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APRIL 2021 VOLUME 9 ISSUE 4 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

THE MUSIC EDITION GARY DUFFY / EVERYTHING I WANTED THE GRAMMYS / BEST MUSIC MOMENTS LITTLE BLACK BOOK / THE HOLLYWOOD MADAM MUSICAL

CONTENTS VOLUME 9, ISSUE 4 APRIL 2021 VOLUME 9 ISSUE 4 THESTANDARDPS.COM @THESTANDARDPS

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THE MUSIC EDITION

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GARY DUFFY / EVERYTHING I WANTED THE GRAMMYS / BEST MUSIC MOMENTS LITTLE BLACK BOOK / THE HOLLYWOOD MADAM MUSICAL

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MUSIC

BEBE REXHA REVEALS NEW SINGLE PAGE 13

Volume 9 Issue 4 COVER THE MUSIC EDITION COVER GARY DUFFY / EVERYTHING I WANTED FEATURE THE GRAMMYS / BEST MUSIC MOMENTS FEATURE LITTLE BLACK BOOK / THE HOLLYWOOD MADAM MUSICAL PODCASTING HOT WHITE HEIST AN ENTIRE LGBTQ+ CAST TAKES OVER AUDIBLE MUSIC K.D.LANG’S MAKEOVER A COLLECTION OF CLASSIC DANCE REMIXES

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COMMENTARY

The Standard Magazine 400 N Sunrise Way #263 Palm Springs CA 92262 760.831.4869 NINO EILETS Publisher LUCIANO McNULTY Editor MAYA KALABIC Art Director PHOTOGRAPHER David A. Lee CONTRIBUTORS Kyle Jackson, Ryan Turrin, Allison Weber, Martha Tang, John Stein, Paul Hutnick Greg Stillwell, Tom Tietjen, Jack Bunting, Dann Foley, Lee Lynch, Jeff Dorta, Jill Langham & Terri Schlichenmeyer

www.thestandardps.com EDITORIAL CREDITS :

BrandPoint, Huffington Post, LGBTQ Nation, Project Publicity, MSN, Reuters & CNN The Standard Magazine is published monthly. Opinions expressed are not necessarily the opinions of the Standard or its staff, advertisers or readers with exception of editorials.

Publication of the name or photograph of any person, business or organization in articles or advertising in the Standard is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such person, business or organization. The Standard disclaims any responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Advertising rates are subject to change without notice. The Standard reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reject any advertisement for any reason including, but not limited to poor taste. It is the policy of The Standard that we only publish letters to the editor that are signed by the author and verifiable by phone number. We can reserve the right of anonymity upon request. The letters need to be original, in good taste and free of libel as well as edited for clarity and grammar. Letters are subject to editing by The Standard that also reserves the right to decline print. Please forward your letters to: info@thestandardps.com The views expressed is not necessarily those of The Standard. Copyright 2013. All rights reserved. No portion of the publication may be reproduced in any form without the expressed consent of

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COVER

IRISH SINGER GARY DUFFY ‘EVERYTHING I WANTED’

BY KYLE JACKSON Gary Duffy has been performing for a long time, but it wasn’t until recently that he decided to pursue his passion in a bigger way.

We had a chat with Gary Duffy to discuss what made him pursue a professional music career, how he channeled his own inner confidence to pursue his goals, and what’s next for this rising pop talent!

Kyle Jackson: Hi Gary! When did you begin singing and writing your own songs?

Gary Duffy: Hi Kyle! Well, I began singing from a very young age — I would say probably about 6 or 7. I’ve always been musical; singing has always been my passion in life, but I only started writing my own music in 2020. 2020 has been a tough year for everybody, but I put that to good use. Starting to work on my own original music is the best thing I could have ever done.

KJ: When did you know that you wanted to pursue a singing career?

GD: Well, as I said before singing has always kind of been there, and I’ve always had musicality in me with theatre and acting and all that sort of stuff growing up. But I would say that only in the last four years I really wanted to pursue music as a career.

I remember one night on stage I was singing and dancing on my own, and finally the self-belief clicked in my brain — I finally believed in my talents and myself. The audience gave me a standing ovation and I just felt it in my own heart that’s what I wanted to do forever.

KJ: What would you say is your musical style and influences?

GD: I would say that my musical style is pop with a side of soul.

It’s music that you can get up and dance to whilst also relating to the lyrics. It needs to make you feel something. I love to sing a ballad.

The first song that I released, “Did You Ever Really Love Me?”, was a ballad. I just love anything that can make you feel.

On the other hand, I love the songs that can make you get up and dance and that’s definitely what 2020 has been missing — dancing! My second single, “Going Nowhere”, is a club banger that you just wanna get up and dance to, and I just can’t wait to experience that in a club!

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My influencers are 100% Sam Smith, Adele, Beyoncé, Becky Hill and so many more. The one thing that all of these artists have in common is that they make great, relatable and memorable music, and that’s who I am as an artist. I want people to remember my music, my lyrics and how I made them feel when they listened to it.

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COVER

KJ: You have just released your second single “Going Nowhere” and your first album Everything I Wanted. Can you tell us why you decided to release “Going Nowhere” and a bit more about the album?

GD: When I started writing “Going Nowhere”, I knew that had to be the next single. The reason being was because it was just me as an artist. The song is so upbeat and catchy, but the lyrics were still so relatable and made you feel like you knew exactly what I was talking about. The song has performed so well here in Belfast and now I just want more and more people to hear it.

KJ: Do you have a release date for the third single and what’s next for Gary Duffy?

Well, in Belfast we are currently in a six week lockdown, so there is no definite date for the next single. I have worked on a few songs, to be honest, and it’s just really about choosing which one I want to release next.

With the album Everything I Wanted, I decided to do a physical CD to start off with. The CD is made up of 12 tracks — three originals and nine covers. Every song on the album means so much to me and plays a part in the belief I have in myself.

I can tell you that there are a lot of plans for 2021, including working to promote me as an artist and a brand with my management company Xpro Management. They are like my family at this stage, and it’s only been a few months. We are working on so many exciting, big projects, and I really can’t wait to be able to tell everybody more about that when the time comes.

For instance, I have recorded a cover of “Dancing On My Own”, which was the first song that made me believe in myself. There’s so many other tracks there that have helped me along the way to have the confidence that I do today.

The album is made up of ballads and upbeat tracks, so there really is something in there for everybody. The first batch of the physical CDs have been sold, and I’ve had to order more artwork to make up more CDs. Thank you to everybody that has purchased a CD, from Belfast to New York to Canada! The response has been amazing!

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Then, I have to get into the studio when I’m allowed to record and then a lot of planning has to go into the actual release. So there’s no specific date, but I’m hoping no later than the end of February.

Obviously, I plan to release more music and more music videos.

I’ve already released two tracks with two music videos, which I am completely obsessed with. I am hoping to get into a bit of acting as well, so yeah… Stay tuned and keep an eye on all my social media.

It’s the best way to see what Gary Duffy gets up to next!

Follow Gary Duffy on Facebook, Instagram & YouTube.

Thank you to Bear World Magazine where this interview originally appeared www.bearworldmag.com

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COVER

BEST MUSIC MOMENTS FROM GRAMMYS PAST

The annual Grammys broadcast has resulted in some of the most memorable moments in American pop music. From tributes and in-memoriums to duets and one-night-only super groups, the Grammys are a platform for spectacle—and medleys. Let’s take a look back at some of the best, most memorable performances in Grammys history.

Michael Jackson, ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ ‘Man in the Mirror’ (1988) Although his 1987 classic “Bad” lost album of the year to U2’s “The Joshua Tree,” Jackson still won the night with this epic 10-minute medley. Alone and dancing center-stage for most of the performance, the dynamic MJ proved that all he needs is a mic and a moonwalk to captivate a crowd.

Eric Clapton, ‘Tears in Heaven’ (1993) Two years after the tragic accidental death of his 4-year-old son, Conor, the guitar icon performed this heartbreaking tribute at the 1993 Grammys. “I want to thank my son for the love he gave me and the song he gave me,” Clapton said during the show, where the elegiac “Tears” won record and song of the year.

