By Ira Kantor On July 12, 1979, “Disco Demolition Night” was held at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The attending throngs (not just White Sox fans) made sure to bring their related disco paraphernalia to burn in effigy, which they did eagerly and excessively. It was a joke that soon turned serious. After a dumpster full of disco records was blown up on the ball field, the real melee got underway, leaving the grass ripped up and scorched and leading to the forfeiture of a second game in a White Sox/Detroit Tigers double-header. Even though disco-fueled music would thrive well into the following year, the writing was suddenly on the proverbial wall for the overtly hedonistic yet undeniably accessible genre. What’s amazing to realize in hindsight is how just a mere four months earlier, one of disco’s greatest moments took place. But let me back up for a second and provide some further context. New York City is often spoken of as disco’s primary home base, exacerbated by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager’s Avalon-esque palace Studio 54. Yet let’s remember that on the other side of the country — particularly in San Francisco — disco became just as hot and celebrated a commodity. On March 11, 1979, pioneering disco artist and queer icon Sylvester took at the stage at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House and for more than two hours tried to bring the house down. With a 26-piece orchestra, thumping 4/4 bass rhythms, and his Two Tons O’ Fun backing crew of Martha Wash (remember “Everybody dance now!”) and Izola Rhodes-Armstead in tow, the falsetto-singing songbird (peacock, swan, phoenix, you name it), they came pretty damn close. Having repeatedly listened to the one-two live musical punch of “Dance (Disco Heat)” and “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real),” especially during the pandemic, I always wondered what this concert experience was actually like. Where once we had Sylvester’s 1979 album Living Proof for answers, I’m now quite happy to know that Sylvester’s full concert, Live At The Opera House, will soon be available to the masses via Craft Recordings (hang tight until September!). In receiving an advance copy of the full concert, I emphatically state that among the many, many things we should celebrate during Pride month, it’s the work of Sylvester —  the openly gay, openly fabulous, openly confident, and openly trendsetting artist. Last year, I read Joshua Gamson’s thorough bio about Sylvester, The Fabulous Sylvester: The Legend, The Music, The Seventies in San Francisco. Though Sylvester would tragically pass away in 1988 at age 41 from AIDS-related complications, this show is Gamson’s book come to life. You no longer will have to strain yourself visualizing the costumes, the bright lights, the glistening sweat, and most importantly, the jubilation coming from both the crowd and Sylvester himself — a much-needed catharsis in the wake of Harvey Milk’s assassination the previous November. For Sylvester, the Opera House is his Madison Square Garden. Beloved in San Francisco, he relishes and revels in the experience of performing in front of more than 3,000 friends, family, and fans. He’s not shy about telling audience members to get on their feet and truly take in what they’re witnessing. As a wonderful hometown tribute, Sylvester even receives the key to the city during his show. Through 13 tracks — many of which stretch to 10 minutes or more — Sylvester takes us to church, synagogue, and every divine realm in-between. Ultimately, he leaves his heart, soul, and vocals on the stage; a fitting situation given his decade-long journey from being part of avant-garde drag troupe, The Cockettes, to fronting his own rock band, to striking literal gold with his second solo album (Step II), to being embraced for never trying to hide his identity or be someone fitting within society’s idea of conformity. In music, this wasn’t always easy to come by — just Wikipedia “Jobriath” to see what I mean. Live At The Opera House is equal parts cabaret, Broadway, and smoke-laden underground club. As genuine and heartfelt as various show moments can be, there’s also moments of great levity (whether they are intentional or not). As Izora and Martha sing to the rafters on “Body Strong,” Sylvester appears to join them in three-part harmony and immediately laments “Well, we fucked that up, didn’t we?” But in knowing his audience is with him all the way, he just shakes it off and presses on with poise and grace. Cover tracks, including a medley of Barry Manilow’s “Could It Be Magic” with Leon Russell’s “A Song For Now,” the Beatles’ “Blackbird,” and Patti Labelle’s “You Are My Friend,” become Sylvester’s own staples, all backed by groove, sweet sensuality, and