Monthly Archives: November 2010
Dave Koz Returns to Chicago with His Smooth Jazz Christmas Tour December 4th
COMING OUT,
DOES NOT HURT ONES CAREER,
contrary to popular belief!
When he came out in The Advocate in 2004, Dave Koz instantly expanded his already large fan base and shattered a lot of myths about gay men and music.
In a career that spans twenty years and a dozen albums, saxophonist Dave Koz has established himself as one of the most prominent figures in contemporary music. But for as noteworthy as his body of recorded work and as entertaining his live performances and other past accomplishments might be, Koz finds himself in an era of dramatic and sweeping change where everything once taken for granted is suddenly up for grabs. For Koz – and for all of us in this first decade of the new century – it’s a new day, full of new challenges and opportunities, and new rules that are still being written.
Koz embraces this era of change – and even the uncertainty that comes with it – on Hello Tomorrow, his debut on Concord Records (released on October 12, 2010. “Put The Top Down,” the breezy lead single from the album, rocketed to #1 at Radio after just three weeks!). Produced by Grammy winners John Burk and Marcus Miller (who also appears on most tracks), the album features a diverse army of high-profile guests: Herb Alpert, Jonathan Butler, Brian Culbertson, Sheila E., Boney James, Jeff Lorber, Keb’ Mo’, Ray Parker, Jr., Lee Ritenour, Christian Scott and others. Each of the thirteen tracks – most of them written by Koz and his collaborators, others penned by friends and legends – focuses on being open to new beginnings, and trusting that the future is unfolding in all the right ways for all the right reasons.
Looking back on the Advocate Coming Out interview, he says, “I think everyone makes that leap at the right time in their own lives—there is no absolute rule, and thus I tend to shy away from giving anyone else advice on how to do this. In my own experience however, I never had a master plan to come out…that moment shocked me when it came—I sort of knew it instinctively and I said to myself, “It’s time”. Up until that point it was something I was either too worried, or too freaked out to do. I wasn’t willing to risk it…but then something surprising happened.
I was doing an interview for another gay publication—and the interviewer initially said it was just to speak on the music, no personal questions. His editors had a different agenda and he came back to me saying that in order for the article to run I would have to address my sexuality. Well, I noticed the way this information made me feel…and for the first time ever, it didn’t scare the &*%# out of me! I went to my managers with the idea of coming out—they were super supportive, having helped Melissa Etheridge along her journey. But they said if you’re going to do it, do it with The Advocate. And that’s exactly what happened—a few months later, just about in sync with my turning 40, it was done. This little piece of information that I’d been guarding so preciously all my adult life was finally out there for the world to see. Of course at the time I was freaking out…but I haven’t looked back since. By far, the very best thing I’ve ever done for myself. “
LAST WEEK, Dave added his effort to the Dan Savage It Get’s Better Project. You can watch his video and listen to his growing up gay story . And he reveals how his music got him through the struggles of growing up gay. Music – and more specifically, the saxophone – have been Koz’s primary survival tools since his childhood and adolescence in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley. “The saxophone became my best friend, my most trusted ally, because it enabled me to communicate feelings that I didn’t have the words for. In many ways, it saved my life.”
DAVE KOZ AND FRIENDS… A SMOOTH JAZZ CHRISTMAS
2010 TOUR COMES TO CHICAGO DECEMBER 4th !
This is shows 13th Anniversary! And this year’s run will feature special guests South African singer/guitarist Jonathan Butler, keyboardist Brian Culbertson and Dutch saxophone star Candy Dulfer. It will mark Dulfer’s first tour with Koz while Butler and Culbertson are back by popular demand.
The artists will perform hits from their respective catalogues and join together on a variety of holiday standards for an inspirational, high-energy show that has become a cherished tradition for many fans. The tour will take them from coast to coast and include three Los Angeles area shows (December 17th & 18th at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts and December 19th at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live). The festivities will conclude with a show at Modesto’s Gallo Center for the Arts on December 20th.
“Holiday music is like comfort food – when you hear these songs, they transport you,” says Dave, who has three classic holiday albums to his credit (December Makes Me Feel This Way, A Smooth Jazz Christmas Dave Koz & Friends, Memories of a Winter’s Night). “It’s like when you smell a fresh apple pie, and it conjures up memories of your grandmother’s baking and all the traditions that make this such a special time of year.”