Whitney Houston, ‘I Will Always Love You’ (1994) Houston opened the 1994 ceremony with a flawless and thrilling

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rendition of her signature “The Bodyguard” anthem, which picked up record of the year. Jennifer Hudson would later perform the track at the 2012 Grammys, movingly honoring the late legend just a day after her death.

Madonna, ‘Hung Up’ (2006) We dare you not to smile watching this genius medley of Gorillaz’s “Feel Good Inc.” and Madonna’s ABBA-sampling hit “Hung Up.” It’s easily one of the Queen of Pop’s most vibrant and joyful performances in years.

Amy Winehouse, ‘You Know I’m No Good’ ‘Rehab’ (2008) Undergoing treatment for drug addiction at the time, Winehouse delivered a bewitching performance via satellite from a London soundstage, which was made to look like a posh jazz nightclub. The singular young star, who died of alcohol poisoning in 2011 at age 27, went on to receive five Grammy Awards that night, including best new artist.

Beyoncé, ‘If I Were a Boy’ (2010) This list could be filled entirely by Queen B performances, from her electrifying 2004 team-up with Prince to her divine, gravitydefying spectacle at the 2017 show. But instead, we’d like to spotlight her powerhouse pipes doing “If I Were a Boy” at the 2010

Grammys, which she effortlessly mashed up with Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know.”

Pink, ‘Glitter in the Air’ (2010) Honestly, still the most breathtaking thing we’ve ever seen on an awards show and proof that Pink is an actual superhuman. The pop star hung from the ceiling and belted vulnerable ballad “Glitter in the Air,” flying over the audience with aerial silks, and spinning and singing upside down all while soaking wet.

Lady Gaga, ‘Born This Way’ (2011) In typically avant-garde fashion, Gaga arrived at the 2011 Grammys in a giant egg-shaped vessel, which she claimed to have stayed in for 72 hours. After being carried down the red carpet, she “hatched” on stage for a dance-heavy spin on her LGBTQ anthem “Born This Way,” which she performed in a yolk-colored latex ensemble.

Daft Punk, ‘Get Lucky’ (2014) Where else can you get Daft Punk, Stevie Wonder, Nile Rodgers and Pharrell Williams all on one stage? Together, they played a groovy, neon-soaked mashup of “Get Lucky,” “Another Star” and “Le Freak” that had the whole audience on their feet. Come for the crowd shots of Yoko Ono and Paul McCartney boogying, stay for the bittersweet reminder that our favorite French robot DJs are no longer together.

Elton John and Miley Cyrus, ‘Tiny Dancer’ (2018) Disney Channel fans of a certain age might remember when “Hannah Montana: The Movie” co-stars Cyrus and Taylor Swift sang the latter’s “Fifteen” at the 2009 Grammys. But we’re partial to Cyrus’ ballgown-clad duet of “Tiny Dancer” with John in 2018, when the cross-generational talents charmingly played off each other while serving impressive vocals.

Kendrick Lamar, ‘XXX’ / ‘DNA’ / ‘New Freezer’ ‘King’s Dead’ (2018) Featuring a musical assist from Bono and The Edge, as well as cutting interludes from comedian Dave Chappelle, Lamar opened the Grammys with an explosive medley about racism in America, which ended with red-hooded dancers falling to the stage amid the sounds of gunfire.

St. Vincent and Dua Lipa, ‘Masseduction One Kiss’ (2019) Is this the hottest thing that has ever happened on TV? The pairing of Dua Lipa and alt-rock singer/guitarist Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) might’ve seemed strange on paper, but it immediately works thanks to their intense chemistry and Clark’s blistering guitar.

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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF A GREAT RELATIONSHIP:

Eisenhower and you.

Over the past 50 years, Eisenhower Medical Center has grown from a small community hospital to the hub of a robust health system, with expert primary and specialty care throughout the Coachella Valley. The community counts on Eisenhower Health for comprehensive, high-quality care, from education, wellness, and prevention to diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. Whether we’re providing specialty LGBTQ care, launching our new Family BirthPlace, or becoming an accredited teaching hospital to attract talented new doctors, we continue to anticipate and address the valley’s changing needs. Thanks to our generous donors and a vocal, engaged community, we are proud to support the health of our community – now and for many decades to come.

Learn more about our services at EisenhowerHealth.org

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FEATURE

BEBE REXHA REVEALS NEW SINGLE “SACRIFICE”

BY RYAN TURRIN

The wait is over…

After building anticipation for her next move and on the heels of stormy track “Baby, I’m Jealous” [feat. Doja Cat], Diamond-certified, Grammy®-nominated, global superstar Bebe Rexha unleashes a high-energy new single and music video entitled “Sacrifice.” Get it HERE via Warner Records. Watch the music video HERE.

The song is impacting Top 40 radio now, and it sets the stage for her anticipated sophomore album and first full-length since 2018’s chart-topping platinum-certified Expectations. The album arrives very soon, but she had the following to say about it.

Bebe shared, “My sophomore album is by far the most challenging yet fulfilling project I have ever worked on. I wrote, recorded, re-wrote, re-recorded and then repeated that process in order to deliver an album that truly reflects who I am as a singer, songwriter and most importantly as an artist. I want to give listeners a journey of pop paradise fused with elements of rock and hiphop. It’s important to me that my music continues to recognize ongoing themes of vulnerability, the cycle of self-destruction & selfrealization, and female empowerment.”

She welcomes everyone to this pop paradise with “Sacrifice,” and with the accompanying video directed by Christian Breslauer (Roddy Ricch’s “The Box”), including appearances by influencers Nava Rose, Guetcha and Princess Gollum. On the track written by Bebe, a shimmering solo vocal gives way to a glossy piano crescendo and a handclap-driven call to the dance floor. The slick bass line and neon keys strut towards a starry-eyed refrain as she urges, “Tell me what you’ll sacrifice.” Presenting the kind of brilliant and boundless bop that could light up either the club or the Coachella Main Stage, she shines bolder and brighter than ever.

Bebe initially teased this chapter with the 2020 single “Baby, I’m Jealous” [feat. Doja Cat]. It already has eclipsed 55 million Spotify streams and 50 million views on the blockbuster music video.

Earlier this year, Bebe and Martin Garrix officially joined Spotify’s

One Billion streams club as their hit song “In The Name of Love” surpassed one billion streams on the platform.

With her show-stopping voice and straight-from-the-heart lyricism, Bebe has emerged as pop’s most dynamic, diverse, and disruptive outlier on her own terms. Her vocals and pen powered the RIAA Diamond-certified (10x Platinum) crossover mega-smash “Meant To Be” with Florida Georgia Line. Beyond over a dozen platinum singles and collaborations, Bebe’s 2018 debut, Expectations, reached platinum status and spawned two platinum singles—“I’m A Mess” and “I Got You.” Writing at a prolific pace and pushing herself with every subsequent song, she’s sacrificed to get to the forefront of pop—and she’s going to continue to reign there with her new album.

Get ready. Bebe’s back!

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FEATURE

KAT AND REPUBLIC RECORDS ANNOUNCE COLLABORATION WITH THE ALLY COALITION TO SUPPORT LGBTQ+ YOUTH

BY MARTHA TANG

Rapidly-rising pop singer/actor Kat Cunning has released a bold new single and video “Confident” via LAVA/Republic Records. Having amassed over 15 million total streams to date, Kat, who uses they/ them pronouns, is seen getting back to their roots as a dancer in the video for “Confident,” directed by Katia Temkin (Ariana Grande).

“Confident” is Kat’s first new song of 2021 but marks the beginning of what will undoubtedly be a memorable year, as they look to release their debut EP in the coming months.

“I wrote Confident in a day while in Los Angeles when I was really feeling uncertain about my relationships and needed to ask the people around me to step up. I think it’s an important sentiment for any kind of relationship. Sometimes you have to check in with your parents and friends and roommates as well as your partners and say ‘I know we’re here doing this thing, but in the interest of making it stronger I want to communicate with you and hear from you how you feel and where you’re at. ‘If you’re not confident - how can I empower you?’ It’s also important to check in because sometimes there isn’t a mutually empowering way forward and this song is about drawing that boundary, too. Sometimes you got to say ‘AINT NOBODY GOT TIME FOR DIS, SIS’ and walk out of the room wearing nothing but a trench coat and combat boots.” says Kat Cunning about the track.

