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MondoHomo Chock Full O’ Great Music

MondoHomo’s Chock Full O’ Nuts concert at Lenny’s was chock full ‘o fun. Bigg Nugg made a return appearance this year. A genuinely nice bear of a guy, Bigg Nugg’s homo hop is as contagious as his friendly approach to his fellow MondoHomies. His album La Revolucion (2007) is full o’ catchy rants that seem to spur us to action. The title track talks of a gay revolution that seems both in-your-face angry and uplifting. It’s an interesting mix. The track I Remember is one of those songs that took me days to get out of my head. If I could stop playing it several times a day, that might help.

After seeing Bigg Nugg at MondoHomo 2007, I had befriended him on myspace. I remember getting a thank you that struck me as written by Bigg Nugg directly — canned “marketing” by an agent or manager does not usually seem that genuine and gracious. His comment to me on myspace was the same as his autograph on the La Revolucion CD I bought at MondoHomo 2008: “Thanks for the support.” Bigg Nugg’s second thank-you was punctuated with a genuinely warm hug and smile. I like this guy, and his music.

Also performing at Lenny’s was DaLyrical, Atlanta’s own HomoHopper. I first saw her perform at Black Pride a couple of years ago. She struck me then as very talented onstage and almost painfully shy offstage. A couple of years later, she seems to be growing into the increasing attention. I did not have the chance to talk with her offstage, but her onstage performance was more connected and more confident that I remembered. DaLyrical is getting sexier, and her performance with Ohio’s Unecc got many of us hot from more than the Atlanta spring heat. Before her performance, DaLyrical shared that family tragedy had her distracted, but she put aside personal worries and gave the MondoHomo crowd all she had.

If you missed MondoHomo, you still have a chance to experience the triple threat of Bigg Nugg, DaLyrical and Unecc. They are touring together in a Unity Tour this year. Keep an eye on the Unity Tour ‘08 schedule so you won’t miss the chance to experience these talents in a city near you. With luck, maybe they’ll warm up Hotlanta again.

MondoHomo Carnivale

Check out our photos of MondoHomo ’08’s Carnivale at Lenny’s Bar.

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MondoHomo ‘08 > HomoHop

Photos from Friday night’s MondoHomo HomoHop concert at Lenny’s Bar.

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Team Gina's Gina Bling

Kin

Kin

Kin

MondoHomos Meet at Mary’s

MondoHomo Dirty South ‘08 got off to a great start last night. The Homo-a-rama Dance Party at Mary’s in East Atlanta immediately followed the art opening at the Tilt Gallery downtown. Many of the artists and musicians performing at the event appeared at Mary’s for some social time with the MondoHomo team, other artists and the rest of us. When I woke up this morning still feeling a little tipsy, I knew MondoHomo was definitely underway.

I asked Kiki, one of the organizers of the alterna-queer arts and music festival, about her expectations for MondoHomo v. 2. Kiki says she anticipates an increase in attendance this year, and hopes it will continue to grow in popularity, scope and impact every year.

The first MondoHomo last year was held the weekend after Atlanta Pride. But with the drought-induced re-arranging of Atlanta events this summer, I suppose it doesn’t make much sense to tie another event on Pride’s coattails. Besides, MondoHomo deserves its own time and attention. It’s focused on queer art and music just to the left of the mainstream. Okay, make that way, far left of the mainstream. A lot of Pride’s purpose has always been inclusion and acceptance. MondoHomo is more about celebrating our differences–including the many differences within the queer community itself. The MondoHomo’s moved the festival to Memorial Day weekend, where it will stay for future festivals, according to Kiki.

The music starts tonight at 8:00 p.m. at Lenny’s Bar with MondoHomo HipHop.  See you there.

Homos Hit Hotlanta Again

Take your vitamins and eat your Wheaties. You’ll need your strength for MondoHomo Dirty South 2008, hitting Atlanta this weekend for its second year. MondoHomo is not your “average” queer event. You could say it’s a festival for queers who are too mondo to be called simply homo.

MondoHomo is not your sugar daddy’s gay festival. Event organizer Kiki describes it as “one BADASS Culture-Fest full of queer rock, homo HipHop, visual art, film fests, burlesque, drag kings and queens, carnival sideshows, Indie workshops, fag football, Big Gay Dance Parties, and a whole b*ttload more!”

