An interview with Nicole Atkins Already considered to be one of the best albums of 2017, Goodnight Rhonda Lee (Single Lock), the fourth full-length disc by Nicole Atkins, deserves all of the praise being heaped upon it. The 11 stellar tunes further Atkins’s singular exploration of vintage pop in the most exhilarating way, as you can hear on the title track, “Sleepwalking,” “A Little Crazy,” “If I Could,” “Listen Up,” and “Brokedown Luck.” Also of note is the way that the album addresses the singer/songwriter’s newfound sobriety, on songs including the aforementioned titular number. I had the pleasure of interviewing […]
Magic Michael
An interview with The Carbonaro Effect’s Michael Carbonaro With his mesmerizing and hilarious hidden camera and practical joke series The Carbonaro Effect, now in its third season on truTV, out actor and illusionist Michael Carbonaro keeps viewers (and his unwitting subjects) guessing. A whiz of a wizard, if ever there was, Carbonaro first crossed our gaydar as sex-obsessed Andy in the 2006 rom-com Another Gay Movie. But his greatest success and exposure has occurred through his longtime love of the magical arts on The Carbonaro Effect. Carbonaro is currently on a cross-country live performance tour bringing his effect to your […]
Solo Nation
An interview with Emily Saliers A long time in the making, Emily Saliers’ Murmuration Nation (Emily Saliers Music) is the Indigo Girl’s solo debut album. Worth the wait, the 12-song album reveals a thrilling new side to Saliers, beginning with the rocking and riveting opener “Spider,” and continuing with the dance break in “Serpent Love,” the moody and rhythmic “I’m High I’m On High,” and the various shifts in “Hello Vietnam.” Naturally, Saliers doesn’t forsake longtime fans, as is evident on “Train Inside,” “Slow Day Friend” and “Sad One.” I spoke with Emily about the album and the state of […]
Well-Kept
An interview gay writer and musician Admit it. Ever since you read Robert Rodi’s first novel, 1992’s Fag Hag, you’ve been waiting for someone to adapt it, or one of his others (including Drag Queen, Closet Case, and Bitch Goddess) into a movie. Well, you got your wish. Kept Boy (Breaking Glass), directed by George Bamber (The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green), with a screenplay by David Ozanich, is the movie adaptation of Rodi’s 1996 novel of the same name. Dennis (Jon Paul Phillips), the titular “kept boy”, is the object of the affections (both romantic and monetary) […]
Life’s Her Cabaret
An interview with Bridget Everett A fixture on the alt-cabaret circuit for years, Bridget Everett is the definition of a force to be reckoned with. Possessing a voice that rattles walls and windows, Everett is a dynamic singer, where she’s performing solo or with her band, Tender Moments. Currently Everett can be seen giving an outstanding dramatic performance as Barb, mother to the titular Patti in the movie Patti Cake$ (Fox Searchlight), written and directed by Geremy Jasper. I spoke with Bridget in August 2017, shortly before the film opened in theaters.
Wright on Target
An interview with singer Lizz Wright Dividing her time between the mountains of North Carolina and a classroom in Chicago, wherever Georgia-native and singer/songwriter Lizz Wright is, there’s music. Here’s the truth about Wright, she never disappoints. Whether she’s introducing listeners to her own spirited and powerful original compositions or performing singular interpretations of the work of others, each of her six studio albums, including her latest, Grace (Concord), will lift you up and knock you out. I spoke with Wright in the summer of 2017.
Cyndi Lauper’s Detour
An interview with the diva great Known for putting her money where her mouth is, versatile Grammy and Tony Award-winning diva Cyndi Lauper is an outspoken supporter of the LGBT community. But it was her singing voice and distinctive fashion sense that initially caught our eye. After forays into pop, dance music, standards, and the blues, Lauper lends her remarkable vocal range to a set of country numbers on Detour (Sire). Joined by country legends Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris, Lauper leaves her “unusual” mark on mid-20th century country classics, including Wanda Jackson’s “Funnel of Love,” Patsy Cline’s “Walking after Midnight,” […]
The Gatekeeper
An interview with ‘Madam Secretary’s Erich Bergen As Blake Moran, the newly out bisexual assistant to Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord (Téa Leoni) in the CBS drama “Madam Secretary,” Erich Bergen is the picture of perfection. Handsome, fit, conservatively-attired and well-groomed with very important hair, Blake has it (almost) all together. Sure, there are loose ends – a difficult mother and a recently resurfaced male ex – but he is nothing if not good at tying everything up so they don’t come undone again. I had the pleasure of speaking with Bergen, whom many will recognize from his portrayal of […]
And Then There Was Nun
Filmmaker Ryan White keeps viewers riveted with The Keepers Almost 50 years after Sister Cathy Sesnik, who taught at Archbishop Keough, an all-girls high school, was murdered in Baltimore, there are still many unanswered questions about the case. Not only has that not stopped former students of hers from seeking the truth, it also caught the attention of gay filmmaker Ryan White (The Case Against 8), director of Netflix doc series The Keepers. White, whose maternal side of the family has roots in Baltimore (a family member was also one of Sister Cathy’s students) initially thought he would be making […]
And Then There Was Nun
Filmmaker Ryan White keeps viewers riveted with The Keepers Almost 50 years after Sister Cathy Sesnik, who taught at Archbishop Keough, an all-girls high school, was murdered in Baltimore, there are still many unanswered questions about the case. Not only has that not stopped former students of hers from seeking the truth, it also caught the attention of gay filmmaker Ryan White (The Case Against 8), director of Netflix doc series The Keepers. White, whose maternal side of the family has roots in Baltimore (a family member was also one of Sister Cathy’s students) initially thought he would be making […]