I had a great time at Spin a couple of week's back, and yet again when Chrissie, the manager, asked me to stay for their Friday night "Shower Contest," I had to leave before it started. I heard it's always worth seeing ... maybe I'll go this week.
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Went to Scott Free's weekly Grinder Queer Performance event at the Willow Cafe on Thorndale; not as a participant this time, but as an observer. I was going to see Jason Schupp, one of my favorite poets, who brought along his Pagan Posse with him. I haven't seen that many Celtic crosses and runes since the time I prayed with the Druids at Stonehenge back in the '70s. ( Oh yes, my darlings, I've spent my whole life surrounded by fruits and nuts—and a lot of the fruits were nuts ) . Schupp was stunning, performing one piece with Louise Coutier, who told me about her new CD, "Scent of a Burnt Rose: Songs For People in Recovery &/or Living With Chronic Illness."
Coutier has an impressive resume, including singing microtonal music for John Cage, writing music for dance companies in New York, Chicago, Montreal and Boston, and has provided Indonesian vocals for a video about Borneo by Barbara Sykes. She recorded "Scent of a Burnt Rose" after being diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome ( Hypermobility Type ) , a hereditary connective tissue disorder. She says the CD was "making lemonade" out of her diagnosis. You can read more about Ms. Coutier at www.burntrose.com
Also performing that night was the excellent Kimi Hayes —she rocks!!—who is sending me a copy of her new CD; where is it Kimi? You can see her Friday, Jan. 26 at the No Exit Cafe ( 6970 N. Glenwood ) , and Feb. 3 at the Patch.
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I recently did an over-the-phone interview with Karen Sanders, who runs Rainbow Glass Designs Inc. with her business partner Ximena Alban. You can read the article in two or three weeks time in Windy City Times. The following day I was due to visit their workshop to take photos. So I thought, as I was going out alone, it might be fun to have a "Night of Lesbians." Quite frankly, my dears, I'm sick of going to men's bars because all they want is to use my body, then throw me away like I was just trash ... I wish!
So, anyway, I took pictures at Rainbow Glass Designs ( Tel: 773-989-4339 or visit www.rainbowglassdesigns.com ) . Excellent stained glass work, but wait for the article. After that I walked over to Star Gaze for a veggie burger, and then ...
... and then I looked in Nightlines to see what else was happening on Planet Lesbos that night. That's when I discovered the band 1/2 Mad Poet were playing at Beat Kitchen. Who?
So I thought, "What the hell, if they're Joni Mitchell wannabes, I'll just leave."
When I got to Beat Kitchen I met Anita ( guitar ) , Janet ( Drums ) , and Sheela ( Bass ) , the three members of the band, and sat down. Well, Joni Mitchell they aint!! 1/2 Mad Poet are a tough, hard rock band, and for the first three songs I was holding onto the table in front of me to stop myself being blown out the bar and onto the sidewalk.
My friend Chris Baker at the Gay Metal Society may want to go along and check this band out. They're at Beat Kitchen every Tuesday in January.
You can find out more about 1/2 Mad Poet at Halfmadpoet.com and buy the CD "Ain't I A Woman!?" You can also see my pictures of the band in Nightlines.
Yes, I do sell copies of my digital photographs from Nightlines/WCT. They're $10 for an 8" X 10" but-;here's the catch-;I have to like the picture. Phone me at Windy City Times 773-871-7610 and leave a message and number on my voicemail.
