The Power of an Idea; Genderation XYZ

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Joe Birdsong doesn't accept transgender expression - he celebrates it. The Qwe're Music Fest, which was launched this past summer at FEZ, held its second concert on December 3rd called "Genderation XYZ" at Joe's Pub (at the Public Theater on Lafayette St) with a wide range of performances. The stage was tucked into the far corner, large enough for a four-piece rock band, with tables covering most of the floor and cozy couches set two steps up on a higher level along one end of the room. Behind the couches, on a yet a higher level, was the bar area with booths and a large couch enclave as well. With a small super-club feel to it, you could see the stage from anywhere in the room. The crowd was maybe sixty strong, but hey it was 20 degrees in NYC on a Tuesday night.

When NYC expanded its human rights law on April 30, 2002, Chloe (best known as the lead singer for the band Trans-Sisters) said to her friend Joe Birdsong, a NYC promoter known as Mr. Joe, "we should celebrate. We all know life is hard, let's just have some fun - let's have a music festival this summer". The idea took root and with many trials and tribulations from idea to reality - the initial festival was an amazing nine-hour free event featuring some of the best known, as well as new up & coming talent in the metro area.

The concert Tuesday night assembled an eclectic group of performers and it was that very diversity that made the two shows interesting, and entertaining. Drag King "Dred" stepped onto the stage with her spiritual spoken word, dance, singing, lip-synching, and transformations, to open the show, only to have the big stage voice of Chris Tanner (with accompaniment by Lance Cruce) hit the stage in drag singing "Born To Be Wild". And if that wasn't enough of an about face, Vulgaras came right up the middle, but way off center, "representing all things swept under the carpet", exclaimed their lead singer - who by the way caught your attention in her skin tight black lycra dress with a skull & horns on her head and a dido strapped to her thigh.

Which wasn't all that unusual for New York City, until her "inner-child", dressed in baby clothes, came and sat by her side and sucked on it throughout most of the bands set. But oh no, that's not all, they were just warming up. Their finale included the appearance of her "inner-demon" doing a fire show while she sat on the back of her "inner-child", and sang "Dance Hell", a song about masturbation, with TS drummer Goddess Diana beating the skins in syncopated rhythm all the while. And, though she was only simulating masturbation with a butcher knife, I think - I hope she was simulating. Well she certainly was not simulating some of the blood from the cuts that her and the guitarist received during the experience. Wow, that was intense. It was like a nightmarish wet dream that someone else was having, you know like Edgar Allen Poe in heat - and I was pulled in without my consent. The crowd loved it though - and by their dress code, I don't think anyone in the audience was a groupie - well maybe one.

For those that stayed, and those that were just arriving, the second show was no less eclectic than the first, though a little longer, and a little more expensive, to which Mr. Joe told me later he recognized he would have to lower prices for shows in the future.

Sweetie, who was scheduled to MC was unable to attend due to illness, but the show went on with great energy from the voice of Raven O, which included a reggae version of "The First Time-Ever I Saw Your Face" (Roberta Flack). With a muscular physique and a feminine aura of grace Raven O is the poster child for gender unity and the perfect opener. Raven seemed to have a great time, and after describing an intense love for porno movies proceeded to sing the final number "My Favorite Things" (from the Sound Of Music), with the music intending to sound like - you guessed it - a porno soundtrack.

Drag King Sir Real lip-synched an eerie song called "Come Away With Me" draped in a cape only to later reveal his fangs as he entranced a member of the audience and - you guessed it again, - carried her away off stage. He reappeared later, in a tuxedo, hair slicked back, to do an upbeat standard - I was left looking around for the big band. But the act that captured my attention this night was Slanty Eyed Mama, a "trip hop spoken word fusion, funky urban Asian style of Asianatrix", set to the sounds of an edgy electric violin, performed by her fellow Julliard classmate, and a prerecorded percussion track. And with the aid of dancers they create stories though sight and sound, which are politically provocative, entertaining and intelligent.

Reuben played acoustic piano, and sang "Golden Boy", and followed with "Belle Of The Ball", a song he wrote for his sister, who was in the audience and had not seen him perform since they were kids - always a crowd pleaser. But the evening wouldn't have been complete without the woman who conceived the Qwere Music Festival in the first place, Chloe, who is listed on the contact page of the organizations website as their "visionary". She performed a few songs with just the compliment of an electric guitar, and although the songs took on a softer tone - you could still feel her energy.

The diversity of performers and gender expression at "QMF" reminds us all that as different as we may be, there is harmony in unity, and being human is a bond we share. Check outwww.qwere.org for more info.

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