Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Recording artists disappear fear’s brand new release Broken Film debuts this month and the band with SONia will be playing Club Cafe on Wednesday September 18  (7:00 doors/8:00 show) as part of the CD release party tour.

With stellar musicians from NYC and L.A. joining Baltimore’s own SONiA (Rutstein) this disappear fear CD release show could easily be the best concert you’ll see this year. 

SONiA’s powerful honesty touches people of varied social and ethnic backgrounds, especially those moving towards a positive world vision. She tours the USA, Europe, Israel, Australia, New Zealand and Canada cultivating fans everywhere she goes.

She has 16 award winning CDs, that include the GLAAD award for album of the year & Female Artist of the Year for the GLAMAS, OUTMusic Awards for OUTStanding International Song . SONiA is a proud member of the Recording Academy of America that presents the Grammy Awards.

As an added touch, local artists Anne Feeney is the opening act.  At the end of this post, learn how you can win tickets to the show or a copy of the “No Bomb Is Smart” album.

I recently had the opportunity to chat with SONia of disappear fear. They will be at Club Cafe on September 18. SONia

Describe your impression of Pittsburgh. What do you love about our City? Any memorable experiences when you’ve visited?

there was a bar a lesbian bar and in the early years of disappear fear late 80s early 90’s when it was just me, my guitar and Cindy…we played this place near the river…and i don’t remember the name of it but is was ultra smokey.and the Bartender was a woman named Bear and she was just so sweet and generous to us…made us feel right at home there in Pittsburgh…and we kept on coming back too. the pittsburgh gals showed us a whole lotta love!

 When I hear “Love Out Loud” I immediately think of Harvey Milk’s battle cry to come out, to live out loud as the only way to change hearts. Was that part of your message?

 i am sure it was and it is. although…i did not know about Harvey Milk when i penned the words LOVE OUT LOUD in 1989 for our t-shirts and then as a lyric in one of my songs…but the essence is so vital to a good life where we can each hold up a proud piece of the sky and feel like we helped make someone’s day better…it is a way to hug yourself psychologically and that’s a great thing. Being who we are shares the love and makes for better lives better living the whole world over one soul at a time.

 Another thought crosses my mind as I listen to the single – the love we show another another as neighbors, as a community. Marriage equality can often overshadow the very real discrimination and oppression many of us face in our jobs, our neighborhoods and our schools. How do we love out loud to tend to these needs as well?

i think by being honest with yourself you can start to be honest with those in your community and when you feel good about your life your words your communications your, job you start to live into a world that is happier because you are happier…you are stronger and your honesty creates a shift that allows you to shine in ways you may never have imagined before you took that step of responsibility for WHO you really are and THIS is how the love out loud theme works. each moment counts…and there are likely some in your circle of challenged relationships that have had far more failure and difficulty to breathe free more than you have had.

 Your record label supports the United Nations World Food Programme This is a very timely issue – changes to food stamp regulations (SNAP) mean Pennsylvania families lose 21 meals amonth while our regional Food Bank just closed 12 pantries, mostly in senior hi-rises. Yet many deny that hunger is a serious issue in the US.

 This was a program that disappear records has been involved in for about a decade now…currently disappear records does not do direct downloads from our site but we do usually make an annual donation to the United Nations World Food Programme. Hunger is a serious issue in the US. There are many kinds of hunger and some of it looks like obesity. It is the result of someone feeling like they are in survival and cannot get enough and so the result is overeating too. There are many many injustices in our great country. I’m just trying to write songs and sing it with all my heart to hopefully touch someone who’s listening and make their moment a little bit better.

Are there any Pittsburgh performers (based here or born here) that influence you?

i love the music of Anne Feeney. She is a great person and can write a darn great song too. She’s a true folk artist. She’s mostly fighting the good fight that the media ignores so you may not have heard of her but she is a true hero all the way.

Who was the first LGBTQ person that you met and how did that impact you?

 i think it was my great aunt but she never came out not even to herself. The impact was fear…so if you can take your weakness and make it your strength you gotta good chance at success.

Past or present, favorite LGBTQ character in television, song, film or literature?

Skipper on Gilligan’s island is first that comes to mind. but in my perfect world they’re all gay scarlett in gone with the wind, rick in casablanca, and most of all the lioness in Born Free.

 What is one simple thing a reader can do to support the LGBTQ community?

 the one thing a reader can do to support the LGBTQ community is that in everything see and know a drop a gratitude..for even the darkest day will be followed by the sun rising.

I love that you have branded reusable water bottles in your merch! How does a culture of reuse impact your career and your art?

 My manager and wife is acutely aware of waste and wastefulness we use this personal morality and attach to our business…it makes this whole world better even if our impact is just one person one sale at a time

Thanks again for answering my questions. I am looking forward to your Pgh show!

thank you very much see you soon

xo

sonia

Contest guidelines

1. You must leave a comment using the Disqus platform below. Please be sure you don’t leave an anonymous comment or we won’t be able to let you know that you’ve won.

2. The prizes include a pair of tickets to the Wednesday September 17 performance in Pittsburgh. You must be 21 to enter. Tickets will held at will-call.

3. We will also give away 5 copies of SONia’s CD “No Bomb Is Smart” – you can live anywhere in the continental US to enter for these items. You must be 18 to enter for these items.

4. The process is – leave a comment, complete the Rafflecopter to tell me how many ways you entered (Twitter, Faceboo, etc.) You can come back every day and enter again.

5.Winners will be notified via email, facebook or twitter on Sept 15. You will have 36 hours to respond and confirm.

Please email with any questions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway