful of artists that are even remotely available to that group and the same handful of folks at every Pride organization wants them, so to just expect them to do it for free is just not feasible. We showed her the money because she needed to have that.ā
The behind-the-scenes business of bringing celebrity entertainers in to perform at Pride events ā historically seen as a stage for either up-and-comers or past-their-prime acts that havenāt had hits in years but to whom gay men have been traditionally loyal ā is a dicey discussion. Obviously everybody wants to dream big and hope for a legend, but there are many factors involved: tour schedules, riders, appearance fees, whether the show is free or requires a ticket and more. Because the Capital Pride Festival is a free event, few would expect somebody of Beyonceās caliber would be willing to give a free two-hour show. That hasnāt, however, stopped organizers ā many of whom, like Van Horn, are volunteers ā from exploring how many branches up the higher-hanging fruit sits.
āOf course I would always aim high and then get shot back down,ā says Steve Henderson, a Capital Pride volunteer who worked for 17 years (his last year was 2013) on the entertainment planning committee. āUnless they were going for a pro bono show, we would never be able to get a Gaga, Britney or Madonna-like act. Not while itās a free festival. Gaga is a minimum $1 million plus more riders than Pride could ever handle. She also required a 10-truck load in and performance rehearsals weeks in advance, which we cannot do since the stage is installed the evening of the festival. That has been the problem with the āA gradeā headliners.ā
Henderson says he worked for years on a shoestring budget of about $15,000-20,000 at most for the day, a figure that had to include traveling expenses, lodging and everything. As you might imagine, most of the entertainers who play throughout the day on the Capital Pride main stage ā the Gay Menās Chorus, the drag cast at Ziegfeldās, emcees such as Destiny Childs, etc. ā donate their time. Corporate sponsorships and partnerships have given current organizers bigger budgets, he says. Ryan Bos, Capital Pride executive director, says heās not allowed to disclose the budget for headliners.
Despite the challenges, Henderson, who now lives in Chicago, has many good memories and says heās proud of the many acts they brought in over the years ā RuPaul in 2009, Chely Wright in 2010, Deborah Cox in 2012 and Cher Lloyd, Emeli Sande and Icona Pop in 2013 and more.
He says only two acts ever cancelled ā Mya gave about three weeksā notice citing a skiing accident in 2010. Chely Wright had just come out and was happy to fill in. The biggest nail biter, Henderson says, was Kelly Rowlandās 2011 cancellation about a week before the event. His years of working as a DJ with various record labels was always a help, but especially then, he says. Broadway belter Jennifer Holliday, whoād just sung with the Gay Menās Chorus of Washington the week before, saved the day.
āI didnāt really have time to freak out, I just had to figure out who we were gonna get,ā Henderson says. āThankfully I knew Jennifer from past work and I literally called her within a minute of it happening. She was somebody we had discussed about being a headliner or a co-headliner but we didnāt have the budget to do both. We had landed Kelly, which was pretty huge since her song was so big at the time, we really felt we had a winner.ā
Henderson says her camp gave no reason for the abrupt cancellation.
āIt was just a real quick e-mail. āSorry, not-gonna-be-able-to-make-itā-type thing. No reason.ā
Bos says three years ago the team that now plans main stage entertainment opted for a different approach and now bring in three co-headliners who each perform 25-35-minute sets to give the event more of a festival concert-type feel.
āWe did it to diversify, to set ourselves apart a little and to not throw all the eggs in one basket,ā he says.
This yearās concert, co-presented with radio station Hot 99.5, will feature En Vogue, Wilson Phillips, Amber and Carly Rae Jepsen. He says ā90s acts like the former two were purposefully chosen to dovetail with this yearās Flashback theme as itās the 40th anniversary of Capital Pride. Last yearās lineup was Karmin, Bonnie McKee, DJ Cassidy and Betty Who.
And while there will always be a spot for yesterdayās hit makers at various Pride events ā one recalls Inaya Day (āNasty Girlā) who played Capital Pride in 2010 or Taylor Dayne (āTell it to My Heartā) whoās found new life headlining Prides all over the Eastern Seaboard ā Bos says the notion that Pride is a place for washed-up divas of yesteryear is an anachronism.