ever-present cowbells. The somberness of “Blackbird,” in particular, transitions into triumph and is steered into choir-worthy territory as Sylvester, Izora, and Martha all joyfully play and sing off each other. For anyone thinking that disco is nothing but gloss and over-produced tripe, I implore you to listen to the 1-2-3, foot-stomping “Dance (Disco Heat),” “Mighty Real,” and a glorious rendition of “Never Can Say Goodbye” to close out the show. Sylvester proves happy to go toe-to-toe and larynx to larynx with anyone who thinks he can’t compete with brass players and opulent surroundings. Simply put, Sylvester is the LGTBQIA+ community’s Aretha Franklin but even if we took his artistry out of this context, he would still be a near-perfect replication of Aretha herself. On “Never Can Say Goodbye,” before he departs the stage, Sylvester extends his love and appreciation to everyone in attendance, assuaging fears that he will never officially say goodbye to San Francisco, his undeniable home and solace. In multiple listens of this concert from beginning to end, I’m reminded that Sylvester was, is, and always will be a trailblazer — perhaps the most beautiful of musical rainbows. Certainly the brightest and most colorful.

Ten years between albums for most any artist would instantly eliminate him or her from the chart of relevance, much less illicit further interest from anyone who ever cared. But when you’re operating in the secret world of Peter Gabriel, you can afford to take your time. And it’s not like he wasn’t busy — running a record company and trying to save the world is a full time job. Up, Gabriel’s 2002 follow up to 1992’s Us carries on the 14-year tradition of two letter titles with visceral dignity and passionate implication. As a whole, Up traverses the blurry line of life and death — lyrically infused with deep-seated introspection and sorrow swimming in a sonic sea of salient harmonies, buoyant texturing and consummate profundity. This is the kind of stuff that has kept Gabriel at the vanguard, even during his long periods of supposed inactivity. Gabriel’s long-term investment into Up was a glowing testament to the singer’s therapeutic approach to his recording career — aligning personal fulfillment with fluent precision. The former front man of Genesis has always had this way of tugging at the heartstrings, in a somewhat unorthodox fashion, perpetuated by a wave of ethereal effects — but never forced, rarely contrived (“Sledgehammer” came dangerously close) and in your face enough to grab your attention. “Darkness” introduces the disc by creeping up slowly, suddenly leaping forward with all the velocity of a wild beast. Here, Gabriel lets down his guard and blatantly intones the conflicts of his childhood fears and anxieties (“I’m afraid I can be devil man/and I’m scared to be divine…”) “Growing Up” pushes forward in the evolution, a cautious build that ascends into a rhythmic lilt sustained by an elephant roar and a flurry of buzzes, bleeps and stings. “I Grieve” is the singer’s direct statement on mortality and its effects upon the living while “Sky Blue” furthers the notion and features some alluring harmonizations from the Blind Boys of Alabama and chilling guitar work courtesy of both Daniel Lanois (who did not produce the album) and Fleetwood Mac’s legendary nowhere man, Peter Green. The single “The Barry Williams Show” boasts the vaudevillian antics of So’s “Big Time,” but its message — a departure from the album’s running theme — is a sad commentary on Jerry Springer-type reality programming that borders on cheap and sensationalistic entertainment. Spewing forth lines like, “Dysfunctional excess/Is all it took for my success/The greater pain that they endure/The more you know the show has scored? It’s Showtime,” Gabriel’s sardonic and venomous delivery makes the track worth a spin. From there, things take a turn for the better. “My Head Sounds Like That” brandishes an edgy Lennonesque veneer, revealing Gabriel’s penchant for economical and stark melodies. On “Signal To Noise,” a mounting orchestra sounds the empathetic alarm amidst the additional warm vocalizations flowing from the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Up ends on the last barren notes emoted with the simple piano line and isolated vocal of “The Drop.” When you delve into a dark album with an optimistic edge, it’s reassuring to know there are artists over the half-century mark that still take chances and have something significant to say. ~ Shawn Perry

Singer Scott Stapp “liked to play this game where he would put the band on the spot and say, ‘We’re going to write a song,’” the guitarist explains

