September 17, 2004

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

A rousing weekend

Holly Near, Muse and Cincinnati artists join up for a pair of shows to get out the progressive vote

by John Zeh

Cincinnati-To encourage more citizen participation in the November 2 election, progressives here have teamed up in a cultural coalition to promote Holly Near in concert Friday, October 1 and have set a second evening of politically oriented entertainment during a regional Youth Summit the next night.

Muse women's choir director Catherine Roma hooked up with Van Ackerman of the Cincinnati Arts Association to promote Near in concert in the Music Hall ballroom and has planned a show with lesbian slam poet Alix Olson and local musicians. The local League of Women Voters was invited to help facilitate last-minute voter registration each evening.

In collaboration with the acclaimed choir, the arts association has booked one of the most powerful and articulate activist/singers of our time. Joining Near will be pianist John Bucchino, Muse, and the Queen City's saucy, soulful Tracy Walker.

"In a pre-election concert that celebrates our right to vote, peace, social justice, and

equality for all people, these dynamic and

powerful voices join for an unforgettable night Holly Near

that will inspire, entertain, and touch the spirit," said Van Ackerman. "We'll rock the vote with the community coming together at the Aronoff Center for a passionate evening of meaningful music and grace-filled humor."

Veteran peace advocate Near says on her web site that she'll vote for John Kerry "to show the world that we do not support Bush and his policies at home or around the world. Period."

But she adds that the Democratic Party "is not my party of choice. It is middle of the road at best and conservative much of the time. However, I would rather struggle with the Democrats in hopes of pushing them away from being conservative and toward center than struggle with Republicans when I know they are stuck in the right and won't budge."

Joining Olson, Walker and Muse on October 2 at St. John Unitarian-Universalist Church's "Raise Your Voices-Rock the Vote!" event will be local bluegrass favorite Katie Laur and her All-Girl Band, and city councilmember Laketa Cole performing Ntozake Shange's For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf. Young people from throughout the region will cap off the fourth Greater Cincinnati

Curbside

THIS IS HOW IT WORKS 200

BACH MEMBER OF THE ATOMS HAD

LGBT Youth Summit at the show. The church has a lift for the handicapped.

The remarkable Walker worked for quite a while on her latest musical endeavor, All This Time, which is her first CD since 1998's Naked. She is known for her mesmerizing

acoustic sets, but her strap-

ping and evocative voice impressively pilots her band. With a tone that is like a mixture of k.d. lang and Tracy Chapman, Walker has a sound all her own and lyrics that opens one's mind.

The Muse women's choir is dedicated to both musical excellence and social change. In keeping with their belief that diversity is strength, they are feminist women of varied ages, races, and ethnicities with a range of musical abilities, political interests, and life experiences, their web site details. They say

R.KIRBY THESE WERE TOUGH BOYS THOUGH. THEY'D EITHER SUCK UP THEIR PARENT'S REJECTION, OR, LIKE T-BOY, THEY'D GET EVEN. Do You SMELL SMOKE ?

THE PARENTAL PROBLEMS YOU'D FIGURE YOUNG GAY STREET GANG MEMBERS WOULD HAVE. SOME OF THEM HAD BEEN THROWN OUTTA THE HOUSE. YOU ARE NOT Boo Has 500 MY SON !!

YEAH, NICK RAYAND I WERE BECOMING BETTER FRIENDS ALL THE TIME. BUT NO, NOT IN THE WAY YOU'RE THINKING.

NICK RAY AND NATHAN,

но

SITTIN' IN A TREE* uh uh uh uh uh uk UH

GROW

♫

UP.

I'm I KE

MIKE

MEH

NAH... TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, I WAS ALL CONFUSED AND MY FEELINGS WERE MURT CUZ CAL WAS ALMOST TOTALLY IGNORING ME ALL OF A SUDDEN.

I MEAN, IF I DID SOMETHING TO PISS YOU OFF OR SOME THING

I'M NOT PISSED OFF, I JUST GOT STUFF TO DO, THAT'S ALL

they "are women loving women, heterosexual, lesbian and bisexual women united in song."

Muse commissions and seeks out music composed by women, pieces written to enhance the sound of women's voices, and songs that “honor the enduring spirit of all peoples."

St. John's Unitarian-Universalist Church has been among the leaders of the local GLBT community. It has participated in Pride parades, worked with GLBT organizations, and held many worship services and forums centered on sexual orientation and gender identity issues. In 2000, St. John's was officially recognized as a Welcoming Congregation by the Unitarian Universalist Association, a special distinction given to churches that have proven their commitment to the affirmation and inclusion of LGBT people.

This year, many church

members are at the forefront of the campaign to repeal Article 12 of the Cincinnati city charter, which forbids passage of any law protecting the civil rights of GLBT citizens. St. John's ministers perform same-sex union ceremonies and embrace same-gender couples and their children, who are listed together in the church's directory and pictured together on the church's membership board.

Alix Olson is a nationally touring folk poet and progressive queer artist-

Alix Olsen activist whose shows have

been described as "one part peace vigil, one part protest rally and one part joyful, raucous concert." Tickets for October 1 are on sale via www.cincinnatiarts.org or at the Aronoff Center and Music Hall's box office, call 513977-4157. Tickets for the October 2 concert are available from St. John's, 320 Resor Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45220 or by calling 513961-1938.

For

information, see www.stjohnsuu.org or write stjohnuu @fuse.net.

by Robert Kirby

6 5 1 0

NICK RAY WAS THE ONE WHO'D TELL ME ALL THIS STUFF....ALL THE STUFF CAL WOULDN'T.. APPARENTLY, THE ATOMS WE RE N'T THE ONLY Homo GANG IN TOWN EITHER.

...YEAH, YOU OUGHTA CHECK OUT THE BROOKLYN BULLS OVER BY PARK SLOPE... MEANEST GANG OF TEEN DYKES YOU'VE EVER SEEN. EVEN ATOM WON'T MESS WITH `EM.

WHOA

I JUST COULDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE TIME.

YOU KNOW I'LL TOTALLY KILL ANY. ONE WHO TOUCHES YOU, RIGHT? I'LL CUT OFF THEIR BALLS AND FEED 'EM TO 'EM, RIGHT?

yeah.

so you've said

#294

Late Night

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Eats!

Kitchen Open 'til 11

Beachland

www.beachlandballroom.com

15711 WATERLOO 216.383.1124 SUN. SEPT. 26 8:30 PM An Intimate Evening with

MELISSA FERRICK "indie rock goddess"

The Advocate with CHRIS WHITLEY

SUNDAY OCT. 3. 9 PM

BITCH

Formerly of

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"transgenre as well as transgender"

-Village Voice