The February installment of ABSOLUTE Fringe was a fantastic evening of mostly female musicianship. The acoustic line-up was poetry, really. It started with the Scott Free Trio. Their set was a perfect counterpoint to their electric set they put on the month before. Scott and Jenny and Marvin show such versatility and sensitivity to Scott songs.
Next up was Tret Fure. Depth is the word that immediately comes to mind. Tret has been a professional singer/songwriter for 40 plus years. She is going to celebrate her 60th birthday soon! She brought a depth of emotion, intellect, and musicianship it is rare to encounter. She held the audience in the palm of her hand.
The Congress of Starlings are Andrea Bunch and Aerin Tadesco. I have seen them both separately, but together there is a melding of musical vision and a harmony that is breath taking. I only wish their set had featured some of Andrea's electronic offerings.
Downstairs the show opened with Ellen Rosner. She had some new backing players, so her sound had transitioned from what I had heard at the Cake Chicago show last year. Her voice was lovely as always.
Stewed Tomatoes were the second band up, and they blew me away. I guess I heard them with new ears. These women rule! They totally had me when they whipped out, "I wanna be your dog" by Iggy! It was tough and it was the sort of noisy rock I love.
Last up was Plain Ole Delicious, a fantastic RAWK band lead by the seminal, Amy Delicious. This grrrl is the thunderclap that wakes you up out of bed. She is the lightening bolt that gets you before you hear the boom. Got it! Get her any time you get the chance.
If there was a downside to the show it was simply that not enough people came to it. The Oscars really took a bite out of our audience and that was a shame. Still I was really proud of the show. The Next ABSOLUTE Fringe show is March 27th and will feature Lars Von Keitz, Danny+Greg, Shawn Thomas from Florida!, The Fundamentalists from Detroit, The Cathy Santonis, and my band, Boys' Entrance.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone's blog about "Born This Way" by Lady GaGa
I think this is an amazing perspective on the song and Lady GaGa. I love Sheffield's writing, so I wanted to share his perspective with you.
POSTED: February 11, 1:32 PM ET | By Rob Sheffield
Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way': Much Better Than 'Express Yourself'
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Come on, girls! Do you believe in Madonna? Because Lady Gaga has got something to say about "Express Yourself," and she’s turned Madonna’s fourth-best single of 1989 into her own instant-classic club anthem, "Born This Way." Except it’s actually much better than "Express Yourself," because it’s faster, with Gaga chanting "Don’t be a drag / Just be a queen." "Born This Way" sums up everything gaudy and glorious about Gaga, all her politics and sex and Catholic angst and smeared lipstick, in one admirably compact blast of disco aggression.
Listen: Lady Gaga's New Single 'Born This Way'
"Born This Way" is more than just Gaga’s heavily hyped return to the radio: It’s an event, a statement, the most anticipatrended song in the history of recorded music, or at least since Britney’s "Hold It Against Me." It’s also primed to become the first Number One hit in history to include the word "transgendered." Gaga belts her self-esteem pep talk — "Subway kid, rejoice your truth"? okaaaay! — over the Eurodisco beats of producers Fernando Garibay and DJ White Shadow. She shouts to the gays, lesbians, bis, disabled, and monsters of all races, including the hilariously dippy line: "You’re black, white, beige, chola descent / You’re Lebanese, you’re Orient!"
Photos: Lady Gaga's Best Looks
You can complain all you want about the tip of the leather cap to "Express Yourself," which was just Madonna’s knock-off of the Staple Singers’ "Respect Yourself." But "Born This Way" is steeped in decades of gay disco tradition, with a heavy Seventies-style thump-thump from Patrick Hernandez’ 1979 classic "Born to Be Alive." (Fun fact: one of Madonna’s first professional gigs was as a back-up dancer on a Patrick Hernandez tour, and you can believe Gaga knows it.)
Photos: Before Lady Gaga — Madonna, Elton John and More Monster Influences
It might seem strange that Gaga chose to premiere her big comeback single for morning-radio commuters, rather than night people who hang out in clubs. By the time the drag queens crawl out of bed this afternoon, "Born This Way" will already be a TGIF where’s-the-party jam for ordinary strap-hanging douchebags all over the world. (Don’t be a douche, just be a bag!) But that’s part of the statement she’s making here, because "Born This Way" is her brazen pop move: short, fast, going straight for the throat. That’s the most shocking thing about it.
