Could there possibly be a better way to spend one’s birthday than interviewing RuPaul’s Drag Race’s season six champion Bianca Del Rio? I’ll have to get back to you. But that’s precisely what I did in June 2021. We talked about her writing career, her success as a podcaster, how she passed the time while isolating during the COVID-19 pandemic, and, of course, about her new live show Unsanitized. Coming to a major metro area beginning in September and continuing through November, Bianca Del Rio promises her devotees a night of no-hold-barred barbs and laughs. Gregg Shapiro: It’s nice to speak with […]
Here, there, and everywhere: an interview with Dar Williams
First of all, if you haven’t seen Antje Duvekot’s stop-motion animation music video for “Today and Every Day,” from Dar Williams’ amazing new album I’ll Meet You Here (Renew Records/BMG), what are you waiting for? It’s the kind of perfect pairing of audio and visual that will remind viewers of the magic of that craft, and make you nostalgic for the heyday of MTV. Of course, “Today and Everyday” is merely one of the 10 incredible songs on what is best described as Williams’ best and most consistently enjoyable album since My Better Self. From the brilliant opener “Time Be My Friend,” featuring guest […]
The Way of the Force: an interview with Q-Force’s Gabe Liedman
Do you love to hear cartoon characters swearing and talking dirty? What about seeing them naked, muscular, and anatomically correct? Oh, and can you dig a story involving brainwashing, world domination and LGBTQ+ folks saving the planet? If so, the hot new Netflix series Q-Force is meant for you! Featuring the voices of a stellar cast of queer and queer-friendly actors including Sean Hayes (voicing Steve Maryweather aka Agent Mary), Wanda Sykes (voicing Deb), Patti Harrison (voicing Stat), Matt Rogers (voicing Twink), Laurie Metcalf (voicing V) and Gabe Liedman (voicing Benji) in lead roles, as well as several other guest stars, Q-Force takes animation […]
Rufus still rules!: an interview with Rufus Wainwright
It’s been said that timing is everything, and in the case of gay singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright, the saying holds true. In July of 2020, at least seven months into the COVID-19 pandemic, he released his eighth pop music studio album Unfollow the Rules. It was significant because it was his first in 12 years. Full of drama, hopefulness, and humor, it was among his best work, and even earned a Grammy nomination. In the past, Wainwright would have embarked on a multi-city (and continent) concert tour, but that was not possible now. As inventive as ever, Wainwright began presenting a regular series […]
Spring into a new book: poetry
After a brutal winter, made even more difficult by the pandemic and killer storms, the Spring Equinox and warmer weather days are in sight. The following new poetry titles are another way to welcome the change in seasons. As I said in my blurb for Lambda Literary Award-winning lesbian poet and memoirist Maureen Seaton’s Undersea (JackLeg Press, 2021), her “sun- and sea-drenched poetry collection combines all of her strengths: teacher, lover, observer, seeker, reporter, tour guide, singer, naturalist, rover, sibling, and wordsmith. Seaton invites readers to a faulty but irresistible paradise, complete with detailed instructions, and we’d be foolish not to accept. […]
Just Say Yeston!: an interview with Maury Yeston
Theater queens know their leading ladies and leading men. True theater queens know their librettists and composers. From Rogers & Hammerstein and Lerner & Loewe to Bernstein, Sondheim, Herman, Schwartz and Miranda. The name Maury Yeston also belongs on that list. Yeston, the man behind Tony Award-winners Nine and Titanic, as well as Grand Hotel, Death Takes A Holiday, and what has come to be known as the “other” Phantom of the Opera, has had a fantastic career in the theater. As if to drive home that point, we have two recently released albums; Maury Sings Yeston and Anything Can […]
Suggested reading: Winter 2021 non-fiction
So far, it’s been refreshing to President who knows the difference between truth and lies. If you’re the kind of reader who enjoys their prose with a healthy dose of truth, consider these new non-fiction titles to pass the winter days. Let Me Tell You What I Mean (Knopf, 2021) by celebrated writer Joan Didion opens with a lengthy intro by gay writer Hilton Als, before delighting readers with previously uncollected essays written between 20 and 50 years ago on topics as timely as ever, including college admissions stress, addiction programs, the state of journalism, as well as one on […]
Queer tunes to start the year
Lesbian singer/songwriter Tret Fure has been a prominent force in the women’s music world for many years. However, unlike many of her sisters in that independent scene, Fure actually began her career as a major-label artist, releasing her eponymous 1973 debut album on Uni Records. In addition to the original tunes, that album also featured Fure performing a cover of “My Love,” by lesbian rock legend June Millington (of Fanny fame). Fast forward almost 50 years later and Fure returns with her 13th solo album (excluding the three she recorded with Cris Williamson), the introspective Stone by Stone (Tomboy girl). The face mask Fure […]
Best LGBTQ music 2020 – Social distancing soundtrack
In more ways than anyone would care to count, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live. Near the top of the list are the ways in which we experience music. Live music venues – from concert halls and intimate clubs to festivals and cruises – were hit the hardest and the future of these performance spaces remains uncertain. Staying productive Fortunately, we still have plenty of recorded music to enjoy while we face the possibility of both a vaccine and further lockdowns. Some musicians have used the opportunity of isolation to create album. Gay singer/songwriter Mike […]
Best LGBTQ+ movies of 2020
Let’s be honest. The moviegoing experience has lost its luster in recent years. Stadium seating is a good idea, but the pressure of having to choose seats in advance takes the fun out of the hunt. People still talk during the movie; to each other, to themselves, to the characters on the screen. Texting during movies is at an all-time high, and Apple watches illuminating throughout the theater are a distraction. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic. Movie theater chains shuttered. While the idea of sitting in close proximity to other audience members caused us to shudder. Not that they […]