DETROIT – October will be a queer music fan's dream come true when some of the hottest LGBT acts head to Detroit and Ann Arbor. Here's a run down of shows you won't want to miss.
Bob Mould
Kick off the month with gay punk rock icon Bob Mould on Saturday, Oct. 1 at the Majestic Theatre in Detroit.
Mould is well known for his work with 1980s punk band Hüsker Dü as well as the edgy alternative rock of 1990s band Sugar. Mould's body of solo work ranges from the introspective acoustic "Workbook" in 1989 to the electronica groove of "LoudBomb." His latest release, "Body of Sound," pulls from all of these. Though Mould may be older and wiser, he hasn't lost his edge.
"I'm not 23," Mould told The Onion A.V Club on Sept. 21. "I'm not f–ked out of my head on alcohol. I'm in a different place in my life, and my music is a reflection of who I am right now."
Mould is bringing a full band to Detroit, including Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty, and fans can expect a career spanning set, including old Hüsker Dü and Sugar tunes.
Antony and the Johnsons
Get yourself to the Gem Theatre in Detroit for Antony and the Johnsons on Monday, Oct. 3.
Antony's voice is difficult to describe, but the gender-vague singer evokes greats like Nina Simone, Bryan Ferry and Boy George. Haunting and passionate, Antony's voice is often compared to an angel.
Antony and the Johnsons is getting worldwide acclaim from fans and stars alike. Lou Reed and Rufus Wainwright both appear on Antony's second record "I Am A Bird Now" and Antony toured with Reed and guests on Wainwright's latest "Want Two." On Sept. 6, Antony also nabbed the UK's Mercury Music Prize, beating out acts like Coldplay.
The Johnsons are a musical wonder in themselves, but when people speak of the group it all comes down to the voice. The New York Times called Antony's voice "a largely untrained but instinctive and wholly singular sound that keens in the upper registers, somewhere between male and female, between childish innocence and weary adulthood, at once ethereal and earthy."
Sleater-Kinney
Sleater-Kinney head to Detroit's Saint Andrew's Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 4. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, the band's latest record "The Woods" has been getting all manner of acclaim for it's heavy, classic rock sound.
Writes Rick Moody on sleater-kinney.com, "Rarely has a band digested the influence of the Zeppelin catalogue in such a creative and diabolical way."
Named after a street near their old hometown, Sleater-Kinney formed in 1994 with Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker with the later addition of drummer Janet Weiss.
"Then we were three," writes Brownstein on the band's Web site. "Since then it's been what you'd expect: Limos and hot sauce. Mansions and beach balls. Mini golf, mathematics, groceries, cedar blocks, baby pools, and puppies. Or something like that."
Weiss recalls that her fateful audition seven years ago awakened a "firey chemistry," one that continues today. "Our band continues because together we complete a unique puzzle, and because our evolving, explosive relationship allows us to reach for the moon."
Tegan and Sara
On Thursday, Oct. 6 twin rockers Tegan and Sara play the Majestic Theatre in Detroit. This power pop duo has been burning up the modern rock airwaves with their hit song "Walking With A Ghost" from their latest release "So Jealous."
Tegan and Sara's sound has gotten progressively louder compared to the largely acoustic alternative folk of 2000's "This Business of Art" but their clever lyrics and tight songwriting have never wavered.
Repeatedly in the press Tegan and Sara have bemoaned being known as lesbian Canadian twins, wanting instead to be known for their music which largely has no "homosexual agenda." It's just good, catchy rock and roll.
Sara told The Advocate back in April, "We're proud to be gay. But I believe that our music does not have sexuality. I don't think you have to be straight to identify with Bono or Chrissie Hynde."
The duo are known for their humorous, and occasionally rambling, banter at their live shows which makes audience members feel like they're hanging out in the living room with the coolest girls in school. Catch them at the Majestic before they outgrow intimate venues.
Rufus Wainwright
Fans of pop rock queen Rufus Wainwright have two chances to catch him as he heads through Michigan. Wainwright will be at the Wharton Center for the Performing Arts in East Lansing on Saturday, Oct. 8 and in Ann Arbor at the Michigan Theatre on Sunday, Oct. 9. Both shows are solo performances.
