Features
The B-52’s, Tegan and Sara Show Their True Colors
Other acts on the rotating lineup include Indigo Girls, Joan Armatrading, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Regina Spektor, Wanda Sykes, Nona Hendryx and Deborah Cox.
Additional guests will be announced in the coming weeks.
The 24-city tour, which kicks off Gay & Lesbian Pride Month on May 31 at Boston’s Bank of America Pavilion, is once again presented by Logo in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign in support of the newly created True Colors Fund of Stonewall Community Foundation.
Other stops include Radio City Music Hall in New York City (June 3), DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. (June 7), the Chicago Theatre in Chicago (June 10), Borgata Resort Spa & Casino (June 13), Chastain Park Amphitheatre in Atlanta (June 16-17), the Frank Sinatra Theatre at Bank Atlantic Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (June 19), Superpages.com Center in Dallas (June 22), the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix (June 25), the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles (June 28), Deer Lake Park in Vancouver (July 2), and Red Rock Amphitheatre near Denver (July 5).
Tickets for select cities go on sale beginning March 15 at Ticketmaster.com. Complete details are available at TrueColorsTour.com.
The goal of this year’s trek is to highlight the need for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and their straight allies to get out and make their votes count this fall.
HRC and this year’s other non-profit partners – CenterLink (the nation’s LGBT community centers) and Parents, Families, Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) National – are joining with the True Colors Tour to bring together Americans across the country to voice their solidarity for LGBT equality and raise public awareness about the issues that face the LGBT community.
The True Colors Fund was created this year to generate financial support to directly benefit the tour’s non-profit partners. Funds will be raised though sales of official benefit t-shirts, an Ebay auction of tour and music memorabilia, the True Colors Jewelry Collection by Love & Pride (the tour’s official jeweler) and individual donations to the fund by visitors to the tour’s web site.
The True Colors Jewelry collection, selected by Cyndi Lauper from creations made by renowned designer Udi Behr, is currently in production and will launch this June.
The True Colors Tour was conceived by Lauper as a way to give back to the LGBT community for all of the love and support they have given her throughout her career.
“I actually was inspired by [the song] ‘True Colors,'” Lauper told Pollstar. “When I was pregnant with my son, I had a minute to read e-mail. The same kind of letter kept coming up, where people said that when they came out they were cut off from their family, their friends and their job.
“The truth is people don’t ask to be gay or lesbian or transgender or bisexual. You just are. You shouldn’t be depressed about who you are. Everybody’s different. You’re not hurting anybody by being who you are. That’s why we live in America.
“That song means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, but especially to the [GLBT] community. So I’ve always wanted to do something to give back to the GLBT community.”
“I’m so excited and honored that we’re taking True Colors out on the road again this year,” Lauper said. “We had a blast last year and we are proud that the tour also brought about visibility and discussions of issues that LGBT citizens face in our country today.
“This year I am once again joined on the tour by an array of incredibly talented artists. The tour is a non-stop five-hour music party with a message. This year the party only gets bigger and our message to fans is to get out and vote in November. The True Colors Tour asks for equality for all, not just for some, that is the principal upon which this country was founded. So let’s celebrate and have fun this summer while we spread the word to get out the vote and all become a part of the changes in this country.”
The B-52’s Fred Schneider put it more simply.
“True Colors is a good way to get out the vote and get out of the house and party!”