A California seventh-grade student, Jimmy Heyward, who went viral last month after his principal censored his patriotic speech, was banned from attending school next year, along with his sisters. The school is a Catholic School in Orange County, California. The Saint Bonaventure Catholic School Principal Mary Flock told Jimmy to edit his campaign speech for […] The post Children Expelled After a Principal Humiliated a Patriotic Child appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that Texas did not have to follow guidance from the Biden administration which interpreted prohibitions against sex discrimination to include gender identity and sexual orientation.  The judge ruled that Biden’s Education Department had unlawfully exceeded its authority when it issued guidance in 2021 that opened up the door for schools to be liable for discrimination if they adopted policies like limiting bathroom access on the basis of sex. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the Biden administration in June 2023 to shield Texas from enforcement of the policy.  “Nothing in the statute expressly prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or other unexpressed grounds,” U.S. District Judge for the North District of Texas Reed O’Connor wrote in a 112-page ruling. “And where Title IX allows for differentiation based on sex due to biological differences — such as intimate facilities and athletic teams — recipients may treat persons in accordance with their biological sex without regard to subjective gender identity.” Paxton’s lawsuit came after the Education Department released a memo on June 22, 2021, saying that it “interprets Title IX’s prohibition on discrimination ‘on the basis of sex’ to encompass discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.” The department also said that it would “fully enforce Title IX to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in education programs” for schools that receive federal funding. This means schools could face legal challenges if they had policies in place that said transgender-identifying students would have to use the bathroom facility or play on a sports team based on sex.   Judge O’Connor disagreed with the Education Department, saying that it was not logical to include gender identity under sex.  “Title IX explicitly appreciates the innate biological variation between men and women that occasionally warrants differentiation — and even separation — to preserve educational opportunities and to promote respect for both sexes,” the George W. Bush appointee wrote.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP The guidance is different from the widely challenged Title IX rules unveiled in April that officially add gender identity and sexual orientation into federal education discrimination law.  Paxton celebrated the judge’s decision, saying Biden’s guidance was dangerous.  “Joe Biden’s unlawful effort to weaponize Title IX for his extremist agenda has been stopped in its tracks,” Paxton said in a statement on Tuesday night. “Threatening to withhold education funding by forcing states to accept ‘transgender’ policies that put women in danger was plainly illegal. Texas has prevailed on behalf of the entire Nation.” The guidance had previously been blocked from being enforced in 20 other states where a coalition of Republican attorneys general had challenged the policy. 

Actor Kevin Spacey became emotional during an interview with British TV personality Piers Morgan, saying he was broke and owed millions in legal fees. The 64-year-old “House of Cards” star has been involved in a number of sexual assault lawsuits over the past few years. Even though Spacey won some, he said they left him with no money. His conversation with Morgan was the first long interview he’s given since charges were filed, per The Independent.  “It’s been a very interesting and, I think, an important couple of weeks where I’ve had an opportunity to start to be able to talk about things that, well, for me, in some cases I’ve never talked about before, and to take accountability for those places where I have behaved badly, and to hopefully put some facts out there that maybe a great majority of the public don’t know about,” he told Morgan on “Piers Morgan Uncensored.”  Morgan asked what the actor meant by “behaved badly.” Spacey replied, “Pushing the boundaries. Being too handsy. Touching someone sexually in a way that I didn’t know at the time they didn’t want.” Spacey broke down in tears when Morgan asked where he was living. He mentioned that his house in Baltimore was being foreclosed on and sold at auction due to his legal debts. Kevin Spacey breaks down as he tells Piers Morgan he’s lost his home and now owes ‘many millions’ in legal bills. Watch the full interview at 8pm (UK) on YouTube ? ? https://t.co/QR11ywsANx@piersmorgan | @KevinSpacey pic.twitter.com/ouW06zE2vY — Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) June 11, 2024 When Morgan asked if he was facing bankruptcy, Spacey said, “There’s been a couple of times when I thought I was going to file, but we’ve managed to sort of dodge it, at least as of today.”  