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In the last two months of 2020, Kat released remixes to their track “Supernova,” one with popular alt/rock act PVRIS, and one an acoustic version, after releasing a show-stopping holiday classic “O’Holy Night.” As an actor in 2020, Kat continued their role as Sabine in the second season of Netflix’s Emmy Award-winning show, Trinkets, where their song “Supernova” was also used. Kat will also be a principal in the upcoming Jennifer Lopez film, Marry Me. “Supernova” was also used in a recent episode of Season 19 of American Idol.

Additionally, Republic Records and Kat Cunning are continuing their ongoing work supporting the LGBTQ+ community in collaboration with The Ally Coalition (TAC) to help fans take action for LGBTQ youth, who disproportionately experience homelessness, depression, bullying and suicidal ideation. TAC provides critical support for organizations

dedicated to bettering the lives of LGBTQ youth and raises awareness about the systemic inequalities facing the LGBTQ community. These initiatives will roll-out over the coming months.

With a traffic-stopping voice and powerful presence, Kat Cunning adds soulful grace to anthemic alternative pop.

An accomplished screen and stage talent, they appeared on Broadway as Emile in Les Liaison Dangereuses and in Cirque du Soleil in addition to acting alongside James Franco in HBO’s hit The Deuce. After releasing a couple of tracks independently, Kat signed to LAVA Records in 2020 and released “Supernova (tigers blud)” which garnered praise from the likes of Variety, Alternative Press, American Songwriter, The Advocate, Ladygunn and others while amassing over 6 million streams.

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FEATURE

P!NK: ALL I KNOW SO FAR P!NK: All I Know So Far, featuring international superstar P!NK, will launch globally on Friday, May 21 exclusively on Prime Video in over 240 countries and territories. Join award-winning performer and musician P!NK as she embarks on her record-breaking 2019 “Beautiful Trauma” world tour and welcomes audiences to join her chosen family while trying to balance being a mom, a wife, a boss and a performer.

Mixing footage from the road, behind-thescenes interviews and personal material, director Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman) gives audiences a glimpse behind the curtain of the circus that she calls life.

P!NK: All I Know So Far is produced

by Michael Gracey and Isabella Parish in conjunction with Luminaries, Silent House and Lefty Paw Print.

About P!NK Since her debut in 2000, P!NK has released 8 studio albums, 1 greatest hits album, sold over 60 million albums equivalents worldwide, 15 singles in the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (four at #1) and has sold out arenas all over the world. In addition, she is the recipient of three Grammy Awards (twenty nominations), one Daytime Emmy Award, seven MTV Video Music Awards (including the 2017 Vanguard Award recipient), two MTV Europe Awards, two People’s Choice Awards, was named Billboard’s Woman of the Year in 2013 and most recently received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as well as The Brits Outstanding Contribution To Music Award (the first international artist to receive this honor).

Her last studio effort Hurts 2B Human marked her third consecutive album to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 Chart as well as debuted at #1 in 8 other countries. The first single, “Walk Me Home” marks P!NK 10th #1 on Billboard’s Adult Pop Airplay

chart and extends her record for the most at this format across all solo acts. The track along with “Can We Pretend” scored P!NK her 6th and 7th #1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs Chart. At the end of 2019, P!NK wrapped her highly acclaimed Beautiful Trauma World Tour where she played over 156 shows in 18 countries ultimately selling over 3 million tickets worldwide.

The tour is the 10th highest grossing tour in

Billboard’s Boxscore’s history, the biggest tour for a woman in over a decade, and she received Billboard’s Legend of Live Award in November 2019.

P!NK is a huge supporter of various charities, including: No Kid Hungry, Makea-Wish Foundation, Planned Parenthood, REVERB, Autism Speaks and Human Rights Campaign, and as an ambassador for UNICEF.

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STAGE

HOLLYWOOD MADAM MUSICAL

BY JOHN STEIN

Little Black Book is a new rock musical about the life and times of the infamous Hollywood Madam of the 90’s, Heidi Fleiss.

Through 11 pop-rock songs, the show examines a woman who was stripped of everything she worked for by a ruthless tabloid press and an unforgiving society.

Following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita and Hadestown – and because theatres remain closed due to COVID – the producing team have decided to release a concept album before premiering the stage performance. “While we wait for theatres to re-open, it only made sense to offer a first taste of Little Black Book through its songs,” says composer, lyricist, book writer and co-conceiver Billy Recce.

The album stars many of the leading ladies of Broadway including Alice Ripley, Orfeh, Mandy Gonzalez, Diana DeGarmo.

We spoke with Reece and the show’s co-conceiver Will Nunziata from their homes in NYC. What made the story of Hollywood Madam Heidi Fleiss perfect material for a musical?

Will: Great musicals are all about eavesdropping in on a moment where the stakes are so high for the characters, they have to sing, and Heidi’s story is that to a T. When the curtain rises in Little Black Book, we are immediately in a world where the stakes are life and death. We thought, “what happens if we see Heidi at her lowest point and she suddenly gets a phone call with an offer for millions of dollars to reveal the names in her ‘little black book’? Something she has very publicly stated she will never do. That was interesting. That had stakes. That was our beginning to our story.

Is hers a tragic story?

Billy: We went into this show knowing that Heidi Fleiss was someone who had been unfairly maligned by the press, and in crafting this musical from the public record that exists of her rise and fall, we found it incredibly difficult to find pieces that were written about her that weren’t negative or judgmental portrayals.

The misogyny of both the justice system and the media at the time of Heidi Fleiss’ arrest led to not only the loss of her business but the loss of her way of life. With this album, we look to introduce audiences to a more nuanced and empathetic Heidi in a tuneful way; a young

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girl with dreams and a shrewd business acumen that was shot down by society because she was bold enough to be successful.

Why did you choose to tell the story in present time rather than during the trial?

Billy: The TV movies already covered the trial decades ago, and while Little Black Book does feature the salacious details of the trial, its primary focus is on how that trial affected this woman’s humanity—a humanity that was pushed aside by the media at the time of her arrest.

Yet, the Little Black Book soundtrack has a 90’s rock vibe.

Will: Because Heidi was a 90s rock star in so many ways. The musical vernacular of this piece had to embody the time in which Heidi’s rise and fall took place.

Billy: I’m a writer who thinks heavily in terms of genre, and have always believed that the music and orchestration of a song can tell

PHOTOS FROM TOP LEFT TO RIGHT: DIANA DEGARMO PERFORMANCE PHOTO

BY DARA SEANS, BILLY RECCE PHOTO BY GABRIELLA SPIEGEL, AND WILL NUNZIATA. MANDY GONZALEZ PERFORMING IN HAMILTON ON BROADWAY PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS

just as much of a story as the lyrics. So, anytime I start a new project, I always make a playlist of pre-existing songs that will guide me along my musical journey. This playlist included songs by everyone from Joan Jett all the way up to Aly and AJ and Demi Lovato. Women who represented the pinnacle of female punk rock talent; who unapologetically made space for themselves in a male dominated field and ended up defining it, in nearly the same way that Heidi Fleiss unapologetically made space for herself in the sex industry.

Was the original intention to stage the musical?

Billy: After debuting several songs at various concerts in early 2020, the next step was to stage a reading in the spring of 2020. Obviously, COVID derailed that. However, we knew from the beginning that the heartbeat of this show was its songs.

Will: Since it is structured as a rock concert, there is a beautiful duality of the songs that allow them to exist on their own as pop

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STAGE songs outside of the story of Little Black Book, and we felt that the best way to get people excited about both the show and Heidi’s story was to put out the biggest, baddest record we could.

How did you round up such an incredible cast for the Little Black Book album?

Will: We wanted to showcase the “everywoman” element of Heidi. In so many ways, what happened to Heidi could happen to any woman who is strong, opinionated and business-savvy. So, we set out to cast the concept album with women known for their distinct, individual star quality. COVID downtime certainly allowed us the opportunity to have so many legends on this album.

Is the plan to bring Little Black Book to the stage at some point in the future?

Billy: Yes, Little Black Book was conceived as a one-woman theatrical rock concert, and the hope is that we and a kickass Broadway diva and all female rock-band will be able to share this piece in a theatre within the next year. At its core, the story of Little Black Book is about a woman who has been repeatedly knocked down and finally finding the strength to move forward and start anew. It’s a show about hope in the face of darkness, and that message is even more prescient now than it was when we sat down to create it two years ago.

