Yes, boys and girls and all those inbetween, it's time for that fascinating
tome full of spelling errors, the Jamie Anderson Newsletter.  Published once a
month or whenever the moon is full on an odd-numbered Tuesday.  You're getting
this because you signed my mailing list at a concert.  Let us know if your
address is changing or if you'd like to be removed: tsunamiinc@aol.com.
__________________________

Touring News:

I've been a touring fool this Spring.  While weather was good in most locales,
I performed during a tornado warning in Syracuse, NY.   A few hardy souls
braved the weather (and the fire alarm -- don't ask) including one woman who
drove an hour to get to the venue.  She had to keep pulling over because the
road was disappearing in the rain and wind.  Uh, were any of those raindrops
moving in a circular fashion?  At any rate, we had a fun time.  I hope
everyone made it home okay.

Also in the fans-who-risked-their-lives-to-see-me department: I performed in a
severe thunderstorm at the Kerrville Folk Festival in May.  At least I didn't
have to contend with hail like the act before me.  When I asked about shutting
down the stage, I was told that it was okay, just don't touch anything while I
was out there.  Right.  The first half of my show was performed for a tiny
group of die-hard fans huddled under rain gear.  Thankfully, the rain stopped
and more folks heard the second part of my set.  Special thanks to the Feral
Chicks, who traveled out from Silver City, NM, to see the show.  They had
special t-shirts and everything.  I was presented with a shirt, making me an
honorary Feral Chick.  Cool.

A storm of a different kind was brewing at a a gig in Roanoke, Virginia.
Partway through my set at a folk coffeehouse, I was asked to leave the stage.
Apparently, the booker of the coffeehouse had failed to share my CD with the
rest of the conservative board and they were quite surprised to find an out
lesbian on their stage.  I thought something was up when half of the folks
left at intermission but as I started the second half of the show I figured,
hey, these people want to hear what I'm doing or they wouldn't have stuck
around.  After a few more songs, I launched into "Menstrual Tango."   The
remaining board member and two coffeehouse volunteers approached me after the
song.  One of them requested (while wringing her hands incessently) that I was
to stop singing "those sex songs" or get off the stage.  Hmm, sex songs.  Gee,
I hadn't even gotten to "Dark Chocolate" yet.   Instead of leaving, I walked
to the microphone and asked the audience to sing with me.  It was so
empowering to hear those people, gay and straight, sing this with me: "Let us
be your family / Let us take you in / Let us be your family / A family of
friends."   After the show, many in the audience complimented me on my songs,
signed the mailing list and bought CDs.  It was great to meet them.  As I was
I leaving the coffeehouse, a volunteer gave me my pay and said that she liked
my voice and they'd love for me to come back, if I just didn't sing those "sex
songs."  Sure, next time I'll do my medly of Lennon Sister hits.

After that coffeehouse, it was a pleasure to play at places like O'Brien's
Barbeque in Rockville, MD and The Folkal Point in Columbia, MD.  Now if those
gigs had not been on the same nights as the last episode of "Ellen" and
"Seinfeld," I'd have been a lot happier.  Next time, the network executives
should check with me, dammit.

In Rockville, I opened for Rachel Bissex.  She's touring to support her new
album "I Used to Be Nice."  Terrific songwriter and passionate performer.  We
did a few numbers together.  Her new album contains one of the *hottest*
numbers I've ever heard called "Passion."  Be sure to check her out if she
comes to your town.

In Manchester and Hamden, CT, I had the extreme pleasure of performing with
Another Octave, a talented women's chorus.  They did an excellent medley of
70's hits including my personal favorite, "I've Got the Music In Me," which I
tormented them all with whenever we had a spare moment off stage.  In spite of
that, they let me go-go dance on that number when we performed in Hamden.
Okay, they didn't really *let* me.  I, uh, just jumped up there.  

