Arts
Wedding Gowns and Guitars
Wedding Gowns and Guitars:
One Version of the Gay Agenda
by Clark Sheldon
What
do you get when you mix John Cameron Mitchell, Alan Cumming, Margaret
Cho, Lou Reed, Moby, Kathleen Hannah, Bob Mould and Sandra Bernhard with
a giant stage, a microphone, and a piano?
A party, of course! Along with pithy
comments, strong politics and rock and roll! Oh! And a bunch of gay, lesbian
and straight people speaking out for marriage equality.
In April 2004, in a West Chelsea club,
the album Wed-Rock was recorded live from a benefit show for
Freedom to Marry, a national coalition working for marriage equality across
the United States. This short CD packs both a serious and silly punch.
Serious fans of Margaret Cho take note!
Cho sends out a serious blast of attitude in 12 minutes--the longest track
on the entire disc. She covers legislative ammendments, morality, Eve,
weddings, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney! She comments about her routine
when talking to 'straight audiences.'’
"If you are against same sex
marriage but laugh your ass off to 'Will and Grace'... Fuck You! You are
not allowed the benefits of our culture and leaving behind the burden
of in-equality. That is just like in the 50s when white people stole rock
and roll from black people."
You tell 'em, Margaret! It's easy
to tell that all the guest artists are happy to be performing in support
of gay marriage, and, they take their job seriously.
Sleater-Kinney covers John Fogerty's
song, "Fortunate Son," and dedicates it to George W. Bush. I've
always thought Fogerty's song was powerful, but explicitly naming Bush
as "the ultimate fortunate son" makes so much more sense! Bless
Sleater-Kinney for making the connection from Vietnam to Iraq and the
goals of Bush's White House.
Stopping at nothing, Cho playfully
asks the audience, "What is the gay agenda exactly? Is it ass-less
wedding gowns?" A roar of laughter and cheering erupts. I laughed
out loud too--in my living room.
Clark Sheldon, International Man of Mystery, rides his bicycle in
Burlington's Old North End and hangs out with daffodils.