(Originally Published on The Huffington Post on 3/5/14)

The Pacific NW has no shortage of music festivals, and Seattle boasts some of the region’s largest and most well-attended. Starting a new festival in this neck of the woods is no small feat, but last year a handful of queers from the Emerald City did just that. The result was ‘Mo-Wave, Seattle’s queer music and arts festival — and it was a huge success.

Now in its second year, ‘Mo-Wave is back with another epic lineup featuring over 20 queer musicians (myself included) alongside dozens of visual and performance artists from all over the country, descending on stages at Chop Suey and PONY Seattle April 11-13.

Named “Best Festival” in its first year by Seattle Weekly, ‘Mo-Wave is unmatched in its eclectic blend of art and diverse queer culture. This mix immediately struck a chord with audiences, and one only has to take a quick glance at this year’s showcases to see that the ‘Mo-Wave crew are back at it. The festival’s mission to “showcase raw queer talent” through “a live and loud acknowledgment that our people do not fit into the simple stereotypes projected onto us by mainstream culture” is perhaps a tall order — but the team who pulled off year one has since grown, and they are about to top themselves. That’s right — I said “top themselves.” Chuckle all you want.

The 2014 lineup includes MX Justin V. Bond, Christeene, Zebra Katz, Carletta Sue Kay, Tacocat, Slava Mogutin, Logan Lynn, Ononos, Night Cadet, Boy Funk, Death Metals, Dust Moth, CZARL1NG (featuring Members of The Need/Grass Widow/Broken Water), Adé, Frederic Fleury, Narcissister, Jordan O’Jordan, L’Orth, Brian Kenny, LoneSome Leash, Tenderfoot, Half Breed, Sashay, Palo Verde, Spear and Magic Helmet, Frank Correa, Michael Horwitz, Your Heart Breaks, Belles Bent For Leather (Judas Priest Tribute), Queen Mookie, Amoania, Glitterbang, Hypnotits, Brian Brittigan, Zackary Drucker, MKNZ, Earl Dax, Crypts and more!

This week I caught up with ‘Mo-Wave creators Jodi Ecklund, Marcus Wilson and Seth Garrison to talk about Read the rest of this entry »

I am thrilled to announce that I will be performing at the 2014 Mo-Wave Festival in Seattle, voted “Best Festival” by Seattle Weekly last year. Mo-Wave runs from Friday, April 11th through Sunday, April 13th at Chop Suey. I suggest you attend all three days of shows, but if you have to pick just one day, I play at 4pm on Sunday.

Other acts on this year’s Mo-Wave bill include my all-time favorite supertalent Justin Vivian Bond and my dearest, troubled Christeene! Also performing are ZEBRA KATZ, Night Cadet, Tacocat, Earl Dax, Carletta Sue Kay, Belles Bent For Leather, Ononos, Boy Funk, HYPNOtits, CZARL1NG, Dust Moth, Spear & the Magic Helmet, Death Metals and sooooooo many other awesome queers!

Get your tickets now at www.MoWaveFestival.com – they are going to sell out fast.

Now…watch these videos and get excited:

Justin Vivian Bond:

Read the rest of this entry »

The pre-order for the charity record I produced Comp 175 – A Benefit for Queer Programs & Services in the Pacific Northwest went live today via Bandcamp. 36 bands, 45 songs, 15 dollars. 100% of the proceeds go directly to Q Center, which runs the LGBTQ Community Center and the Sexual & Gender Minority Youth Resource Center (SMYRC) in Portland. Order your copy now and get the first 10 tracks instantly! The full record comes out wherever music is sold on Tuesday, November 27th.

Click HERE to get down with the pre-order!

“Comp 175 – A Benefit for Queer Programs & Services in the Pacific Northwest” Tracklist:

1. Deluxe – An Evening Alone
2. Matt Alber – Tightrope
3. Logan Lynn – Do You Want Me Or Not?
4. Scream Club, Peaches, Shunda K, and Nicky Click – Billionaire (Remix)
5. Atole – Tonya
6. God-Des & She – God, I Know You Love Me
7. Magic Mouth – Wash It Off
8. Christeene – Tropical Abortion
9. Kimono Kops – A Shotgun Cottage
10. Jeremy Gloff – Outsiders
11. Kerry Hallett – Easy Go
12. Bobby Jo Valentine – Home
13. Jana Fisher – If I Ever Break Your Heart
14. A Million Tiny Architects – Lost In Oscillations
15. Jeb Havens – Parachute
16. Mattachine Social – Star Box
17. Tom Goss – Seems Like Yesterday
18. Logan Lynn – Turn Me Out (Modern Remix)
19. Kelly Moe – Collide Into You (Bovine Remix)
20. L10 – Oh Yeah!
21. Brett Gleason – Polarity
22. The Sexbots – Solar Power
23. Magic Mouth – Hush
24. Houston Bernard – 14 14 LUV
25. Noah Daniel Wood – Joshua
26. Jonny – The Gay Canon
27. Microfilm – B.F.F.
28. Blue Redder – Seahorse
29. Jeb Havens – Wake Up Call
30. Logan Lynn – Alone Together (Boy In Static Remix)
31. Bobby Jo Valentine – Gunshot
32. Katrina Skalland – Kiss You
33. Towering Trees – Brandy Alexander
34. Barbi Crash – Talk Shit
35. Atole – Maximal Techno
36. Matthew Mercer – Swallowing Stars
37. Kerry Hallett – Hating Nothing
38. Marshall J. – Damn It All
39. Stephan Nance – Firecracker
40. Noah Daniel Wood – Eli Wants A High Five
41. Mattachine Social – Lovers
42. Brett Gleason – Unruddered (Dead Red Velvet Remix)
43. Houston Bernard – Love (Matt Moss Vocal Mix)
44. Logan Lynn – Tramp Stamps and Birthmarks
45. Alternate Destination – July

Huge thanks to all 36 bands who donated their music to “Comp 175” – A Benefit for Queer Programs & Services in the Pacific Northwest. I’m deeply moved by this community of generous, talented people and couldn’t be happier with how the record has turned out! It’s EPIC.

Please like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, and help us spread the word!

Featuring:
Logan Lynn
Peaches
Scream Club
Matt Alber
God-Des & She
Magic Mouth
Christeene
Tom Goss
Bobby Jo Valentine
Shunda K
Nicky Click
Brett Gleason
Jeremy Gloff
Houston Bernard
Kelly Moe
Atole
Mattachine Social
The Sexbots
Deluxe
Kimono Kops
Jeb Havens
Towering Trees
Noah Daniel Wood
Barbi Crash
Kerry Hallett
Blue Redder
Katrina Skalland
L10
Microfilm
Jana Fisher
A Million Tiny Architects
Matthew Mercer
Stephan Nance
Jonny
Alternate Destination
Marshall J. Pierce

Produced by Logan Lynn.

Pre-Order 11/6/2012.
Releases 11/27/2012.

Charity Info: All profits from this release go directly to Q Center, which operates both the LGBTQ Community Center and the Sexual & Gender Minority Youth Resource Center (SMYRC) in Portland, Oregon.

For more info on Q Center, visit www.pdxQcenter.org

For more info on SMYRC, visit www.SMYRC.org

About the album title: Section 175 was a provision of the German Criminal Code from 1871 to 1994, making homosexuality a crime. Over 140,000 people were convicted under the law. The Nazis broadened the law in 1935 and thousands died in concentration camps in the prosecutions that followed.

Today, all over the world, the fight for LGBTQ freedom and equality is not yet won. Your purchase of this record helps to ensure that the important work of this vital community resource continues.