Photos: Lady Gaga's New Monster Ball: The Electro Opera Begins in England
I have to admit, I was expecting something more ponderous — Gaga laboring to prove she’s a Serious Artist who can get away with arty indulgences. I assumed that a couple of years of mega-fame would make the Lady sound more full of herself. But there’s no dicking around here, no piano solos or Gregorian-chant interludes. Instead, she gets right down to unabashed pop kicks, because no matter how much inspiration she takes from the arty downtown scene she came from, her pet project has been revitalizing the Top 40. So she takes on Britney, Rihanna, Katy, Ke$ha and the rest of the radio queens, pimping her we-are-all-superstars message with a voice that reminds everyone who got this party started in the first place. That’s what makes "Born This Way" sound so audacious and so amazing.
POSTED: February 11, 1:32 PM ET | By Rob Sheffield
Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way': Much Better Than 'Express Yourself'
Share1446
Come on, girls! Do you believe in Madonna? Because Lady Gaga has got something to say about "Express Yourself," and she’s turned Madonna’s fourth-best single of 1989 into her own instant-classic club anthem, "Born This Way." Except it’s actually much better than "Express Yourself," because it’s faster, with Gaga chanting "Don’t be a drag / Just be a queen." "Born This Way" sums up everything gaudy and glorious about Gaga, all her politics and sex and Catholic angst and smeared lipstick, in one admirably compact blast of disco aggression.
Listen: Lady Gaga's New Single 'Born This Way'
"Born This Way" is more than just Gaga’s heavily hyped return to the radio: It’s an event, a statement, the most anticipatrended song in the history of recorded music, or at least since Britney’s "Hold It Against Me." It’s also primed to become the first Number One hit in history to include the word "transgendered." Gaga belts her self-esteem pep talk — "Subway kid, rejoice your truth"? okaaaay! — over the Eurodisco beats of producers Fernando Garibay and DJ White Shadow. She shouts to the gays, lesbians, bis, disabled, and monsters of all races, including the hilariously dippy line: "You’re black, white, beige, chola descent / You’re Lebanese, you’re Orient!"
Photos: Lady Gaga's Best Looks
You can complain all you want about the tip of the leather cap to "Express Yourself," which was just Madonna’s knock-off of the Staple Singers’ "Respect Yourself." But "Born This Way" is steeped in decades of gay disco tradition, with a heavy Seventies-style thump-thump from Patrick Hernandez’ 1979 classic "Born to Be Alive." (Fun fact: one of Madonna’s first professional gigs was as a back-up dancer on a Patrick Hernandez tour, and you can believe Gaga knows it.)
Photos: Before Lady Gaga — Madonna, Elton John and More Monster Influences
It might seem strange that Gaga chose to premiere her big comeback single for morning-radio commuters, rather than night people who hang out in clubs. By the time the drag queens crawl out of bed this afternoon, "Born This Way" will already be a TGIF where’s-the-party jam for ordinary strap-hanging douchebags all over the world. (Don’t be a douche, just be a bag!) But that’s part of the statement she’s making here, because "Born This Way" is her brazen pop move: short, fast, going straight for the throat. That’s the most shocking thing about it.
Photos: Lady Gaga's New Monster Ball: The Electro Opera Begins in England
I have to admit, I was expecting something more ponderous — Gaga laboring to prove she’s a Serious Artist who can get away with arty indulgences. I assumed that a couple of years of mega-fame would make the Lady sound more full of herself. But there’s no dicking around here, no piano solos or Gregorian-chant interludes. Instead, she gets right down to unabashed pop kicks, because no matter how much inspiration she takes from the arty downtown scene she came from, her pet project has been revitalizing the Top 40. So she takes on Britney, Rihanna, Katy, Ke$ha and the rest of the radio queens, pimping her we-are-all-superstars message with a voice that reminds everyone who got this party started in the first place. That’s what makes "Born This Way" sound so audacious and so amazing.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Ladt GaGa and the Gays
"Born This Way", the new single by Lady Gaga represents a sea change of sorts in music culture, and the larger culture. Not only is it the 1000th song to enter the Billboard Hot 100 at #1, but it is simultaneously the first single to utilize the word "transgendered". It is the most overtly supportive #1 single in the history of music of LGBT people. As such it represents a milestone. It is something we can point to to gauge the progress of our people from this point forward.
