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New Music: ONR, Clinton John, Kennedi, Seth Sikes

There’s definitely something for everybody in this round-up of new music from out artists. First up, rising Scottish songwriter and producer ONR (aka Robert Shields) returns with the powerful single “Must Stop,” featuring Sarah Barthel of Phantogram. The single features a catchy hook and production that takes you on a ride straight to the visceral, primal scream release. The 90s-inspired black & white/color music video is the perfect dramatic visual for the song as ONR repeats his mantra, “Must stop falling in love, stop falling in love…” “‘Must Stop’ is a song about being repeatedly hurt,” ONR says. “A desperation to be in love and to be loved by someone, anyone — and the blows you can take when you leave yourself so open.” Follow ONR on Instagram here.

Clinton John’s “Fresh” is exactly that – a fresh, exuberant take on the rush of new romance. “After my first break-up it was hard for me to imagine having feelings for someone else again,” says John. “I found myself comparing any new love interest to my previous experience and how everything after that just fell short.” “The next time I was interested in someone, it took me by surprise and definitely caught me off guard,” he adds. “It was almost like a light bulb went off in my head, letting me know I was capable of developing feelings again. That realization happened almost instantly, they were exciting and felt so fresh”. The ebullient pure pop bop is a comfortable earworm that definitely has me bouncing. Follow Clinton John on Instagram here.

In advance of her upcoming autobiographical EP self, out singer/songwriter kennedi drops the lyric video for her single, “Liquor Love.” The sensual synth-pop track offers an airy, vulnerable peek into the addiction that love can be. self is the first of a highly personal two-part project, set to be followed up by kennedi’s EP SABOTAGE in 2021. Having been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, kennedi created two EPs to distill both sides of her mental nature. Each carry their own unique tone and represent one hemisphere of her emotional state; self being the delicate light to SABOTAGE’s manic darkness. “The self EP is exactly what it sounds like — myself and all of the raw emotions that come with me,” says kennedi. “It’s a snapshot into how I felt in the moments during the time I was writing these songs. It tells the story of my journey over the past year — my relationships and life experiences. Honest and raw. That is self.” Follow kennedi on Instagram here.

After sending us musical missives from his summer on Fire Island, Seth Sikes returns to New York City and renews his love affair with the Big Apple via Stephen Sondheim’s “What More Do I Need.”

Celebrating the city and its singular energy, Sikes revels in how it has rebounded in style after the worst days of the Covid pandemic.

In the buoyant, breezy video (directed by Eamon Foley), Sikes is seen enjoying the best of the city: cavorting on the subway, riding a Citi Bike, fighting with neighbors, and traipsing through Times Square. It’s pure MGM movie musical happiness.

The message of the video: Even when you’re wearing a Covid mask, New York City remains the fabulous center of the universe.

Follow Seth Sikes on Instagram here.

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Presidential Commission Cancels Debate After Trump Refuses Virtual Format

L-R President Donald Trump, former Vice President Joe Biden
After Donald Trump refused to take part in a virtual presidential debate (in light of the fact that he’s still contagious for the coronavirus), the Commission on Presidential Debates canceled the scheduled second debate between Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. From CNN:

The cancellation is the culmination of a furious 48-hour back-and-forth between the commission and both campaigns and means what would have been the third debate in Nashville on October 22 will likely be the final meeting between the two candidates. The Wall Street Journal was first to report on the commission’s decision.
The commission, with the backing of their health advisers, announced on Thursday morning that — because Trump tested positive for the coronavirus — the debate that was scheduled for Miami would be held virtually, with the two candidates appearing from remote locations.
Trump swiftly rejected that plan, saying he would not show up and setting off a series of events that put the future of all general election debates into question.
In response to Trump’s cancellation, a Biden spokeswoman swiftly said that they would have agreed to a virtual format for next Thursday’s contest, but because the President had seemingly bailed, they would book another format for the former vice president to take questions.

