by gregg shapiro
Even Stevens ( and others )
The original cast recording of Steven Brinberg's show Simply Barbara ( Jay Records ) presents the singing actor "channelling" Streisand before a live audience. Brinberg portrays "the star in an alternative universe," singing many of the songs that Ms. Streisand has sung over the course of her career, including "Niagara," "My Man," "People," and "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," to name just a few. However, it is during the spoken segments, all written by Brinberg, that "Simply Barbra" is the most entertaining. Brinberg has captured the essence of Streisand's personality in the monologues and increase the value of Brinberg's characterization in a way that the interpretations of some of the songs don't.
I Must Have Been Crazy ( Hurricane ) , the long-awaited follow-up to openly gay singer/songwriter Steve Cohen's acclaimed and OUTVOICE album-chart-topping Silent Too Long disc has arrived and it was worth the wait. Cohen's vocals, a cross between Richard Marx and Mike Scott ( formerly of The Waterboys ) , add an even more human level to his already sincere songs. Cohen's social commentaries ( "Sick Town," the anti-anti-gay violence message of "Your Kind Of Love," "Jenny" ) are balanced by Cohen's brand of failed-love songs ( the title track, "Thinkin' 'Bout Leavin'," "Some Believe" ) . Cohen also raises the stakes with the Latin-influenced "Spanish Fly," and on "Dykes Lumber" he reveals that he hasn't lost the sense of humor that made "I Want To Be A Jock" such a hit among queer listeners.
The mirror ball on the cover of Mark & Dean's first album Walking Into Freedom was indicative of the dance-oriented music that could be found on the CD. On their second disc, Man Of My Dreams ( Halogen ) , the duo, who are romantically and professionally involved, return to familiar territory on tracks such as the flighty "Disco Zodiac" and "My Man." On the whole, however, Mark & Dean, expand their musical reach on more exotic tracks such as "Destiny," and new-wave retro tracks such as "Our World Too," "Imagine," and the album's title track. They've also improved in their songwriting abilities, crafting catchy pop songs whose lyrics fit comfortably with the musical settings in which they've been put. Mark & Dean come close to Scott Free territory, lyrically, on the empowering track "Oil & Water," and "Is It Over Yet" shows the duo to be perfectly at home with ballads.
Some people may recognize Alan Wiley's name from the online radio show that he does on PlanetOut. It is there that Wiley, on a mission similar to mine, does his best to introduce reluctant listeners to daring, underground and experimental music by performers in the queer community other than Melissa Etheridge or George Michael. His own CD, Tenderloin Lullabye ( alanwiley@aol.com ) would certainly fit into the playlist of his show. Musically stripped down with layered vocals, Wiley's unique style works well on ballads such as "Mistake #416," "Lovesick," and instrumental title track, in addition to the Magnetic Fields-like "Run Away" and "Starlight," and "The Pounding Fist" which reminded me of another one of Stephin Merritt's bands Future Bible Heroes.
There are eight dance remixes of the classic song "I Wanna Be Loved By You" on gender-bending Tina Benez's Love Me Or Die ( Rock Records ) CD. There's the Sexxtended Mixx and the Asian Underground Mix, to name two. My favorite version is the Industrial Strength Extended Version, which works well with Benez's masculine/ feminine vocals. "Glamour Overdose ( G.O.D. ) " Reminded me of Nina Hagen, but the remaining tracks, which include a couple of unexpected acoustic numbers and a thorny cover of "Second Hand Rose," didn't make much of an impression on me.
Y not rock?
Lesbian-identified bands and bands with out lesbian members are nothing new. However, the ever-increasing popularity of these bands is where the change is occurring. A tri-coastal ( east, west and "third" coast ) phenomenon, the following are examples of some of the best and potentially best bands out there.
Chicago ( representing the "third coast" ) is the big surprise here. After years of great queer music coming from the riot grrrl scene of the Pacific Northwest ( on the K, Kill Rock Stars, Chainsaw, and Candyass record labels ) and East Coast ( especially from Kaia's North Carolina-based Mr. Lady Records ) , the music scene in Chicago ( following earlier, promising discs from Cathy Richardson Band, Pal and Stewed Tomatoes, to name a few ) now has enough lesbian-identified/friendly bands to make it the "Wendy City."
A couple of bands, such as Evil Beaver, Apartment, and Lofty Magnificent Box, have recently released EPs. Introducing Evil Beaver ( www.RideTheBeaver.com ) proves the power of two. You'll be surprised ( I was ) at how full a sound a stripped-down duo such as Evie Evil and Laura Ann Beaver, on bass and drums respectively, can make. Fiercely raging vocals ( imagine Courtney Love before she went Hollywood ) on "Superbird," the EP's standout track, and the hypnotic monotony of "Macho Man," make this a worthwhile introduction.
