A Late Nite Pit Stop at Phase 1
September 13th, 2008If you’re a dyke who’s ever been in the D.C. area, then you’ve heard of Phase 1, the oldest lesbian bar in the country, having been open since 1970. And where there’s lesbians, there’s tattoos, faux-hawks, guitars, politics, and Good Asian Drivers.
We took a nice long drive down to the capital to be part of PhaseFest, an annual queer art and music festival that had its debut last year in 2007, which featured Athens Boys Choir and God-des & She. This year, we’re sharing the weekend bill with greats like Alix Olson, Bitch, Mara Levi, and hoards of amazing poets, performers, musicians, singers.
The crowd was fantastic. You have no idea how proud I was to be amongst lesbians that were so supportive and inclusive of transfolk. Check it:
Our new friends from Asian Pacific Islander Queer Sisters (APIQS) came to support us! They are really the best. As always, it is nice to see some attentive queer Asian faces in the audience when we’re on stage.
Mara Levi and Nancy Eddy (Thomasina and the Jam) totally kicked butt like no other. I’ve been playing Mara’s CD nonstop and can’t wait to share a stage again.
We also met Bitch, whose poetry is one of the most raw and haunting performances I’ve ever experienced. Not to mention she plays a mean bass and has a flawless voice.
Our friend Renee kept the merch table in order while a frazzled folkrocker lesbian scribbles out a setlist.
We ended up leaving D.C. at 1am and got back into our beds in Brooklyn by 5am, with a dry Roy Rogers burger, tasteless fries, and a caramel machiatto sitting in my gut.
But though the drive was shitty, it was well worth it. Thanks for having us, PhaseFest.
