The Reason for the Season

A friend of mine sent me the message below. It seems like kids do, in fact, say the darndest things...

"this is an actual letter my niece wrote to Santa...her mom said, 'She talked, I typed, word for word... :-) That last sentence threw me for a bit of a loop.'

Dear Santa,

I am not being bad; I am being good. Santa, can I please have a camera and a scooter? I really want a camera and a scooter. We are gonna make really yummy chocolate chip cookies and leave some milk out and some chocolate chip cookies for you. We are gonna get a very nice Xmas tree for you. Make sure you bring us really nice presents. Hey Santa, if you try and bring junk presents, Daddy's gonna kick you out.

I LOVE YOU,
ALIVEA

A Few Qs: Debby Holiday

The dance diva offers sage advice on how to turn life into a TV soundtrack, please a perfectionist parent, and avoid the wrath of eight angry reindeer.

MIKEY ROX: You’re all over the tube these days. This year alone, your music was heard on the FX series Dirt, NBC’s The Office and, most recently, Logo’s Sordid Lives: The Series. Tell me – is there some sort of TV soundtrack application process, or did these shows approach you?
DEBBY HOLIDAY: The Office was through a friend of a friend, the multitalented singer-songwriter, Levi Kreis. They called me over a year ago for music and then finally found a place for it. Sordid Lives – well, that's Del Shores, who I love and adore. Dirt – same thing, friend of a friend. So, you can see the trend. Knowing someone who knows someone always helps – a lot! I also had several small placements on MTV this year.

MR: In addition to Sordid Lives, two of your hits “Dive” and “Half a Mile Away” were licensed for the final season of Queer As Folk. I’m sensing a trend here. Why do you think your music resonates so well with the gay community?
DH: And don't forget about The L Word. [Laughs] I was kinda proud of that one – very cool scene. The L Word was three or four friends removed; actually, [I] have to give the Canadian artist Nancy Rancourt credit for that one. I would hope it's because my music tends to have a positive ‘you/we can do anything’ point of view. Life can be a difficult course to maneuver when people are trying to tell you what you can and cannot do. Personally, I love hearing a lyric that says, ‘don't let anyone hold you down, you count, your voice truly is joyful.’ Then again, my songs like "Piece Of My Love," well, that's about sex – and who the hell don't like sex? [Laughs]

MR: I think it’s safe to say that the gift of music runs in your family. Your father, Jimmy Holiday, a chart-topper in his own right, co-write several famous songs, such as “Understanding” by Ray Charles, and “All I Ever Need Is You,” a hit for both Sonny and Cher and, later, Kenny Rogers and Dottie West. How did Jimmy influence your passion for music?
DH: Ah, Jimmy – music kept him breathing. I remember sitting at his feet watching him play piano. I would hum along, and if ever a sour note came forth from my lips, he would have me sing it over and over ’til I got it right. Hated it then. But, now, I understand his dedication to the art of creating music. Now, like him, I spend hours – days – locked in my studio searching for the right lyric, the right vocal take. Not right by someone else's standards, but right for what I want to express. That, I learned from him.

MR: There’s likely never been a better time for you. Your name combined with your latest single “Joyful Sound” screams Christmas celebration! Is this a conspiracy?
DH: [Laughs] That's funny! Never thought about that. OK, you found me out. My true diabolical plot is to take over the music world through the nonstop onslaught of positivity and cheer. Joy, joy, joy for everyone during this ‘Holiday’ season. Buy my music and be happy, damn it! And, if you don't buy my CD, eight huge ugly, badly dressed reindeer will find you, tie you down and force you to watch back-to-back episodes of Jerry Springer.

MR: What’s on your list this year? More importantly, have you been naughty or nice?
DH: First and foremost, my list includes enjoying life. And, if you do it right, that will include a whole lotta nice and just the right amount of naughty. Let's face it, naughty really is ‘Joyful.’

'Attention' Grabber

Between appearances on the popular podcast “Gay Pimpin’ with Jonny McGovern” and recording sessions for his next single, singer-songwriter Adam Joseph sat down to discuss growing up gay in the Midwest; why he fled NYC’s famed East Village; and the song that made him a star, “Faggoty Attention.”