Chicago Theatre December 4th Tickets are $48-$88
HOT MOVIE pics from the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Film Fest, REELING
BESIDES AMPHETAMINE ,
which we are sponsoring
Saturday night,
there are a few more films that I
think are MUST-SEE’s
this season at REELING !
IS IT JUST ME?
Sunday Nov 7th at 5:15
One of the funniest and sweetest gay romantic comedies in years, Is It Just Me? delivers a refreshingly witty take on one gay boy’s search for Mr. Right. Cute, but unaware of his adorableness, newspaper columnist Blaine can’t seem to meet guys, let alone form a relationship.
His beefy go-go boy roommate Cameron—who has no shortage of willing partners—can’t understand why he doesn’t pounce and enjoy some one-nighters. Instead, Blaine hides in his room and searches Internet chat rooms for a kindred spirit. He may have found one in the form of Xander, a shy, recently relocated Texan. But when the time comes to exchange photos, Blaine accidentally sends an image of his hunky roommate, and things go from romantically promising to uproariously confusing. This case of mistaken identity escalates when Blaine begs his roommate to go out with the charming, sandy-haired Xander. When it seems they hit it off, our lonely hero feels love has passed him by again…or has it? Think Cyrano de Bergerac by way of Eating Out: writer/director JC Calciano’s first feature film is a hilarious, captivating winner. And the hot guys aren’t bad either!
VIOLET TENDENCIES
Sunday Nov. 7th at 9:15
She’s Manhattan’s most fabulous fruit fly! At nearly 40, Violet (Mindy Cohn from The Facts of Life) is the racy, fun-loving belle of the gay ball. She spends her nights as royalty, but when the party ends she always heads home alone. Says Mindy, “I was a fag-hag from a very young age!”
While Riley, her co-worker, struggles with his baby-crazy boyfriend Markus (Casper Andreas), Violet’s romantic life is nonexistent. How can she keep hoping to find a straight man in a gay bar? Realizing she’s at a certain age and still single, Violet is at a crossroads.
In the fast-paced world of high fashion PR, Riley tells her she needs only to seek out a straight male version of herself—the mythical ‘Fag Stag.’ But the glamorous guru Salome gives her conflicting advice: to nab a man, she insists, Violet must abandon her gay boys once and for all.
When Violet arrives home from yet another disastrous date to find that a gay sex party has been organized in her bedroom, she decides Salome may be right. In order to get a prized man of her own, Violet strikes out on a hilarious quest to change the woman she is. Chasing love at all costs, she may find it in the most unlikely of places.
JESSE ARCHER wrote the screenplay and co-stars in the film. He says, “As a child star of the 80’s, I saw the bubbly Mindy, which made me think she would be one of those girls sticking up for me for being bullied at school. I modeled Violet after her.”
Sidenote – this is one of those movies that is getting great reviews, but has not gotten a distributorship yet. So it could be a couple years before it comes to NETFLIX. See it now, while you can!
Sure to sell out early!
I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS!
Wednesday, Nov 10th 9pm.
This movie has been in legal limbo for a year! The highly anticipated film finally hit’s theatres and is also available right now on DVD. Movie – I Love You Phillip Morris
Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) has a quiet life—he’s a Texan police officer, active member of his church, and attentive husband. Ugh, how dreadfully boring!
Thank goodness Steven finds himself in an atrocious car accident that not only rips his life wide open, but propels him out of the closet and into the gay Mecca of the south: Miami. As he revels in the golden luxuries and bronzed male bodies of his new life, the cost of maintaining it soon catches up with him. To support the lifestyle to which he’s so quickly become accustomed, charming Steven turns to cons and lands himself in jail.
Luckily, adorable Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor) is his cellmate and the two fall in love. Like, immediately. But when Steven has to remain locked in the pen after Phillip is paroled, he breaks free again and again to find his way to the man he loves… using every method imaginable. Theirs is the kind of love that can’t be contained by cinderblocks and metal bars! From directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (Bad Santa), I Love You Phillip Morris is a hysterical comedy, grounded in an emotionally honest (and true!) love story.
Check out Reeling for more movies and more details!
Celebrating Its 20th Year, Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame, November 10th
The Chicago Commission on Human Relations’ Advisory Council on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues has released the names of 11 individuals and four organizations to be inducted in November 2010 into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame , the only known government-sponsored hall of fame that honors members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, announced Chairman and Commissioner Dana V. Starks.