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NATALIE WEISS PHOTO BY MOKAKE PHOTOGRAPHY

The digital album of Little Black Book is available now on BroadwayRecords.com and wherever digital music is sold. The CD version of Little Black Book releases April 30th but is available for pre-order at major music retailers including Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

Just for the health of it Shop. Donate. Care.

Support the community you want to create.

Every purchase funds comprehensive care at DAP Health.

Dr. Jill Gover, Behavioral Health Manager, and Dr. Tulika Singh, Associate Chief Medical Officer and Director of Research, sit at the Arkell Round Table.

Find yourself at revivalsstores.com

APRIL 2021 21

FEATURE

MICROSOFT PIONEER AND LGBTQ PHILANTHROPIST, RIC WEILAND

BY RYAN TURRIN

The documentary Yes I Am - The Ric Weiland Story, which chronicles the life of the brilliant programmer and queer pioneer who was one of the earliest employees of Microsoft, had its world premiere last month at the 10th Annual AmDocs Film Festival.

Yes I Am - The Ric Weiland Story is from out director Aaron Bear (Finding Kim), and is narrated by Zachary Quinto, who reads from Weiland’s real-life journals. One of the many voices featured in the film include Bill Gates, who discusses how Ric’s legacy and his fortune have gone on fund so many LGBTQ organizations and activism in the community to this day. The documentary is from World of Wonder Productions and is produced by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato.

The story of Ric Weiland’s life and legacy can be measured in incredible milestones. Ric helped focus and organize Microsoft’s early successes. It made him wealthy and influential at an early age.

He never felt overly comfortable with his wealth - he didn’t feel that he deserved it. Other people had worked harder for what they had, he thought. So to quiet the nagging doubt, he turned to philanthropy.

Out and proud since the ‘70s, Ric was a champion of gay rights.

During his life, he donated more than $20 million to fund more than 60 non-profit organizations. His efforts to establish representation and resources for the LGBTQ community still have a profound impact today.

He also lived through the AIDS epidemic. Painful losses tempered his social life, and focused his resolve to give back to his community during a time when they desperately needed hope. Like so many of his friends, he was diagnosed with HIV. It seemed he wouldn’t emerge from the crisis unscathed emotionally, or physically.

As his wealth and influence grew, Ric seemed to slip further into self-doubt, depression, and a kind of impostor-syndrome that seemingly no one could talk him out of. It was clear to see from the outside looking in that he was a brilliant, impactful, and beloved person.

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It’s difficult to overestimate the impact that Ric had. Technology, gay rights, HIV/AIDS research funding… and the list goes on.

He was one of the greatest philanthropists in American history. A founding member of one of the biggest companies on earth. But he

couldn’t manage the pain and doubt within his soul. Near the end of his life, he wrote, “I’ve lost interest in fighting my depression and other emotions. I can’t see how it would end given my circumstances.”

It’s a chilling reminder that no matter how much success one finds everybody needs help… geniuses included.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER: Aaron Bear is a filmmaker from Seattle - a crooked strip of land nestled between the Cascade Mountains and the Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest. He directed and produced an award-winning feature-length documentary released in 2016 called Finding Kim

that revealed an uncommon passion for beautifully rendered deeply empathetic storytelling. Finding Kim is regarded as one of the truest tellings of a transgender person’s life. His influences as a filmmaker are as varied as his interests a person, ranging from the oft-maligned to the universally lauded. Cynical, quirky, and offbeat on one hand.

Calculated, iconic, and downright classical on the other. Think John Waters, David Lynch and free mimosas in first class. More than anything else, he values humor, honesty, authenticity, and experience.

His loyalty to his craft, colleagues, subjects, and peers is at the core of his creative process as a filmmaker. He lives with his husband of 19 years, and a Siberian husky named Zita.

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April 8–18, 2021 In-Person Events Small Group and Self-Guided Tours

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BOOK REVIEW

ALWAYS OVERBOOKED

BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER Pink or blue?

When you’re pregnant, everybody asks that question. What kind of clothing or toys will you require: dolls or trucks, pink or blue?

They’ll want to know about the gender reveal party, and what kind of names you’re considering. Do you want a boy or girl or, as in the new audiobook “Raising Them” by Kyl Myers, do you mind not knowing for a few years?

Long before she ever became a mother, even before she met and married her husband, Brent, Kyl Myers had thought about what she calls “gender creative parenting.”

Myers identifies as queer and she was somewhat of an activist, so she was pretty well-versed on a subject that asks why we, as a society, place emphasis on the chromosomes of an infant when physical, often intimate, body parts have nothing to do with simply being a child. Once Myers was pregnant, this became more than just something to think about, and she and her husband decided to raise their child gender-free.

They weren’t the first to do so: in years past, other parents around the world went public with successful gender creative parenting. Still, it took plenty of determined pre-planning: Myers would deny knowledge of the baby’s gender to anyone who didn’t absolutely, genuinely need to know. That meant restricting diaperduty, and it meant four grandparents who wouldn’t know their grandchild’s gender until the child was several months old.

Once Zoomer Coyote entered the world, there would be no pink or blue bassinet cards in the hospital nursery. Myers had to learn to find non-gendered infant and toddler clothing for her child, gender-neutral-hued toys for them to play with, and items that didn’t scream “Boy!” or “Girl!” Later, Zoomer’s daycare was “cool” with the neutrality, but strangers and even other parents were a challenge, and were nonetheless challenged to open their minds.

“Raising Them” will bring out a lot of emotions that will likely be dependent on which side of parenting you stand. It’s intriguing, but exhausting, too chirpy, and too, too sunny. It’s also too precious by half, and the cute-Zoomer tales wear thin after a (very, very short) while. And yet, the idea of giving your child time to know themself is intriguing. Still, author Kyl Myers should be commended for not throwing in the towel with hurricane force.

Indeed, her struggles were exactly what you might expect.

Although... particularly if you’re expecting a baby, Myers may inspire you. Clearly, gender creative parenting involves work, vigilance, and forethought, and while it’s not for everyone, it’s a compelling enough idea to stick in your mind like glue. You’ll be

convinced that it’s worth a try, even if only sometimes.

And this: if you can’t rest without knowing, Myers drops hints to soothe your boy-or-girl curiosity, but that’s not the end of this story. No, this is a website-supported, mind-opening, ongoing tale for parentsto-be, or for anyone who wishes they’d been reared in a similar kind of household. That you? Read “Raising Them,” or you’ll be blue.

“Raising Them: Our Adventure in Gender Creative Parenting”

by Kyl Myers / c.2020, Brilliance Audio $34.99 / $51.99 Canada / 6 discs, 7:18 in length

APRIL 2021 25

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CALL BY JUNE 30

CANCER HASN’T STOPPED. So neither have we.

Cancer treatments can compromise immune systems, making cancer patients like Victoria even more vulnerable to COVID-19.

We need your help to keep critical support and resources available during this crisis.

Please donate today at cancer.org

Victoria, Cancer survivor APRIL 2021 27

AMAZON TRAIL

OLD STUFF

BY LEE LYNCH

I spend too much time and space collecting die-cast toy vehicles, especially Matchbox, a few Dinkys and other locally hard-to-find brands. I’m no expert, am not a vehicle fanatic, I drive a seventeenyear-old Toyota, but the allure of these tiny replicas of vans, utility trucks, and homely cars, many bunged up and from garage sales, most covered with months of dust, bring me a ridiculous amount of pleasure.

I love old stuff and old places. Nostalgia informs much of my work. My favorite school of art, photorealism, often portrays abandoned Esso gas stations, weathered clapboard houses, or bright-colored luncheonettes in the Bronx. Richard Estes and Ralph Goings capture Americana minutely. Among photographers, I can peruse books by, David Plowden, Bernice Abbott, and William Eggleston for hours.

Jump to buttons. I don’t have a clue why buttons fascinate me.