āI think thatās an old perception,ā he says. āFor artists who are trying to launch an album, Pride provides an opportunity to get in front of a huge community. For those who have been around a while, they know the support from the gay community so they see it as a way to give back, but that perception has been shifting for a while now and you see it at other Prides as well.ā
Michael Musto, gay author and Musto! the Musical! columnist at out.com, agrees.
āIt used to be unfairly thought of as a dubious career move to do Pride-related events, but as LGBT became more accepted, so did Pride,ā he told the Blade. āOnce big names started performing at the Pier dance after the parade here in New York City (for big money of course), there was no stigma at all. They can also work the parade itself or do any number of things around the country for Pride and itās considered a good move for all involved.ā
Van Horn says the caliber of talent at Pittsburgh Pride started an uptick after they brought in Tiffany in 2006 and Kimberley Locke in 2007. In recent years, besides Etheridge, theyāve brought in top acts like Adam Lambert and Patti LaBelle. This yearās headliner is Iggy Azalea.
He says overall the community understands and established acts like Etheridge and LaBelle bring in their own fan bases, people who ordinarily wouldnāt attend Pride.
āOf course, yeah, everybody wants Cher or Cyndi Lauper or J. Lo or Beyonce but they have to be realistic,ā Van Horn says. āTheyāre in high demand and they get paid a lot. We have a list that continually gets updated via committee and we get suggestions from the community and then we start putting feelers out there with agents and management companies.ā
He also says there are a bounty of expenses involved in bringing in household names that the general public would never think of such as the logistics of building a downtown stage for a one-off, lights, power, security, portable toilets, fencing, clean-up services ā all in addition to the event itself. The Delta Foundation has one paid staff member and a host of volunteers.
āYouāre a victim of your own success in a way,ā he says. āYou continue to attract more and more people and yet itās also up to you to make sure theyāre all safe and provided for as well. Our Sunday event attracts about 90,000 people so you have to make sure theyāre all safe, have food to eat and drink throughout the day, the tents, tables and chairs ā you have to provide all that.ā
So whatās it like from the other side? Are there any unwritten industry rules for playing Pride events among artists and managers?
Howard Bragman, a gay PR veteran of Fifteen Minutes whoās worked with many LGBT acts, says not really. Several acts in his stable will be at various Prides this year including Chaz Bono who will appear at Toronto Pride with Lauper and Pussy Riot, and Ty Herndon whoās slated for Chicago Pride.
āI think it depends on the person and the moment,ā Bragman says. āSomebody ends up in the news and comes out and suddenly all the Prides come after you. Itās a great honor. Even when they have to say no, itās a great honor because youāre representing a community. ā¦ Nobody is offended. Itās a totally flattering moment.ā
He says in New York and Los Angeles, where celebrities often live, itās not uncommon for them to donate their time but if travel is involved, most Pride organizers know theyāll have to pay.
āIt just depends,ā he says. āBut inevitably, yeah, itās a family rate, itās not their top-dollar corporate rate and for these people who have speaking engagements, generally itās not just come in and ride in the parade for two hours. You come in the Friday before, thereās a reception, there are many interviews, sometimes on Saturday you cut the ribbon at the festival and then thereās the parade on Sunday. Itās a lot of work, but the best ones are the ones that are well organized and have been doing it a long time. Those are the ones theyāre the happiest to do.ā
Van Horn says itās practically impossible to gauge how close Pride fees jell with rates the same artist would require for a regular appearance. Pride sets are typically much shorter than a normal show.
āThere isnāt much data available on how much people pay for an artist because itās all confidential,ā he says. āLike at New York City Pride when Cher came out and sang four songs (in 2013), I know what Cher gets paid and I know New York City Pride wasnāt paying her typical fee.ā
Out singer-songwriter Eric Himan has played many Pride events since his first in South Florida in 2002. Now based in Tulsa, Okla., happily married and promoting his new album āPlaying Cards,ā he says Pride events have changed radically over the last decade or so.
āThe thing about Pride is that Pride means something different to everybody and so every organizer has a different approach,ā he says. āFor some, itās a rally. For others, itās a day to get away from politics and just enjoy being out. The trajectory of how much Pride has changed from being something in the park that only gay people go to, to moving downtown and incorporating a lot of businesses and corporate sponsorships so itās not just the gay bars sponsoring it, Iāve definitely noticed that change. So when you go in, you have to find out from the organizer what their idea of Pride is. I always viewed it as an opportunity to go be in my community and voice my ideas and concerns about how gay people fit into the world however you might go and everybody just wants a big dance party so you have to think about how youāre going to fit into that as the acoustic, live musician.ā
He says there have been times the mid-tier musicians get shafted when various Pride committees spend the bulk of their budget to bring in a name act.