The chosen nominees will be inducted at the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame’s 20th annual ceremony, which will take place from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 10, 2010, in Sidney R. Yates Gallery at the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph St. The reception begins at 5:30 p.m., and the program is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public.
“Chicago is a city of many faces, and the LGBT community is an important part of that diversity. The community is thriving and moving forward, helping to build a strong social and economic foundation for Chicago,” said Mayor Richard M. Daley.
“The rich contributions made to Chicago by its various communities are important to Chicago’s quality of life,” said Commissioner Starks. “It is for that reason that we are pleased to recognize lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and their allies with these Hall of Fame awards each year.”
Those honored in 2010 are:
Individuals: Claudia Allen, 55, perhaps the most prolific contemporary writer of lesbian-themed plays; 11 of her 24 produced plays have lesbian themes or a major character who is lesbian or bisexual, including “Hannah Free,” which premiered at Chicago’s Bailiwick Repertory Theatre in 1992 and became an award-winning feature film in 2009.
Dan Di Leo (1938-1989), a U.S. Army veteran and co-founder of Gay Chicago Magazine; his experience and knowledge as a journalist and businessman were largely responsible for the early growth of the magazine, which is a cornerstone of Chicago’s LGBT community; he died of complications from AIDS.
Scott Free, 50, activist, musician, and founder of both Homolatte, the longest running queer performance series in the nation, and ALT Q, another of the nation’s longest running festivals for LGBTQ performers.
Bob Gammie, 84, an active organizer and fundraiser since 1949, for his many years of community service, including being one of the first organizers of gay activities in non-bar settings, in particular the volleyball games in Lincoln Park that grew into the Lincoln Park Lagooners, which continues to flourish.
E. Patrick Johnson, 43, scholar, artist, and performer; for his leadership in the African-American LGBT community, including publishing two books that focus on black LGBT life: Black Queer Studies and Sweet Tea: Black Gay Men of the South, an oral history of black gay men.
David Ernesto Munar, 40, for his leadership and advocacy on both local and national LGBTQ and Latino issues and, as a person living with HIV, for his work to shape local, state, and federal policy on HIV/AIDS.
Achy Obejas, 54, activist and writer; appointed by former Mayor Harold Washington to the city’s first Committee on Gay and Lesbian Issues and by former Mayor Eugene Sawyer to his Advisory Council on Gay and Lesbian Issues, she worked to secure passage of the Chicago Human Rights ordinance; as a journalist she shared a Pulitzer Prize in 2001, and she has published fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.
Paul G. Oostenbrug, 60, runner and community volunteer, for his long and dedicated service to Team Chicago, which takes LGBT Chicagoans to the Gay Games, and for his involvement on the boards of the Federation of Gay Games and Chicago House, a local AIDS service agency.
Jose R. Rios, 42, police officer, for his nine years of service as the Chicago Police Department’s liaison to the LGBT communities of Chicago, including his extensive outreach to the deaf community, youth, other government offices, community organizations, and police departments across the nation.
The Rev. Stan Sloan, 47, Episcopal priest and CEO of Chicago House, for his dedicated and innovative leadership in the homeless and AIDS service communities, including opening Sweet Miss Giving’s Bakery, which serves as both a jobs program and a source of income for Chicago House.
Mark E. Wojcik, 48, legal scholar, John Marshall Law School professor, and founder of the Chicago Bar Association’s Committee on Legal Rights of Lesbian and Gay Men, for leadership and mentorship in the legal profession and for promoting legislative change at the state and federal levels.
Organizations
Asians & Friends – Chicago, for 26 years of providing a social network for gay men of Asian descent and building a bridge between them and the larger LGBT community, culturally, socially, and philanthropically; as one of the first organizations of its kind, it inspired other similar groups to form elsewhere.
International Mr. Leather, for 31 years of drawing worldwide attention and attendance to Chicago by way of its annual weekend of events for the international leather community, significantly contributing to Chicago’s tourism revenue; it has also been a pioneer in support of LGBT rights and health issues.
Friends of the Community
American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, for decades of support for the civil liberties of the LGBT community and persons living with HIV as well as for advocacy of nondiscrimination laws covering sexual orientation, gender identity, and HIV status.
Chicago History Museum., for decades of acquiring and preserving LGBT historical documents and artifacts and for its groundbreaking “Out at CHM” lecture series, which presents LGBT history in the context of Chicago history.