Apartment's four-song self-titled EP ( www.apartmentmusic.com ) is clear across the musical spectrum from Evil Beaver's. This sextet uses keyboards, a cello and a tuba, along with drums, guitar and vocals to get their unique songs across to the listener. Apartment has a performance art bent, as you can hear on their surreal spoken-word songs, especially "The Apartment Song" and the humorous "Momma." It will be interesting to hear what they are capable of on a full-length release.
Four appears to be the magic number as is evident from the aforementioned EPs and Nomenclature ( Antioch ) by Lofty Magnificent Box. This quartet can best be described as being "Chicagoth," especially due to Dara Cox's darkly ethereal vocals and the goth-metal guitars. On "Let Me In," Cox sings of being "your personal vampire" and on "Ary Misanthrope," the "lovely darling daughter" confronts the father who became aroused when doling out discipline in the form of spankings. The black-eyeliner crowd has been waiting for this disc.
New York-by-way-of Washington, D.C. BETTY has chosen the EP format for their latest seven-track release Carnival ( The Stereo Society ) . Fifteen years ago, I first saw BETTY in their On Beyond Zebra configuration and shortly thereafter was at one of the first public appearances of the trio when they morphed into BETTY. Over time the Ziff sisters ( Elizabeth on guitars and vocals and Amy on cello and vocals ) and bassist and vocalist Alyson Palmer have moved away from their earlier pop sound to a harder, more rocking version. Fortunately, in the process they haven't lost their knack for writing terrific songs, as you can hear on the rhythmic "Millennium Man" ( sung en francais ) , the funky "Jungle Jane," and the spoken-word "Pins and Needles."
New York is also home to the Tara Lynne Mallon and the Tara Lynne Band, whom I was fortunate enough to hear perform in New York the weekend of the GLAMAs. Like BETTY, Tara Lynne has released a seven-track EP called Suck It In, Chop It Up, Sort It Out & Swallow It Down ( Step! ) , and I have to say that it and the Le Tigre disc ( which I will get to in a few paragraphs ) , are my two favorite discs in this column. Sure, it's a couple of years old, but you still need to add it to your music collection ( write to her @ TaraLStep@aol.com ) . Calling Mallon a female Jeff Buckley would be unfair because that would be taking away from her uniquness which is what makes her so special. From the growling vocals and percussive beat of "Mine" to the sexy "Down In The Saddle" to the pleasantly unexpected instrumentation of "40 Dollars" to the remarkable layered vocals of "Wide Awake" this record is a hidden treasure that deserves to be unearthed.
Carolyn Marosy accompanied Tara Lynne on bass at the Sun Music Room performance in New York in April of 2000. Marosy's own band Raw released a seven-song EP called Change ( Rawmusic@aol.com ) which runs the gamut from surf-inspired rock ( "Pipeline 2000" and "Surfer Grrrl" ) to dance-friendly funk ( "I'm Very Good At That" ) and straightforward rockers, and is a fun disc.
And now for the bad news. After finally releasing a full-length CD, the Chicago-based trio known as The Prescriptions has broken up. "Dr." Laura Ann Masura has chosen to focus her energy on the aforementioned Evil Beaver ( she is Laura Ann Beaver ) . For posterity, it's well worth checking out their blazing Why We Don't Rent To Women ( Johanns Face ) . Snappy pop-punk that stands up well in comparison to the music being made by bands in the Pacific Northwest. Standout tracks include "Drop In Girl," "Hooray Hooray For The Plastic Ring," "Defender Of The Old Man Poets," "Casual Corn vs. Casual Corn," "You Are Very Popular Tonight," and "Sterile."
Continuing to make music is Mabel Mabel as you can hear on their cool self-titled debut disc ( www.mabelmabel.com ) . Like the aforementioned Apartment, Mabel Mabel's instrumentation ( accordion, Moog, viola, dobro ) is a little more on the exotic side, adding to their uniquness. Lead singer Reyna Larson's smoky vocals give her songs the necessary backbone to get them across. "House Of The Blue," the gorgeous "High Days and Holidays" and "Hopelessly," the Euro-cabaret "Satisfied," and "Me Slowly" ( which reminded me of Cathy Richardson ) , are more than half of the reasons to pick up this disc.
