Horror drag in performance, music, and books

Charity Kase horror dragThroughout the years, drag and horror have not paired off as much as one might like. At least, not unless the pairing springs from comedy. But that may be changing.

When they aren’t awing us with the illusion of a real woman, drag artists traditionally serve as clowns, their exaggerated attitude rooted in camp and satire. I remember watching a humble drag version of Brian de Palma’s Carrie during the late 90s in San Francisco. Hilarious. So I appreciate the clowning around. Especially when, like Lear’s fool, the queen helps us discover some profound truth about the world.

But there’s now a richer world of drag horror waiting to be unleashed. The humor hasn’t necessarily been bled from it completely, but the horror element has a more prominent role. And the drag queens themselves are taking control of the narrative, dissatisfied with being portrayed simply as victims or villains. So let’s take a look at the history of drag and horror. Continue reading →

Funk queen Betty Davis reveals little in documentary

Betty Davis documentaryFilmmaker Phil Cox has produced a wonderful documentary exploring the life of funk singer Betty Davis. A model and uninhibited performer—famously described by Miles Davis as being even too wild for him to handle—Davis oozed unbridled sexuality. As the documentary Betty Davis: They Say I’m Different makes clear, she was Prince before Prince and Madonna before Madonna. The challenge for Cox? Davis turned her back on music and society during the 80s, becoming a recluse who refused to come out from the shadows. The documentary is stunning visually. With performance clips, album covers, photo shoots, and music tracks, we easily understand her appeal. Continue reading →

Graham Nash has wild tales to tell in autobiography

Graham Nash autobiographyIn the 1960s and 70s, Graham Nash was one of the musicians at the intersection of global musical creativity that defined those decades. He started as a co-founder and major voice behind the The Hollies, which led the British Invasion with (among others) The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. As he grew artistically beyond the band’s pop-oriented sound, he departed to become a collaborator with David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Neil Young, before turning to a career as a solo artist. In his engaging 2013 autobiography, Wild Tales, Nash tells all: not just the sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll (naturally), but also the drama, artistry, and moments of transcendence. The book is filled with interesting tidbits. There are exchanges with many of the seminal musicians and insiders of that era, including Joni Mitchell, Mama Cass, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, John Lennon, Jerry Garcia, Elton John, David Geffen, and Ahmet Ertegun (co-founder of Atlantic Records). Continue reading →

Electronic dance music museums to open in 2017

MOMEMElectronic dance music will soon have not one but two museums dedicated to the genre, which has become superficial over the years. That may sound like a harsh put-down, but the genre is deliberately designed to be about surface, not depth. It is now basically a set of simplistic building blocks that even a non-musician can put together in formulaic patterns with maximum repetition, in seemingly infinite sub-genres that differ subtly to all but initiated devotees. Anyway, the two museums will be opening in Germany in 2017. Continue reading →