The chosen nominees will be inducted at the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame’s 20th annual ceremony, which will take place from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 10, 2010, in Sidney R. Yates Gallery at the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Randolph St. The reception begins at 5:30 p.m., and the program is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
Best Gay Chicago.com is Sponsoring AMPHETAMINE Saturday Nov. 6th at Landmark Cinema
Visually stunning and emotionally potent,
Amphetamine is an electric rush
of beautiful men, bad boys and bright lights.
Kinetic and vivid, this film tells the story of Kafka, a smooth-bodied swim instructor struggling to stay ahead in Hong Kong. His mother’s health is failing, his father is nowhere to be found, his relationship with his girlfriend is tumultuous, and the only thing he shares with his brother is a powerful affinity for amphetamines.
Ricocheting through the neon metropolis on his brilliant yellow motorcycle, Kafka repeatedly encounters Daniel, a rich, successful, and gorgeous businessman who vigorously pursues him. Attracted to the danger and power they see in each other, Kafka and Daniel form a wild friendship. Their urban adventures draw them closer to one another, and their relationship begins to form a tentative, yet super-charged, romance.
As with drugs, Kafka becomes addicted to Daniel’s love, which hurtles him into a spiral of sexual confliction and fury. This sensual, adrenaline-filled drama goes beyond the traditional definitions of love and sexuality, and explores what happens when the desires of your heart don’t match those of your body.
Amphetamine (watch the movie trailer !)
Scud (Hong Kong, 2010, 97 min.) In Cantonese, with English subtitles
Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema (Theater 7) 2828 N Clark St
Saturday, November 6, 2010 9:15 PM
ADVANCE TICKETS are available now –
If available, tickets can be purchased at the door. But this is expected to SELL OUT!
DuPage College Has Anti-Gay and Hate Groups on Campus
You think we live in a tolerant city in the Midwest…not so. Don’t be fooled.
Many think Gays and Lesbians DO NOT deserve rights.
The College of Dupage, based in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, (but with a large campus here in Chicago) is one of the larger community colleges in the nation with 31,000 students. A few days ago, this hideous opinion piece published in the October 29 edition of its student newspaper, The Courier. He compares homosexuality to INCEST and PEDAPHILIA!
The piece was authored by WAYNE LELA, and by the extremist group HOME , Heterosexuals Organized for a Moral Environment.
Lela, in addition to staging anti-gay protests at college campuses, and once running for U.S. president, has the backing of NARTH, the wildy discredited group whose “research” is often cited by anti-gay groups. Lela has been active in the anti-gay movement for some time.
The paper’s editor can be reached at editor@cod.edu.
TOWLEROAD actually first broke the story. And he contacted the editor.
TODAY, TOWLEROAD reports, “I received an email from the paper’s editor, Vikaas Shanker, today, which I’ll share:”
“The Courier will print an editorial in this Friday’s issue (Nov. 5) which will address the decision to print Mr. Lela’s letter in the Oct. 29 issue. Due to space issues, we will not be able to print all letters to the editor, but we will print the petition sent to us and some letters from the college community. Most other letters will go on the web in a viewable PDF format. All letters are subject to editing for grammar, style, language, length and libel as stated in our Courier policy.”
Wait and see I guess. I contacted to editor also – and he has not responded. I am sure his in box is FULL!
Bar-Lesque Website Goes Live Today! Kick-off Party November 5th at SPIN
The Bar-lesque Web site comes to life TODAY!
What is Bar-lesque?
We canvassed the city far and wide to find charity-minded businesses to send over their sexiest guy or girl to take it all off in an online strip-a-thon to benefit the work of TPAN. Thirteen of Chicago’s sexiest from Angelina Ristorante, Atmosphere, CellBlock, The Call, Cocktail, Hydrate, Jackhammer, Minibar, Roscoe’s, Sidetrack, Spin, Touche and Velvet Rope are taking it off for charity…online! You participate by donating for your favorite contestant at bar-lesque.org .
Please join us on Friday, November 5 to mix and mingle with the contestants over a few cocktails.
TPAN is hosting their first ever Bar-lesque Kick-Off Party.
SPIN, November 5th, 9-Midnight – with Hosted Bar, 9pm-10:30!
For the whole month of November, your favorite bar staff are taking it off for charity!
