| Margaret Cho from Los Angeles/Atlanta answers our questions and shares her favorite spots in Seattle! 9-22-10
|
Photo credit: PixieVisionProductions  |
|
Greetings!
Hello there!
What a whirlwind month! The fall arts season is kicking into high gear. There is so much great art out there to experience and we strive to bring you the best of what is happening out there this season. This month we started it off with a fantastic line up in Seattle at Bumbershoot. A line up that spanned the likes of Bob Dylan, Mary J. Blige to Garfunkle and Oats. Then Portland followed up with Musicfest Northwest featuring one of my favorite bands, The Thermals. You could also have seen The Decemberists, The National and Okkerville River to name a few. There was so much to do and so much art to experience. We are truely fortunate here in Pacific Northwest to have such fantastic music festival. We are so thankful for our featured artists and their recommendations. They always come through and provide such a great perspective on a city. By using the website and reading the newsletter you are able to experience a city from the artist local point of view. Thanks to all our featured artists of past and future!
We are excited to bring you a really wonderful feature with Margaret Cho this month! Smack in the middle of her busy schedule Margaret came through Seattle last month as a part of her CHO DEPENDANT TOUR. The show was amazing and let me tell you the girl has some pipes! I had heard her music but had not been able to hear the new CD yet. WOW! Margaret put on a great show and we love love LOVED her singing! The comedy as always was so funny but her singing, my oh my, it was spot on! Much to our delight we were so happy to see John Roberts opening up for her. The duo are always hilarious. You can see a little snippet of their comedic genius together here on Margarets site! Check it out.
Photo credit: Lindsey Byrnes  | This month we are so happy to be bringing you a fantastic feature interview with Margaret Cho. Margaret was so generous to take time out of her busy schedule to do an interview with us again. We featured Margaret Cho on her Beautiful tour when she was in Seattle and we thought it only fitting to do another feature for this tour. A new tour that includes her musical prowess as well as her always funny comedic genius. Did I mention she has a busy schedule? I do not even think that busy comes close to describing what she has on her plate over the rest of the year. Photo credit: Bob Mahoney/Lifetime  | Between her tour and Drop Dead Diva she is a very busy lady. Top it all off she performed at Bonoroo Music Festival this year prior to kicking off her tour! And little did we know when we talked to her that she would be surprising us all by competing on Dancing with the Stars.
How will you do it Margaret? The show started Monday night (9-21-10). So make sure you vote the night of the performance next week here online or @ 1-800-868-3405. You can vote up to 11 times! And don't forget to set your DVR's and Tivos'. We know Cho will reign supreme! Photo credit: ABC  | Watch the show and VOTE! Let's see Margaret win this thing!
Remember that you can always look for us on Twitter and Facebook: See the beautiful links below I have created so that you can easily find us in both places!
We do update our listings and post on the website, blog and on Facebook and Twitter frequently so sign up and follow us if you have not already done so. It is a great way to stay connected to the insider information we may have to share with you. The Wordpress blog is here.
Enjoy the remainder of our summer of September and we will be back in October with another newsletter and more of the interesting and unique things our featured artists have to share with you.
Don't forget to share our newsletter with your friends.
Enjoy!
Jen
|
Photo credit: Kimberly Butler  |
Revered for her crass in-your-face
style, Margaret Cho burst onto the scene in 1994 with her sitcom All
American Girl and has since become one of the most prolific and critically
acclaimed comedians of our time. In 1999, she chronicled her legendary
struggles with network executives over her weight and ethnicity into
a groundbreaking one-woman show, I'm The One That I Want, praised
by Entertainment Weekly as one of the Great Performances of the
Year! In her following stand-up concert tours and films, Notorious
C.H.O., Revolution, Assassin and Beautiful, Margaret's tackled
the axis of evil, organized religion, homophobia, revolutionizing one's
self-esteem, the joy of bodily functions, and of course, her now world-famous
mother. Margaret is currently starring in the all-new comedic drama
series, Drop Dead Diva, on Lifetime, Sundays at 9pm ET/PT. Her latest
stand up concert film, Beautiful, is airing on Showtime and is available
on DVD from Image Entertainment.
A brilliant, taboo-busting
comedian in the spirit of Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor and George Carlin,
Margaret Cho is known as much for her enormous contributions as a social
equalizer as she is for her raunchy humor. She has been honored by the ACLU of Southern California, the National Organization for Women (NOW),
GLAAD, the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF), the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), and PFLAG for making a significant difference in promoting equal rights for all, regardless of race, sexual
orientation or gender identity.
Margaret is performing a new
stand-up show that features a healthy mix of comedy and live music.
She'll be performing songs from her forthcoming comedy music album,
featuring collaborations with Tegan and Sara, Jon Brion, Andrew Bird,
and Ben Lee, among others. Look for Cho-Dependent tour information here.
Margaret answers our questions while in Seattle on August 27th she played the Paramount Theater to a packed house.
Photo credit: PixieVisionProductions  |
I would love to hear about your trip to Biloxi Mississippi and how that came about. Did you make contact with any organizations down there that we should mention in the newsletter?