I’m far from a seamstress. But did you ever look at buttons, really look? The designs, especially from days of yore, can be intricate, unique, even genuine art. They sport an infinity of colors and sizes, signify rank, brand, and fashion styles. I have jars full of the things,

28 THESTANDARDPS.COM

but I’m pressed for time to let them cascade from my hands into treasure piles and may give them up. Some day.

Books, of course, from first editions of Vita Sackville-West, to an assortment of lesbian pulps, to John le Carré spy stories and the newest Ellen Hart mystery. The latter, we were shocked and honored to find, is dedicated to my sweetheart and myself.

Then there are the tiny cats. The bulk of that collection is housed in an antique glass case from a long-gone physician’s office. (No, I don’t collect antiques, unless you count a smattering of tools like my wood handled awl, cast iron I-don’t-know what-it’s-fors, rusted wire cutters.)

Some of the cats are from the Made-in-Japan era. Those from the early nineteenth century U.S. are not particularly cute, sometimes fiercelooking, and I have to wonder, who would buy these for decoration?

Along the line of tools, I was attached to three items in my mother’s kitchen. One was a wood-handled ice pick, painted red, a narrow metal ledge between the wood and the pick. I had no interest in culinary activities, but I sure used that thing a lot for little kid woodworking

projects and who knows what else. She also had a wood-handled potato masher with u-shaped sturdy metal half loops. That I used to mash tuna salad I’d make when she wasn’t feeling well. The third item was a paring knife with an ergonomic handle. Over time, I’ve managed to find replicas of the ice pick and the potato masher.

In my search for the paring knife, I came across an old American brand, Chicago Cutlery. The company has been bought, of course, and now produces knives with bright-colored plastic handles, but originally, they were wood. My sweetheart has kindly donated a whole drawer in her kitchen to my collection, which was much enhanced with rare pieces from a neighbor who collects and sharpens knives as a hobby.

We collect rocks on our beaches. Agates, clear, blue, butterscotch or amber colored, jaspers, splendidly patterned petrified woods. These we keep in glass jars on window sills where light shines through the agates, or in bowls around the house so we can handle them in passing.

We have a very full house; I can’t begin to describe my sweetheart’s Xena collection or the shared postcard collection that

brought us together. I have tins of political buttons and a backlog of gay bumper stickers.

More recently, I’ve been amassing less bulky items. Names, for example, often garnered from obituaries, for my books and stories.

One obituary alone yielded: Horace Harp, Little Lewis Morris, Lewis Jr. Morris, Ruby Towry and Fannie Towry. More: Donna Divine, Ezra Crabtree. I always need names for stories, and each of these names sounds as if it has a story all its own.

Slang only takes up an index card box. Matching slang to characters is fun. “You’re a riot” said my New York friend. “The real deal” for a Midwesterner. The Irish women of my family used “for dear life.” Kids are loud enough “to wake the dead.”

All the words, all the tchotchkes, give me delight. Lately, though, this materialistic gay American has reached a time of appreciating what I have rather than collecting more, though I don’t turn away from chance finds—or gifts. Last fall, a dear writer friend stumbled on a carrying case of minicars, every last one of them the real deal. Best? I haven’t finished pawing through them yet. I wouldn’t miss that for all the tea in China.

APRIL 2021 29

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THE AGENCY YOU WANT.

760.778.3525 OBAYLEY.NET

APRIL 2021 31

FITNESS

I’VE GOT THE MUSIC IN ME

BY JILL LANGHAM

For so long, I really believed this to be true. In fact, I used to brag and say, “I’m the ‘I’ in music!” I mean I was the Dancing Queen, wasn’t I? You see, prior to COVID, I would go dancing (as a form of cardio), at least 3 times a week. But once we began sheltering-in, all the dancing came to a screeching halt. For a few months I would dance by myself at home.

But by July I had really lost interest in dancing solo because it was actually the interactions with my community that really fed my soul.

Over the next few months, a few of us gathered each week, to dance for a few hours just to remind ourselves that we were connected. It sure beat not dancing but it just wasn’t the same.

But then on Christmas Day, I flew to Puerto Vallarta to celebrate

32 THESTANDARDPS.COM

everything, anything and the Holidays. I was traveling with the same great guys that I normally hang with, dancing our way across Europe, Israel or South Africa.

Because the numbers of cases of COVID were through the roof and as much as I longed to go to the big NYE parties that were being held in PV, I decided not to attend for fear of getting COVID for the second time. I had had my antibodies checked right before I left and even thought I had them for over 8 months (having had COVID in March 2020) they were now gone.

Then on the night of January 1, 2021, I got a free ticket for the closing party and flipped a coin to see if I was going to cut a rug!

And heads, I won and dance I did. From 11:30pm to 4:00am and then from 6:00 to 10:00am at the after party, I danced my heart out. And man, did it do me good.

My soul soared while my heels clicked & my feet stomped to the familiar beat that keeps my smile beaming. I had decided at this

point that COVID for me had been a state of mind or better said, a state of heart and I willed myself to be smart and safe. I came home COVID-free.

But all that freedom resulted in a huge emotional crash I could have never expected or anticipated. Coming back to Palm Springs where the rules were even stricter as a result of the huge number of people coming down with new cases of COVID, tore me up. I suddenly felt enraged. The taste of freedom that I had experienced was more than I could handle as I now felt like a prisoner in isolation.

It was like I had finally enough. I fell into a deep depression that lasted for almost 2 months. I quit dancing completely and it took a toll on me. I could not handle the isolation for one more minute.

However, that Friday night a few weeks ago re-ignited that internal spark and re-lit my fire! I felt alive again for the first time in ages.

Even though we are currently not allowed to dance, I could not help myself! I stood up next to the high-top tables that my friends and I had staked out and moved to the sound of the music that wafted through the open-air area that connects Eagle 501 and Chill Bar on Arenas.

Thank God no one reprimanded me and in fact if anything I was encouraged to continue moving to the music. And they didn’t have to ask twice.

I danced for four straight hours then headed home where I slept like a baby!

The very next morning I woke up and turned the music back on and it’s been on ever since.

So, that my friends is my personal relationship with music and you! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

The Dancing Queen has risen from the ashes and is ready to Dance for you again! See you on the Dance Floor!

My love to you all, Jill, your newly re-born, Dancing Queen

APRIL 2021 33

PSP FOCUS

>> DESERT OASIS HEALTHCARE ANNOUNCES NEW MOBILE HEALTH UNIT

BY BARRY DAYTON

On its March 11 maiden voyage, the new mobile unit from Desert Oasis Healthcare (DOHC) offered COVID vaccines, along with check-ups for patients of Will Family Medicine in the east valley. Two DOHC pharmacists were on-board to give the vaccines and to enroll patients with diabetes and/or elevated blood pressure and blood glucose in special programs. They also provided blood pressure cuffs, glucometers and other necessary devices.

As “shots in arms” become available in larger allotments to COVID-19 vaccine distributors like Desert Oasis Healthcare (DOHC,) the promise of returning to some version of our former activities seems possible in ways that it didn’t even a few weeks ago. “Even though we know that we’ll be continuing to wear masks, socially distance, avoiding large crowds, and practicing universal health precautions like lots of hand washing, we are as eager as anyone to reengage face-to-face with those we serve. This was a nice start to making that begin to happen again,” said Dr. Marc Hoffing, DOHC Medical Director.

“We look forward to taking our new, two exam room mobile unit throughout the Coachella Valley and to hi-desert communities,” said Dr. Teresa Hodgkins, PharmD and VP of Clinical Quality Initiatives.

“Our virtual visits for telehealth consultations, as well as safe office visits, between patients and their DOHC care teams will continue but our mobile unit will allow us to restart our health fairs with employer

>> PS RESORTS ANNOUNCES, GRAND UNVEILING FOR FOREVER MARILYN The iconic statue makes its way from New Jersey to Palm Springs.

PS Resorts is thrilled to announce the official installation and grand unveiling dates for “Forever Marilyn” in Palm Springs.

The beloved statue by Seward Johnson will be picked up at Seward Johnson Atelier in New Jersey on April 18. From there, she will begin a cross-country journey of one week on a flatbed truck, ending

34 THESTANDARDPS.COM

groups, senior centers, and other community events in a new and exciting way.”