Saving the best for last, I must tell you that no queer music library is complete without the self-titled disc by LeTigre ( Mr. Lady ) . Merging musical styles and feminist history, Le Tigre reinvents the girl group complementing the genre from the Andrews Sisters to the Ronettes to the Runaways to the Go-Gos to Sleater-Kinney ( who, by the way, have recently released the fine All Hands On The Bad One on Kill Rock Stars ) . It helps that Le Tigre's Kathleen Hanna made her name in Bikini Kill and Julie Ruin, and with the aid of filmmaker Sadie Benning and Johanna Fateman, and now has her name connected to this important project. In "What's Yr Take On Cassavettes," the song opens like a romantic plea from a '50s girl-group and then plunges head first into the political and intellectual, all the while supplying a beat for dancing. "Hot Topic" is equally as inspired, and inspirational in the dance department. "Eau D'Bedroom Dancing" goes new wave and "Let's Run" sounds like a slightly more joyful Joy Division. "My My Metro Card" is as good as retro gets and "Friendship Station" takes trip-hop on a trip it won't soon forget.
Where it's @
compiled by Gregg Shapiro
Where it's @
compiled by Gregg Shapiro
@ Abbey - 773/478-4408: Matt Tiegler 6.24 / Ellen Rosner and Rose Polenzani 6.30
@ Allstate Arena - 312/559-1212 ( TM ) : Steely Dan 6.24 / Diana Ross and the Supremes 7.1
@ Aragon - 312/559-1212 ( TM ) : No Doubt 7.8
@ Arie Crown - 312/791-6000: Dennis Miller 8.19
@ Arvey Field/Grant Park - 312/294-3000: Chicago Symphony Orchestra ( Symphony Sprint ) 6.24
@ Auditorium Theater - 312/559-1212 ( TM ) : Savage Garden 8.18
@ Beat Kitchen - 773/281-4444: Robert Cornelius 7 6.21 / Menthol 6.23 / Jean Smith 6.25
@ Buddy Guy's Legends - 312/427-1190: Corey Harris
@ Chicago Theater - 312/559-1212 ( TM ) : Brian Wilson 7.22 / Lyle Lovett 8.10 / Gipsy Kings 8.31 & 9.1
@ Club Eden - 773/327-4646: Phantom 45, Sativa, Justin Long, Chris Gin 6.21
@ Double Door - 773/489-3160: Legendary Pink Dots 6.22 / BR5-49 6.30 / Kina 7.7 /
Bebel Gilberto 7.11 / Tara MacLean 7.21 / Dandy Warhols 7.26
@ Elbo Room - 773/549-5549: Gayle Ritt 6.23
@ Empty Bottle - 773/276-3600: Royal Trux and Edith Frost 6.23 / Town & Country 7.7 / Sixteen Deluxe 7.13 / Beachwood Sparks 7.15 / The Chamber Strings, Waxwings, and The National Trust ( early show - 6 p.m. ) 7.23 / Gaza Strippers 7.29
@ Fermilab - 630/840-2787: Odetta 8.19
@ Fireside Bowl - 773/486-2700: Jean Smith 6.23
@ FitzGerald's - 708/788-6670: Anna Fermin's Trigger Gospel 6.23 / Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca 6.24 / Fairbanks to Anchorage AIDS Benefit 6.27 / 19th Annual American Music Festival 6.30 - 7.3 ( featuring Robbie Fulks 7.1 / Alejandro Escovedo 7.2 / Dave Alvin 7.3 )
@ Gentry of Chicago ( State ) - 312/836-0933: Open Mic w/Beckie Menzie ( every Sunday )
@ Grant Park/Petrillo Band Shell - 312/744-3315: Coco Montoya 7.4
@ Green Mill - 773/878-5552: John McLean 6.28
@ Hideout - 773/227-4433: Neko Case and Chris Mills 6.28 / Nora O'Connor 7.14
@ Hot House - 312/362-9707: Eight Bold Souls 6.21 - 29 / All Queer days: Executive Sweet 7.1 / Mambo Express 7.29 / The Backyard Variety Cabaret Show 6.28 / Susana Baca 7.5 & 13 / Tomas Mapfumo 7.15 / 2nd Annual World Music Festival 9.19 - 30
@ House Of Blues - 312/923-2000: Jean-Luc Ponty 6.21 / Trinket ( 5:30 ) 6.22 / Michelle Shocked ( 7:30 ) 6.22 / The Specials 6.24 / Teena Marie 6.27 & 28 / Robin Trower 6.29 & 30 / Jimmy Sutton's Four Charms 7.1 / George Clinton & P-Funk All-Stars 7.2 / Dwight Yoakam 7.4
