_ 1;? ' IWIIIIIIIIEII II'0m€"1’ |lI'ellinIlS Ilafle The diversity and raw intensi- ty of Yolanda and the Plastic Family is faithfully captured on the upcoming Welcome to Yolanda World. From the opening reggae strains of “Scary” to soul- ful ballad “Right to Surrender,” “ the disc offers music for nearly all tastes. The Plastic Family —— Cooper Hesby/Adam Wood on keyboards, Jonny Ace Private Eye/Jon Ackland on fretless bass, Willy Tanglewood/Eric Rorbach on drums, Tommy Hologram/Tom Hengelsburg on guitar, and Rainbow/Martha Seyler assisting with vocals —.- shifts competently from torch song to cha-cha. Noticeably missing are the driving disco beats that propelled fel- low gender-bender RuPaul to the top of the dance charts. This comes as a great relief, as it allows Yolanda to type normally associat- ed with drag queens and club acts. The attitude is still there, as big and boisterous as the most bountiful Yolanda ~wig. But now and again, the pre- tensions slip away to reveal the heart behind the hair. Drag —‘ good drag, at least —— takes more than showmanship. It takes courage and incredible honesty. “Because I’m emotion- al/you think I have no control,” Yolanda sings in “Scary,” the first track on the disc. She push- es further: “Why are you so afraid of me? Cause I’m so scary.” The last line is delivered with sinister glee, more a state- ment than a question, an accep- tance of the power inherent in step outside the stereo-' being “queer” or different. She looks for similar self- awareness in other songs as well. There’s a semi-ironic ode to makeovers, “The Sickness of Beauty”, in which she sings: “The sickness of beauty is the disease I have/ I spend all day beautifying myself/I spend hours on makeup/I work hours at the gym/because I’m hoping and praying that I’m attractive to him.” Wry humor runs just underneath the surface of the piece and lets us hear both sides: the commercial appeal of cos- metic surgery and the lack of self-esteem which might lead one to consider it. If such demons exist in Yolanda’s own character, she isn’t afraid to dance with them once in a while. The charged funk of“Let Me Love You” finds the singer once again looking for love, but this time asserting her own human nature: “My sexuali- ty has no boundaries/But I’m strong enough to face/coming out of your hiding place.” Love TAKE ME TO YOU‘ SEE IIEIIMIIIITS MIEII l0IIE Gllllll IIEIEASES FIIIST 0|] II IIEIIIEW BI’ Illllill 0071!.’ becomes an encouragement, a temptation, almost a dare. Most of all, it demands the same forth- rightness and confidence which typifies Yolanda from the start of the disc. These qualities find their per- fect outlet in the strength of her voice. Both melodic and husky brazen and beautiful, it reminds the listener of two other famous crooners from the queer contin- gent: Boy George and George Michael. Her vocals take center stage on nearly every track, and while backup vocals by Rainbow add a beautiful counterpoint, they sometimes seem superflu- ous to the arrangements. Most of the songs on the disc ‘ have the feel of live perfor- mance, which makes the CD the perfect souvenir of a Plastic Family concert. Even so, one might hope for deeper interpreta- tions of the material, for more complex treatments and develop- ment. Obviously, these will come with more timeiand commercial success. This is particularly evident with the two versions of “Angels” presented on the disc, one “electric” and one “acoustic.” The electric version pushes the song to a new and rather over—reaching level, some- thing more akin to the encore of a stadium concert. I preferred the acoustic treatment; perhaps out of nostalgia for. the first time I heard it performed. The disc. wraps up with “Alien Love Child,” a wonder- fully demented song in which the drag queens explores the very origins of her own preference for women’s clothing. She dreams of life on another planet, a better place to which she plans a‘ return: “I see the beauty of a home/that accepts rather than condemns/and I know that some- day/I’Il be in my lingerie/and dancing with the aliens.” That planet ——Yolanda World? — sounds a lot like this world could be if it would ever choose to live up to its potential. With that in mind, the familiarity of the musical styles on Welcome to Yolanda World comes as something of a comfort. We don’t have to go far to discover what’s deep within our own hearts, or to find better ways to accept and respect one another. This message alone makes the disc worth its weight in lamé; the stellar performance of Yolanda and the Plastic Family‘ makes it worth ten times that. V RAINBOW BUSINENSS l\SSOC|Al|0N, crrmrrrrs A SUPPORTlVEiNiElllVORK, AMONG BUSINESS OWNERS AND PROFESSIONALS. Ems»-axe»/z:v.»~.e:wc'»vmoot/Aatkavsaétaove/Ao>.xn:a:=fi% Am :v 1%: ..,...... ........,.,....§§ M““%‘r§:l§ S. ‘S.,,. x» " Q/‘1’v°)§\~(,A;..., A .‘€%a/,«é;mi?. exam; EM ’%¢ Accounting 8c Tax Preparation Business 8c Individual ' 802-879-4596 vtlax@aol.com vttax@pwsolu1.ions.com P.O. Box 431 Essex junction, VT 05453 http: //men1.be1s.noI.com,/vtt.'|x/ X and cake design CHEF ROBERT SIMPSON SEASONINGS CATERING I 15.0. Box 188 - \VilIiston, Vermont 05495 email: csonings@together.net - pager: (802) 35l-4I4l ~arry Summer Series June l9th: Pride Celebration - 8pm... I ’ DJ’s & live performances V July 3rd: . 4th of July B|owout8pm. with Patriotic Surprises August 21 Kamana Wanna Laya, 8pm, Get Lel’di September 25th . A Night At Studio 54: Drag Queens, Divas -& Drama October 30th / Thenexlmlxer will be held at: _ CALl:£:.sLASS Milton Halloween BCISIT 8pm ROCKY l"lOll'OI'... Chiropractic Ctr., 165 Route 7, Milton March 10, 1999 6:30-8:30 p.m. $10/Members $12/Non-members Inn0000000ononnuoot LISA G. EVANS 300 SOUTH WINOOSKI AVE. 3A BURLINGTON. VT 05401 PHONE 802.865.2837 E-MAI I. LCEOTOGETH ER.NET \/ r\\/\\ Costume Contest @ Midnight in the tent Details to folIow...Stay Tuned! 35 Pearl Street - Burlington - (>3-23113 \// r\ / yr‘ “JOIN US l