MIKEY ROX: Wanna play a game? It's called “How Many People Did You Have to Sleep With to Land a Singing Role in Casper Andreas' Romantic Comedy A Four Letter Word”?
ADAM JOSEPH: None. I knew Casper from him using another one of my songs, "Flow with My Soul," in his first film, Slutty Summer. Casper asked me if I had a song that would be good for a gay-bar scene. I had written “Faggoty Attention,” but I had not produced it yet. So, I went into the studio and basically worked until I was done. I finished it in about two days. Just in time to bring it to the shoot and film the scene.

MR: That's where I first heard the song, actually – while watching the movie. But with such subversive verses – which can’t be played on mainstream radio – how do you get the word out about it?
AJ: Well, It was on LOGO for quite a while, and the hits are steadily growing on YouTube.

MR: The track, which is still gaining steam a year and a half after you recorded it, is basically about seducing a straight boy. Clearly you have a story. Spill it.
AJ: That's why I like writing songs. You can make up your own story. It's more based in fantasy than reality. I don't usually waste my time attempting conversion, but it is a fun thought.

MR: Going back to A Four Letter Word, I recently had a chat with its star, Jesse Archer. Such a nice guy! I hear you two live near each other in Manhattan’s East Village.
AJ: I used to live in the East Village. I’ve since moved on to the even cooler area of New York City – Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It's the new East Village. The East Village is kinda dead in NYC these days. Too many condos and trust funds.

MR: That's how all of this started though, isn't it? The East Village, I mean. You’re a regular on the popular podcast "Gay Pimpin' With Jonny McGovern," which is recorded there How'd you get that gig?
AJ: It was an East Village "family" for a while – even though most of the kids don't live there at all. I started working with Jonny on his album, "Gays Gone Wild," while living in the East Village. Since then, we have worked on tons of songs for multiple albums together. We are currently working on "The East Village Mixtape 2: The Williamsburg Edition."

MR: I'm told that favorite topics on the show include "filthy escapades with muscle jocks" and "bumps in the DJ booth." Care to elaborate?
AJ: We just talk about what we do in everyday life and it usually turns out to be hilarious. That show is so much fun. What can I say? I run with a pretty crazy crowd.

MK: Was it during one of those conversations that you came up with the idea for "Faggoty Attention"?
AJ: Jonny McGovern gave me the idea as a joke when we were making the first “East Village Mixtape.” It stuck in my head for about three months until I did anything with it.

MK: But you didn't put pen to paper until you were on vacation in Ohio, right?
AJ: I was on vacation in Florida driving back to Cincinnati – my hometown – with my family in the car. I was bored, so I wrote it to pass the time.

MK: Let's be serious for a minute – how liberating is this whole experience for you? You're about my age, and I'm guessing it was hard for you growing up gay, especially in the Midwest.
AJ: Actually, I wouldn't consider growing up gay, hard. I came out to everyone when I was 14 and never lost any friends. I did go to a performing arts high school so I had that in my corner. I have always just tried to be myself and not waste time thinking about what others think. A lot of artists don't like to talk about their sexuality because they are afraid of blocking out demographics, but I would never hide my sexuality. How can we overcome anything until the shame of being gay is completely erased?

MK: Now that you've drummed up a pretty good buzz – for your career, that is – what's your next move? How do you keep this thing alive?
AJ: I'm working on my next single right now. You can expect another great music video and lots more to come from me. I'm also steadily producing and writing for other NYC artists and DJing around the city.

Because You Can't Flush a Feline

My guy sent me this video with a message attached: "I hope this brightens your day like it did mine."

It did.

A Few Qs: Matt Alber

The former Chanticleer crooner dishes about diversity, not-so-divine intervention, and his debut album, ‘Hide Nothing.’

MIKEY ROX: We have something in common already – our best friends are black girls! My friend’s name is Shenel; we’ve been together for 20 years, and we’re still going strong. She taught me the meaning of jungle fever and how to do the “Electric Slide.” How stereotypical, right? Tell me about yours. I hear double-dutch is involved.
MATT ALBER: Congrats on the 20-year friendship – that's incredible. I really miss my girl, Celisse. She's not your “stereotypical” black girl; more like a soul sister. She's a professional singer in New York, preparing to make her debut on Broadway as a lead in the revival of “Godspell.” Part of the audition required her to retell one of Jesus' better-known parables via an original song. When Celisse came to visit me in L.A. last spring I invited her to be a guest speaker in my 6th grade after-school music program and she performed her parable for my class using just her voice and a djembe drum. She has so much soul that it's contagious – you can't help but feel what she's feeling when you hear her sing. I gravitate towards people like that, hoping it will rub off on me.