When I was a boy, I recall riding in a hot car, headed for California, on a vacation with my family. On the radio came the song, "Lola" by the Kinks. It is a similar milestone, as it was the first Top 40 hit to feature a transsexual as the title character. Ray Davies sang," I'm not the world's most masculine man, But I know what I am, I'm a man, I'm a man, and so is Lola", even though he was ordered by RCA Records to change the lyrics. Davies slipped it by them anyway.
To a queer boy in 1970, "Lola" was a life preserver. It is still a touch stone in the music of my band, Boys' Entrance. "Born This Way" will be the same life preserver to queer youth today and generations to come. It will literally keep kids alive. It will give them courage to carry on, FIERCELY!
Gone are the days when a label dictates to an artist what the content of their music will be. Lady GaGa is straight- but she is a straight ally. My hope is that her "Little Monsters" reach out now and learn about Queer Artists like me.
When I was a boy, I recall riding in a hot car, headed for California, on a vacation with my family. On the radio came the song, "Lola" by the Kinks. It is a similar milestone, as it was the first Top 40 hit to feature a transsexual as the title character. Ray Davies sang," I'm not the world's most masculine man, But I know what I am, I'm a man, I'm a man, and so is Lola", even though he was ordered by RCA Records to change the lyrics. Davies slipped it by them anyway.
To a queer boy in 1970, "Lola" was a life preserver. It is still a touch stone in the music of my band, Boys' Entrance. "Born This Way" will be the same life preserver to queer youth today and generations to come. It will literally keep kids alive. It will give them courage to carry on, FIERCELY!
Gone are the days when a label dictates to an artist what the content of their music will be. Lady GaGa is straight- but she is a straight ally. My hope is that her "Little Monsters" reach out now and learn about Queer Artists like me.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
new ABSOLUTE Fringe website
Check out the new ABSOLUTE Fringe website, under construction at https://sites.google.com/site/absolutefringe/
Thursday, February 3, 2011
ABSOLUTE Fringe- a HUGE Success!
ABSOLUTE Fringe has been extended for the remainder of 2011 based on the success of our debut festival.
We are accepting submissions for bookings for the second quarter, the dates of which are 4-24; 5-29; and 6-26.
The next show is on February 27th and will feature Ellen Rosner and the Bubbly Creek All Stars, Plain Ole Delicious, Stewed Tomatoes, Congress of Starlings, TRET FURE! and the lone male performer, Scott Free.
I know the womyn's community is going to come out in numbers for this show. I am looking forward to booking more mostly female shows in the future too.
Male or female, I hope you will come out to support the performers of ABSOLUTE Fringe. They are really bringing their A games to entertain you.
Thanks to Kristin Lems, Shoes For Mabel, Amy Delicious, Scott Free Trio, The Joans, and Boys' Entrance for their time and talent. I hope you had a great time and will be back.
Cheers!
Tim Cain
We are accepting submissions for bookings for the second quarter, the dates of which are 4-24; 5-29; and 6-26.
The next show is on February 27th and will feature Ellen Rosner and the Bubbly Creek All Stars, Plain Ole Delicious, Stewed Tomatoes, Congress of Starlings, TRET FURE! and the lone male performer, Scott Free.
I know the womyn's community is going to come out in numbers for this show. I am looking forward to booking more mostly female shows in the future too.
Male or female, I hope you will come out to support the performers of ABSOLUTE Fringe. They are really bringing their A games to entertain you.
Thanks to Kristin Lems, Shoes For Mabel, Amy Delicious, Scott Free Trio, The Joans, and Boys' Entrance for their time and talent. I hope you had a great time and will be back.
Cheers!
Tim Cain
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Cover of the Chainsaw Kittens, "Dorothy's Last Fling" by Boys' Entrance
This was our opener at ABSOLUTE Fringe, 1-30-11. Bad sound quality, nice visuals.
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