Back to the Garden

San Francisco's summer of music is upon us, with Stern Grove, Outside Lands, and a dozen other big-name festivals starting now and spilling into October (next week's issue will have a full breakdown of these festivals).

But shockingly, there's never been a music festival in Northern California dedicated to LGBT music. The Luscious Queer Music Festival, happening August 22 to 24 at Saratoga Springs Retreat Center in Upper Lake, California, will change all that in a big way. About two-and-a-half-hours north of San Francisco, the festival will feature some our best and brightest, including Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Mary Lambert, critical darling and androgyne chanteuse Justin Vivian Bond, lesbian icon Cris Williamson, John Ginoli of the queer punk band Pansy Division, San Francisco's cubbishly sexy Matt Albert (hot off his appearance at the Great American Music Hall), and Marga Gomez-"proudly Latina, openly gay, slightly dorky, tragically sexy"-on hand to cohost the diverse lineup.

"I couldn't be more honored to participate," says Alber. "This will be my first visit to Saratoga Springs. It makes me feel great to learn they are so passionate about bringing LGBT music to Northern California. I can't wait to sing for them!"

DJs and dancing will also feature prominently; in fact, longtime Bay Area DJ and producer Page Hodel served as an assistant producer for Luscious. "She'll be DJ-ing under the stars on Saturday night and always knows how to give the crowd what they want," says co-assistant producer DJ Justime, who'll be playing acid house and dub techno at the festival. The lineup of DJs will be representing genres of dance music including hip-hop, house, disco, soul, and electronica.

"It will be as fierce as Coachella and Woodstock, but with a sacred and special magic that only queer parties have," says DJ Justime. "In fact, [Burning Man organization] Comfort and Joy's infamous Afterglow party will be happening at Luscious on Saturday night. The party will be wild and will carry on until dawn."

One of the biggest draws for the festival is Mary Lambert, who lent her dusky vocals and original lyrics to the chorus of the marriage-equality anthem "Same Love" by hip-hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis at this year's Grammy Awards. On writing the chorus for the hit song, the self-described "plus-size bomb-ass femme lesbian" says, "The song already had a brain. I wanted to give it a heart and make a very simple statement that my love is valid, too." Lambert says that her upcoming album "Heart on My Sleeve" is "sonically a pop album, but with an intense emotional pull. This is definitely my proudest moment as an artist, and I couldn't be more excited to share it with the world... and Saratoga Springs!"

It's rare for popular artists to be so earnest - or so out - but that's exactly what makes this music festival different, says Chas Nol, managing director of Saratoga Springs.

"Every time I enjoyed a popular music festival like Hardly Strictly Bluegrass or read about the delightfulness of a Woodstock or Monterey Jazz Festival, I've fantasized about a similar event by and for our queer community, says Nol. "Our community is awash with talent and passion."

In that spirit, Nol and Ruven Hannah, executive producer of Luscious, decided to put their money where their mouths were.

"Our mission is to bring together the LGBTQ community in a beautiful, natural setting to celebrate queer musicians, comedians, and DJs while raising funds for LGBTQ people seeking asylum," says Hannah.

One of the nonprofits Luscious is partnering with, ORAM (Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration), was founded five years ago to help sexual minorities living in hostile political climates reach safety through refugee protection and political asylum.

"The human rights abuses LGBTQI people face around the world have never been more grave or more severe," says Executive Director Neil Grungas. "In Russia, LGBTQI people are hunted down in the streets and the law punishes gay rights advocacy, while in Uganda you can be imprisoned for life for being queer."

Not surprisingly, LGBT equality is important to every performer on the Luscious bill, all of whom have chosen to identify as openly queer artists.

"Like many queer people," says Justin Vivian Bond, "I lose sleep worrying about the treatment our people face in countries that are even more hostile than our own."

Bond, formerly the distaff half of the Tony-nominated duo Kiki and Herb, continues. "Personally, I believe it's part of a worldwide crisis of unbridled misogyny directed at anyone perceived as femme-women, transpeople, gay men, gender nonconformists-and it literally makes me sick. I'm so grateful that because of my talent and big mouth I'm able to draw awareness to these issues and to take part in events like the Luscious Music Festival which are actually doing something to help."

Lambert, who will be performing Saturday night on the main stage, says, "I live with a fair amount of privilege, and recently had a realization that I am not only instantly accepted as a lesbian, but applauded for my outspoken nature in my daily life. That experience is so far from the oppression that millions of gay folks deal with. If there's anything that I can do to help that, then I'm in!"
Skip the Needle

"So much of the world needs our compassionate response as fellow human beings," says music legend Cris Williamson, whose 1975 recording 'The Changer and the Changed' helped further the women's music movement and remains one of the bestselling independent releases of all time.

"Women have provided asylum forever, harboring those who have not felt as though they belonged," says Williamson. "It's so important to increase our embrace when we can. Being outdoors is the best, as we can directly experience how Mother Earth holds us all."

Women's music festivals like the ones Williamson pioneered centered around meaningful music, ecological and political consciousness, and out performers. Forty years later, Nol and Hannah cite these events as influences on the Luscious festival at Saratoga Springs, and they hope that, like women's music festivals, Luscious becomes an ongoing tradition - one that embraces diversity.

Adds Hannah, "Our purpose is inclusiveness - all queers who are out and proud and their friends who want to come with an open heart and love for music and nature's beauty are welcome."

Tickets for the Luscious Queer Music Festival at Saratoga Springs are available through www.eventbrite.com.

Single-day, overnight, or all-weekend passes are available.

Camping is encouraged; small cabins, hot tub, swimming pool, and other add-ons are available.

For more information about tickets, food, local hotels, and transportation options, visit www.lusciousqueermusicfestival.org