Live Music Alert:

Alicia Leafgreen, 7 th St. Entry, Minneapolis, June 11; 400 Bar, Minneapolis, June 26.

MJ Kroll with The Believers, Twin Cities Pride Day, June 26, Loring Park, Minneapolis

MJ Kroll and Adena Brumer

Grand Forks showed its diverse Pride on Saturday, May 30, at the second annual Grand Cities Pride Event. Though the day was chilly but beautiful, it was a step up from last year’s much smaller event when Pride event coordinators and attendees woke up to a late spring snowfall. Snow was a condition event co-chair Chris Stoner mentioned when he made contact with MJ Kroll, one of the musical acts slated for the event. It took her a week to think about it, and then threw caution to the wind and agreed to drive down from Minneapolis, no matter the weather.

The afternoon event brought people from the community in support of GLBT diversity and offered several booths for networking, information, fun products, and food and beverages. Amazing Grains and Dakota Harvest had snacks and drinks for sale, and Grand Cities Pride sold hot pizza and sodas. Most importantly, the event dispensed information about HIV testing and the new push at UND and nationally to provide safe spaces for transgendered people, in particular single-stall, unisex bathrooms. Representatives from Christus Rex and Federated Church were also present, letting attendees know that their congregations were open and affirming churches that welcomed GLBT folks. There were even art activities for children.

In addition, two annual awards were given to people in Grand Forks whose work in support of lifestyle diversity made a significant impact on the GLBT community.  The Mary Wiper Award, which is given to a straight-identified individual, was awarded to Jaryn Allen, a sexual health and wellness educator at UND.  The Grand Cities Pride Award was given to Geoffrey Schaubhut, the president of UND’s 10% Society for his work with safe spaces.

The theme of the day was definitely celebration and community. MJ Kroll and Alicia Leafgreen, also from Minneapolis, were the highlights of Grand Cities Pride Day. Both performers appeared in the afternoon at Town Square in downtown Grand Forks and later that evening at Sensations, along with a full slate of Drag Kings and Drag Queens.

Alicia Leafgreen

Alicia Leafgreen, deemed Minneapolis’ premier lesbian hip-hop artist, was a petite dynamo on stage. Using the medium of old style hip-hop, Alicia charmed Pride attendees with her clever rhymes and gutsy delivery. Not one to mince words (or censor her lyrics even in a public space), she offered a fresh look at hip hop, coming not only from a woman (and there are still far too few female rappers and rhymers out there), but also from a point of view that most hip-hop artists know little about. She laid her rhymes down about relationships and social issues, against recorded drum tracks and some of her own looped raps, allowing her to play with the track, often in counterpoint as if there were two hip hoppers on stage. Her song “Little Brother,” which had little to do with lifestyle diversity, however, was a tender, but powerful, song about losing her father in Iraq and what that meant to her brother and to her own home life. If Alicia Leafgreen continues to deliver songs like that, she will make a big mark in the musical world.

MJ Kroll

Following Leafgreen was MJ Kroll, a strong singer/songwriter with a soaringly beautiful voice. For the first part of her set, she used a recording from her backup band, The Believers, and had Adena Brumer from that band doing vocal backup harmonies. The blend of both voices was arresting. Brumer’s vocal choices were unique and served to intensify Kroll’s lyrics, allowing Brumer’s voice to round out the musical thought. Kroll ultimately shut the CD player off and just let her guitar, her voice, and Brumer’s backup carry the songs, which they did with ease, adding just a little percussion from a shaker. The nakedness of guitar and voices allowed the lyrics to shine. Kroll sang selections from her first CD, Resonate, that was released in 2007, and some new material. She is busy working her second CD that should be out soon.

Though Grand Cities Pride Day was lightly attended in the afternoon, Sensations was packed and both Leafgreen and Kroll got the large crowds they deserved.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 1st, 2009 at 7:54 pm and is filed under Issues, June 2009. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.