A self-contained, mobile healthcare unit with its own generator for supplying power when necessary makes remote locations more accessible and one more way DOHC can help to meet the Inland Empire’s ongoing challenge of a short supply of primary care providers. Hodgkins continued, “It’s great that we have four ‘Best of Desert 2020’ Immediate Care Clinics available to our members and the general public who can get the care they need even when their doctor might not be available … or if they don’t have a regular doctor. But we are so excited to take our services further afield and help meet the need right where it is.”

PSP FOCUS

in Palm Springs on April 12. The team from the Seward Johnson Atelier will install the 26-foot-tall and 34,300-pound sculpture in a spectacular crane-lift installation process on Museum Way, behind the Kimpton Hotel. A grand unveiling is slated for Sunday, April 18, with more details to follow.

The statue first made its Palm Springs debut when it was installed at the corner of Tahquitz Canyon Way and Palm Canyon Drive from 2012 to 2014. At the time, it was estimated to have brought in several millions of dollars of additional tourism revenue and publicity.

Aftab Dada, Chairman of PS Resorts, adds, “The Board of PS Resorts, along with our partners, has been working hard for years to make Marilyn’s return a reality. We could not be more pleased to tell the community that she is on her way back to Palm Springs – and this time, for good.”

PS Resorts was founded in 2010 for the purpose of promoting tourism through events and attractions in Palm Springs. The organization is a non-profit private-public partnership of City and local tourism industry leaders. For more information, please visit www.ps-resorts.com

>> PALM SPRINGS GAY MEN’S CHORUS “EASTER PARADE DRIVE-IN EDITION” The Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus (PSGMC) is proud to continue its 22nd Season with “Easter Parade Drive-In Edition,” Saturday, April 10 at 7:00p.m. Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 East Baristo Road.

In a creative departure from the Chorus’ usual spring performance, Ethylina Canne will be the Mistress of Ceremonies for a combination LIVE and VIRTUAL Easter spectacular featuring Irving Berlin’s “Easter Parade” starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire.

Ann Hampton Callaway, one of the leading champions of the great American Songbook, will join the Chorus in a special musical tribute. Ann has made her mark as a singer, pianist, composer, lyricist, arranger, actress, educator, TV host and producer. Voted recently by Broadwayworld.com, as “Performer of the Year,” Ann is a born entertainer.

Her unique singing style that blends jazz and traditional pop makes her a mainstay in concert halls, theaters and jazz clubs, recording studio, TV, and in film. She is best known for her Tony®nominated performance in the hit Broadway musical Swing! and for writing and singing the theme song to the hit TV series The Nanny.

Callaway is a Platinum Award winning writer whose songs are featured on seven of Barbra Streisand’s recent CD’s.

As a special treat, Lenny Broberg will be doing a LIVE auction providing his services in memory of beloved Chorus member Dave Murdoch. Items consist of: 7 night stay in a condo in Puerto Vallarta, 7-night stay at Desert Vacation Villas, Judy Garland memorabilia and a chance to conduct a number at a future Chorus concert and much more!

“PSGMC has been hard at work in their Virtual performances highlighting two crucial elements, their love of singing and coming together as a musical family. We are ecstatic to have Ann Hampton Callaway in the Easter program, as she wrote “What If Love Is All We Have” for Quiet No More a piece the Chorus sang at Carnegie Hall and Walt Disney Hall in 2019 as part of the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall uprising,” said Douglas Wilson, Artistic Director, PSGMC.

Tickets for “Easter Parade Drive-In Edition,” Saturday, April 10 are only $30.00 for the show, auction and screening of Irving Berlin’s Easter Parade or for $60.00, enjoy a VIP experience including: dinner, gift bag, auction and film screening. Drive-In theatre parking and socially distanced seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Drive-in theatre opens at 6:00p.m. and show begins at 7:00p.m. Call 760-219-2077 for details!

This event would not be possible without the incredible support of Palm Springs Cultural Center, Town Real Estate, Palm Springs Disposal Service, Channel Q 103.1 FM, KGAY 106.1 FM, Desert Daily Guide, IHUB Radio, Gay Desert Guide, The Center, Korbel, Jägermeister, The Standard Magazine, Desert Sun, Palm Springs Plumbing and the PSGMC Board of Directors.

For a variety of ways to support the Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus or to purchase tickets, visit www.PSGMC.com. Press inquiries should be directed to Jeff Hocker, Hocker Productions at 760-4091530 or jeffhocker1@gmail.com.

APRIL 2021 35

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APRIL 2021 37

DAPUPDATE

THE TREVOR WAYNE POP ART STORE AND GALLERY SUPPORTS FREE SELF HIV TESTING

BY ROBERT HOPWOOD

Artist Trevor Wayne wants more people to get tested for HIV, and he is using his popular storefront to make an impact.

The Palm Springs artist has created four pieces of art to promote DAP Health’s free self HIV tests.

The test kits can be mailed or picked up in person at the health center. The tests are a convenient, confidential way for people to determine their HIV status.

People interested in a test kit have three options: by visiting DAPHealth.org, calling (760) 567-2431, or scanning the QR code on advertisements.

“I think everyone should get tested because it’s the best way of stopping the spread of HIV,” Wayne says. “It’s also really important to know if you have any health issues because managing them early on will make things much easier.”

Wayne’s artwork, which features doll heads and smiles, carries a simple message: “Free self HIV test mailed to you!”

DAP Health is using Wayne’s art to promote the test kits on bus shelters and through dating services, online ad networks, social media and email.

“What we want to do is bring more awareness to (the tests) because as of now, 49% of the Coachella Valley has not been tested,” Wayne says.

DAP Health started its free self HIV test program in August 2020.

Since then, they have sent out more than 100 kits a month, says C.J. Tobe, DAP Health’s director of Community Health.

DAP Health follows up with everyone who requests a kit and provides counseling, Tobe says. They also connect people with resources, if needed.

Having an artist like Wayne portray self-testing will help combat the stigma around HIV, Tobe says.

38 THESTANDARDPS.COM

“It’s really going to be able to get the message out there about knowing your status,” he said.

Wayne’s artwork features pop culture themes and items, from horror movies to entertainment icons.

“I pretty much just do what I find funny or amusing in the minute and pretty much hope that people get it,” he says.

Wayne, whose art is sold in more than 120 stores, moved from Los Angeles to Palm Springs in 2017. In February 2020 he opened Pop Art! along Palm Canyon Drive.

He says it’s an honor to be asked to create artwork for DAP Health.

“It makes me feel like I’m a part of the community,” Wayne says. “It’s kind of nice that they trust my art to talk about such a subject in a way that makes it more approachable.”

Free Self HIV Test Mailed to You

No Obligation

Visit daphealth.org for more information

APRIL 2021 39

PODCAST

AUDIBLE EXPANDS SCRIPTED COMEDY PODCAST SLATE WITH TWO NEW ORIGINALS

BY ALLISON WEBER

“Hit Job” Starring Keke Palmer and Pete Davidson with an ensemble cast featuring Mikey Day, Natasha Lyonne, Tabitha Brown and more premieres April 22.

“Hot White Heist” Starring an entirely LGBTQIA+ Cast including SNL’s Bowen Yang Cynthia Nixon, Jane Lynch, Margaret Cho, Bianca Del Rio, Abbi Jacobson, Jonathan Bailey and more; Directed and Produced by Alan Cumming. Premieres on June 17.

Audible Inc., the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, today announced two new scripted Audible Original comedy podcasts produced via its ongoing collaboration with Broadway Video Enterprises, including Hit Job, a high-concept workplace comedy, and Hot White Heist, a queer action comedy that turns the heist genre on its head. These new projects, along with additional titles currently in development from Fred Armisen; Drew Tarver and Gilli Nissim; Chloe Fineman, Dan Robert, and Starlee Kine; Chris Redd and Will Stephen; Max Silvestri and Leah Beckmann; and Billy Kimball, will be available as part of the Audible Plus catalog.

Hit Job, starring KeKe Palmer (Hustlers) and Pete Davidson (Saturday Night Live), is set to premiere on April 22 with 12

40 THESTANDARDPS.COM

episodes and is created and written by Eric Cunningham (The Drew Barrymore Show) and co-written by Lauren Gurganous (Mr. Mayor) and Achilles Stamatelaky (Broad City), who also serves as director.

