KAREN MASULIS

1. rockcoke with decofscience

2007

HEMAN SIGHT

Equality Rocks was an odd mix of show and lecture

HUMAN RIGHTS

May 5, 2000 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE 15

by Michelle Tomko

Along with the "rocking" provided by queer performers like the Pet Shop Boys and Rufus Wainwright, the Equality Rocks concert in Washington, D.C. on the eve of the Millennium March was chock full of speeches and public service announcements.

Forty-five thousand fans gathered at a sold-out Robert F. Kennedy Stadium for the concert, sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign on Saturday April 30.

The speeches, if looked at with a critical eye, detracted from the concert's sense of momentum and fluidity, and took the audience on an emotional roller coaster ride between pop songs that normally does not occur at a concert.

Perhaps the organizers could have taken a

Chaka Kahn

"It is okay to be gay despite what those signs say outside." she added. Applause followed each statement by the comedienne, who did not perform any of her stand-up during the concert she was headlining.

Melissa Etherige

Among the speakers to take the soapbox were straight actors Kristen Johnson, Kathy Najimy and the HRC's executive director Elizabeth Birch, who said, "ToJANET MACOSKA night is a celebration. It's meant to be a lot of fun. But it's also about our strength and dignity as a community. Tonight we rock the world. Tomorrow we roll down Pennsylvania Avenue to send a message to this country about our hopes and our dreams." Perhaps the most emotional segment came after Birch's speech, when a video tribute to families of slain GLBT people was shown. The video was followed by the introduction of families affected by hate crimes led by Matthew Shepard's father Dennis. He spoke about the "toxic effect that hate crimes have on our society." The audience was silent.

cue from Wainwright, who told the Gay People's Chronicle after his performance: "My sexuality is for after the show."

The event's list of performers was not really a well-balanced, complementary group, but rather a wish list of people you hope would attend your Christmas party so you could name-drop afterwards.

The 42-hour concert began with an opening monologue from Nathan Lane, à la Johnny Carson, at about 6:45 pm. But it was not until Ellen DeGeneres came onstage two hours later that the crowd came alive for the first time.

"That's enough love, save it," said DeGeneres after a thunderous welcome to the stage that lasted several minutes. The reaction from the crowd brought the performer to tears as well as inducing her popular deer-in-the-headlights look.

Immediately following the families, Melissa Etheridge came onstage to sing her infamous song "Scarecrow." However, she was overcome by emotion as she sang the lyrics "I shall not forget," and was unable to finish the song. "Help me," she asked the audi-

ence.

All of the musical acts performed well. However, k.d. lang did not seem in full voice, and the artists all sang only about two songs apiece, primarily their signature songs. So, a queer Lollapalooza it was not.

The audience did get to be part of some once-in-a-lifetime performances, like Garth Brooks singing backup for George Michael and Tipper Gore helping out the percussion section.

The strongest performance was by the petite, yet authoritative Melissa Etheridge who, center stage with her acoustic Ovation guitar commanded the full stadium. She also returned to the stage several times more

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JANET MACOSKA

"A sports stadium full

of queers how

fuckin' brilliant!”

-George Michael on the concert being held in

George Michael

RFK stadium