And if that wasn't enough, I also got to perform with the stellar Indianapolis
Women's Chorus in early June.  I didn't go-go dance at that concert, but I did
get to tango with the chorus director.  It was a fun concert, complete with a
grand finale that included the largest kazoo band on the planet (instruments
were handed out to the audience), flags and me twirling the baton. 

Another choral delight occured at Campfest, where I had the pleasure of
performing one song with the Campfest Choir.  I'm sorry I missed their set on
Sunday night.  

Those of you who heard me in Illinois and New York got to hear me with Leigh
Peterson, a wonderful drummer from NYC.  We'll be doing some more gigs
together in the future. 

I just returned from Memphis where I played at their annual gay pride
festival.  They presented me with a trophy that proclaims me "Best Baton
Twirler, Memphis Pride."  I was the *only* baton twirler, but hey, who
noticed?! 

There were lots of other groovy gigs too, but I'd better stop now before this
email gets out of hand.
__________________________

Upcoming concerts:

7/4/98, Fairbanks, AK, Alaska Women's Music Festival, tracwa@webtv.net
9/6/98, IL, Midwest Womyn's Autumnfest, Autumnfest@aol.com
10/24/98, Tucson, AZ, with Desert Voices Ensemble, 520-791-9662
__________________________

Web Sites:

Some of you have asked about ordering my recordings on the web.  Here are two
web sites you can order from:

http://www.freshfruit.com/store/
http://www.ladyslipper.org

The first site is for Fresh Fruit Records.  They carry other fine gay
recordings.  The second site is for Ladyslipper, the largest catalog of
women's music in the universe.

Some other cool sites you might want to check out:

http://www.euronet.nl/users/mclaren/loudglop.html
http://www.geocities.com/~lavender_jane

The first site lists all kinds of info about gay recordings and the second,
about women's music.  The second site doesn't yet list my information but will
soon.

Some of you have found my old web site.  I didn't know it was still up.
They're supposed to take it down.  If you do happen to stumble upon it, keep
in mind that the tour schedule listed there is woefully out of date.
___________________________

Billboard!

I'm quoted in a front page article in the most recent issue of Billboard.
Here's part of it:

"Openly Gay Artists Making Business Strides" by Larry Flick

The life of an out queer recording artist is not an easy one -- particularly
for those who opt to be truthful about their sexuality from the outset of
their career.  But as mainstream societal acceptance of the gay and lesbian
community gradually increases in the US, a brigade of persistent perfomers is
inching cloer to acheiving success on their own terms.

Acts like Romanovsky and Phillips, Jimmy Somerville, Jamie Anderson, and Alan
Wiley occasionally use their music as a vehicle for political and social
activism.   Karel, Steve Cohen, Catie Curtis, and Dave Hall are among those
who are content simply to be known as artists who happen to be homosexual.

<snip>

Lesbian troubador Jamie Anderson, who continues to gig in clubs across the
country behind her 1996 self-titled disc on Tsunami Records, recalls a recent
experience that vividly illustrates the struggle and the ultimate reward of
being an out-queer artist.

<snip -- my Roanoke gig is briefly described and the article ends with a quote
from me: "That gig exemplifies the worst and the best part of my job.">

(Actually, my most recent release is titled "Never Assume" and it came out in
1995.  Everything else is correct.)
_______________

Speaking of magazines, there's a picture of me on page 23 of the June issue of
Girlfriends.  Unfortunately, the caption says I'm a comic from Michigan.
Whatever.   Press is press.
________________

Forwarded mail:

Some of you have added me to your mailing lists to recieve forwarded jokes,
petitions and the like.  While I enjoy reading much of that kind of stuff, I
really don't have time to read it all.  So please remove me from those mailing
lists.  Do continue to send me private emails, however.  I love hearing from
you.
_________________________

I'll end this mini-novel with a favorite quote:

"We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out." -- Decca
rejecting the Beatles in 1962

-- Jamie Anderson