MR: When you joined an off-campus evangelical Christian club during your college years, you were already out of the closet. But after a two-year stint on the worship team, you were asked to leave because you’re gay. It’s clear why they kicked you out, but why did they allow you to join in the first place if your lifestyle wasn’t in line with their teachings? How did that experience ultimately affect your faith?
MA: Your question speaks to the confusion and betrayal that I imagine a lot of gay Christians still face today. This cycle of being welcomed into a church community exalted for your passion and talents and then ultimately excommunicated is common in American fundamentalist churches. When I first joined Campus Christian Fellowship, it was in its infancy and they were hungry for any members they could get. My first meeting was during freshman week orientation. They quickly adopted me into the fold, and when they learned I could sing I was immediately called upon to lead the praise and worship team and become a soloist during the offertories. I was definitely out, but the leadership was willing to overlook that fact since my singing was contributing to their membership growth. In two years, CCF became the largest organization on campus, out-sizing even the largest fraternity. With that kind of notoriety comes scrutiny, and they had to deal with the gay guy on the microphone. See, it wasn't really that fact of my being gay that posed them a problem. It was the fact that I wasn't trying to change. Most churches will welcome gay people into their congregations as long as they are coming to “deal with their sin” – but a gay person who wants fellowship and to worship alongside them as an equal is an uncomfortable thorn in their side. The leaders sent two "student ministers" to get my confession. What had been tacitly accepted as a personal thing between God and me was now a political matter – either I confess to them my intentions to change into a heterosexual Christian or I would be excommunicated from the organization. I knew I was on my way out, but I wanted make them force me out and admit their bigotry. I asked them on what grounds they were accusing me, and they produced the same six Bible verses ignorant Christians have used for decades to shove gay people out the front doors. The thing is, I knew those verses inside and out and could speak about them as a scholar. I challenged them to a roundtable discussion on the verses and they accepted on the condition that the meetings be confidential. These secret meetings were quite frustrating for them, as my answers were logical and Biblically based. After three of our five scheduled meetings, they ended the discussion on grounds that “we weren't getting anywhere.” In fact, we were getting somewhere, just not to somewhere they were expecting. One of them ultimately admitted to me that my answers made more sense, but the head honcho explained away my scholarship as “reaching for a way to rationalize my sin.” When the Biblical hullabaloo gets cleared away, this is generally the answer that fundamentalist Christians use to exclude us. It boils everything down to a personal unwillingness to seek the truth. While I don't understand the benefit, I respect their right to cling to a doctrine that requires blind submission. My problem with fundamentalist Christians is their attempt to cloak their bigotry with moral superiority and called it spirituality. I couldn't stomach the two-faced duality anymore. I found a better community of spiritual people called Soulforce. The name sounds kinda New Age-y, but it's grounded in the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi. Soulforce welcomes people from all faith traditions and is a haven for anyone rejected from their communities. Joining that group took me to Lynchburg, Va., where I met with Jerry Falwell and 200 students from his university to dispel myths about gay people. It's an uphill battle, but it's the only way I've found to let go of the hate and still live with integrity. And I guess now you know better than to get me started on Christianity.

MR: After college, you spent five years performing with Chanticleer, the elite classic men’s ensemble. How did that training prepare you for this new chapter in your career as a solo artist?
MA: Singing in Chanticleer is like playing for Yankees or making the U.S. Olympic Team. When you walk on the stage in your white tie and tuxedo tails and 3,000 college students are screaming like The Strokes just hit the room, you feel like a rock star. But it wasn't about that. When you make it into Chanticleer, it's like the universe just said, "Here, you get the chance to take the art of singing together to ultimate heights and offer a sound to the world it has never heard." I got to experience the height of human potential much the same way a kid in Brooklyn feels after years of perfecting his skills on street courts, he makes the NBA, and is ushered into a rare community of artisans upholding the integrity of the sport. One of the most important things I learned was that when you place yourself in a situation where you're not sure if you'll succeed, something new inside of you emerges and usually surprise you.

