▼
t’s only by linking back from Tigers Above,
Tigers Below, Ellis’ fourth album, that we’re
able to see how far the Minneapolis singer-
songwriter has come.
Her music has evolved into a collection of
pieces—her most ambitious to date— resonating
with the 27-year-old’s own brand of truth and grit.
It also makes it easy to see where she came from.
Ellis Bergeron moved from Liberty, Texas, a
small town ixitside Houston, to Minneapolis at
16 and brought with her an appreciation for
Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and the tough hon­
esty of cixintry music. Acutely sensitive at a
young age, Ellis began to express herself through
songwriting. She mastered the acoustic guitar,
started writing her own music and eventually
launched her own label, Rubberneck Records.
Developing her original style as front-
woman for six years in Bobby Llama, a Min­
neapolis jam-style, folk-rock band, she led
them to first place in Sam GtxxJy’s 2000 “Best
Unsigned Band in America” contest.
While record companies came running with
deals and praise, Ellis began to feel out of her
element. Her fan base had become more male-
dominated, and the shows began to look like
frat parties.
And executives were having a difficult time
with Ellis’ androgynous appearance. They
wanted to “work the girl thing,” she explains.
“All of that kind of leaned on me, and, of
course, I rebelled.... I wasn’t going to wear
dresses, and I cut my hair even shorter.”
Her departure gave Ellis the freedom to
create music that was all hers. Her third solo
album, Everything That's Real, was rated one of
Music Connection’s Top 10 Independent Releas­
es of 2001.
Ellis, who plays in Portland on Nov. 15,
I
Hold that tiger
In a world of superficial pop,
Ellis reminds us that
someone is paying attention
by
J o d i D
arby
makes no bones about her music being the real
thing. She reaches deep— recalling stories of lost
relationships, disappointment, love and hope.
As a lesbian musician, she walks the line
where personal meets political. “Just by being
who I am and not being afraid to be out about
it makes me political. In that sense, anything I
do will be and is political."
And she’s built a great fan base. “ I play a lot
of queer spaces...and I get a lot out of connect­
ing with audiences who are queer-positive.... I
also play more mainstream venues, and always
it’s a gixxl reminder that nonqueer people
relate to and love my music, too.”
Finding folks to love her music has never been
a problem. Besides being voted “Best Musician" in
alternative weekly City Pages' Twin Cities Read­
er’s Choice Poll for four consecutive years, Ellis
keeps a touring schedule that would give anyone
the coffee jitters. The Tigers tour boasts more than
100 perfonnances, from cafes to small theaters to
the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival.
The road, Ellis says, comes up often in her
lyrics because it’s a part of who she is. “Smaller
towns are often unknown gems," she says.
“There’s always something, if not several
things, that a town is known for— and there’s
always someone at the show who will tell me
all the things I have to see before I go.”
Tigers Ahosv, Tigers
Below is a lesson in stay­
ing true to oneself. It was
recorded in a New
Orleans shotgun shack,
and the building’s odd,
linear acoustics create a
unique texture of sound;
Travis McNabb (Better
Than Ezra) on drums,
Erica Luckett on acoustic
and electric guitar and
Julie Wolf (Ant DiFran-
co) on keyboards perfect­
ly fill the space.
City Pages “ Best Musician” four years running: Ellis returns to Portland
“Freedom" is a piece
to play Mississippi Pizza Pub on Nov. 15
that deals with the state
“ In a time when corporate radio heads
of political repression in the United States. It’s
banned the Dixie Chicks for exercising their
the only track on Tigers that deals with an out­
First Amendment rights, we wondered what
wardly political subject, and it holds its ground
other voices were being silenced,” states Ellis,
as a folk song in its purest form: “This price tag
who spearheaded the project. “We decided to
on safety Is no guarantee/We’ve traded justice
find those voices.’
for corporate money/Our vision is filtered and
spun for a show/The battle between evil and a
ELLIS [flays 8:30 p.m. Nov. 15 at Mississippi
comic kx)k hero."
Pizza Pub, 3552 N. Mississippi Ave. Cover is $5.
Rubberneck Records plans to release the
C D Amaze Me: Songs in the Key of Peace, which
JODI D a r b y is a Portland uriter, gra[>hic designer
will feature 1 3 songs by independent musicians
and radio producer.
from across the United States.
'in
Here s ^
looking a l you
Just Out.
r
The Rese City Gay Freedom B and
conducted by Rice Majors
KÛongrati!^
presents its concert band in
F COM
WITH
hosted by Jean Szymkc
A concert featuring the music of Russian composers including
Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition
w o rks by Tchaikovsky, Rim sky-Korsakoff, Shostakovich, and Stravinsky
popular favorites from Kismet!
8:00pm Satu rd ay, N o v em b er 15
On stage at the H o llyw oo d T h e a tre . 4122 NE Sandy Blvd
General admission $8
Students/seniors $5
Tickets available from the
Hollywood Theatre box office (503) 493-1 128
w w w .r c g f b .o r g
1 20 N W Third Avenue
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 224-3285
www hobospdx com