lifeonq.com

MondoHomo a Big Hit

Performers and spectators alike raved about the MondoHomo Dirty South 2007 festival, wrapping up today with a Mondo Mondo Revolution at the Eyedrum Gallery in Grant Park. Progressive queer artists and musicians from as far away as Seattle, New York City and Tampa descended on Atlanta for performances stretched over four nights and more than eight venues.  (Check out Life on Q’s photo album, chock full of MondoHomo candids.)

Team Gina helped kick off the event last Wednesday at The Earl in East Atlanta, with crowd-pleasing 80’s retro/rap/electro songs like “I Like Butch Dykes” and “Straight Boys love us (but we like the girls).” Gina Bling celebrated her birthday at the festival on Friday night, serenaded with that birthday song at The Drunken Unicorn. Gina Bling and Gina Genius then rounded out their Atlanta appearance with a final set in the oppressive Hotlanta weather in the parking lot at Lenny’s on Saturday afternoon. Both Gina’s reactions to MondoHomo was “awesome,” which you can hear for yourself in a Life on Q podcast coming soon. (Stay tuned for our exclusive interview.)

An art show at My Sister’s Room on Wednesday showcased a diverse mix of photography, sculpture, the abstract and the avante garde. On Thursday, driving rain couldn’t stop progressive queer poets at the Tower II, where local favorites from Cliterati, Theresa Davis and Athens, Ga.-based MC Bad Kat rhymed with acts from Florida to Canada.

Can Can gave MondoHomo an early gift of a pre-album-release-party album release, fast-forwarding their CD debut just for the Dirty South crowd. How to get the crowd on their feet and at the stage quickly? Try Can Can’s trick: Rolling out duct tape on the floor, the band invited all who support President Bush to stand behind the duct tape line and all opposed to get in front.

Saturday’s Mondo Circus in and outside Lenny’s bar was hot, both in terms of weather, arts & crafts, music and half-pipe skateboard action by Skate Like a Girl. Even Gina Genius got on a board for a spin. As the sun mercifully set, the circus moved indoors and got even hotter.

Asheville, North Carolina’s Rishing Appalachia started some knee-slapping with their unique homo-hillbilly-rock sound, featuring banjo, fiddle and washboard. Katz of Athens Boys Choir continued the country kitsch with her popular “Waffle House” performance. The evening then turned hip-hop with rousing performances by Katastrophe, Big Nugg and others. The Shondes got political with a punk pleaser about freeing Palestine.

The Mondo finale at Lenny’s came from the Ex-Members, the Durham, North Carolina trio of former members of the Butchies, Gerty!, Liquor Bike and Womyn of Destruction.

MondoHomo Dirty South 2007 will wind down this afternoon and evening with films screened at the Eyedrum, followed by a dance revolution by DJ Dr. Katz, DJ Duck and others. For those still hungering for more MondoHomo, local dining Diva Ria of Ria’s Bluebird will cater at the Eyedrum. Ria and her partner are among the visionaries behind the festival, and deserving of accolades for this first festival effort.

Overall, the event was well-organized, varied in the art and music presented, and a celebration of all things progressive and queer.