© Todd VerBeek, Radio Zero(tm)
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A Different Angle: a random collection of essays and observations, mostly about lesbian/gay/bi issues. © Todd VerBeek, Radio Zero(tm)
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On Saturday, April 13, Sons and Daughters held a "birthday party", with noted community performers Lynn Lavner and Romanovsky & Phillips as the featured guests. It was certainly well-attended, with near-capacity crowds of around 400 at each of the two shows. For the lucky many who came, it was an entertaining double bill.
Lynn Lavner made it clear from the moment she walked on stage who she was and what she was about. Decked out in black leather pants, jacket, and what I can only call "suspenders", she sat at her piano (with a phone book for a "booster seat"), and launched into "Enjoy Yourself", a song encouraging each of us to live life fully, no matter how exotic or vanilla our tastes may be.
"Versatile" is a word that comes quickly to mind. She was as entertaining talking as singing, amusing the audience with tales of her recent trip to Australia and a traditional Jewish seder in her family. Her explanation of a seder was vivid and complete enough even for her predominantly gentile audience to understand when she sang about her mother's requests for her to "straighten up" to avoid embarrassing her at the seder. By contrast, "Such Fine Young Men", a heart-felt tribute to the men she's known who have died because of AIDS, was chillingly beautiful.
Having seen Romanovsky and Phillips a few times, I was looking forward to an excellent show from them. But for this performance, they seemed to be missing a certain "spark". It was there when I'd seen them a few months ago in Ann Arbor but not that night. Perhaps the had a difficult time getting into a rather short set, especially knowing that the would be repeating it again later that night. (I was at the first of the two shows.)
But even on an "off" night, Romanovsky & Phillips are still quite entertaining, and the audience certainly enjoyed their performance. Their set included a number of their newer songs, including "One Of The Enemy", a song about the frustrating dilemma of gay and lesbian teachers (which can be found on Feeding The Flame, an AIDS benefit album), and "Be Political, Not Polite", the title song from their forthcoming release. A handful of "blasts from the pasts", such as a sing-along of 1986's "Don't Use Your Penis For A Brain" (updated for 1991) helped round things out.
The performances of Romanovsky & Phillips and Lavner were genuinely appreciated by the crowds which nearly filled the Ladies Literary Club building. Both received (and deserved) standing ovations, for their affirming, positive humor and music. And the evening's entertainment was a fitting tribute to the first year in the life of Sons and Daughters, a daring, yet successful venture.
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