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GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE... April 28, 2000°
eveningsout
No-show artists mar gay and lesbian music awards
by Mark J. Huisman
In his program letter to the Fourth Annual Gay and Lesbian American Music Awards in New York on April 24, GLAMA cofounder and executive director Michael Mitchell exhorted fans to purchase some new music, to “be brave and explore new territory."
By supporting the work of artists both familiar and new, and for rewarding work in more categories than ever, the 2000 GLAMAS were indeed brave, even if they occasionally explored familiar awards-show territory.
The ceremony's start was delayed fortyfive minutes by two incongruous situations: President and Mrs. Clinton's motorcade to a fundraising event induced city-wide traffic gridlock, while GLAMA's shortage of tickettakers caused queer gridlock at the door of the Hammerstein Ballroom, the swanky theater opposite Madison Square Garden where the show was held.
Host Bruce Vilanch's stinging opening jokes seemed to go right over the crowd, except the one about Whitney Houston's supposed absence: "It's apparently showing in New Jersey," he quipped.
The very first presentation, however, gave rise to an amazing quadruple glitch. The production staff played video clips instead of song samples. The presenters did not, at first, have a winner's envelope and, after they announced Meg Hentges as the winner of the Rock/Alternative award, she was not present to accept. Finally, when a friend arrived on stage to accept for Hentges, nobody could locate the actual award.
Although the technical problems were eventually fixed, the no-show situation
plagued the ceremony. Of twenty-six GLAMAS awarded, eight winners--nearly one-third the total--skipped the ceremony. Absentees included Suzanne Westenhoefer, Melissa Etheridge, Lee Lessack and The Butchies. It was particularly disappointing that four of the eight brand new GLAMAS were not picked up: Absent were winners Gretchen Lee of Curve magazine (Music Reporting/Criticism,) Susan Morabito (DJ), the Indigo Girls and John Reynolds (Producer of the Year) and Hentges and Jude O'Nym (Song of the Year).
The most graceful, elegant moments undoubtedly belonged to the classical and choral winners, including Classical Performance GLAMA winner Theresa Bogard ("Alleluia in a Form of Toccata," Music of Louise Talma; CRI).
"I'm from Laramie, Wyoming," said the clearly choked-up Bogard, who teaches at the University of Wyoming. "And if I can be out and you can be out, we should all be able to be out."
As Kristina Boerger accepted her Contemporary Classical Composer GLAMA ("Dream of Snow Covered Bridges," Amasong, AMAI), she was resplendent in black tuxedo tails, starched white shirt and bright baby blue bow tie. The evening's first genuine surprise occurred moments later, just after presenter Kate Clinton announced Boerger's second win, the Choral GLAMA for a recording of "Shenandoah" by Amasong: Champaign-Urbana's Premier Lesbian/Feminist Chorus (AMAI/ Amasong).
"It's a tie!" a clearly surprised Clinton suddenly shouted. "She's wearing a tie and it's a tie!" Choral GLAMA number two went to the Turtle Creek Chorale of Dallas
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for "In This Heart of Mine" (The Best of Turtle Creek Chorale; TCC). Because chorale staffer Craig Gregory wore white tuxedo tails, a white shirt and black bow tie, he and Boerger looked like a pair of classically clad chromatic opposites. The evening marked important milestones for both winners. Boerger's recording of Shenandoah was her last as Amasong long-time leader. The Turtle Creek Chorale is currently celebrating both twenty years and twenty recordings.
Two awards in particular dramatically pointed out how queer music is forcing the major labels to re-write industry rules. Immediately after rocking the crowd with her winning track, Joi Cardwell won the Dance Music GLAMA for "Last Chance for Love," from her album Deliverance (Nomad Records) and gave voice to the continuing tension between queer artists and the majors:
"This means so much to me because Deliverance is my first album on my very own label," Cardwell fairly screamed. "I'm freee-e from the record companies!"
As the crowd erupted with cheers, GayBC Radio's Charlie Dyer won the first-ever GLAMA for Live Radio Broadcast.
"The GLAMAs are about music, not about radio," Dyer said simply. "Thanks for supporting us because we don't exist without you."