MR: What I find most interesting about your debut album, Hide Nothing, is that its tracks weren’t selected from an extensive catalog you’ve kept for years. These songs are literally the only songs you’ve ever written. As an artist, how did you decide that, yeah, these are good enough to lay down on an album.
MA: I guess I did all this backwards. I started writing songs at the same time I began learning how to record at home. I really didn't set out to record an album. Every song was like a study or an etude. I was really relying on my ear, and most of the first year was just banging my head against software and audio interfaces. But since I didn't have a deadline, I just took my time. It wasn’t until I started collaborating with Jeff Crerie at Utmosis Studios in San Francisco that I began to see the potential for an album to emerge. Jeff is unlike any producer or songwriter I've ever worked with. My choral background and his intellectual electronic genius were incredibly well suited for collaboration. I am lucky to have been surrounded by sensitive musicians who wait for the music to show itself rather than filling in the spaces with whatever paint is just laying around.

MR: When I listen to your music, specifically songs like “The Slow Club,” I get a European vibe from you – your music has a British sort of sensibility to it. Is that deliberate? Are you even aware of it?
MA: If you think my songs have a British sensibility, you should hear my brother's music (myspace.com/wreckandslender). I definitely resonate with singers like Annie Lennox, George Michael, the bands Keane and South. I think European musicians and music lovers care more about melody than a hook. I've never heard anyone compare me to British music, but then hardly anyone has ever heard my songs, so I'm honored you would consider me a member of their troupe. I do love me some fish & chips though, so maybe that's what you’re hearing.

A Few Qs: Ari Gold

The Hebrew heartthrob chats about charity, the new book ‘Crisis,’ and criticism of his latest release, Transport Systems.

MIKEY ROX: In addition to being an award-winning vocalist, you’re also an activist and a philanthropist who supports diversity and health charities like the HRC, ACLU, and Gay Men’s Health Crisis. With all that’s happening with your music career, why is it important to you to stay involved?
ARI GOLD: I see my art as part of my activism, and I only hope I can make more and more of an impact when it comes to human rights and LGBT issues. It’s the whole Ghandi thing of being the change you want to see in the world. I don’t want anyone to suffer like I did when I was growing up, and I didn’t even have it as bad as a lot of people. The creative process of making music as well as performing is incredibly fulfilling, but I feel like I’ve been given this gift of responsibility that helps keep me going strong – especially in a crazy business like the music business.

MR: The new book Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing up Gay in America, features personal essays from gay notables, including Nate Berkus, Candace Gingrich, Billy Bean and you. What’s your story about?
AG: You have to read it! I focused primarily on being 16 years old in Yeshiva (orthodox Jewish parochial school), which was around the time that I had sex for the first time with both a girl and a guy.

MR: You’ve received major props from Whoopi Goldberg, who remarked that you’re changing the face of pop music, and Clive Davis, who was quoted as saying, “Ari wrote a very personal album and the lyrics attest to the battles that he’s been through … he writes from the heart.” What kind of weight do these comments carry, given the resistant nature of mainstream America to fully embrace an openly gay artist?
AG: It meant a lot to hear that from Clive, knowing how influential he’s been at bringing artists like Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Billy Joel and Alicia Keys to the world. And hearing that from Whoopi – and getting to meet her – I mean, she’s so inspiring ’cause she’s one of those people that when she first came on the scene there was nobody like her, and there’s still nobody like her. She made a genre for herself, and that’s very inspiring. And now that’s she’s on The View, people are really listening to what she has to say about everything.

MR: Your third studio album, Transport Systems, was released earlier last month. While you described it as being about movement, progression, transportation and transformation, Pink magazine said your lyrics lingered on “gender, sexuality, addiction and race.” Is that an accurate description? How do you respond?
AG: There are definitely songs that deal with all of those issues, and we need to move forward with our thinking when it comes to those things. It’s challenging for me to be able to say something meaningful in pop music but also make sure that I’m keeping it fun and sexy. There’s a lot of hope in this album, too; I was very conscious of making sure of that.

MR: On a lighter albeit final note, you share the same name as actor Jeremy Piven’s character on Entourage. Helping hand or hindrance?
AG: I think it adds a layer to the story that’s interesting, being that I’m all about challenging gay and Jewish stereotypes and he’s this mildly homophobic stereotypical Jewish agent. It makes my message all the more clear – I’m combating the stereotype in this strangely literal way.

The Day the World Sat Up and Smiled

HOPE came home last night - did you embrace it?

Comforting, huh?

Get used to it.