Unity through music

Fans, 45,000 of them, both gay and straight, showed up in Washington, D.C., for the sold-out concert, Equality Rocks.

By GINA VIVINETTO, Times Pop Music Critic

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 5, 2000

Talk about diversity. I spent last Saturday at the Equality Rocks concert for human rights at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., on the eve of the Millennium March on Washington for gay and lesbian rights. The Equality Rocks bill included some of pop's biggest names, many openly gay and lesbian, the rest supportive of human rights. The roster: Garth Brooks, George Michael, Melissa Etheridge, k.d. lang, Pet Shop Boys, Chaka Khan, Rufus Wainwright, Michael Feinstein and Albita.

Emcees for the event were a Hollywood who's who: Ellen DeGeneres and her partner Anne Heche, Nathan Lane, naturally, but also straight TV stars Kathy Najimy andKristen Johnston, who both were hilarious. Backstage many of the celebrities chatted with reporters about music, politics and the protesters outside RFK's gates.

But it was onstage where magic -- and some truly odd things -- really happened.

The sold-out show attracted 45,000. Considering the multicultural roster of so many genres of music -- country, disco, show tunes, rock -- there was literally something for everyone. After Albita kicked things off with her zesty Latin pop, openly gay pop star Rufus Wainwright (son of folkies Loudon Wainwright and Kate McGarrigle, and star of a Gap commercial) banged on his baby grand, delighting the audience with wry lyrics and sassy cabaret music. Next came Chaka Khan, with hair out to there, belting I Feel For You, Tell Me Something Good, andI'm Every Woman. Imagine thousands of gay men sashaying to I'm Every Woman and you get an idea of the night's merriment.

Yes, the mood was festive. "Hey you homos!" k.d. lang greeted the crowd. Lesbians embraced each other and danced as lang crooned Constant Craving. They jumped up again as Etheridge plowed through a potent set of hits in a sizzling delivery that was one of the concert's highlights.

Later, Etheridge's duet with the Pet Shop Boys onWhat Have I Done To Deserve This? -- her delivery, delightfully subtle and, well, yes, girlish -- had both men and women in the crowd dancing. Pet Shop Boys addressed the ravages of AIDS on their community with the act's solemn, if danceable, hit Being Boring. For Go West the Boys brought out a slew of male backup singers wearing campy sailor suits.

But the concert wasn't just for gays and lesbians. I met plenty of heterosexual couples there to see favorite singers. Straight men with crushes on Etheridge. Think Garth Brooks' country fans would shy away from a gay-themed event? Wrong. I met three straight women who drove from New Jersey to catch their idol.

Smart move. Brooks put on a powerhouse performance, including a stunning duet of Freedom '90 with George Michael, who wore a cowboy hat in solidarity with Brooks.

Michael made the night's only misstep. His set followed a moving video tribute to victims of hate crimes and an onstage visit by the families of victims, including Judy and Dennis Shepard, parents of Matthew Shepard, the young Wyoming man murdered because he was gay.

Michael started his set beautifully with a flamenco version of Father Figure, complete with a large choir. His silky voice filled the chilly, open-air stadium and resonated. Unfortunately, Michael then used the Equality Rocks concert, his first American performance since 1991, to deliver a tirade against the American press.

Michael chastised music critics for being unimpressed with Older, his last album, written after the AIDS-related death of his lover. He criticized tabloids for sensationalizing his 1998 arrest for soliciting sex from an undercover police officer. He bellyached. He whined. Though he attempted to temper his rant with humor, Michael came across as bitter. He thanked the crowd for being his "last American fans."

Not for long. Many were furious with the singer for making the benefit appearance all about him.

But Equality Rocks' strangest sight had to be that of Tipper Gore playing the drums. Yes, Tipper Gore, wife of Vice President Al Gore, the woman behind the effort to slap labels on albums with racy lyrics.

Country music fans, gays and lesbians, Chaka Khan, TV stars, a political wife. It's like I always say: music unites us.

BUFFALOS AND SKA AT SKIPPER'S: Upstate New York's Donna the Buffalo, the fun 6-piece that meanders across the country in a 1953 tour bus, moseys into Skipper's Smokehouse, 910 Skipper Road, Tampa, at 8 p.m tonight.. Donna the Buffalo's sound is rootsy, blending genres as diverse as Cajun, Zydeco and old-fashioned rock 'n' roll. Tickets are $10 through Ticketmaster, $13 at the door.