āSometimes Iām glad to donate things, like CDs for a raffle or something like that,ā he says. āMy only concern is when I find out, āOh hey, we just spent 80 grand on yada yada but will you play for free?,ā thatās kind of when Iām like, āThat doesnāt seem correct.ā ā¦ When you go spend all your money on one person you wanted to bring, thatās when I get nervous about being a part of it.ā
Playing for the exposure is a common bone some organizers toss, he says.
āSometimes thatās OK but exposure is something you canāt really promise. What if it gets rained out that day? Well, there goes your exposure. Or what if the main act is at 12 that night, but they stick you on a stage next to it at 11 a.m.? Early on when youāre starting out as a musician, you donāt play for much money so the exposure works, but Iāve always found the times Iāve really gotten the best exposure have always been at paid gigs. I canāt recall one gig where they promised exposure and it was like, āOh god, it worked out.āā
Henderson gets that but says over his 17-year tenure at Capital Pride, he guesses 70-80 percent of the acts, especially the community groups, donated their time.
āI had long-running relationships with a lot of these labels, so I was able to negotiate a lot of pro bono stuff,ā he says. āIcona Pop was pro bono. So was Consuelo Costin and obviously all the local people like the Gay Menās Chorus, the D.C. Cowboys and all the local favorites. They all came in to donate their time and production and give up half of their afternoon on a steaming hot Sunday.ā
He also says the role of the Pride entertainment committee volunteer chair is a thankless job. He got involved as a āway to give backā but says it can easily ramp up into a second full-time job in the months leading up to Pride. He also says working by committee has a downside as well.
āWe lost out on some really big ones over the years waiting for the board to make a decision,ā Henderson says. āI wasnāt the one making the final decision and a couple times they waited too long and we lost out. Foster the People, Imagine Dragons and Diana Ross to name a few.ā
Van Horn says all the artists heās worked with have been easy and he has āno horror stories.ā
āThey always have safety and security concerns but thatās understandable,ā he says. āThere are crazies in the world. But no, there have never been any requests for M&Ms but take out all the blue ones or anything like that.ā
Henderson says the hardest part of the job was always keeping things running smoothly backstage where there are only three cooled dressing room/trailers. Making sure theyāre clean and free for who needs them at any given time is tough, he says.
āThereās always something going on like (local drag legend) Ella (Fitzgerald) shows up early and thereās no dressing room ready so her whole face melts off in the 100-degree heat,ā he says with a laugh. āGetting the headliners from the hotel to the backstage area to making sure they had a dressing room ready and clean especially when you have 40-50 entertainers throughout the day, those logistics were always the hardest part.ā
But on the occasions where it worked, there were magical moments. Henderson says when Pepper MaShay sang the āDive in the Poolā song from āQueer as Folkā at the 2012 event with its famous line āLetās get soaking wet,ā the fire departmentās decision to spray the crowd was not planned.
āIt was probably 105 degrees that day and they were there to have some water stations so people could cool off because it was just so hot,ā he says. āIronically they had put this big main hose on a ladder truck maybe about 10 minutes before Pepper went on so we ran over to the fire chief and said it would be kind of neat if you could spray the crowd when she sang that line. When it happened, everybody thought it was pre-planned but we just decided that minutes before. People were dancing and going crazy. It was fantastic.ā
Bragman says he always encourages his celebrity clients to do Prides anytime they can and says the payoff isnāt always in dollars.
āPride is always a big deal,ā he says. āItās really powerful. I always say go with the right attitude, go and have fun and you will be changed. You always go home with so much more than you gave, thatās just the nature of the beast. Itās such an emotional high.ā
a&e features
Rehoboth authorās new book tackles love, loss, and the allure of P-town
Will Freshwaterās series concludes with āThe Dark Horseā
For those of us who have experienced the allure of Provincetown, thereās no mystery about why author Will Freshwater set his series of three books there.
Itās not just about the scenic, remote location, or the many fine restaurants and spirited bars and nightclubs and theme weekends. Not just the picturesque harbor and its famed magical light. Itās about a shared sense of community unique among LGBTQ destinations.