The series features a renowned ensemble including Max Greenfield, Natasha Lyonne, Mikey Day, Naomi Ekperigin, Matt Bomer, Michelle Collins, Brooke Shields, Bobby Moynihan, Julianne Hough, Aaron Tveit, Tabitha Brown, Tom Bergeron, John Lutz and Okieriete “Oak” Onaodowan. Hit Job follows Brynn Morris (Palmer), an aspiring artist desperate for a job to help her ailing grandmother. As a last resort, she takes a job as an administrative assistant at a company with the motto: “Do Bad Things for Good Reasons.” Joining forces with her awkward tech nerd of a coworker Geo (Davidson), she unexpectedly gets swept up in a company-wide contest that forces her to question her morals. Having a killer job suddenly takes on a whole new meaning.

Hot White Heist, slated to premiere June 17 with six half-hour episodes, will star Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live) along with an ensemble of openly queer performers, including Cynthia Nixon, Abbi Jacobson, Jane Lynch, Margaret Cho, Bianca Del Rio, MJ Rodriguez, Shannon Woodward, Stephanie Beatriz, John Cameron Mitchell, Cheyenne Jackson, Jonathan Bailey, Peppermint, Brian McCook as Katya Zamolodchikova, and Tony Kushner. The series is written, created

and produced by Adam Goldman and directed by Alan Cumming, who will also serve as producer with Club Cumming Productions and make a voice cameo. Hot White Heist follows a group of queer contemporaries across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum as they attempt the stickiest heist in history, stealing the U.S. government’s supply of the most valuable substance from some of history’s greatest minds—with the hopes of making money on the black market and buying an island for a new queer paradise. Or, more simply, a sperm bank heist.

Hit Job and Hot White Heist are executive produced by Broadway Video’s Britta von Schoeler and produced by Mark Valdez. The creative team and crew on Hot White Heist are composed of predominately queer talent.

“The masterminds at Broadway Video continue to create amazingly original series that have our listeners laughing non-stop,” said Rachel Ghiazza, Executive Vice President, Head of US Content at Audible. “These exceptionally funny and smart storylines paired with rosters of distinguished voices are audio entertainment at its best.”

“With 2 projects set for release and 8 in development, our slate with Audible continues to grow. The collaboration and medium

allow us to work with talented creators telling stories from new perspectives. We love Hit Job and Hot White Heist for that reason.

Plus, producing them during the pandemic provided some much needed levity. We hope they’ll do the same for Audible’s growing listening audience,” said Britta von Schoeler, President, Broadway Video Enterprises.

KeKe Palmer commented, “We could all benefit from a little laughter right now and Hit Job is certain to deliver some thrills and chills too. Audible is the perfect home for this outrageous series.”

APRIL 2021 41

PODCAST April 8–18, 2021 In-Person Events

“When you listen to Hit Job, you might remember what it was like to work in an office, but you definitely won’t be able to relate to what happens at this workplace. At least I hope not,” said Pete Davidson.

Alan Cumming contributed, “I have worked for Audible as a performer and writer many times, but I’m really excited to be making my directorial debut with Hot White Heist, Adam Goldman’s hilarious, witty, and biting script, and to be bringing together so many friends from my LGBTQ+ family to be in it!”

Small group and self-guided tours, safely and professionally managed for your enjoyment

New Online Experiences Available April 15

Bowen Yang said, “It’s been a very special honor to lead the cast of Hot White Heist and act alongside queer performers whom I’ve admired so much. The series will be a funny, caper-y thrill to listen to when it debuts during Pride 2021. I’d like to take this opportunity to announce that I am gay!”

These titles will join the slate of audio-only scripted original comedy series to come from the Audible and Broadway Video collaboration, including New York Times Audio Fiction Best-Seller Escape from Virtual Island starring Paul Rudd, Jack McBrayer, Amber Ruffin and Paula Pell; New York Times Audio Fiction Best-Seller Heads Will Roll starring Kate McKinnon and Emily Lynne, featuring Tim Gunn, Meryl Streep and Peter Dinklage; 64th Man, starring John Cena and Anna Chlumsky; and Holiday Greetings from Sugar and Booze starring Ana Gasteyer and Maya Rudolph.

Audible Plus, announced in 2020, is an all-you-can-listen service, providing access to an array of Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts that span genres, lengths, and formats, which can be streamed instantly or downloaded for offline listening. Audible Plus allows members greater selection through unlimited access to a robust catalog, in addition to Audible’s new offering of tens of thousands of podcasts, now available free to members and nonmembers alike. Audible Premium Plus members will also have access to the constantly expanding Audible Plus catalog in addition to one credit per month which can be used for any piece of content outside the Plus catalog, regardless of price or length.

For more information on these titles, please visit www.audible. com/upcomingoriginals.

42 THESTANDARDPS.COM

MUSIC

DAN SLATER & ZOË BADWI PUMP UP THE PRIDE

BY PAUL HUTNICK Dan Slater and Zoë Badwi debuted “We Are” at last month’s Winter Party in Miami where it was named the official anthem for the event. This month, Swishcraft Music has made the very uplifting, hands-in-the-air track their first big club release since the start of the COVID pandemic.

The song is about standing strong together. It’s the perfect message for the upcoming Pride season and, according to Dan Slater, is especially pertinent today. “After the challenging year we have been through, it is important to remember that we need to stay united in solidarity. We need to remain inclusive and treat everyone respectfully,” he says.

Badwi, who wrote the song with Mitchell Thompson, agrees.

“There is no better time than now to remember that we are all in this together so let’s love one another.” The full remix package of “We Are” by Dan Slater & Zoë Badwi is available from Swishcraft Music now on all major music services.

“2020 looked like it was going to be one of my best years ever,” Dan Slater, who has headlined some of the biggest parties around the world including White Party Palm Springs, reflects. “Then Covid happened and my work went from 100 to zero. I felt very alone. I’m not ashamed to share that I began seeing a therapist weekly.”

Badwi, too, felt feelings of isolation. She drew strength from past triumphs. “I remember feeling so alone when I released ‘Release Me’. It was the first song I had written and I worried how people would receive me and my inner most thoughts. It was scary putting myself out there like that! But the community was so beautiful and the support they gave me was so generous, I was able to pull from their love and light during the dark times of the pandemic.”

Dan Slater and Zoë Badwi both hail from Australia. They have worked on projects together since 2017, most notably 2018’s “Respectable.” Badwi presented “We Are” to Slater who says he was drawn to the song’s topline and its positive message.

“We Are’’ is a quintessential summer track,” says Matt Consola of Swishcraft Music, the label that is distributing the single and its remixes and will release two additional Dan Slater and Zoë Badwi

songs in the next few months. “On one hand ‘We Are’ is about proudly celebrating everyone’s uniqueness and individualism. On the other, it’s a kick ass anthem that just explodes with positivity and love.”

Consola, a Billboard #1 remixer and popular club DJ in his own right, is confident gay dance floors in the USA and Canada will be back at full capacity soon. “Our motto for summer 2021 is ‘You Can’t Keep a Good Queen Down!’”

The full remix package of “We Are” by Dan Slater & Zoë Badwi is available from Swishcraft Music now on Apple, Spotify and on all major music services.

For more information, visit http://swishcraftmusic.com.

APRIL 2021 43

MUSIC

NONESUCH RELEASES k.d. lang’s “MAKEOVER”

BY RYAN TURRIN In celebration of Pride Month, Nonesuch Records releases k.d. lang’s makeover, a new collection of classic dance remixes of some of her best-loved songs on May 28, 2021. The album brings these remixes, made between 1992 and 2000, together for the first time, and includes “Sexuality,” “Miss Chatelaine,” “Theme from the Valley of the Dolls,” “Summerfling,” and the #1 dance chart hits “Lifted

By Love” and “If I Were You.” makeover’s cover art features a previously unseen 1995 portrait of lang by David LaChapelle. The album is available to pre-order on all formats, including transparent turquoise vinyl.

“I had the idea of putting together a dance remix compilation, as I mused about how we built community in those days before the internet, mobile devices, and dating apps. Those dance clubs were a key to a world, which was still called ‘underground’ in the ’90s. I also surprised myself by finding that there was a cryptic, sort of secret zone in my career, that hadn’t been explored, overlooked even by me. Two of these tracks had even hit #1 on the dance charts!” says lang.

