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
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