Back To The Grind!

Here I am back to the grind after the cruise. Trying to get the band more bookings regionally and try to stay afloat in this economy. I was touring pretty frequently for a while there last year and decided to take my time with this year. I have a few new projects I am working on and know that with the proper time, the reward will be just that much greater.

For reading purposes I decided to post the essay I did for Knowh8.org and underneath that, my review of my Caribbean trip for mygaystay.com. Check em out:

A few years ago, I was playing Pridefests around the country, sometimes twice in one weekend. I noticed protesters in the crowds from many of the Pridefests I’ve played and attended, but treated them like statues, as if they were meant to be picketing alongside the entrances to the festivals. It is something I came to expect, sadly.  Then one day, while passing through the crowds of them, I noticed their hateful signs with repeated slogans like, “God Hates Fags” and bible verses being held by very bored looking individuals. I could see it in some of their eyes that this fight looked pointless. Here they were on a sunny day, outside a festival full of color and rainbows with love pouring out, and they were angry, upset, hot, and tired from picketing. I thought to myself, “what are you doing here? Go home!”  This is how the idea for my “Protest Song” came about.

“They come to tell me that hell is at my door,

How nice of them to warn me a whole lifetime before

I have the rest of my life till judgment day is due

Oops, look at the time, I bet you have better things to do”

 

I also spent many years watching (and witnessing in my own life) the coming out process that we face daily. Always a new person to tell and each time all those weird feelings of rejection arise. I used to feel I had to break the news gently to those I encountered and who would question if I had a girlfriend/wife.  I also had another realization. Why was I spending all this time trying to get the straight people in my life accustomed to me and my life? I felt it was time to say something; something that stated that this is my life and since I had to get used to their way of life, it is about time they get used to mine. The words found the paper right away when I wrote the chorus:

“I was not raised the way you were and yes, I’m glad,

I was born this way, get out of my face, deal with it like I have”

 

With gay issues on the table and being talked about amongst politicians to help their votes into office, other issues facing the gay community entered into my song, for instance, “don’t ask, don’t tell”. I am amazed that with all the recruiting going around for the military in times of war, the LGBT community is still told, “you can serve but don’t say anything about being gay”. They want our community to just volunteer to hide in the closet while risking their lives for their country. That to me is unfair and cruel. I wondered if they were more afraid that the hero would emerge as someone from the LGBT community, instead of the fear that gay people were using the military to hook up and intimidate the straight soldiers into sex. This seemed silly to me so I added this verse in the middle of the song:

 

I am not a soldier, I am just an average man

Living out my life, the best way that I can

I’m not reporting for duty, I’m not recruiting myself

To join armed forces that don’t want me, unless they need my help”

 

This next verse has gotten a big reaction since the first day I played it out and it was also after the war in Iraq began.

 

“General, I am quite capable, my strength is my proof

Are you afraid I’d try to sleep with every soldier in my troop

Are you afraid I’d be the hero, that you are looking for?

And you’d have to thank my faggot ass for winning you your fucking war?”

 

At first, I was nervous not being in the military myself thinking that I would get a backlash from those in the LGBT community who had gone into the military and had a great experience with it, but everyone who has heard this song that has served and been out, has appreciated the song and shared their stories with me about this issue. I am proud of those that serve in our military, don’t get me wrong. My father was in the Air Force and is one of my heroes. I am striving to see this kind of discrimination abolished from the books and the emphasis placed on the real issues that are facing our nation.

 

In the song, I also mention family values. I once saw a commercial for a religious evangelist who was telling the public that our country needs to get back to family values. When he spoke about this, the camera showed pictures of gay pridefests with red circles and a slash through them. I don’t know when our community ruined family values, but I know for a fact this is incorrect. We all come from families and our community has learned to become family for each other.  All that hate facing our gay youth with kids getting kicked out of their homes for being gay is the real problem with family values.

 

“They say family values are under attack

And I agree every time I see a gay kid, kicked out on his back

How can parents be so cruel, throw you out with no remorse

If that was me, I’d say…..

I was not raised the way you were and yes, I’m glad

I was born this way, sorry, I’m gay, deal with it like I have.”

 

Around this last election, gay marriage became a huge topic with the propositions to “save marriage by defining marriage between a man and a woman”. This seemed like a chance for those against gay marriage to band together to forever discriminate against gay couples. I hate to break it to them, but there are many gay couples that have lasted just as long, if not longer, than straight unions and I feel that we deserve the same tax breaks that everyone else is allowed to have. On my cd, Resonate, “Protest Song” ends with the last verse about family values but when I was touring through those states (AZ, CA) where the propositions were on the ballot, I wrote this verse in a hotel room before a show in Chandler, AZ:

 

“Election Day has come and gone around the bend,

And here come those marriage bigots with their propositions and their big red pens

Who are they to say who I marry, when so many straight folks got it wrong?

