Steve Grand: Don't Call Him Country!

Rising, openly gay musician Steve Grand will perform at the Marines Memorial Theater on Friday, May 13. The evening will benefit Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation, an organization that raises funds throughout the year for AIDS services. Grand will share the stage with out comedienne Shann Carr, who also runs Moxie Studios, purveyors of gay comedy entertainment.

"HIV is an issue that is close to my heart," Grand, 26, told the B.A.R. "I have many friends who lived through those horrible times. I've heard a lot of first-hand accounts." Grand emphasized the importance of knowledge as the key to HIV prevention, and wants to remind the younger generation that while now often treatable, HIV is still not curable, and there are other sexually transmitted diseases that need to be avoided. "As gay men we have to be careful," he cautioned. "STDs spread faster in our community. That may not be PC to say, but I don't care. These things are serious. We're playing with fire when these things get passed around." Grand reminds us that while Prep can prevent HIV when used under the direction of a physician, the drug has no effect on other STDs.

Illinois native Grand became an instant celebrity when the homoerotic video for his country song "All American Boy" went viral. In the video, Grand falls in love with an affectionate young man, who returns to his girlfriend after the two go skinny-dipping. Grand is quick to point out that the country label was placed upon him by others on the basis of just one or two songs. Country isn't a fully accurate description of what he does. He cites artists such as Joni Mitchell. James Taylor. and especially Neil Young as among his musical influences.

"I don't spend a lot of time thinking about my classification," Grand said. "I make singer-songwriter music in the pop-rock-acoustic Americana genres."

Grand isn't yet sure what the audience will see and hear when he takes to the Marines Memorial stage. "I'm still putting the show together. I'll be playing my music, and covers. There will be some old-school country and contemporary material. I want to make the show appealing to fans and to new audiences."

He is nonchalant about his sexuality, which has been a defining factor of his persona from the moment he became a public figure. "I've been openly gay since before all this started," he said. "I have nothing to compare it to. I get asked about my sexuality a lot. I'm a gay man, I've always intended to live my life honestly."

He added that good art is more important than a person's LGBT status. "Gay doesn't keep people from liking what they like," Grand pointed out. But, he said, it's good to ask these questions, and he's fine with answering them. "I like being gay, and I like men," he said. "I like being a man."

Steve Grand: All American Boy in Concert to benefit Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation, with guest comedienne Shann Carr. Marines Memorial Theater, 609 Sutter, SF, May 13, 8 p.m. Tickets ($60-$150): reaf-sf.org