Based on my experience last year, I’d say that about covers it. The four-day music, arts and crafts event starts tomorrow night with an art opening at the Tilt Gallery, followed by Homo-a-rama, a free dance party at Mary’s in East Atlanta. A dance party at Mary’s is always interesting, with so little space to move. I swear that bar could triple in size and still be crowded. But it’s one of the friendliest, happiest little homo bars in the city. Last time I was there, the bartender came out from behind the bar, maneuvered through the crowd, tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I wanted another drink. Now that’s service! Not bad treatment for a lezzie in a boy-dominated establishment. Look around the next time you’re at Mary’s, and you’ll notice that everybody is smiling. It’s one happy homo watering hole.

I attended all four days of MondoHomo last year, and haven’t had as much fun since. Certainly I have not had the opportunity to hear better music across so many genres–most of it queer, a lot of it edgy, and all if it big fun. That’s why you’re likely to see me, beer in hand, dancing around East Atlanta, Cabbagetown and points in between this weekend.

It’s going to be one Mondo Memorial Day. Many events are free, some others are individually priced, or you can buy a pass for the whole MondoHomo enchilada for $50–cheaper than a tank of gas!

MondoHomo Dirty South 2008 Schedule

Mondo Art Opening
Thursday, May 22, 7-10pm | FREE, all ages, at Tilt Gallery | 274 Walker Street in Atlanta’s Castleberry gallery district. 20+ artists, mixed media.
Homo-a-rama Dance Party (free)
Mary’s in East Atlanta, 1287 Glenwood Ave SE, 30316
MondoHomo HipHop
Friday May 23rd, 8pm Lenny’s Bar, $15 | 486 Decatur St SE (at Boulevard), 30312
MC Tim’m West. HomoHop Artists: Nicky Click, Athens Boys Choir, Cateyez, Pam Jones, Foxx Jazell, BadKat, KIN (NYC), Las Krudas (Austin, TX), DJ Vicki Powell of Flux

Mondo Chock Full O’ Nuts!
Saturday May 24th, 7pm, Lenny’s Bar, $15
MC: Gina Bling (Seattle), Making Friendz (Brooklyn), The Dead Betties (NYC), Pariah Piranha, 8 Inch Betsy (Chicago), BIGG NUGG (Cleveland), Unecc, DaLyrical (ATL), DJ Kit (Philly)

Mondo Carnivale!
Saturday May 24th, noon-7pm | FREE, all ages, outdoors in Lenny’s parking lot. MC: Ms. Coyote of Idapalooza, the Fly Girls Aerialists, Anatural, Jeremy Gloff, The Bangers, Shitty Candy, Atlanta Sedition Orchestra, Plus: circus performers, graffitti demo by ATL’s own favorite graffiti son, Totem, skateboard demo by Skate Like a Girl (Seattle), bounce house, BBQ and queer midway games!
Mondo Day Camp
Sunday May 25th, noon-7pm | FREE, all ages, Tye Street Park at Kirkwood
DJ Gina Bling (Seattle), DJ Chuck Jones, Medea the Play, Funk/Punk Poetry Slam, Radical Workshops & Gay Games like Fag Football and other outdoor sports, Why Are We Building Such a Big Ship? (New Orleans)

Mondo Fagsploitation!
Sunday May 25th, 8pm at Eyedrum Gallery, $8 | 290 Martin Luther King Jr Dr S at Hill St, 30312
Indie films presented by Pink Eye: Featuring the new Pansy Division documentary Pansy Division: Life in a Gay Rock Band, plus Fagotronic shorts, and Ukelele by Ben Lerman (NYC)

Mondo Speakeasy Brunch & Closing Party
Monday May 26th, 11am-3pm, Ria’s Bluebird, $15 | 421 Memorial Dr. SE at Cherokee, 30316

Hurray for the Riff Raff (New Orleans), Vagina Jenkins, Darlinda Just Darlinda, Miss Mary Wanna, K.E.V.I.N., Ms. Stewart, Noah Redd, Heywood Wakefield (Boston), DJ Hawg-Tied