www.homoagogo.com
In case you don't know already--and you probably do because shit travels fast in the Northwest--the Very Special Guests at Olympia's weeklong queer arts festival, Homo-A-Go-Go, are none other then the lesbian classic folksters the Indigo Girls. Some DIY punqette queers who descend upon the capitol may be confused to see the Girls, whose passionate harmonies are perhaps the sort of elder lesbos they imagine themselves to be in rebellion against, but according to the grand vision of HAGG's music curator Ed Varga, the superstar act fits logically into the six-day, diversity-focused extravaganza, which includes a range of acts, musical and otherwise--like swishy straight boi spoken-word artist Matthue Roth, Boston's thow-yer-devil-horns-in-the-air rawkers Secret Cock, queer electropunk sex-pop rappers Scream Club, and panel discussions on why punk, unlike Reagan, is not dead.
Unlike the various Ladyfests that have sprouted up across the U.S. showcasing female talent with a wide definition of "girl," HAGG opens the doors to all who define themselves as queer, making way for a huge mishmash of queer-identified folks. Hell, there're even a few acts thrown in featuring artists whose sexual preference is hetero, but who've found their niche within queer scenes. "Its all about self-identification," says Varga.
Which brings to mind the other big queer-ish August festival the Indigo Girls and many other HAGG artists have played at in the past--the hotly contested Michigan Women's Music Festival. Michigan's annual weeklong event has gone from being a hippie-type shindig filled with an embarrassing strain of older lesbians, to a newly cool outdoor-sex fest where urban dykes could dance naked in the woods to Le Tigre and the Lunachicks, to uncool once again due to a policy barring transsexual women from attending--a policy that has spawned debate, boycotts of both the festival and individual artists who support it, and an annual protest camp outside the doors, which may ultimately bring the festival down.
For years one of the more cynical replies to the drama has been, "Can't you start your own festival"? While HAGG wasn't conceived as an alternative to Michigan, for many folks it's sure to be just that. And to make sure it's clear that HAGG is an inherently trans festival, proceeds from the shows will benefit Olympia's Gender Variant Health Care Project, which provides healthcare to folks with good reason to be wary of the medical industry. "Healthcare is the single biggest issue facing me and other transpeople," explains Varga. It's unsure how many dollars HAGG will snag the project, but it's fair to say that the Indigo Girls show alone will bring in some serious funds.
"The Indigo Girls are donating a set to Homo-A-Go-Go, and to our fundraising efforts," he adds. "It's a pretty amazing thing for [the band] to play at our tiny venue and do it for free." (Word on the street is that, when not indulging in such kindhearted acts of generosity, the Girls pocket something like $50,000 a show.)
While including the Indigo Girls will nicely augment the fuck-shit-up vibe of Homo-A-Go-Go, the roster of underground acts Varga has imported is an equally big draw. "There're a lot of new bands, like Triple Cream, Dynasty Handbag, and Veronica Lipgloss, and there's a lot of great hiphop--Juba Kalamka from Deep Dickollective is going to be here, and Katastophe and Rigamortis. I'm excited that we're able to present several different genres."
The event that's generating the most excitement among the thirtysomething indie rock crew, though, is the much-yearned-for Team Dresch reunion, something Varga has been hustling for since his days booking Homocore Minneapolis shows in the '90s. "It's going to be doubly exciting for me because I get to do sound," he says. "For me they really have a big personal significance. That's probably the biggest dream band that I have booked."
Truly, the roster of musicians and artists scheduled to appear at Homo-A-Go-Go is exciting, but swarms of queers will also be hauling themselves out to Olympia just for the swarms themselves. Our individual scenes are hella incestuous, and festivals like Homo-A-Go-Go make our world, and dating pools, feel larger, even for a week.