In fact, ABC News has already announced it will be hosting a town hall with Biden on October 15 to be moderated by ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos. You should note that for some time Trump has told his followers Biden would be the one to cancel. “Joe Biden is too weak to lead this country,” Trump said at a rally last week. “You know Biden lost badly when his supporters are saying he should cancel the rest of the debates. Now, I understand he is canceling the debates. Let’s see what happens. I think that’s not going to be a good move for him.” Clearly, Trump knows he can’t win a debate where his ability to bully and speak over his opponent is limited.

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Pete Buttigieg On Trump Refusing Virtual Debate: ‘Probably A Reflection Of Weakness Of His Campaign’

Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg on Fox News (screen capture)
Donald Trump announced that he wouldn’t “waste his time” on the upcoming October 15 presidential debate after the Commission on Presidential Debates determined it would be handled in a virtual manner due to Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis. Fox News invited former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg to discuss Trump’s refusal to debate. Buttigieg told Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, “Well, it’s too bad, I don’t know why the president’s afraid to participate in a debate.” “All of us have had to get used to a virtual format. Parents are having to deal with e-learning, which is not what we’re used to,” continued Buttigieg. “We’re having to take meetings over Zoom. It’s not something I think most of us enjoy, but it’s a safety measure.” “I think part of why the US is badly behind the rest of the developed world on dealing with the pandemic is because every time there’s been a choice between doing something in a way that’s more safe or less safe, this president seems to push for less safe.” “I think it’s also probably a reflection of the weakness of his campaign… and it’s too bad because I think the more the American people can hear two candidates side by side, even if it’s virtual, the better,” he added. “Of course, the only reason we’re here in the first place is that the president of the United States is still contagious with a deadly disease.” #BAM

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Broadway Shutdown Extended Through May 2021

(photo: Ludovic Bertron/Flickr – CC license)
The Broadway League, which represents theater owners and producers, announced on Friday that all 41 Broadway theaters will remain closed through May 30, 2021. Devastating news, not only for the theatre community but the economy of New York City. Earlier this year, on March 12, the League shut down all shows in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus. According to a statement from the League, 31 productions were running at that time, including 8 new shows in previews. Additionally, 8 productions were in rehearsals preparing to open in the spring. The initial shutdown was to last just a month through April 12. But the reopening date has been rescheduled multiple times. The most recent announcement led hopeful theatre artists and audiences to believe the marquee lights would light up again in a staggered fashion beginning January 3, 2021. Theatre producers who had planned to begin performances, like the highly-anticipated revival of The Music Manstarring 2 two-time Tony Award winners Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster as well as revivals of plays including Take Me Out and American Buffalo, will all need to reshuffle their schedules. Playbill reports The Music Man has already moved its first preview performance to December 20, 2021.

The New York Times reports that a bio-musical about the life and career of Michael Jackson, titled MJ The Musical, which was set to premiere this summer, then moved to Spring 2021, has now been rescheduled to next fall. Some productions, like Disney’s Frozen, have announced they will not reopen at all when the coast is finally clear. A new play by Martin McDonagh called Hangmen, and a revival of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, which were both in previews at the time of the shutdown, have suffered a similar fate. The shutdown doesn’t just affect the actors, stage crew, musicians, box office, and production staffers. The ripple effect of closing down Broadway has an enormous impact on local restaurants and hotels that welcome guests from out of town eager to see a Broadway show. According to the Times, in 2019, the industry’s theaters drew 14.6 million theatergoers and sold $1.8 billion worth of tickets. With theaters open less than 3 months this year, the annual grosses will be just a fraction of that. Television and film production has begun to ramp back up with safety protocols in place. But Broadway theaters can be small, cramped spaces to work in even when there’s no virus to worry about. And the high cost of overhead for shows makes operating with reduced audience capacity a nonstarter. Actors’ Equity Association, the national labor union representing professional actors and stage managers in live theatre, released a statement which read, in part: “Today the Broadway League made the difficult but responsible decision to put the safety and health of their workers and audience first,” said Mary McColl, executive director for Actors’ Equity Association. “This is a deeply painful time for everyone who depends on the arts for their livelihood.” “We are at this moment because, seven months into the pandemic, our nation still lacks a coherent national strategy for masks and testing which could help bring the virus under control,” she added. “Too many in the industry need help now as we face another six months without work. The ongoing lack of work in the arts means we face a critical need for federal COBRA health insurance subsidies, renewed federal unemployment benefits, and arts funding. Washington must act.”