Freshwater, whose latest book āThe Dark Horseā is out now, lives in Rehoboth Beach, Del., with his husband Stephen Cremen. And although Rehoboth became home after Freshwater retired from a career as a corporate attorney at Verizon in 2021, P-town always beckons. He first visited during the height of the AIDS crisis.
āI donāt think weāll ever experience anything like that again,ā he said. āThe community welcomed anyone who showed up on the ferry looking for love and support; it was a transformative experience.ā
Freshwaterās parents worried that heād never find a ānormal,ā happy life as a gay man, but P-town put those fears to rest.
āI saw people who were plenty happy and living lives that were what they wanted to be,ā he recalls. āI had never been able to hold my boyfriendās hand and walk down the street; young people canāt conceptualize that. It felt like home for me ā¦ it felt welcoming, a warm place where I could be myself.ā
So, naturally, the protagonist in his series of books, John Wells, travels to P-town from D.C. to find himself.
The first book in the Provincetown series, āFavorite Son,ā is a familiar read to any gay man of a certain age who worked on the Hill in the 1990s ā the sting of the closet, the need to be the best at work, and the chance meetings of romantic partners while riding the Metro. The story of John Wells, a senior Hill staffer, takes a turn after tragedy sends him reeling to P-town to heal.
The second book in the series, a prequel titled āThe Light Reflected,ā takes readers back in time when the main characters ā all gay men ā are in their 20s. Freshwater says it wasnāt a conscious decision to write a prequel, but that it evolved out of wanting to show younger readers what life was like for gays at that time.
āWe did stupid stuff and made stupid mistakes and ran away,ā he said. āAs a reader I often want to know what made a character a certain way. I was aware of my audience and in my generation I had the older mentors that shared our history and they died; I wanted readers to see what itās like for these characters to be in their 20s not just their 30s. I wanted to give that perspective to younger readers because I donāt know how theyāre going to experience that if not through books.ā
The new book, āThe Dark Horse,ā finds the characters Danny and Peter/John in domestic life in Boston where Danny runs the family business. Everyone is feeling restless and a bit miserable.
āItās about what happens after the fairy tale,ā Freshwater said.
The book also confronts the issue of unresolved feelings for past boyfriends, which takes the characters back to Provincetown. Thereās a shocking plot twist at the end of the second book, an unexpected ending for the romance genre, that is resolved to satisfaction in the final book.
āYou wonāt know until the final four pages of the book how it resolves,ā he notes.
This is the shortest book in the series and Freshwater says it took just 11 months to complete, compared to six years for the first book and eight years for the second book.
āThereās a great sense of closure and I can always visit these characters but Iām excited to move on and do new things.ā
Indeed, Freshwater is working on several new projects, including a book set in Rehoboth that heās co-writing with a friend, the gay romance author B.J. Irons. Freshwater is writing one character, a Rehoboth local who manages an inn on Baltimore Avenue and wants to ābreak out of his shell.ā Irons is writing the other main character, a developer from Los Angeles who moves to Rehoboth to open a large resort across the street from the inn. The book explores their friendship and business rivalry.
Rehoboth became home for Freshwater and Cremen thanks largely to the pandemic.
āIād been coming here since age 3 because it was the closest beach to Pittsburgh,ā he said. āWhen I was in law school I got introduced to a guy who had a house on the beach between Rehoboth and Dewey so I used to come down a lot in the mid-1990s and became hooked.ā
The couple bought a house in Rehoboth in 2018 and split their time between there and a home in New Jersey.
āWhen the pandemic started, we went to Rehoboth for two weeks thinking it would all blow over quickly and then never went back.ā
The couple began questioning their stressful lifestyle of maintaining two homes and corporate jobs. So they sold the New Jersey house and moved full time to Rehoboth in 2021.
In addition to the new book, Freshwater is writing a childrenās book using the classic āVelvet Rageā as inspiration. It features a puppy with a pink spot on his cheek while all the others in the litter have a black spot. The dog wears a mask to conceal his difference, but when it comes out everyone accepts him.
āIt thematically speaks to not hiding who you are,ā he said.
Freshwater offers sound advice to aspiring writers struggling to find their voice and overcome writerās block.
āIt always starts with an idea or character or theme and then you develop a broad outline and then work your butt off,ā he said. āDecide when youāre going to write and make a commitment that youāre going to do it, like an athlete who commits to practice every day from 3:30-5:30. Donāt wait for inspiration, just commit to writing every day, and then edit, edit, edit until it feels like whatās inside your head.ā
The new book is self published because Freshwater craved creative freedom.
