K.D. Lang: “I try to make (my sexuality) as low-key and elegant as possible.”
I recently gave props to rock stars who have come out of the closet, sharing with the rest of the world that they are gay, lesbian or bisexual. That list included genre-busting singer K.D. Lang, whom I chatted with this week when she called from her Los Angeles home to discuss her May 19 Ruth Eckerd Hall performance. (A separate interview on that will run next month.)
I got many letters about my column, in which I also mentioned that I am gay. Not one of the letters was nasty. Some were from gay folks, and several were from mothers of "wonderful" gay kids. Many were from straight people who just thought the column was cool.
I wondered what Lang's experience has been living as one of the most famous gay people on the planet for the past 12 years. Has she noticed people becoming more enlightened?
"Oh, definitely," she said. Lang said people are more relaxed around her these days, even the journalists who interview her. "Now we can talk about music," she said, laughing. "But for a long time, it was, "So, you're gay? What's it like to be gay?' "
Gay folks, thankfully, are no longer like unimaginable six-headed aliens, with TV shows such as The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Will & Grace and Showtime's The L Word. Lang doesn't watch that last one, but not because her ex Leisha Hailey is one of its stars.
"I don't have Showtime," Lang said.
Lang and I discussed another hot topic in the queer world: the Madonna-Britney kiss.
"In the realm of pop music," Lang said, "I didn't think anything of it.
"As a gay woman, I thought it was a bit exploitive and boring."
Lang and I agreed that this supposedly sapphic moment - two straight women French kissing - was staged mostly for men.
Lang said she's not one for stunts. "Well, except for the Vanity Fair thing," she said, laughing, referring to the 1993 magazine cover that showed the singer sitting in a barber's chair with shaving cream on her face - and supermodel Cindy Crawford doing the shaving.
"I try to make (my sexuality) as low-key and elegant as possible," Lang said.
"The most important thing I can do is to have public friendships with people like Tony Bennett and show the world that we are comfortable with each other."
I had to ask: After the gigs Lang performs with Bennett, do more ladies rush to her or Tony backstage?
"Well," Lang said, "it depends on their persuasions."
GIRLS ROCK! DAY: Bring the little rocking lady in your life to Bringe Music Center, 2129 First Ave. N, St. Petersburg, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday for Girls Rock! Day. The event offers girls an opportunity to explore their musical creativity and find out that picks and sticks are for chicks.
Talented ladies sharing their know-how will include bassist Alicia Crawford, fresh off the road from a tour with Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys; local legends the Fallopian Tubes; folk singer Donna Klein; international piano star Oksana; and urban folk stylist Stacy Halter. Girls will have a chance to chat with the musicians and win a Daisy Rock acoustic guitar.
SWAP YOUR ROCK STUFF: Get on down to the ACL Club, 1750 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, from 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday and be a part of the Rock & Roll Swap Meet, where rock 'n' rollers will gather to trade clothes, records, books and other music-related memorabilia. Live performances are scheduled from Car Bomb Driver, the Bad Touch, John McNicholas Band, Johnny Thunders Overdose, St. Felons and the Unrequited Loves. Admission is five bucks. (727) 823-6183. THE MUSIC SPOT: If you're a lover of music, recorded and live, and you haven't checked out the Music Spot in Tampa, you need to. The Music Spot, at 1902 S Dale Mabry Highway, sells a gigantic variety of recorded music, DVDs, T-shirts and magazines, and it has a knowledgeable staff that includes Tampa troubadour and internationally acclaimed roots musician Ronnie Elliott.
The store also features a bistro that serves lunch and dinner. On weekend nights, the Spot offers live music featuring the Tampa Bay area's most talented. Superb singer-guitarist Bob Anthony, of the Smoking Jackets, performs a solo set from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday. The show is free. 813 259-2559.
-- Gina Vivinetto can be reached at (727) 893-8565 or gina@sptimes.com[Last modified April 14, 2004, 16:55:09]