Called “one of the greatest singers of all time,” by Elton John and “the greatest female singer in the whole world” by fellow Canadian Michael Bublé, k.d. lang’s distinguished career includes four Grammy and eight Juno Awards. In addition to a fruitful collaboration with Tony Bennett (who calls her “the best singer of her generation”), lang has performed alongside luminaries including Roy Orbison, Bonnie Raitt, Elton John, and Loretta Lynn. She sang at the closing ceremonies of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. lang has contributed music to the soundtracks of several films, including Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and Happy Feet. She has also appeared in a number of films, including Salmonberries, The Black Dahlia, and Eye of the Beholder.

In 1996, lang received Canada’s highest civilian honor, the Order of Canada. lang released her first album with Nonesuch Records in 2004, the acclaimed and highly personal “Canadian songbook,” Hymns of the 49th Parallel, featuring work by Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Jane Siberry, and others. Her subsequent releases on the label include Watershed (2008), her first career retrospective Recollection (2010), and Sing It Loud (2011). Most recently, Nonesuch

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released Ingénue: 25th Anniversary Edition in 2017, comprising lang’s multi-platinum, Grammy Award–winning original album, as well as the previously unreleased 1993 MTV Unplugged performances. In the words of Uncut magazine, “Ingénue still dazzles, 25 years on.

Luminous, languid and seductive to the point of intoxication. This reissue proves its status as a modern classic.” To coincide with the anniversary, lang performed sold-out concerts in Canada, the US, Australia, UK, and Ireland; a DVD of the show, Ingenue Redux: Live from The Majestic Theatre, was released in 2018. “A canny and sumptuous blend of roots music and pre-rock pop, Ingénue sounds as great today as it did upon its release. The songs shimmered with dreamy textures,” wrote the Los Angeles Times. “lang is so good that she is in a class of her own. Wow. Just wow. Most other singers should just give up now,” proclaimed the Daily Telegraph. kdlang.com nonesuch.com

MUSIC

FROM BIBLE BELT TO BROOKLYN:

ALLISON PONTHIER

BY RYAN TURRIN The 25-year-old singer-songwriter Allison Ponthier has released her debut single, “Cowboy,” today via Interscope Records. The song is today’s Apple Music World First track featured on The Zane Lowe Show. “Cowboy” is both a touching homage to her Texan roots and a bold coming out statement that finds the Brooklynite telling her story only the way she can. Listen to “Cowboy” HERE. “Cowboy” is accompanied by a bold, statement-making video that perfectly pairs with the new artist’s visually evocative lyricism. “I mostly just try to make music that speaks to me,” she says, “because I know there’s no way I’m the only person in the world who’s felt like this.”

“Saw the cutters through barbed wire / I didn’t know I could come out,” Ponthier sings over gauzy guitar tones, referencing the journey from Texas to New York that it took for her to accept her own sexuality. “Cowboy” ushers new listeners into a fully realized world of sound and sight, a place where difference is endlessly celebrated through melodies and harmonies that are both familiar and new all at once. Written entirely by Ponthier, the song is co-produced by Sam O.B., Michael Freesh, Otis English, and Brandon Shoop.

Directed by the visionary Jordan Bahat (responsible for Christine and the Queens’ “Girlfriend”), the “Cowboy” video finds Allison rambling through field and forest as the stars twinkle behind her and UFOs circle above her. It’s equal parts aesthetically high camp and emotionally warm, with the singer paying tribute to her Bible Belt roots and fascination with eccentrics like Elvira and Vincent Price in both her red-carpet ready styling and winking visual references (including a horse in a skeleton onesie and a dancing carton of smokes). “Cowboy” is, in every sense, the B-movie homage of your wildest dreams. “I probably watch movies more than I listen to music,” she says of the video. “That’s why all my songs are stories.”

The first release from Ponthier’s forthcoming debut EP, “Cowboy” echoes Ponthier’s main mission as an artist: “A lot of my songs are about being uncomfortable in your own skin but getting to know yourself better, figuring out who you really are.”

Allison Ponthier – “Cowboy” eSingle Retail: https://AllisonPonthier.lnk.to/Cowboy Amazon: https://AllisonPonthier.lnk.to/Cowboy/amazonmusic

Apple Music: https://AllisonPonthier.lnk.to/Cowboy/applemusic Deezer: https://AllisonPonthier.lnk.to/Cowboy/deezer iTunes: https://AllisonPonthier.lnk.to/Cowboy/itunes Pandora: https://AllisonPonthier.lnk.to/Cowboy/pandora Spotify: https://AllisonPonthier.lnk.to/Cowboy/spotify YouTube Music: https://AllisonPonthier.lnk.to/Cowboy/youtubemusic Allison Ponthier – “Cowboy” Official Video https://AllisonPonthier.lnk.to/CowboyVideo Instagram /Twitter/ TikTok

APRIL 2021 45

MUSIC

INXS’ ANDREW FARRISS SHARES FIRST CONCERT Prolific Songsmith and Americana singer/songwriter Andrew Farriss takes fans and listeners around the world on a musical journey with his first live solo concert available to be streamed on Facebook and YouTube. The concert features the songs from Andrew’s latest EP Love Makes The World, and is the perfect introduction to his solo work. The authentic presence that Farriss brings in combination with his music sets one on the path to peace. Each song off of his latest EP tells a story; tales woven into lyrics that we will not soon forget.

Love Makes the World was released in mid-2020, to bridge the gap during the pandemic. The ‘Love Make the World’ concert is able to be streamed now on Facebook and YouTube.

“I recorded the live EP set to give people an idea of what I am doing musically,” says Andrew. “The EP set is a little more diverse than the tracks on the album, but it is a good introduction into what is coming on March 19th when we release the album. Because of the pandemic regulations we were unable to have an audience for the concert recording, but now that it is up on my Facebook and YouTube, everyone watching will become the audience for my first solo live concert. I hope you enjoy it!”

Anticipation rises as Farriss’s self-titled debut solo album is set to be released on March 19, 2021. He has already released a few songs from the album leading up to the release, including the “Run Baby Run” music video that features a visual representation of the story on an antique train. When it came to penning the tracks for the album, Farriss had looked within and through personal experience had written a collection of songs that bring to life stories of outlaws, freedom, cowboys, and love, and paint vivid imagery of gun-slinging bandits, Australian history and international cultural spirituality. With INXS not having any touring plans in the pipeline, and a slew of original material in his songbook, Andrew has now embarked on a solo career that sees him taking a stand in the Country-Americana genre; and this is only the beginning.

“I love writing songs and telling stories that hopefully resonate with people. I have not followed any trends or formulas creating these songs. What I have written and recorded is different. I like different, different is good.”

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For more information and everything Andrew Farriss, please visit www.andrewfarriss.com.

ABOUT ANDREW FARRISS: Andrew Farriss is a creative, versatile, award-winning artist embarking on an adventure to present his individual talents to the world. Not only did Farriss co-found the iconic INXS mentioned above, but he was also the main songwriter, played the keyboard and guitar, and sang backup vocals for the band. His hard work has paid off as the group went on to be nominated for Grammy, Brit, MTV Music, and ARIA Awards. He alone won producer of the year at the ARIA Awards and has written songs for various albums that have gone triple platinum. Native to Tamworth Australia, Farriss now splits his time between his home country and Nashville, Tennessee.

Farriss frequents the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville and makes a highly anticipated yearly appearance at Tamworth’s Country Music Festival in Australia. Nothing can stop Farriss’s creativity and this album is a roadmap of the numerous feats he has achieved.

APRIL 2021 47

2 7 T H A N N U A L S T E V E C H A S E H U M A N I TA R I A N AWA R D S

The 2021 Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards are going virtual.

Join us Sunday, May 9, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. You can participate by tuning into NBC Palm Springs or by joining us on any of DAP Health’s social media channels (Facebook, YouTube or Twitter).

Register today to be kept up to date on all the details, celebrity entertainment, online auction opportunities and more!

You’re Invited!

LIVESTREAM May 9, 2021 | 5:30pm

Special Broadcast Event | NBC Palm Springs

Text SCHA to 72572 to Register Today 48 THESTANDARDPS.COM

APRIL 2021 49

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