Outspoken queer innovator Bitch performs intimate Dallas gig
Music is never so enjoyable as when it comes from a direction least expected. Lesbian multi-talent Bitch blends the exuberance of a block party with the in-your-face attitude of a poetry slam.
A singer, violinist, beat poetess, rapper and ukulele player, Bitch throws a kitchen sink’s worth of influences, from hip-hop, to folk, to world beat into her performance-art jam sessions. Surprisingly enough, it works more often than not.
Back in 2004 — when she was an artist on Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe label — Bitch was half of the duo Bitch & Animal. Since then, the New York-bred rrriot girl has also added "actress" to her list of accomplishments, appearing in John Cameron Mitchell’s "Shortbus" movie. If you look closely, she’s paired up in a scene with andro-beauty Daniel Sea, the breathtakingly gorgeous actor who plays Max on "The L Word." Sea is also Bitch’s partner, and there’s a great new video on YouTube that shows the power-couple’s nest.
Bitch also added "indie entrepreneur" to her list of skills: She started her own label, Short Story Records. On Friday, Bitch and her band, The Exciting Conclusion, play Bend Studios, arguably Dallas’ most intimate setting for a live performance. Almost sitting in the performers’ laps, Dallas will get a taste of Bitch’s new sound. The band’s new album isn’t expected until the fall.
BITCH IN BIG D:
Bend Studios,
5014 McKinney Ave. April 25 at 7:30 p.m. $15. All ages.
214-606-0770. Bitchmusic.com.
| OUT & ABOUT |
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| Who | East Village Opera Company | Rihanna | ||
| The music: | Operatic greatest hits set to a contemporary soundtrack. |
A previous reggaeton vibe traded in for sleek, R&B club-banging pop. | ||
| Claim to fame: | Making opera even more pompous and overblown than it already was. | Making an umbrella a sexual innuendo. | ||
| Queer cred: | Lesbian prima donna AnnMarie Milazzo, above left. | MediaTakeOut.Com released a picture of Rihanna getting all up in another girl’s bidness. |
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| Be prepared to: | Swoon at the dark reggae rendition of "Habanera" from Bizet’s "Carmen." | Show your bling and stomp the yard. | ||
| Why you should be there: | It’s the only way you’ll appreciate just how much Puccini rocked. | Because Beyonce is on her honeymoon. | ||
| Why you can skip it | Queen had basically the same idea in 1975. | Because she’s only the opening act on Kanye West’s tour. | ||
| Where, when, cost: | McFarlin Auditorium on SMU campus, 6405 Boaz Lane. May 1 at 8 p.m. $14-$59. 800-462-7979. | Superpages.com Center, formerly Smirnoff Music Centre, 1818 First Ave. May 1 at 7 p.m. $29.50-$34.50. 214-373-8000. |
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition April 25, 2008.