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Podcast: Supreme Court Justices Against Marriage Equality, Charlie Carver, Drag Out The Vote

The Randy Report podcast

The Randy Report podcast delivers the week's top stories in a quick, convenient podcast - 'the 60 Minutes of gay news - only shorter' In this week’s podcast: • Two Supreme Court Justices made it clear they’d like to overturn marriage equality in the US • A transgender woman was found shot to death in Puerto Rico making her the 6th trans person to die by violence in the territorty • Charlie Carver, currently starring in Netflix’s The Boys in the Band says he came out as gay after a coworker slapped him for appearing gay in public • Don’t miss the all-star benefit performance of The Great Work Begins: Scenes from Angels in America • Drag Out the Vote has now unveiled a new voter initiative: Divas for Democracy: United We Slay, a digital variety show bringing together some of the biggest names in theater and drag All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

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News Round-Up: October 8, 2020

LGBTQ ally and anti-bullying advocate Ben Cohen
Some news items you might have missed: • Calendar Season: LGBTQ ally and anti-bullying advocate Ben Cohen (above) announces his 2021 calendar is available for shipping by October 30. #WeLoveBenCohen #Woof • The Advocate: Monica Roberts, the transgender activist and blogger who founded TransGriot 15 years ago, has died. She was honored with special recognition award for her blog at the 2016 GLAAD Media Awards and named one of The Advocate’s 2020 Women of the Year in May. • Pink News: CNN’s Anderson Cooper condemned Trump’s “recklessness” while carrying a deadly disease (coronavirus) while pointing out that HIV positive people can be jailed for the same offense. • Instinct Magazine: How do you show up for Black Lives? By actually showing up where they are and getting to know them. • Forbes: Democrats raised $15 million in just over 12 hours after the start of Wednesday night’s vice presidential debate—a sign that Sen. Kamala Harris’ (D-Calif.) performance against Vice President Mike Pence resonated with at least some viewers. • Fox News: Take a few seconds to take in the epic clap back from former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg when he dropped by Fox News prior to last night’s veep debate. The hosts tried to score a dig at Sen. Kamala Harris and Buttigieg didn’t hesitate to throw shade with a straight face. Watch below.

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Trump Had Medical Personnel Sign Nondisclosure Agreements?

Donald Trump smirks during a press event

Donald Trump smirks during a press event
Donald Trump (photo: public domain/Flickr)
As anyone who goes to see a doctor or has been treated at a medical facility knows, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, is a federal law that prohibits the disclosure of a patient’s personal health info without obtaining written consent. So, folks are scratching their heads today as reports have surfaced that during Donald Trump’s unscheduled visit to Walter Reed Medical Center last November Trump insisted everyone who treated him to sign a non-disclosure agreement. From NBC News:

President Donald Trump required personnel at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to sign nondisclosure agreements last year before they could be involved with treating him, according to four people familiar with the process.

During a surprise trip to Walter Reed on Nov. 16, 2019, Trump mandated signed NDAs from both physicians and nonmedical staff, most of whom are active-duty military service members, these people said.

At least two doctors at Walter Reed who refused to sign the NDAs were subsequently not permitted to have any involvement in the president’s care, two of the people said.

The reason for his trip last year remains shrouded in mystery.

What is he hiding?