Margaret:
I had an amazing time in Biloxi and I was talking to a lot of people who were really badly affected by the oil spill. I have many friends who live in New Orleans and it really hit that area terribly. What is so great about the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies is that they are cleaning up the animals so that they can go back in the wild safely. They actually use Dawn dish-washing liquid to clean them! It is so important to restore the ecosystem because it affects the entire planet.
thegayplaces:
So you are living in Atlanta now and we know that Atlanta is part of the south if not in many ways "deep south". As a butch woman I got a lot of looks and glares the last time I was flipping around town in Atlanta and even was harassed on the public transit train on my way to the airport. Do you feel that Atlanta is an accepting and tolerant city?
Margaret:
Atlanta is a very progressive city and is really the San Francisco of the south but just outside the perimeter it gets very conservative very fast. Where I work in Peachtree City is where the southern tea party headquarters is located. People there are friendly but politically it is a different world than I am used to. There is certainly a 'stepford' vibe!
thegayplaces:
Have you connected with the queer community there?
Margaret:
Yes, I have - very much so. I attended Mondo Homo this year, and that is my crew of friends. I am out every night and having fun with everyone. I am really lucky to have met so many great friends there! And it's way gay!!
thegayplaces:
How does living in Atlanta affect how you move about vs. living in L.A. If at all? I am from the south so I know how hard it can be if you are different or look different in anyway. You have celebrity working for you but I still imagine you have some thoughts about this question.
Margaret:
Well, the cast of Drop Dead Diva is amazing, so that in itself makes it a little easier to spend time there, but still it is not where I would necessarily choose to be. At the gym in Peachtree City there are 'Focus on the Family' magazines everywhere and that's infuriating for me to see. I don't like being in an environment where people around me have such a different point of view and such and immovable one. I am offended just by the 'pitbull with lipstick' bumper stickers!
thegayplaces:
How much has music played an influence in your life over the years?
Margaret:
I grew up in the church, where my family played and sang, which was what church was mainly about in our house. My grandfather was a minister and my parents both played and sang in the church all the time. So music was everywhere in my life as a child, and then as I got older it was a big part of who I was - going to see shows and then hanging out with musicians, which is what comedians do a lot of!
Photo credit: PixieVisionProductions  |
thegayplaces:
Margaret we think that you are an extremely talented musician and we love that you are performing now in that genre. How did you get such a power house of artists to collaborate on your CD? Are you friends with all of those musicians? I mean you have every one from Tommy Chong, Patty Larkin to Rachel Yamagata and Tegan and Sara who by the way were up for a Canadian Polaris award this year( that is cool) WOW!
Margaret:
Thank you! I had been longtime friends with many of the people I collaborated with and some I met through the process of making the album. But I approached everyone pretty much the same way - like 'hey, let's do this' and people really wanted to do it. I really wanted to make an album that was funny but also beautiful and I was able to accomplish that with so much help from all these incredible musicians. Everyone was so generous and encouraging and also gave me lots of lessons which was really incredible.
thegayplaces:
Who are some of your favorite bands right now? Do you plan on more collaboration with other musicians?
Margaret:
My favorites right now are of Montreal, Tegan and Sara and The New Pornographers - all of which had something to do on my album - as well as Broken Social Scene. I am hoping to collaborate in the future with Linda Perry, Nile Rodgers and David Bowie - Bowie is my idol!
thegayplaces:
What made you such a strong beautiful woman? Or should I say who? Is that an easy question to answer?
Margaret:
haha! I don't know! I just try to live well and enjoy myself and do good work!
Drop Dead Diva Season 2 Lifetime TV  |
thegayplaces:
Drop Dead Diva is a great show. I know some folks on Twitter in the beginning were flipping you attitude about the body image issues that were being dealt with on the show. Josh Berman created the show but did you play any part of writing or collaboration on the subject matter and how it has been handled? I have always admired you for your positive stance and open conversations on helping make women know that they don't have to be a skeleton to be sexy and beautiful.
Margaret:
I didn't create the show but I certainly believed very strongly in the message of the show. It's something that I think is very important to celebrate women's bodies in a way that has heart and humor and dignity. It's a fantastic show and I really do think it has the potential to save lives because of its positive and heartfelt message.
thegayplaces:
Do you think that Prop 8 will be the turning point for equal rights when it goes to the supreme court and if so when do you think we all may end up equal once and for all. 1 year 5 years 20 years?
Margaret:
I really hope so. Prop 8 is so terrible, and I can't understand why it passed and how people can justify this kind of hatred and discrimination and turn it into law. I hope to see marriage equality sooner than later - 1 year or less!
Favorites in SEATTLE:
Places to go: Rendezvous Jewel Box theater!
Places to Sleep: I love the W
Places to play: Paramount is the ultimate.
Recommended artists in Seattle:
El Vez and Indigo Blue!
|
CITY ARTS FESTIVAL !!