Dyer promptly returned to his makeshift broadcast booth-an equipment table with a sound board, two chairs, mikes and a telephone at the back of the ballroom. For the entire evening, there sat Dyer and his colleague (and fellow GLAMA nominee), Jeremy Hovies, working their little fingers and big mouths to the bone to effect GLAMA's first-ever live Internet broadcast.
Ironically, their work that evening actually proved Dyer's own statement wrong: The GLAMAs are very much about radio: The medium has irrevocably changed our capacity to hear queer music without the interference of a major corporation. Queer radio like GayBC has brought us new artists that we never would have heard of had the decision to support them been left entirely to the majors.
After presenter Patrick Arena alluded to the ongoing controversy over GLAMA's new category for Contemporary Spiritual music, the defiantly proud winner, Christian Andreason (XX) pointedly addressed the gathering.
"When the subject of spirituality came up, papers started rustling, conversations began and people got up to get drinks," Andreason said. "But everyone in this room, whether you write or sing music or listen to it, does so from a place of spiritual honesty." The crowd hushed.
"Who knows how many people are listening around the country on GayBC,"
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Andreason continued. "And wondering if [it's] worth even being alive. Wondering if it matters."
Then he charged the ballroom, “I want you to applaud them. Let them hear you." And applaud they did. It was an unarguably spiritual moment.
In a perfect sign of queer serendipity, GLAMA's two special honorees, jazz pianist Fred Hersch and singer-songwriter Meshell Ndgeocello, were each honored beyond those prizes. Hersch earned a standing ovation while accepting the Michael Callen Medal, awarded annually to an individual, group, organization or business committed to the courageous and important work of engendering, nurturing and furthering gay and lesbian music and whose spirit embodies that of the late, great activist and musician.
Revealing their similar backgroundsCallen was raised in Cincinnati, Hersch a half-hour away-Hersch recalled meeting and working with Callen on the landmark album Legacy. Hersch spoke about how Callen inspired his own determination to be open about both his sexual orientation and being HIV positive. A few awards later, Hersch collected the Male Artist GLAMA, for Fred Hersch Live at Jordan Hall: Let Yourself Go. Because he won GLAMAs in 1998 and 1999, the evening doubled Hersch's career GLAMA wins.
Meshell Ndgeocello received the evening's second standing ovation while accepting GLAMA's Outmusic Award, presented annually to a recording artist, group or musician who has advanced gay and lesbian music through their work as an out musician.
Clearly conflicted about the event, Ndgeocello said, "It's really hard to come here and see that I'm only one of a handful of people of color. I just wish we could all love each other. Just love each other."
To that very end, Ndgeocello gave an extraordinary performance of Grace from her GLAMA-nominated album Bitter (Maverick). Her voice and its emotive power was stronger and more visceral than any concert, broadcast or recording I have ever heard. As queer fate took a hand, Ndgeocello was back on stage shortly, accepting the Album GLAMA and acknowledging her second standing ovation. Imposing an even higher standard on herself for her next record, Ndgeocello said, "Thank you so much for this. It inspires me to keep working, to go back to my label and push the envelope a little bit more."
In an exclusive post-ceremony interview, Ndgeocello (whose name is pronounced nn-DEGG-e-o-CEL-lo and means "free as a bird" in Swahili) laughed about what more an out artist could possibly do to "push the envelope" at a record label founded and owned by, of all people, Madonna.
"Well, you can always push the envelope a little more," Ndgeocello said, a sly grin spreading across her impish, round face. "I think my next thing to do is to impregnate Madonna," she laughed. "Maybe I can get some, you know, something real happening that way."
But the thrice-decorated GLAMA winner also reiterated her belief that all members of queer America, inside and outside the music community, need to work harder at breaking down some unpleasant barriers to forming a true community.
"It was really hard to come here and be one of a very few people of color at this event," Ndgeocello said. "The community is so racially diverse, so economically diverse, so artistically diverse. It's just really difficult. Because I deal with that in my everyday life. I even remember going to coming-out meetings in New York and there was racism then. There is racism in the gay community today. But we can fix that. We can all broaden our minds. We really can all love each other. We at least have to try."