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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (March 16, 2001)
march 16.2001 « Hobo’s in Portland so she could pre here are times in your life when you feel pare for her new job: providing 30 pretty awesome— times when you’re able weeks of musical entertainment on to overcome your moderately self-deprecat the Columbia Queen, a ship that ing tendencies just long enough to think: “Yeah! I’m a good person who has accomplished sails the Columbia River to Idaho and back for seven days at a time. a lot in my lifetime, dammit. I’m somebody!” “I get to come home for a few hours Then you meet Lynn Thomas. And you every Saturday,” Thomas says. return to the pathetic depths of Nobodyland. Her approach to songwriting is one in I’m exaggerating, of course, but the truth which the lyrics and music are married. “The about Thomas, a recent transplant to Portland, music and words come simultaneously; they’re is that her resume isn’t her only attribute that stretches out toward infinity. Her hope and inseparable. For me, music is language,” she says. “First I take a concept, something that’s vision do, as well. important, something that needs to be said. Thomas is a young 41 -year-old who has Generally, the hook bubbles to the surface.” been on the music circuit since the age of 3, About 10 years ago, one of those hooks when she began playing piano and singing in took her to the big time. After performing at a her hometown near Reading, Pa. She followed women’s festival in Mississippi, Thomas was her natural inclinations throughout college, asked to compose the anthem to the 1993 came into her own as a songwriter, began to March on Washington. She approached the work as the project director and music director idea in a “We Are the World” sort of way by for a production company called Ms. Moses having about 70 singers, including familiar and eventually produced a CD of her own artists such as Holly Near and Nedra Johnson, titled Courage in the early ’90s. guest star on a jubilant mock epic, “Together, Although she’s no stranger to women’s Proud and Strong.” music festivals, there is certainly something After the recording was complete, Thomas strange about Thomas: She isn’t a lesbian folk sent the music and lyrics to gay and lesbian singer with a guitar! Instead, her chosen ax is a choirs around the nation. During the March on Yamaha keyboard or a piano, and her songwrit Washington, legions of queer singers stood on ing— although politically driven at times— the steps of the Capitol and belted out her tune. often takes on a comedic slant. For obvious reasons, Thomas says this was one For example, her C D ’s first track, “Dykes,” of the most triumphant moments of her career. “It is a two-minute, karaoke-flavored, ’50s-style was an amazing feeling,” she says. Coming in at a romp about, hmm, well, dykes. “Straight Peo close second was her performance 2 1/2 years ago ple" is a witty number about her parents, her at a comedy festival in Pensacola, Fla., alongside “only two straight friends.” “Lavender Love,” a lesbian comic Suzanne Westenhoefer and others. Caribbean-tinged ditty, sounds like something One of Thomas’ recently completed projects that should be played on a queer cruise ship. shows a bit more of her introspective side— Appropriately enough, Thomas just recently interestingly enough, it was not necessarily played her final, regular Sunday-night gig at T Taking root Portland musician goes down under for love and connection by K a ty D a vid s o n apparent in the music but more in the nature of the work. Last fall, she and Ms. Moses Prixluctions arranged a 24-city tour for “Upstart Aussies,” four music and dance groups of primarily aboriginal artists. Her intention for the show was to help build a cultural bridge between U.S. audiences and the diverse Australian art represented by these performers. Now, what drove a middle- aged lesbian musician from Penn sylvania to bring more than a dozen Australian performers to the Lynn Thomas sees an Australian when she looks in the mirror United States? Roots, baby. Roots. the chance to strengthen her Australian con Adopted as an infant, Thomas says she always nection— and to meet her current girlfriend. has been on the lookout for people who resemble In spite of T hom as’ still-unanswered her. When she toured down under in 1999, she questions about her past, she continues to thought the physical similarities between herself interest audiences by setting comedy and and the aboriginal people were uncanny. love to music. She says the interplay “I found it amazing. The hair, face and body between hum or and love, in fact, is “the type all matched,” she says. “It was very bizarre. blueprint of my life.” JD I’d walk down the street, and people would give me a nod." To hear the music of L ynn THOMAS, visit the Thomas says she was startled and empow Internet site wivw.msmoses.com. ered when she was given reason to believe she might be one of the “stolen” generation, a K a t y D avid so n is a Portland musician and group of aboriginal children shipped to the free-lance writer who’s about to head off on her United States about 40 years ago to be raised own tour. by white parents. The extensive tour gave her 5:30 to 9 p m T u e s-T h u rs 5:30pm -10pm Fri-S at m Lounge open late M Fri & S at RESTAURANT 2 0 0 0 N E 4 0 th 5 0 3 /4 6 0 -2 6 8 2 (2 b l c k s . 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