āIām not sure what traditional publishers have to offer anymore,ā he said, ālike YouTube for musicians, if youāve got what you think is a high quality manuscript, put it out there and it will generate a following.ā
Freshwater will read from āThe Dark Horseā at an event on Saturday, March 23, 5-7 p.m. at Top of the Pines (56 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach). His books are available at Amazon and anywhere books are sold.
a&e features
āTigerā burning bright: an interview with Mary Timony
Todayās female-driven music scene wouldnāt be the same without her
Itās hard to imagine what the current female-driven music scene would be like without Mary Timony. From Sleater-Kinney to Haim, from Angel Olsen to Mitski, the influence of Mary Timony is in every note being played, every word being sung. On her new solo album, āUntame The Tigerā (Merge), with its sly nod to Joni Mitchell, Timony has brought her many years of musical experience to the fore, resulting in what is easily her most accessible release. Beginning with the incredible six-plus minute opener āNo Thirdsā and continuing through the first single, āDominoes,ā and gorgeous numbers including āThe Guest,ā āThe Dream,ā and āNot The Only One,ā Timony is assured to keep listeners purring along. Timony made time for an interview shortly before the album was released.
BLADE: Mary, Iād like to begin by talking to you about your musical lives in D.C. and Boston. I went to college in Boston in the early 1980s and was constantly amazed by the bands of the era such as Mission of Burma, Human Sexual Response, and āTil Tuesday. I moved to D.C. in the mid-1980s to go to grad school, and at the time, the music scene there was dominated by go-go music, and a smaller indie music featuring BETTY and the late Tommy Keene, among others. What do you remember about the music in D.C. as someone who grew up there?
MARY TIMONY: Thatās interesting. We kind of did a switcheroo. Iām from D.C. and I moved to Boston. (In D.C.) I learned, as a teenager, about rock shows and rock music from being involved in the punk scene, the post-hardcore scene of kids here. Those are the shows I went to in high school. Basically, the Dischord (Records) bands and stuff. I saw every single Fugazi show from when they started in ā87. Before that, whatever was happening in 1985, hardcore shows by Swiz and Soulside and Kingface and I loved Ignition. Other than that, I would go see bluegrass out in Virginia and I loved go-go. I would go to see (go-go bands) Rare Essence and Trouble Funk. I was very into that stuff; that was really exciting. I think I liked go-go the most out of all of it, actually [laughs]. I would go to DC Space and 9:30 (Club), mostly for local (acts). I don’t think I ever saw BETTY, but I was a teenager then.
BLADE: Was the active music scene in Boston in the early 1990s part of the appeal for you when it came to relocating to Boston to attend Boston University?
TIMONY: The reason why I went there was because I wanted to go to a music program that was in a big university, in case I didn’t wanna study music the whole time, which is exactly what happened. I studied classical guitar for a year and then I didn’t really like the program much, so I transferred to study English. I found out about the (Boston) music scene from friends. We went to The Middle East (nightclub) and TTās (T.T. The Bearās nightclub). Then after college, I ended up living right down the street from The Middle East and I was there constantly.
BLADE: Good old Central Square! As a performer playing in bands including Autoclave, Helium, and Ex Hex, and as a solo artist with her own band, itās not unreasonable to say that Mary, you are someone who plays well with others.
TIMONY: [Big laugh.]
BLADE: What makes you such a good team player?
TIMONY: I didn’t know I was [laughs]. I’ve gone back and forth between doing solo stuff and being in bands. Mostly, I’ve done projects where I’ve written a bunch of songs and I’m trying toā¦I haven’t done a ton of collaborative stuff really. Ex Hex was fun because it was more collaborative. Wild Flag, the same thing, totally 100% collaborative in every way. But Helium was really my thing, but I got some great people that totally influenced it. I’ve always been doing my own thing but tried to find really good people. Music really is about connection. Itās never as good if it’s only one person’s vision. Usually, if it’s good it’s good because of the connection between the musicians. Music is a social art form, I think.
BLADE: āUntame The Tigerā is the title of your new album. In 1999, Joni Mitchell titled her album āTaming The Tiger.ā Are you, in any way, making a nod to Joni?