City Arts presents
Gogol Bordello
October 20th 2010
The Pat Graney Company presents Faith Triptych
October 21st - 24th 2010
There are so many fantastic acts so please
click here for more info on this and other shows!
|
Who doesn't want to go there and support their recent ruling on marriage being an equal right for all people. Go there support their decision. Spend money! Plus it is a very enjoyable art filled city to visit!
Did I mention you can also see the fantastic Seattle artist Lauren Weedman's show "NO YOU SHUT UP"? No? Well you can so there you have it... the most important reason to travel to L.A. plus many many more artists. Have a look at our Los Angeles City page for more things to do!
|
NOTE: TOUR UPDATE FROM TODAY'S 9-21-10 WEBSITE POST: Margaret Cho's tour schedule had to be changed to accommodate the Dancing with the Stars show. Only 2 Cities have been effected. They are Detroit and Ottawa. They are working on a new date for the Detroit (previously 10/17) and
Ottawa (previously 10/24) shows and will announce them as soon as they have confirmed. In the meantime, refunds are available at the original
point of purchase. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to
contact Margaret Cho's team at cho_team at sign margaretcho dot com. Here is a link.
Margaret is on the road this fall with a brand new North American Stand Up Tour, Cho Dependent, sponsored by Logo, coming to a city near you!
The VIP packages are $55 above the regular ticket price and are only available through the Margaret Cho fan club ticketing link. Margaret will donate all of the proceeds from the VIP Ticket package sales to IMMS. Live Nation is donating 10 tickets for each of their shows on the tour, and Frontgate Tickets will also be donating a portion of their ticketing fee to benefit the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies.
The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies is working tirelessly to protect the coastal environment, marine life, and inform the public of our great treasure.
If you have already purchased tickets through the Margaret Cho Fanclub Pre-Sale, there are a limited number of upgrades available. Please contact Frontgate Tickets (info here) for information on upgrading.
List of Participating Tour Cities: Here are the cities that are participating in her tour. Please check her site often for updates on the Tour schedule.
SEPT
23 Anaheim, CA The Grove of Anaheim
24 San Diego, CA Humphreys Concerts by the Bay
25 Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery
26 Napa, CA The Uptown Theatre
OCT
1 Calgary, AB Southern Alberta Jubilee
2 Edmonton, AB Winspear Centre
9 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre
14 Madison, WI Overture Center for the Arts - Capitol Theatre
16 Chicago Il, Chicago Theater
15 Minneapolis, MN State Theater 16 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre
17 Detroit (RESCHEDULED TBA) The Filmore Theater
22 Toronto, ON Massey Hall
23 Montreal, QC Salle Wilfrid Pelletier
24 Ottawa, (RESCHEDULED TBA) On National Arts Center Southam Hall
27 Scranton, PA Scranton Cultural Center
28 Boston, MA Wilbur Theatre
29 Washington, DC Warner Theatre
30 Atlantic City, NJ Caesars Atlantic City - Circus Maximus
NOV
4 Montclair, NJ Wellmont Theatre
5 New York, NY The Beacon Theatre
6 Mashantucket, CT Fox Theatre
19 Durham N.C The Carolina Theater
20 Knoxville, TN Bijou Theater
DEC
2 San Luis Obispo, CA Alex Madonna Inn Expo Center US
3 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
4 San Francisco, CA Nob Hill Masonic Center
9 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall
10 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Live @ Universal Studios
11 Miami Beach, FL Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater
12 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
The VIP packages are $55 above the regular ticket price and are only available through the Margaret Cho fan club ticketing link.
Margaret will donate all of the proceeds from the VIP Ticket package sales to IMMS. Live Nation is donating 10 tickets for each of their shows on the tour, and Frontgate Tickets will also be donating a portion of their ticketing fee to benefit the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies.
|
 A destination hotel in Victoria B.C. and a staff favorite! The Inn at Laurel Point is a must stay when you are planning your vacation or just a weekend getaway. This amazing hotel has all the romantic ambiance and loveliness you could ask for. The service is stellar! The Inn at Laurel Point is beautiful, peaceful, and right on the water in the heart of Victoria B.C. You will appreciate the attention to the details and you will return again and again.
|
Archived Newsletters
Would you like to read our previous newsletters? They are quite interesting and we have many featured artists who have shared their own little favorite places. If you are planning a trip reviewing the newsletters is an excellent way of finding that off the beaten path place that is a gem. Have a look here!
|
Don't hesitate to let us know if you would like to see something posted in our newsletter. You can contact us via SUGGESTIONS. If you are interested in advertising you can use the same link. A real live person will actually contact you back as we are a local website focused on local folks. We are happy to help!
Jen
thegayplaces.com
|
|
|
Click here for the latest show updates in our 7 cities!
| More info on the website!  |
|
|
Click here for the latest show updates in our 7 cities!
| |
|
Beautiful Seattle/Madrona Home. Move in and enjoy a fantastic neighborhood and neighbors!
.2 br | 1 ba | 1780 sqft- if you can believe it $359,950  | |
Call Jody Baker @ Windermere Realestate  | |
Linda Woods Art  | |
Good for your soul in Seattle!  | |
Portland Oregon Exquisite hotel!  | |
|
