Activist musicians holding Cedar Rapids concert Feb. 12th at CSPS Hall
Activist musicians Pat Humphries and Sandy O of emma's revolution are coming to Cedar Rapids to celebrate the one-year anniversary of their legal wedding in Iowa with a concert. The show will be at CSPS Hall, 1103 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids, on Sunday, Feb. 12th at 7 p.m.
The couple married in New York in 2001, when same-sex marriage was still not recognized by that state. "We had your average Jewish-Cherokee lesbian wedding ceremony," quipped O. "But, last year, we were coming to Iowa just after the law passed, so we thought we'd look into getting married here, too." The duo found that there was a three-day waiting period for both a marriage license and a handgun license. "We opted for the marriage license," said Humphries, adding on a more serious note, "Recognition of same-sex marriage is inevitable. Love is love and no amount of money from outside groups will stop those of us in pursuit of justice and equality. We love coming to perform in a place that has recognized that to the full extent of its laws."
Their new CD, Revolutions Per Minute, features "Love Is" a wedding song that is being sung at both queer and straight weddings across the country.
emma's revolution has performed at the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, the Ohio Lesbian Festival and will perform at this summer’s National Women's Music Festival.
The duo has performed and recorded with the legendary women's music icon, Holly Near. "A few years ago, Holly found that her longtime pianist was not going to be able to tour with her. So she decided to do something completely different and bring us in as her band," said Humphries. "The audiences loved the new sound—with guitars, banjo and ukulele—but they especially loved the tight three-part harmonies that we did together. People told us we breathed new life into songs they had loved for years." In 2009, the trio recorded, "We Came To Sing," to mark their work together and emma's revolution will also be working with Near on her current recording project.
The duo's songs are performed by LGBT choirs in the US and abroad, and Pat's song "People Love" is included in middle and high school curriculums. "In a time of increased bullying towards queer youth, it's crucial to stop this violence,” she said. “I'm glad my song is out there, doing its part to support communities and schools in teaching not just tolerance, but acceptance."
Tickets for the show are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. For more info: 319-364-1580 or legionarts.org.