When asked how much money he had, the actor said “none” and then clarified, “I still owe a lot of legal bills” to the tune of “many millions.” “I’m not quite sure where I’m going to live now,” Spacey said. “I’ve spent so many years not wanting to talk about myself and avoiding questions about my personal life and my sexuality,” the actor, who is gay, added.  “I’ve come out of all this not bitter, not angry, not resentful,” the actor told Morgan.  When the interviewer asked him about flaws, Spacey responded, “There were bouts with arrogance. There were bouts with ego…My goal is now to prove that I am a man of good character.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Spacey also discussed his connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which he claims has been overblown. He tried to justify a photograph of him sitting with Epstein’s confidante Ghislaine Maxwell on the thrones at Buckingham Palace in 2002. He said President Bill Clinton had invited him on a humanitarian aid trip to South Africa. “I didn’t want to be around [Epstein] because I felt he put the president at risk on that trip to South Africa, because there were these young girls,” Spacey told Morgan. “We were like, ‘Who is this guy?’” “So, we flew then to London, and the president said to me, ‘Before we leave tomorrow, do you want to come? I am going to go to Buckingham Palace tomorrow to see Prince Andrew, do you want to come?’” he continued. “I said, ‘Sure.’” He said that’s when the photo was taken. “This Maxwell woman, she was one of many people to sit down next to me in that throne room,” Spacey continued. “I have no relationship with her. I had no relationship with [Epstein]. I mean he’s not my friend. I am not a confidant. I’ve never spent time with him.”

Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump said on Tuesday night that the verdict in the Hunter Biden gun trial was a distraction from much more serious corruption in President Joe Biden’s family. A federal jury convicted Hunter Biden, 54, on all three felony counts that he faced in his criminal firearm trial, including lying to a federally licensed firearms dealer, making a false claim on a federal firearms background check form, and being in possession of an illegally obtained firearm. Hunter Biden faces up to 25 years in prison and up to $750,000 in fines. “Everybody knows what this trial with Hunter Biden was about,” Lara Trump said. “This is about smoke and mirrors, this is the red herring, this is a distraction from what you’ve talked about the entire show, which is that it’s not just criminality we’re worried about with the Biden family. It’s national security. We’re concerned about, we need to know as American citizens, that when Joe Biden, as President of the United States, is making decisions for this country, he’s made decisions based on what’s best for the American people and not what’s best for the bank account of the Biden family.” Lara Trump’s remarks reference the foreign business dealings that Hunter Biden engaged in while his father was vice president during the Obama administration. “If you think back to when Donald Trump won the election in 2016, think about what our family business was: We were a private company that had real estate and golf courses around the world,” she said. “We were in international business originally. Yet, what did we do? We said, you know what, when he won, we’re not going to do any new international business deals. The opposite of that happened when Joe Biden became Vice President of the United States. That’s when the Biden family got into international business.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP She also noted that the contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop were confirmed as authentic during the trial, describing it as a “treasure trove” of damaging information on the Biden family. “The American people are demanding transparency,” she added. WATCH: RNC Co-Chair @LaraLeaTrump: The American people are demanding transparency on the Biden Crime family’s influence peddling schemes. “It’s national security we’re concerned about.” pic.twitter.com/maxCC7XE4h — GOP (@GOP) June 12, 2024

A post shared on social media purports that Melania Trump said house arrest for former President Donald Trump would be a cruel punishment for her. Melania Trump said it would be a cruel and unusual punishment for her if former U.S. President Donald Trump was placed under house arrest. ????? — Bonnie Towner DEMOCRAT (@BonnieTowner) June 11, […]