The godfathers of ska, The Skatalites, play at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Skipper's. Formed in 1963, these guys did it first and best. Mixing R&B with calypso and shaking it up with Memphis blues, the Skatalites backed up Bob Marley, broke up in '65, re-formed, got nominated for Grammys and a place in the Reggae Hall of Fame, and continue to play fun ska. Tickets are $10 advance, $13 day of show. Call (813) 977-6474.

OZOMATLI AT CLUB MORE: Los Angeles' Ozomatli, a big ol' 10-piece band, brings its big world music sound to Club More, 703 Franklin St., Clearwater at 8 tonight. Carlos Santana calls Ozomatli "the future of music" for its blending of hip hop, acid jazz and Latin music into a unique, feisty sound. A DJ, lyrics en espanol, seamless playing and boundless energy make Ozomatli's live shows unforgettable. The Rudamigos open. Tickets are $12. Call (727) 466-6673.

A SMASHING CINQO AT RUTH ECKERD HALL: The Smashing Pumpkins aren't the only ones rocking tonight at Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater. An unrelated Cinqo de Mayo celebration in the Margarete Heye Great Room begins at 7:30 p.m. and features local acts Rick Lee Brown and Dave Hardin performing an acoustic-flavored set together, the Chabo Brothers doing Latin jazz and Rhodeside playing original rock with a full five-piece band. Tickets, $10, are available at the Ruth Eckerd Hall box office and include a full buffet. Call (727) 791-7400.

BUST OUT THE BIRKENSTOCKS: The Indigo Girls bring their polished pop and skintight harmonies to the Tampa Theater, 711 Franklin St., Tampa, at 8 tonight. Come On Now Social, the Indigos' latest, sounds as if Simon & Garfunkel woke up chicks and realized they wanted to plug in, distort the strings and rock a bit. It's potent. Tickets are $36. Call (813) 274-8982.

SPACIOUS INTERNATIONAL DISC RELEASE: Celebrate the release of Spacious International's debut disc at 9 p.m. Saturday at The Orpheum, 1902 Avenida Republica De Cuba (14th Street, between Ninth and 10th avenues), Ybor City.

Spacious, headed by longtime Tampa Bay scenester Gerald Hammill, plays jazzy space pop full of bouncy guitar, Casio keys and snazzy drums. Special guest is New York anti-folkie Roger Manning. Opening the show is Mark McManus, Tampa Bay's own Casio troubadour. The resourceful McManus perches his keyboard atop an ironing board while playing. Tickets are $5. Call (813) 248-9500.

FLARO FINALS AT STATE: The State Theatre, 687 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, hosts the 4th Annual Florida Rock-Off Finals (FLARO4), Sunday, at 2 p.m., featuring Nine 2 Life, The Dogs, Desperate Cry, Blindside, Golden Vanity and Magadan. FLARO is a competition exclusively for high school age rock musicians in the Tampa Bay region. A total of 12 bands participated in preliminary showcases held recently at Gasoline Alley. Now, these top five move on for the win. Call (727) 895 3045.

SATRIANI AT TAMPA THEATER: Guitar whizJoe Satriani brings his freaky frettin' to Tampa Theater, 711 Franklin Street Mall, Tampa at 7:30 p.m. Monday . Engines of Creation, Satriani's latest disc, is chock full of trip hop and jungle beats and experimental noodling far removed from the 1980s-style playing of his peers and pupils, fellow guitar virtuosos such as Steve Vai and Kirk Hammett. Tickets are $30.75. Call (813) 274-8981.

TEAM POP TRIVIA: The winner of last week's random drawing was Susan Selby of St. Petersburg. Selby knew that it was country singer Willie Nelson who penned Crazy, made famous by the late and greatPatsy Cline. Look for Selby in her way radTimes T-shirt.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: Speaking of Miss Chaka Khan, the singer scored a huge hit in 1984 with I Feel For You, with a guest spot by rapper Melle Mel and some smokin' harmonica courtesy of Stevie Wonder. To enter your name in the random drawing for the ultra-cool, supercalifrag Times T-shirt, tell me what pop star wrote I Feel For You.

Fax entries to Team Pop Trivia (727) 892-2327, send e-mail to gina@sptimes.com or send your entry in an envelope as our ancestors used to: Team Pop Trivia, c/o Weekend, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33713. All mailed entries must be postmarked by Saturday (the day after we ask the question). Faxes and e-mail can come as late as Monday morning. Please include your full name and phone number.