Arts & Entertainment
Gay Music Festival
Takes Main Stage
Gay Music Festival Takes Main Stage
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The Pet Shop Boys and Creative Artists Agency recently announced the details for the new nationwide summer music festival called Wotapalava.
In addition to the Pet Shop Boys, the mainstage lineup includes Soft Cell, The Magnetic Fields and Rufus Wainwright. Wotapalava will feature the diverse and eclectic talent of artists — gay and straight — and celebrate the goal of equality for everyone, including gay and lesbian people.
Neil Tennant, Pet Shop Boy and producer for Wotapalava, has said: “The idea of the festival came about a couple of years ago during a conversation with Elton John. Wouldn’t it be great to put together a bill of out gay performers? Who would agree to do it? Would the performers have anything in common apart from their sexuality in this sort of Lollaplooza-with-a-difference?
The festival evolved from this idea. It will feature the diverse talents of artists, many of them gay, and celebrate the dream of basic fairness and equality for all people. More important than the sexuality of the performers is their individuality, the way each of them has followed their own instincts to achieve their artistic goals. In this respect, Wotapalava is a celebration of the freedom to be what you want to be and about having the power to live as you want without fear or discrimination. I think one really important thing about Wotapalava is the way the diversity of the artists contradicts any stereotyping: we are not defined solely by our sexuality. Being homosexual is an important part of life but not the whole point.
We are delighted to have the support of the Human Rights Campaign. Last year we played at the huge anti-hate crime concert in Washington and were very impressed and moved by the way the message of anti-hate and anti-discrimination was put across. Wotapalava aims to carry the same message. And members of the Human Rights Campaign will be on hand at each venue with information about the discrimination gay Americans continue to suffer under the law and in their everyday lives. Also a dollar from each ticket will benefit the work of the campaign.”
Wotapalava will play 18 North American markets beginning July 13th in Miami and wind up in Houston, TX on August 11th. Presale tickets for Wotapalava, presented by leading gay and lesbian online communities PlanetOut.com and Gay.com (www.wotapalava.planetout.com and www.wotaplava.gay.com) went on sale May 22nd for the first six dates of the tour, with the remaining going on presale June 1st.
In addition to the main stage, Wotapalava will include a stage featuring continuous dance music from Junior Vasquez, Danny Tenaglia, Peter Rauhofer, Tracy Young, Abel, Tom Stephan, Tasty Tim, Susan Morabito, Phil B, James Anderson, Lydia Prim, Manny Lehman, Mark Anthony, DJ Bone, Alex Lauterstein, Sylvain Girard, Ralphi Rosario, Kostas, Dawna Montell, Frank Abraham, Paulo, Chris Sills and Jimpy, as well as many Broadway and cabaret performers.
Tickets are already on sale. Check out www.wotapalava.com for more information.