by Shaun Knittel - SGN Staff Writer

The BIG Spring Tour 2010
May 7
Café Metropolitain

Openly Gay singer-songwriters Tom Goss and Jeremiah Clark are bringing The BIG Spring Tour 2010 to Café Metropolitain on May 7.

Goss, a nationally touring independent singer/songwriter, told SGN that fans can expect an 'energetic, acoustic set with pop and rock influences.' Goss' 2009 video for "Till The End" created a major buzz by notching over 100,000 views after an exclusive online release; seven months later, based on a listener-supported campaign, it climbed to the top on MTV's LOGO and stayed there for six weeks.

Clark, a singer-songwriter and contemporary artist, told SGN, "I describe my music as acoustic pop - a hybrid between Jack Johnson, Dave Mathews, and Jason Mraz." Clark is planning an extensive Gay Pride tour for 2010 to support his forthcoming unnamed album and his recent single, "A History Book."

Clark and Goss met in 2008 when Goss was touring Pittsburgh. "We started chatting online, he [Clark] said he was a musician as well," Goss told SGN. "Before the Pittsburgh show, we got together, worked on a song and performed it that night. We had a lot of fun and since then we've continued to perform together. He's got a great voice and a great sense of musical arrangement, I'm happy to be touring with him."

"We realized very early on that we work well together and that's not easy to find when you're so accustomed to doing everything by yourself," said Clark. "When Tom started to book this tour, he called me up and asked me if I'd like to tag along. I said 'Yes!' without even considering life on the road because I try to live my life in the moment and thought this would be an amazing opportunity."

The BIG Spring Tour 2010 is an ambitious 40-city tour, however, both artists say they are living it up. "Last time I counted, the tour had grown to 51 cities," Goss told SGN. "There is not better way to get music out to an audience than a live performance. Every day I get to a new city and see old and new faces, I simply light up. This is why I do what I do."

"At the end of the day, I think we're both extremely thankful for the opportunity," Clark said. "Tom had been doing this with other artists before, but still many of his shows were solo. Now that I'm along, he has someone to help share the many difficult burdens to bear like driving, hauling equipment, entertaining and so on."

"For me," he continued, "I am so appreciative to be a part of this journey and never could have imagined myself in this place had you asked me a year ago."

Many of the shows Clark and Goss play are in small and intimate settings - something which the two men say makes for a unique live experience. "Our music is, in many ways, an extremely personal part of who we are, and we connect to the audience because of that," Clark told SGN. "You don't often get that kind of performance with touring musicians. You have popular artists selling out arenas and concert halls and perhaps one day, we will be those musicians & but for now, we prefer to reach out to fans in a different way that speaks to them on a level you can't get in stadium seating."

"The great thing about what Jeremiah and I do is that we create a dialogue between the audience," said Goss. "We want people to feel comfortable asking questions, interacting, and really being an integral part of the audience."

Being an openly Gay artist in 2010 could mean many different things for many different people. For Clark, it means that "I actively work to be a positive role model for other LGBTQ individuals, especially youth. For me it means there is an extra level of responsibility. I'm more than a musician, I'm also a representative of the community."

"After some very difficult struggles, both of us are now very comfortable with our sexuality, and our ultimate goal as musicians is simply to share our music with the world in hopes that people are impacted in both a positive and lasting manner," said Goss. "Though we didn't necessarily sign up for a political role in society, we're given the responsibility to stand up and speak out on numerous issues & a role that we do not take lightly. Just as with a senator or business leader, Tom and I have the unique ability to represent and convey specific views we have about Gay rights and be the voice for so many people who otherwise may not have been heard."

Goss says that they are thankful to be blessed with supportive fans and friends because "without that, we simply wouldn't be able to do this every day."

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