Bears go Dutch
Bears on the Run tour rolls into Atlanta
By ZACK HUDSON
OCT. 19, 2007
It was bound to happen eventually.
Here in the time of queer burlesque troupes, drag kings and gender variant rockers, the deceptively simple idea of a gay male performance troupe singing, dancing and telling jokes to a nightclub crowd almost seems a little too back-to-basics for Atlanta audiences.
But really, it’s a pretty wild show, according to Kendall, a New York-based performance artist and one of five members of the Bears on the Run tour, which plays Amsterdam Atlanta on Oct. 25.
“My background is in drag, and in break dancing, and in a lot of other kinds of performance. My show reflects all of it,” the artist promises.
Kendall puts his talents as a songwriter, dancer, speaker and singer to good use as an interactive part of the show, which includes comedian Bobaloo as emcee, rocker Elijah Black, acoustic rocker Shannon Grady, and folk troubadour Matthew Temple.
The bears, who are scattered across the country, plan to hit Atlanta in a passenger van after playing three dates.
“It’s cush. I can’t wait,” jokes Bobaloo, a stand-up comedian and actor from Los Angeles who opens the bears’ shows and serves as emcee.
“And we’ve got a hitch trailer for all our stuff so we can put in all our luggage and all my shoes,” he says.
Bobaloo’s brand of comedy includes a collection of stories and pop culture anecdotes he prepped specifically for the tour.
“My hosting skills have been honed at different events — bear events, other events — over the last six years of doing this,” he says. “I can keep the audience up, and I’m going to keep it all together.”
ONCE THE BEARS REACH ATLANTA, they’ll spend a couple of days scouring the streets to promote the show. Early word on the tour is strong, according to Elijah Black, a featured musician.
“We’ve been promoting it like crazy,” the rocker says. “We’ve been trying to create a buzz, because we know, and we’re very confident, people will enjoy it once they come out and see it.”
Black spent the ’80s in an opening band for metal acts like Motley Crue and Ratt. He retains the rock energy, even as his solo show has him playing a 12-string guitar.
“For this show, it’s just me and my 12-string most of the time,” he says. “I love performing, so with or without a band, I’m going to have a good time if I’m giving a show.”
The tour marks the first time all of the bears perform together, though most know each other or worked together playing bear events elsewhere.
“I wanted to be on tour, and I started calling a couple of my friends and asking if they think it’s a crazy idea,” explains Shannon Grady, an acoustic singer-songwriter and one of the tour masterminds.
“Six months ago, it was just a dream,” he says.
Despite the natural draw for bear audiences, the performers maintain that straight, lesbian, trans, or any other audience segment will miss out if they skip the show just because of the way it’s billed.
“Matthew Temple is a true American folk-singer,” Black explains. “He sang with Duke Ellington, and is really everything you would think of about a folk musician. And there really is something for everyone in this show.”
