pride


L.A. PRIDE-SPONSORED EVENTS:


One City One Pride Through Saturday, June 30 Multiple events and locations throughout West Hollywood. weho.org/pride


THE DYNAMIC DUO by joel martens SUPERFRUIT As if they aren’t busy enough...The two gay boys from the a cappella group Pentatonix decided in their


copious spare time to create a YouTube channel that documents their daily lives and the journey thus far. Cur- rently, they have garnered an impressive 2.5 million subscribers on the channel. In June 2017 they released their musical side project under the SuperFruit moniker, a new EP titledFuture Friends, which debuted at No. nine on the Top Album Sales chart. Follow that with an 2018 Pentatonix releasePTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. 1 this last April, and plans for a tour later this year. Is your head spinning yet?


As if that wasn’t enough to keep the two running like the mad, hilarious duo they are, they decided to squeeze in a short promo tour around Future Friends and one of those stops takes them to L.A. Pride’s Park Stage onSaturday, June 9. So, like the Pride theme says, come have some fun and “Just Be” with the boys of SuperFruit… Mitch Grassi answered a few quick questions regarding their performance and tour so far.


Let’s start with what it means for you to be a part of L.A. Pride? It’s a huge honor! We’ve never performed at


any sort of Pride event and we’re very excited to see what the crowd will be like. We love gay L.A.! We’ve attended L.A. Pride a couple of times together. They’re always so much fun. Everybody is in such a good mood, and the streets are crowded with the happiest gays and queer folk. Being so visible and out is kind of an automatic position of power, kind of a pre-supposed political statement. Do you find that weighty at times or is it just a part of what you do? Personally, it’s never felt like a burden. The


minute I came out, my life improved. I feel like when I allowed myself to be my authentic self, everything suddenly became easier. People respect confidence, and they’re also a little afraid of it (which, admittedly, I like). Music is one of the truly unique mediums for conveying awareness. Color, sexuality, gender all kind of goes


away when the work is great. When did you first have a sense of its power to change? So many huge musicians, even rock


THE


MINUTE I CAME OUT, MY LIFE IM- PROVED. I FEEL LIKE WHEN I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE MY AUTHEN- TIC SELF, EVERY- THING SUD- DENLY BECAME EASIER.”


stars back in the day who identified as queer or were femme-presenting, or were POC...people adored them. It’s so strange to see that, paralleled with societal prejudices in everyday life. When you’re a musician and adored by every walk of people because of your music, those prejudices seem to dissipate. Music has always made me feel


powerful and comfortable within myself. It’s something I’ve known I could always do, and in many ways, it’s been my shining light at the end of the tunnel when things were looking bleak.


Is there a favorite story from your current tour? My favorite memory from touring


so far has been the fan reactions. There was a moment during our Boston show when every single person in the crowd (or so it seemed) was singing along to every word. It’s such a mind blowing and very excit- ing experience. That’s all I could’ve hoped for as a musician!


LGBT Out Night at Universal Studios Saturday, June 2 Kick off LA Pride Week with the LGBTQ+ community, our incredible straight allies, family, friends and colleagues as we take over the theme park for one amazing night. Pride Is Universal! lapride.org/event/universal


Women’s Night at the LA Sparks Thursday, June 7 It’s game time! Celebrate at the Staples Center with some slam dunk girl power at the 2nd annual LA Sparks Pride Night & Post-Game All-Women’s Party. lapride.org/event/sparks


LGBT Night at the L.A. Dodgers Friday, June 8 Calling all baseball fans, join the fun at this “home run” of an event. The festivities start with the official 2018 LA Pride Weekend kick-off party in the Right Field Plaza Pavilion Bar and lasting until first pitch against the Atlanta Braves. dodgers.com/LGBT


Youth Pride Dance Friday, June 8 lapride.org/tag/youth-pride-dance


Dyke Day L.A. Saturday, June 9 A free picnic party in Elysian Park created to provide a space for folks of all backgrounds to connect with each other. Enjoy DJs, arts and crafts and information tables for local organizations. facebook.com/DykeDayLA


2018 L.A. Pride Festival Saturday and Sunday, June 9 and 10 R&B sensation Kehlani and international pop star Tove Lo are just two of the featured entertainers - alongside an amazing lineup of artists – at the 2018 LA Pride Festival, making its return to West Hollywood Park. lapride.org


2018 L.A. Pride Parade Sunday, June 10 This is one of the highlight events of L.A. Pride Week 2018 and definitely should not be missed. Be sure to arrive early to get a great spot along the parade route on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. lapride.org


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RAGE monthly | JUNE 2018


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