Friday February 23, 2007 SGN.org |
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Volume 35 Issue 08 |
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Tuesday, Oct 14, 2008
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the Music Lounge by Albert Rodriguez - SGN A & E Writer |
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| Jason Aldean interview next week; Virgin Festival in Vancouver enlists The Killers and Muse; Kenny Chesney publicly denies Gay rumors; Bjork and Beastie Boys on Sasquatch lineup | |
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Country star Jason Aldean saddles up to the SGN next week There's a myth that country artists don't welcome Gay fans. This is hogwash. Dolly Parton, Shania Twain, and the Dixie Chicks have all acknowledged their Gay fan bases publicly. In fact, the Dixie Chicks' entourage includes two Gay men who keep them in the loop, their makeup artist and hairdresser. But, what about the boys? Are country music's beefcakes making in-roads with Gay consumers? Well, Garth Brooks flexed his support for non-heteros when he performed at an Equal Rights benefit concert, Tim McGraw volunteered for a guest spot on "Will and Grace", though the idea didn't translate onto screen. And there's Dierks Bentley, who includes Seattle Gay News on his guest list each time he comes to town, and makes sure we're given passes to say hello to him backstage. That's an impressive list of open-minded cowboys, thus far. Now add Jason Aldean to the list. The native Georgian phoned our newspaper offices last week for a friendly chitchat, on the exact day his tour with Rascal Flatts kicked off in West Virginia. By agreeing to an interview request and calling me directly, Aldean is ready to expose himself (not literally, damn it!) to Seattle Gay audiences. He's incredibly polite, as you'd expect a true Southerner to be, and is absolutely loving his artistic rise in the music world. He's a humble, kind of shy guy. We talked for about fifteen minutes, as he was relaxing before the big show that night. The Rascal Flatts tour, with Aldean, winds its way to the Tacoma Dome on March 4. Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster locations. Grab a copy of next week's Seattle Gay News and find out what country hottie Jason Aldean had to say when I lassoed him into "The Music Lounge". The Killers, Rise Against, Metric, Hot Hot Heat at inaugural Vancouver music festival I love Vancouver. Over the years, it's become my home away from home. The city is clean and beautiful, the nightlife is fun, restaurants are amazing, people are friendly, and super cute men are everywhere to be found. I don't know if it's the water or maple syrup, but the boys up north are delicious. Besides shopping, drinking, eating, and getting laid, here's another reason to make a trip to Vancouver, the Virgin Festival. On May 20 and 21, the city will host its first rock music festival with a lineup that includes The Killers, Rise Against, Metric, My Chemical Romance, Hot Hot Hot Heat, and Billy Talent. More acts will be announced in the coming weeks, with 30 total performers taking the stage at the University of British Columbia. For tickets and information, visit www.virginfestival.ca. And for accommodations, I always recommend the ultra-fabulous Opus Hotel (www.opushotel.com) and the Gay-centered Sandman Suites on Davie (www.sandmanhotels.com). This is an in-city festival, which means no camping or outhouses. Kenny Chesney denies Renee Zellweger divorced him because he's Gay I was given tickets to Kenny Chesney's monstrosity of a concert at Qwest Field last summer. Up front in the "Sand Bar" VIP section, my friend and I sat next to some of the trashiest people we'd ever had the dissatisfaction of meeting. We weren't there for Chesney, we were there for the opening acts, Dierks Bentley and Gretchen Wilson. My point is, Kenny Chesney is a trashy, hick magnet. At the time, the country giant was still recovering from being dumped by film actress Renee Zellweger, and turning his back to rumors that he was a "Brokeback Mountain" sort of cowboy. The rumors persisted and Chesney finally responded to them on "60 Minutes" on February 17, denying he's Gay. The rumors stemmed from Zellweger stating the marriage was a "fraud" in the annulment. The rumors, however, surfaced long before the wedding. And from me to you, I once spoke with a country music insider who said she had good reason to think he's Gay. But until we know for sure, he says he's straight. And, pigs really do fly out of my ass. Bjork, Beastie Boys, Arcade Fire, Manu Chao on Sasquatch lineup Bjork is performing at the Sasquatch Music Festival, as mentioned and later confirmed by Seattle Gay News. The concert's promoter, Live Nation, decided to be tight-lipped this year with its roster of performers, yet a number of them were leaked to radio stations and whispered in my very own ears. Bjork headlines on May 26, and we hope she'll be in a good mood, unlike the reported hissy fits she threw backstage at the Pier four years ago. Also announced for the festival, in late May, are rap veterans Beastie Boys, alternative rockers Arcade Fire, and the always-eclectic Manu Chao and his Radio Bemba Sound System. The full roster is more indie this year than in 2006, with many of the artists based out of the Northwest who routinely perform in Seattle. Advance tickets are $55 per day (plus $1 for charity) and $65 regular price after the advance date, but tack on gas, food, and possible lodging expenses and it comes out to roughly a $100 ticket. |
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International Readers read the SGN in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish |
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