Gay Pride in the Plaza

Sunday July 6, 2008

GALA is proud to sponsor an amazing afternoon featuring fantastic music and fabulous drag for our 2008 Gay Pride Celebration. Check out the map and schedule of events below for details about the big day. Pride in the Plaza begins at noon, and the activities and entertainment begin at 1:10 PM.

The big and little kids play areas inlcude a 25′ Climbing Wall, Bounce House with slide, Dunk Tank, Mechanical Bull, Face Painting, and Arts & Crafts for the kids. We’ve got a full bar in addition to beer and wine, and invite you to visit our vendors and the food court.

NOTE: Start times and stage assigments may change at the last minute. Thank you in advance for understanding!

All performers will appear this year on the main stage, led by master of ceremonies and extraordinary gender illusionist Mark Alan Smith.

Join us immediately following Pride in the Plaza across the bridge at Novo restaurant for hors d oeveurs, DJ music, dinner, drinks and dancing.

Meet Our Entertainers

L.P.

Listen to L.P. on http://www.myspace.com/lprock
Armed with a voice that weaves seamlessly between being fierce and vulnerable, raucous rock singer L.P. can captivate an audience with a single note, and turn a crowd of strangers into rabid fans with just one song.

With alternately howling and forlorn rough-edged vocals delivering bracingly open lyrics, L.P. has invited comparisons to, Janis Joplin, Joan Jett, Gwen Stefani, Chrissie Hynde, and Amy Lee of Evanescence and worked with go-to rocker Linda Perry and Cracker s David Lowery. She has inspired labels to engage in bitter rivalry (ultimately being signed to Island by LA Reid), joined an artist-friendly partnership with SoBe Entertainment (which will release her new album), and turned to the road as an escape and a refuge, slowly building a fiercely loyal fan base.

On her third and forthcoming album, L.P. prepares to expand that fan base to the masses. The project full of severe pop tunes and gripping hooks features production by Billy Steinberg ( Stand By You, Like a Virgin), Josh Alexander, Steve Morales, and TBA and with pumped-up keyboards and strings for dramatic tension.

Mark Alan Smith

Mark Alan Smith is an exciting Female Impressionist/ comic/ singer, who continues to take the country by storm! His uncanny vocal impressions leave his audience screaming for ”MORE”. Originally from San Antonio, Texas, he found that his ”knack’ for impressions amused his fellow performers backstage, and at their urging, he decided to try his voices at the local comedy clubs in San Antonio. After his years of training in make-up and hair he realized that you could ‘look-like’ anyone. So now he could not only look, but sound like them as well. With his continued effort in studying mannerisms and movement he had learned the art of his craft. When others would lip-sync to their favorite artist Mark would just allow his talent to speak for itself. He would go into a full-blown recreation of his favorite movie or musical adding twists and turns along the way. That left the members of his audience howling and laughing till they cried. He knew then he had a flare with the microphone.

TAB featuring Jill Knight

Jill Knight is a local singer songwriter who’s music touches a place deep in the hearts of her listeners. A finalist at the Telluride Troubadour competition, a finalist at the National Academy of Songwriters “songwriter of the year” competition, a finalist in Billboard magazines, “best unsigned band” contest, a regional best seller in Album Network magazine for her cd Future Perfect, best DIY albums in Performing Songwriter Magazine, Honorable mention NSAI songwriting competition, Finalist in the Acoustic Live songwriter competition. Jill has toured and shared stages with… India Arie, Shawn Colvin, David Wilcox, Michael Hedges, Phoebe Snow, Richard Thompson, Little Feat, Laura Nyro, David Wilcox, Toad the wet sprocket, Chris Isaac, and the list goes on.

Julie Wolf is a multi-instrumentalist and singer who has brought her memorably simple, pure musicality to stages across the world as well as to a growing number of critically-acclaimed recordings. In addition to trotting the globe with Ani DiFranco for over four years as keyboardist and singer, she is featured on many of DiFranco’s most well-known recordings, including To The Teeth, Up Up Up Up Up Up, Evolve, and most recently, Knuckle Down. She has worked with luminaries in the jazz, folk, funk and rock/pop worlds, including Maceo Parker, Bruce Cockburn, The Indigo Girls, Erin McKeown, Dar Williams, Catie Curtis, Kris Delmhorst, Girlyman, Allison Miller, Jon Evans, Laura Love, and Alix Olson, among others. Wolf also has a seasoned jazz life of her own, having been part of Seattle’s jazz community for 16 years. There she has collaborated with such notables as Bill Frisell, Wayne Horvitz, Robin Holcomb, Ralph Towner, Julien Priester, Jay Clayton, Jerry Granelli and others.

Pam Delgado is a vocaliist percussionist, with the bay area band, Blame Sally and has worked with many famous and talented singer songwriters.

Jeri Jones is a guitarist and vocalist with the Jill Knight Band and Bay Area bands Blame Sally and The Pam and Jeri Show.

Dawn Richardson plays the drums and has done so with bands and people such as 4 Non Blondes; Shana Morrison; Dolorata; The Martinis; The Loud Family; Erika Luckett and Penelope Houston. She likes to make lots of noise.

Paul Olguin began playing Trumpet at age 10, Tuba at 13 and switched to Electric bass at 15. Paul Has recorded with Maria Muldaur, Shana Morrison and Victor Krummenacher (Camper Van Beethoven) among many others. Performances both at home and on the road include Bob Weir, Henry Kaiser, Elvin Bishop, Tracy Nelson, Dr. Elmo, Ramblin Jack Elliott, Huey Lewis, Phil Guy,  Mighty Mike Schermer, Tom Heyman, Shana Morrison, Erika Luckett, Jonathon Richman Kenny  Blues Boss Wayne, Carl Weathersby, Maria Muldaur, Augie Meyers, Jose  Chepito Areas, Wendy DeWitt, Adam Levy, and Rancho Deluxe.

Local Drag Divas

Information found on www.slopride.com