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Poll: Harris Won Veep Debate 59%-38%

In case you missed it, the 2020 Vice Presidential Debate last night was pretty much what we all expected. Vice President Mike Pence spent a lot of the 90 minutes interrupting Sen. Kamala Harris, and a fly landed on his head stealing the veep’s thunder. Harris was fairly restrained and was more successful than Pence at following the agreed upon rules for the debate. A CNN snap poll taken directly after the event found Harris was viewed as the winner of the debate by an overwhelming majority of 59% versus 38% who thought Pence came out on top. Also from that survey, Harris went into the debate with 56 percent favorability and afterward that rose to 63 percent, while Pence began and ended the night at 41 percent. Female respondents said Harris did the best job in the debate by a 69% to 30% margin. Men, meanwhile, split about evenly between Harris (48%) and Pence (46%). Note – women make up a majority of the voting public. Over at the New York Times, the opinion writers were split over the victor with 11 calling it for Harris, 4 for Pence, and 2 a tie. Click here to see what the group of writers thought were the most pivotal moments and some small remarks that resonated. At the end of the day, the veep event did little-to-nothing to change the direction of the election. And in that case, Harris did her job. Social media, however, became enthralled by a fly landing on Pence’s head and remaining for several minutes.

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#flygate #rbg #fly #notoriousrbg

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#flygate #fly2020

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Don’t Miss ‘The Great Work Begins: Scenes From Angels In America’

(image via amFAR)
Don’t miss the all-star benefit performance of The Great Work Begins: Scenes from Angels in America which premieres tonight, October 8,  in support of amfAR’s Fund to Fight COVID-19. This free 60-minute livestream also features an introduction by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Tony Kushner that contextualizes COVID-19 in relation to the early days of the AIDS epidemic.  This special event marks amfAR’s historic first foray into Broadway. Among the theater luminaries taking part in the event are Glenn Close, Laura Linney, Patti LuPone, S. Epatha Merkerson, Andrew Rannells, Daphne Rubin-Vega and many more. Shot during the coronavirus pandemic, high-level technology has been used to place the actors in scenes with each other even though filmed separately. The performance begins at 8:30 PM ET on Broadway.com’s YouTube. While free to watch, donations are encourage with proceeds going to the amfAR Fund to Fight COVID-19. For more info, click over to TheGreatWorkBegins.org.

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News Round-Up: October 7, 2020

Steve_in_LA wants you to vote! (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Steve_in_LA (above) reminds us all to VOTE. “It’s finally happening — get out and VOTE like your life depends on it … because it does!!” • The Advocate: Justice Martin Jenkins, a former NFL player, talks to editor-in-chief John Casey about making history as the first LGBTQ person on the California Supreme Court, coming out and finding love later in life. #GreatRead • Get Out The Vote: LGBTQ+ civil rights organizations Equality California and Silver State Equality have partnered with actor-activist Billy Porter and ad agency RPA to create a PSA encouraging LGBTQ+ and pro-equality voters alike to make their voices heard in the 2020 election.

• Pink News: A plumber working as a city contractor in Tulsa has been removed from his gig after being caught on a home security camera directing homophobic insults at a gay man and his partner. • Get Out The Vote II: Mark Ruffalo and more Hollywood stars have an important message for you about voting by mail – so they got naked. Pay attention now…

• Cook Political Report: The Senate race in South Carolina between Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Jaime Harrison has been moved to ‘Toss Up.’ “It’s a jump ball at this point,” said one South Carolina Republican strategist. “Jaime is peaking at exactly the right time and he’s got a deluge of money. [Harrison] is blocking every pass there is from Republicans.” • Out Music: Indie singer/songwriter Skyler Cocco invites us into her dream-like world as she takes a drive to clear her mind in the music video for her pop-synth single, “The Drive,” which Uproxx called “effervescent.” “The music video is meant to feel as though you’re looking through a colorful lens at an intimate moment of self reflection,” Skyler writes. “I wanted to illustrate the time spent alone with my thoughts while driving down empty roads and wandering through flower fields, knowing you’ll need to face some things when you get home.”