GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE DECEMBER 8, 1995

EVENINGS OUT

Not quite a 'power femme,' but Westenhoefer brings laughs

Suzanne Westenhoefer

U4ia Night Club, Cleveland Friday, November 3

Reviewed by Tamara Murphy

The first time I experienced the humor of Suzanne Westenhofer, I was sure I had discovered a role model. A real '90s Power Femme, unwilling to accept the traditional perceptions of butch as competent and femme as complement. This was a woman who could fix her own car, but didn't have to cut her hair or stop wearing lipstick to do it. This was a woman unwilling to

accept convention.

First the bad news: She's not quite my role model. The good news is, she was funny anyway.

I realized when I walked into U4ia for Westenhoefer's show that I've become more than a little spoiled. Like so many others in our community, I've become so used to everything starting a half hour late that QST-queer standard time-has become second nature. Was I in for a surprise! Producer Brynna Fish runs a tight ship, and I barely made it in the door before Westenhoefer started playing to a standing-room-only crowd.

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I almost bought the argument for comfortable shoes that night, but not quite. While not every event is worth standing around in sixinch heels all night (I'm a femme, not a drag queen), this was certainly an exception.

While she wasn't always side-splitting funny, Westenhoefer did manage to get in some good shots. From grocery shopping with a lover to the trials of her fundamentalist mother, some of Westenhoefer's anecdotes hit me right at home. Anybody else out there been exorcised? Even when her remarks didn't go over as well (is there anyone who isn't tired of the word Bobbitt?), her confidence and personality carried her through. She is a very expressive performer, and great fun to watch.

Suzanne Westenhoefer

My only real disappointment came when she too seemed to play on a parallel between femme style and mechanical/technical ineptitude. Maybe I am overly sensitive, but I assure you there are femmes out there who know how to start a lawn mower. It's unfortunate that even such a terrific performer as Westenhoefer still finds the need for cliché. Where are my Power Femmes?

As a whole, the audience responded well to Westenhoefer, and to the Cyclone Sisters, who shared the bill with her. This is one group that really knows how to jam.

Sadly, this may have been the last performance of one of the best bands in Cleveland. Another terrific group gone, and I'll certainly miss them. We didn't want to let them go, and kept K.J. and the rest on stage for a little longer than planned. The crowd didn't seem to mind a little stolen time though, and they played one last poignant piece. If this is any indication of the bill of fare for U4ia's "First Friday" series, it is the place to be.

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