TIMONY: A little bit because I am a huge fan. I have been since I was 18. But, it sort of came to me because I have a song called that on the record and I’m sure that probably came from ripping off Joni Mitchell. Then I just thought thatās a cool name for a record. Then I thought, āOh, shit!ā [Laughs] Itās already been taken! Then I thought about it and then I forgot about it. Then I thought about it again and finally, I was like, āItās OK. It’s a little bit different.ā And I love her!
BLADE: Iām currently reading Ann Powersā book āTraveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell,ā which comes out in June.
TIMONY: Oh, I’m definitely going to have to read.
BLADE: Yes, please add that to your reading list. āUntame The Tigerā is your first new solo studio album in 15 years. Are there things you write and sing about on your solo records that might be out of place on an album you would record with another one of your musical outfits?
TIMONY: Yes. That’s why this ended up being a solo record. I guess it was because of the tuning of my guitar. They were more or less finished songs. I wanted the songs to sound kind of acoustic. I also wanted to play with a bunch of musicians who I really love. All those things just made it seem like a solo record. If I’m writing for a band, like Ex Hex, which is basically the other band that I do right now, they’re not finished. I bring them in (to the band members) with that band in mind.
BLADE: I love the lush instrumental section on āThirdsā and the psychedelic sounds of āLooking For The Sunā and āThe Guest.ā Were there things you were listening to while writing the songs for āUntame The Tigerā that were inspiring to you?
TIMONY: I was listening to a lot of music, a ton of stuff. I don’t ever try to purposely emulate anything very often, but I can’t help it. I’d rather be influenced by stuff without really thinking about it too consciously. I always have loved listening to The Left Bankeās instrumentation and The Moody Bluesā string parts. Most of the string parts come from trying to emulate The Moody Blues [laughs] or The Left Banke. I’m obsessed with The Left Banke.
BLADE: āWalk Away RenĆ©e,ā right?
TIMONY: Yes. This guy, Michael Brown, was such a genius. He wrote so much stuff as a teenager. His dad was a string arranger. Anyway, I love those string parts. I was listening to this prog-rock band The Strawbs and this early (Ronnie) Dio band Elf. (The Flying) Burrito Brothers and The Byrds, too. I love Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span. Richard Thompson and I was really obsessed with Gerry Raffertyās early solo record called āCan I Have My Money Back?ā I love that record. I was listening to it a ton when I was arranging the songs.
BLADE: Why was the song āDominoesā selected as the first single from āUntame The Tiger?ā
TIMONY: I don’t know. I let other people tell me [laughs]. I really hate sequencing records and I hate choosing singles. Iām just too close to it. I can’t tell what people are going to like or not. A lot of times, the ones that I like are not the ones that other people like. I asked (the people at) the label and they suggested that. I think it’s more poppy sounding. Dave Fridmann mixed that one and āDonāt Disappearā and heās a genius mixer. and these mixers are always very pleasing and accessible sounding. I think that has something to do with it, too.
BLADE: Earlier, we talked about your long history of playing music with others, which reminded me of your guest spot singing āAll Dressed Up In Dreams,ā written by gay singer/songwriter Stephin Merritt for his band The 6thsā āWaspsā Nestā album.
TIMONY: Heās such a genius!
BLADE: How did that come about?
TIMONY: When I moved to Boston, for a year I lived with Claudia (Gonson of Merrittās band The Magnetic Fields), who is his drummer. I lived in a group house in Cambridge. I was friends with Claudia, and Stephin lived a few blocks away. She told me he was making this record with guest singers they wanted to go over and sing on it. I went over there one day and he taught me the song and I sang on it. I think he’s one of the best songwriters of the last 50 years or whatever.
BLADE: I completely agree. As someone who has collaborated with Stephin, are you aware of an LGBTQ+ following for your own music?
TIMONY: I don’t know. I think maybe a little bit. Iād love that. I love everybody who can connect with it, because all I’m trying to do is connect with people.
a&e features
Sherry Vine is turning 60 ā and sheās not quitting anytime soon
Legendary drag queen coming to D.C. for new show, āSmoke and Mirrorsā
There are many things Sherry Vine is proud of. Throughout her 33-year-long career, the drag queen has accomplished so much ā sheās released music, launched her own variety show and toured across the United States and Europe.
But what she loves the most about her career is making people laugh.
This calling to be a comedy queen started before her formal drag career. In high school, she remembers taking part in the musicals, and Vine would find joy in making people laugh by wittily changing song lyrics.