Give me and my man the same damn chance and we’ll show you how its done”

 

I hope that anyone who hears this song takes notice of how ridiculous and hateful many of these discriminating actions are facing the gay community. It is fear based and we are nothing to fear. Our community has strong leaders and many positive organizations behind it so I know our future is bright when it comes to issues like the religious right, gay marriage, and don’t ask-don’t tell. Thank you for listeningJ

 My Caribbean Trip Review with Aquafest! I have never been on a cruise, in fact, I really haven’t been on a boat much! I have to admit, the idea of the open ocean frightened me. The Poseiden Adventure and Titantic didn’t help to say the least. But, last year, my cruise day had arrived. I was approached by Aquafest Cruises, a company that books gay groups on straight cruises to perform on their Mardi Gras cruise in February. It is designed to intermingle amongst the other passengers while less expensive than the uber-gay cruises. I worked out the details and was even lucky to have my partner come with me.
 
We left out of Ft. Lauderdale and boarded the Italian cruise line, MSC cruises. It was a luxurious looking ship dressed up in golds and yellows. There were shops on the ship as well as a few dining rooms, a gym, a library, and even a casino. We spent that afternoon going through the emergency drills and then headed to a party hosted by our group at Aquafest. On the cruise, I was booked to perform three shows and there was also a drag queen who hosted many of the events, that night being gay bingo. Her name was Hedda Lettuce and many would remember her from her appearance on Project Runway last season during the drag queen competition. She has a great wit and livened up many of the events that she hosted.
 
We were at sea for two days and had many events to pass the time: watching movies, karoake, pool time, and plenty of stops to eat. The first few days of food were decent, but as the cruise went on my appetite for other cuisines got a hold of me. Fortunately, at our first stop in San Juan, PR, I found the chinese food I was craving. I did some shopping there and ended the night back on the ship. Aquafest had many of their own excursions and so did MSC, but I chose to take in the experience of Puerto Rico at my own pace. The next day we docked in St. Maarten/St. Martin. It is an island that is half owned by the Dutch and half by the French. We stayed on the Dutch side taking a water taxi over to the beach there and ate at the Firehouse. It was BBQ food and in the hot sun, it seemed to fit the mood. I was suprised by the McDonald’s and Burger King along the shops but didn’t have the heart to go all the way to this island to eat fast food from America. Sorry,ha.
 
My favorite day of the cruise was when we stopped in St. Lucia. Many rumors arose that Rihanna would just appear since this is her homeland, but unfortunately, not one sign of her (I did meet her years ago, far away from St. Lucia in Seattle. She was the nicest celebrity I have ever met, no joke). In St. Lucia, my partner and I decided to take our first real excursion ziplining through the rainforest there. I am afraid of heights but decided to get over them in order to experience something new on the cruise. Our tour guide, Cindy, was great and reassured me many times that I would be fine. My stomach didn’t feel so good and I even made our tour bus stop to use the rest room at the Post Office (that story got around the Aquafest group fast) but once I got all harnessed and up on the first line, I felt secure and showed up on the second platform (there were eleven) with the biggest smile on my face and my fear gone. That was the highlight of my cruise.Unfortunately, my partner and I ended with the flu for the last five days of the trip which didn’t make for the best cruising experience. The Aquafest organizers checked in often and I ended up performing at my scheduled performances feeling better. The last few stops on our trip were in Antigua (I left to use the internet there and went back to my room on the ship), Tortola (saw it from the window), and Samana in Dominican Republic (sadly, didn’t see it either).
 
I didn’t know what the cause was, but our Aquafest group was a lot smaller than expected, around 70 when I was told that it is usually around 300 for this Mardi Gras cruise. I liked our small group and it made it easier to get to know everyone in our group quickly. I had a few problems with MSC cruises (the nurses, sometimes the food and when you could get it) but I would definitely recommend an Aquafest cruise to those who want to cruise inexpensively among other gay folks in a more relaxed neutral environment. Thanks, Aquafest!  

My Cruise Video!

Hey there! Just put together my cruise video from this month. There were some great highlights (St. Lucia zip lining through the rainforest) and some low ones (got the flu the last five days:( All in all it was a great experience and a chance to make some new friends. Never ventured out into the Atlantic like that and it was fun. Check it out!
~Eric

Melissa Etheridge, Julia-louise Dreyfus, Wanda Sykes..eric Himan, What?!

Man, I am ready to break my eyes away from the computer today. I swear I have been on this thing forever.But I did get excited when I read the press release for the rally happening in Sacramento. Check it out: http://fivestarmaillist.blogspot.com/

This is the LOVE and Marriage Rally taking place in protest of all the same sex marriages that were performed before Prop 8 was passed. What happens to all those who got married? Do you they just give back their marriage licenses? So all these wonderful people are helping support the rally and a few of us are sending in video messages. I am sending in my message of me singing “Protest Song”. What an amazing historic event to be a part of.

~Eric

He’s Just Not That Into You…..

So I just saw, “He’s Not That Into You” and I have to say that I really liked it. I found myself laughing out loud quite a bit. What was even funnier were the older women sitting in front of myself, Doug, and Staci. Every time an actor did something they disapproved of in the film, they reacted.  It was like they had no inner monologue at all.

Heading to Florida next week and very psyched! I haven’t played at Bill’s before and it has been a while since I played in Ft. Lauderdale so I’m thinking it will be a great show! Then, after that, I am jumping on a cruise boat and heading to the Carribbean. I should come back all tan and crispy. It is for ten days so I am bringing my motion sickness meds just in case.

Time to go cook some dinner. Think I will make some pork chops and mashed pototoes. Need to go out and get some asparagus….like now!

~Eric