@ Joe's - 312/337-3486: The Smithereens and Ted Ansani 6.23 / 10,000 Maniacs and The Slugs 6.30 / 10,000 Maniacs 7.1 / The Knack 7.14 / Run DMC 7.19
@ Lincoln Park Zoo - 312/742-2283: Corey Harris ( Jammin' at the Zoo ) 6.23
@ Martyrs - 773/404-9494: Bucky Halker 6.29 / Torben Floor 6.30 / The Wild Bunch 7.1 / Lowen & Navarro 7.2
@ Metro - 773/549-0203: "The Second Waltz": The Nicholas Tremulis Band w/David Ameran, Bun E. Carlos ( of Cheap Trick ) , Corey Harris, Rusty Kershaw, Bob Mould, Frank Orrall, Byron Stingily, Hubert Sumlin, Jeff Tweedy & Jay Bennett, Chris Whitley 6.21
@ Mountain Moving Coffeehouse for Womyn & Children - 312/409-0276, women & children only: Author Mary Daly 6.24 / Alix Dobkin 7.15
@ Museum Of Contemporary Art - 312/280-2660: Kama Sutra 6.23
@ Navy Pier's Skyline Stage - 312/902-1500 ( TM ) : The String Cheese Incident 6.21 & 22 / Gay Pride 2000 Concert w/Chicago Gay Men's Chorus, Unison and Windy City Gay Chorus ( Patrick Sinozich and Welborne Young will conduct over 200 voices ) 6.24 / Natalie Merchant 7.24
@ New World Music Center -708/614-1616: Britney Spears 7.7 / Roger Waters 7.8 / B-52s, Go-Gos, Psychedelic Furs 7.11
@ No Exit - 773/743-3355, 6870 N. Glenwood: New Music Sundays hosted by Laurie Lee Moses / Ember Swift 7.15
@ Old Town School of Folk Music - 773/278-6000:
@ Park West - 773/929-5959: Kathy Griffin 6.23 / Roger McGuinn and Chris Mills 6.29 / Cherry Poppin' Daddies and The Four Charms 7.8 / Zap Mama 7.14
@ Ravinia - 847/266-5100: BoDeans 6.27 / Taj Mahal and Buddy Guy 7.3 / Isaac Hayes and Liquid Soul 7.5 / Nanci Griffith and The Blue Moon Orchestra 7.12 / Misia 7.17 / Willie Nelson 7.18 / Betty Buckley 7.24 / David Broza and Alabina 8.1 / Clint Black 8.2 / The Eternal Feminine with Susanne Mentzer, mezzo-soprano 8.7 / Jethro Tull 8.8 / Celia Cruz and Albita 8.9 / Kathleen Battle, soprano, 8.14 / Audra McDonald 8.16 / Tony Bennett and Diana Krall 8.17 & 18 / Peter, Paul & Mary 8.19 / Anoushka Shankar 8.21 / Bela Fleck & the Flecktones 8.22 / Michael Feinstein and Linda Eder 8.25 / Bruce Cockburn and Janis Ian 8.26 / Ulali 8.31 / The Spinners and The Temptations 9.1 / Harry Belafonte 9.2 / The Supremes starring Mary Wilson 9.9
@ Riviera Theater - 773/275-6800: Deftones 7.1
@ Rosemont Theater - Mary J. Blige 6.23 & 24
@ Schuba's - 773/525-2508: Hoot Night: Punk vs. Funk 6.21 / Elizabeth Elmore 6.22 / Red Elephant ( 5-7 p.m. ) 6.23 / Marah 10 p.m. ) 6.23 / Helicopter Helicopter 6.29 / Ida 7.2 / Lowen & Navarro 7.3 / Mojo Nixon 7.4 / The Slugs 7.5 / Paddy Casey and Peter Case 7.7 / Tom Maxwell and the Minor Drag 7.8 / Tarika 7.11 / Thingy 7.12 / Josh Rouse 7.14 / Richard Buckner 7.15 & 16 / Mila Drumke 7.20 / Over The Rhine 7.21 / The Silos 7.22 / Chris Mills, Mr. Rudy Day and Marta Tenae 7.29 / Danny Barnes ( of Bad Livers ) 8.1 / Kelly Hogan and the Pinevalley Cosmonauts 8.2 / Summer on Southport 8.5 & 6
@ Sheffield Garden Walk - 773/929-9255: Little Charlie & The Nightcats 7.23
@ Soldier Field - 312/559-1212 ( TM ) : Dave Matthews Band, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals 6.29
@ Stargaze - 773/561-7363: Valerie James 7.8 / Suzette 8.4
@ Subterranean - 773/278-6600: Karma Sutra 7.1
@ United Center - 312/559-1212 ( TM ) : Ricky Martin 7.1 / Dixie Chicks 7.13 / Sting and Tracy Chapman 7.21 / Christina Aguilera and Destiny's Child 8.19 / Tina Turner and Joe Cocker 10.4
