Skip to main content

The Gay Music Scene


This past Gay Pride weekend was a lot of fun. I got to see my San Francisco friends that I rarely see, and my reflectively white skin got some sun for a change. I'm always paying attention to the music around me, and at these kind of festivities the music is impossible to ignore. Every time I am at a Gay Bar, club or event the only music I ever hear is beat heavy techno. It always stands out in a kind of offensive way to my ears. I just don't get that kind of music, simply put.

Within the LGBT community, it's everywhere. There's a stereotype about that, but it's also kinda true. You'd be hard pressed to enter a gay bar in the Castro San Francisco without there being blaring electronic music. I even wrote a blog about a remix I heard there, really really loudly. Being openly transgender, third-gendered, what have you, I feel comfortable making these observations. For the past almost 2 years I have been performing regularly in a drag troop called "The Rebel Kings." All of the Kings and Queens have funny or tongue-in-cheek names like "Vegas Jake" "Andy Topser" "Logan Cumswell" and my drag name is "Lou Weed".

Lou Weed performing at The White Horse
Photo By Davey Hi  Quantafoto.com.

My character focuses on rock inspired performances. Thankfully, and oddly enough, I seem to have some fans, who are always at my shows and all are over the age of 40. Every LGBT, Trans, event I've been to there was always loud electronic music. I have the stern policy that I can't dance to music I don't like. Some folks can just dance, and that's fine. But I just can't do that. But you put on some Queen, Ramones, Rolling Stones and I am overcome with a 'possessed'-like need to dance. When I was growing up, all my heroes happened to be gay. I was all about Freddie Mercury and Joan Jett as a kid. To me, that was what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wanted to rock! I think of Freddie as an awesome and empowering gay icon. Heavy techno music lacks, and yet has an abundance. It's super loud and there usually is barely any lyrics. To me it's neither here nor there, it's just noise. I literally can't tell one song from the next. Heck, I'd much rather listen to Abba.


In my gay music scene mind, they would be playing Freddie Mercury's solo work "Living on my own", and David Bowie's "D.J." I kind of appreciate when folks make dance mix versions of classic songs like "Let's Dance" by David Bowie. These days mash ups are quite popular, which also interest me. Re-mixes as much as I resent them, are clear examples of the evolution of music. And more often than not (hopefully) it turns a new generation onto an artist that their grandparents probably listened to. I feel like the contemporary gay music scene is pretty disappointing. It doesn't have to be all rock and roll, but techno music aint got the same soul.



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We need to talk about this: The Foo Fighters are "AIDS denialists"

Preface: I am a fan of the Foo Fighters' music, so this isn't intended to be a hit piece. I genuinely feel troubled by what I'm about to share with you in this blog entry. I had no idea about this until just days ago.  Recently I saw a video that addressed celebrities with controversial beliefs. The one that stood out to me was Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters being "AIDS denialists" (which I didn't even know was a thing?) aka "HIV Truthers". I immediately had to look into this because it sounded just too crazy to be real (and you should ALWAYS be skeptical of things you hear and do. your. research.) An article that I felt was very thorough on the topic was " Foo Fighters, HIV Deniers " "Maggiore’s message has apparently penetrated the minds of at least some Foo aficionados. She says she has heard from many Foo fans since the show — one of whom, she says, now works at the Alive and Well office.  “AIDS is a toxic disease caused...
Post a Comment
Read more

Music posers

Ever see a girl in a rock t shirt who just doesn't look like she knows who they are? Have you ever been out in public, and spotted a person wearing a rock and roll t-shirt? Every time I do, which is if they're 12 feet or less away, I have to say something about it. That something would be "Yay! I love (insert band)! What's your favorite album?" Well, sometimes when I ask that question, I get a response I don't expect... *Blank expression* "I'm not really a fan of (insert band), I just like the shirt." My heart sinks. And then I want to punch them. This happened just yesterday. I was visiting my local pot club ( Berkeley Patients Group , woop woop) and I immediately spotted a girl wearing a Beatles shirt. I shouldn't even have to inform you how much I love rock music, so I can't help but mention it. I also feel like this is an obvious potential friend! I said to her "Yea the Beatles rock! Niiice!" And sh...
5 comments
Read more

The album art of Tommy by Mike McInnerney

 People often ask me what my favorite album is. Without much thought I am able to answer them. The Who's 1969 album "Tommy" is my favorite record of all time. The album artwork also happens to be my favorite. Recently I was thinking about the album and how it affected me in my life. I decided to look up the Tommy album art and was surprised that I was unable to find any of it. I could find the cover, but never all the album art inside. The Tommy CD comes with a booklet with lyrics and a series of different illustrations. But they weren't on the internet.   So this blog will be changing that! I just took out my CD booklet and scanned all the artwork. There are two versions of the cover, one featuring small images of their faces inserted into the gaps in the central sphere. The other is just the original work. Executives at The Who's record label insisted on having the band members pictured on the cover, so that's why there are two covers. Pete Tow...
2 comments
Read more