āThen it just evolved into doing that as the act,ā Vine said in an interview with the Blade.
From the beginning of her career, sheās made singing live parodies a central part of her performance as a drag queen. And for her 60th birthday, she knew she wanted to put on an extravaganza.
Vine is coming to the Woolly Mammoth on March 9 while on tour for her new show āSmoke and Mirrors,ā performed and written by her. Itāll include new parodies, from Bruce Springsteen to ABBA. The D.C.-based drag queen Tara Hoot will be a special guest at the show.Ā
Thereās a lot that led up to this milestone year for Vine. It all started with developing her character more than 30 years ago.
Developing Sherry Vine
Vine describes her persona as a down-on-her-luck showgirl from Las Vegas with a heart of gold.
She was always obsessed with stars like Joey Heatherton and Stella Stevens. Not to suggest those stars are down-on-their-luck showgirls, Vine said, but she wanted to evoke a sex kitten mentality. Her character eventually morphed into what it is today from these inspirations.
But at first, Vine said she thought she had to look funny to be funny.
āI didn’t care about the makeup. I didn’t wear big breasts. I just thought I had to look like a clown,ā Vine said.
When she moved to New York City in 1992, she was surrounded by queens who balanced being funny and gorgeous simultaneously. That was eye-opening for her, she said.
Now, she relishes surprising people, she said. Sheās been told she looks ātoo prettyā to be taken for a comedy queen, but thatās OK with her.
āI want to walk out on stage, and anyone who’s never seen me, maybe they’re like, āOh, she looks good,āā Vine said. āAnd then I started singing about poop and penis and they’re like, āOh my gosh, she’s so stupid.āā
When she was starting out as a drag queen, Vine reflected that she didnāt envision doing drag as a career. She remembers not wanting to commit to it. She wanted to be a movie star, she said.
āI kind of fought it. I loved it,ā Vine said. āBut I was like, I’m not doing this as a career.āā
But once she let go of fighting it, her career exploded. She got connected with RuPaul and was on two television specials in the 1990s. That support was crucial, Vine said, and helped her believe in herself more.
āI was like, āOh, OK. If this person thinks that I have something, then maybe I do,āā Vine said.
Drag has changed ā a lot
The drag scene has changed drastically. Vine credits a lot of this transformation to āRuPaulās Drag Race.ā
āWhen we started doing drag 30 years ago, no one in their right mind would have been like, āI’m going to do drag so I can make a lot of money and be famous,āā Vine said.
Before RuPaulās iconic single “Supermodel (You Better Work),ā one of the only examples of drag the average consumer saw was āMrs. Doubtfire,ā Vine said.
āYou had to have a passion for it,ā Vine said. āYou had to have a calling.ā
When Vine started, drag was a fringe art form that had an audience of mostly gay men.
Nowadays, itās mainstream. Drag is enjoyed by a much wider audience, and is more of a way to become famous. When Vine was coming up in the industry, there were few ways to get on TV and in films as a drag queen, short of playing a character that was murdered on āLaw & Order,ā she said.
But even though drag has evolved and grown in popularity, Vineās advice to drag queens has stayed the same over the years.
āDon’t try to do something because you think someone else is doing it successfully,ā Vine said. āFind what you do, and then exploit and explore that.ā
Looking back, looking ahead
Out of her multi-decade run as a drag queen, Vine said sheās most proud of the longevity of her career. There are a few people who have been in it as long as she has ā Lady Bunny and Miss Coco Peru, for example. Few others have made it as long as Vine, she said.
She stresses that she canāt take credit for creating things, but she takes pride in being one of the first drag queens to go viral on YouTube in the 2000s. Her āBad Romanceā parody, released in 2009, racked up more than 6 million views over the years.
In the next few years, sheās looking into doing more television and film projects. Her latest show, āThe Sherry Vine Variety Show,ā just wrapped filming its third season. Creating this show is fulfilling a childhood dream of hers, she said. Itās an homage to āThe Carol Burnett Show,ā which Vine grew up watching.
Whether itās performing on camera or onstage, Vine doesnāt see herself quitting anytime soon.
āI love performing and drag as much now as I did 33 years ago,ā Vine said. āSo I don’t see ever stopping.ā
To get details on how to buy tickets to āSmoke and Mirrors,ā visit woollymammoth.net/productions/sherry-vine.
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