The flamboyant son of famous folk singers Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, not to mention brother of emerging musical goddess Martha Wainwright, Wainwright's music has often been described as "Popera" (Pop Opera) or "Baroque Pop." It is full of passion, verve and occasional sass.
Wainwright's sexuality informs his art. "I aspire to be part of a great tradition of fag songwriters – Cole Porter, Noel Coward, Peter Allen – and you know, I personally do believe that there is a certain side of the world that gay people see," Wainwright told Gay.com last year. "Let's just say they're acquainted with major rejection on many levels."
The Washington Times said of "Want Two," his latest record, "The marriage of prettiness and petulance, of gutter humor and classical tunefulness, is nothing if not a riveting listen."
Betty
Lesbian music fans who don't live in Ann Arbor may want to pitch a tent in the city and have their own little womyn's music festival from Oct. 22-26 to catch four community favorites in five days starting Saturday, Oct. 22 with Betty.
Betty, a five-piece pop rock band best known for the theme song to Showtimes's "The L Word" as well as appearances on the show, head to The Ark on Saturday, Oct. 22. Betty combines tight harmonies with rocking guitars and clever lyrics. Fierce, funky and funny, Betty are not to be missed.
Amy Ray
Catch Indigo Girl Amy Ray the next day on Sunday, Oct. 23 at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor. Amy Ray is touring with her band The Volunteers in support of her latest record, "Prom." Ray flexes her proverbial progressive and punk rock muscles on "Prom," a fierce exploration of sexuality, gender, racism and homophobia.
According to Daemon Records, the independent not-for-profit label Ray started in 1990, "'Prom' explores the dance between gender and sexuality, man and woman, youth and adulthood, authority and rebellion. The setting is the South, both suburban and rural, where an undercurrent of whitewashed innocence and destructive value systems often hold the hierarchy together."
If it sounds heavy, it is, but "Prom" is also imminently listenable. And for fans of Ray's Indigo Girls work, while Ray rocks out a little more solo, there's still plenty of evidence of her folky roots.
Fruit
Australian trio Fruit are at The Ark Monday, Oct. 24.
"If there ever is a point to our music, we believe it is that music can change our world," the group writes on their Web site. "That's the clarity we reached last year – realizing that through our lyrics, and our music, we could stir the soul. We want this to be our work for a long time."
Judging from their latest record, "Burn," Fruit's three lead singer-songwriters: Mel Watson, Susie Keynes and Sam Lohs, should be looking as some pretty nice job security.
Harmonies and musicianship don't get much tighter than what you hear when the three women in Fruit put their musical heads together. They've sung and played together for nine years and their experience and expertise are evident.
Fans of Michelle Shocked, the Indigo Girls and Swing Out Sister will find this Fruit to be very sweet, indeed.
Maia Sharp
Last but not least, end your lesbian musical revolution with Maia Sharp on Wednesday, Oct. 26 also at The Ark.
Even if you've never heard her name before, you've heard her songs. Sharp has written hit tunes for the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Trisha Yearwood, Edwin McCain, Lisa Loeb and the Dixie Chicks.
Her latest solo release, "Fine Upstanding Citizen," showcases her songwriting skills. Take it from Bonnie Raitt, "Maia is making some of the most innovative and soulful music around with songs that are head and shoulders above the rest. She has become one of my favorite artists. 'Fine Upstanding Citizen' is a brilliant album, start to finish."
Singer-songwriter Jonatha Brooke counts herself as a fan, too. "Maia Sharp is a musician's musician," said Brooke. "Her songs have the harmonic twists and turns that always kill me, her voice gets to my very heart and soul, and she still manages to deliver those classic, fabulous hooks."
For ticket information visit http://www.ticketmaster.com or venue Web sites:
The Ark: http://www.theark.org
Majestic Theatre: http://www.majesticdetroit.com
Gem Theatre: http://www.gemtheatre.com
St. Andrew's Hall: http://www.standrewshall.com
Michigan Theatre: http://michtheater.org
Wharton Center: http://www.whartoncenter.com
Blind Pig: http://www.blindpigmusic.com
