Tom Goss Tops LOGO Click List

One of my favorite artists, Tom Goss, topped the LOGO Click List this past week with his simply wonderful song, Till The End. The Click List is an online voting contest and TV show that plays the 'Top 10' each week. There is a list of over 100 videos, of both LGBT and LGBT-friendly artists and this videos. You can view the videos and vote for them. I tend to vote for the LGBT artists, because I am annoyed enough with LOGO's tendency to play str8 label artists over independent gay artists - they are part of MTV, after all. We should be amazed music videos are playing at all.



But to the matter at hand, Tom's video is directed by another out man, J Aron Hinson. Aron was a college student and fan of Tom, finishing his education with a project, the music video for the great song, Rise. It also found the way to the top of the Click List, so it should come as no surprise the talented team scored another #1.



You can go to the LOGO site and vote by clicking here. You can vote as often as you'd like. You can also buy Tom's inspired CD, Back To Love, on iTunes, CD Baby, or at Tom's official website. At Tom's webiste, you can purchase both Back To Love, as well as his amazing EP, Rise, for less than $15. You can click here to reach Tom's online store.

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Great Cover - My Lovin' - Tom, Mara & Sam

Apparently Tom Goss sang this song in his youth in Kenosha, WI, with his brother. Now as amused as I am to think of this, I had to give the video a watch. Tom performs En Vogue's My Lovin' with Mara Levi, an out lesbian singer from DC, and Sam Hensley is also based in DC, a Christian folk/rock musician.



For more information about the artists, you can find Tom Goss here, Mara Levi here, and Sam Hensley here.

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Great Cover - Jake, Tom & Stewart - Yellow

Jake Walden, Tom Goss and Stewart Lewis toured together on the Rock The Folk OUT tour, performing separate sets as well as doing some together. They did a particularly nice cover of Coldplay's Yellow. The tour was sponsored by OUT magazine and Here! Tunes.



I caught the tour when they were in Philadelphia, and it was fantastic.

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Live Music - Tom Goss @ Delaware Pride

Tom Goss with his groupies: Aron Hinson, Fred Shetzer, Michael Briggs, Tom, Josh Mobley, Matthew Ruest & friend [sorry, I don't know and will edit if told] and me. Photo by Aron.

So I drove down to the Delaware Pride Festival, about 65 miles from home in Rehoboth Beach, and parked in a satellite parking and waiting 25 minutes for a bus to pick up me and others waiting to enter the festival. I feared I would miss Tom's show, since the bus didn't turn up until 1:45, the projected start time his set. So I got off the bus, waited in line to pay admission, and went to the music area, and there was a drag queen doing lip sync, and was sure I had missed him. Until I heard my name called and turned to see bearded Tom walking over to give me a hug hello. The activities were running behind, and he was yet to take the stage. So I talked to Tom, said hello to his partner, Mike, and other members of the Tom Goss Groupie squad.


Miss Mona Lotts, left, and Tom Goss, right.

The Mistress of Ceremonies was Miss Mona Lotts, a local celebrity who did a fantastic job. She called Tom to the stage, and once they sorted out equipment issues, and Tom started playing. He played many of my favorites, including Till The End, Rise, Come Around, Back To Arkansas, Forty Years, and others. Tom was in fine voice, and his interaction with the crowd fun. There must have been several fans there, for several of the songs were greeted with applause.





After the show, I hung around a bit, bought a new t-shirt, and chatted with Tom and company. There was Mike, Aron [the director of Tom's videos for Rise and Till The End], as well as from friends and fans from Washington, DC. Tom was nice enough to let me pull him away to get a couple of pictures on the beach, as well as getting a shot with Tom, Mike and myself.



Tom, Mike and Me.

Two fun happenings of the day is when Tom enlisted the assistance of Miss Mona Lotts as well as the crowd to sing a cover of the Ting Tings song, That's Not My Name. Miss Mona stepped up to the microphone and eagerly led the crowd. And after all was said and done, Tom and Aron playing frisbee in the dunes of the beach.


Tom & Miss Mona sing, and Aron plays frisbee.

So it was a lovely time with great music, beautiful weather and good friends.

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Tour News - Tom Goss Fall 2009

I love seeing Tom Goss live in concert. He has such talent and charm, I just leave the venue feeling great. In fact, I am watching him as this posts, and will be sharing about it very soon.



You can check out more about Tom here or my last post with a video here. On his site, you can hear some of his music, and get some free downloads. I would suggest his cover of the Gnarls Barkley song Crazy, I think it is just outstanding.

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Live Music - Tom Goss at Delaware Pride

I am going to see Tom Goss play at the Delaware Pride Festival tomorrow, and am pretty excited. Although I have seen Tom play several times, this is the first time it will be in my state! I have traveled to Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, DC, just to catch him play. He will be playing at 1:45PM at Cape Henlopen State Park (a.k.a. Gordons Pond/North Shores) in Rehoboth Beach. The Festival runs from noon until 6PM. I will most certainly be bringing my camera.



Tom [jokingly] offered to let me come up with his setlist, since I have been excited about this show for over a month and annoying him about it. I told him the organizers might have to clear the afternoon schedule if I were to get the chance to hear him play all my favorites. There is Rise, Morning Sun, Come Around, A Thousand Times Before, Legacy of You, O Love, Down The Mountainside, Back To Love, Till The End, and what started the joking on Twitter, a killer cover of the Gnarls Barkley song, Crazy. Well, you get the idea. I am a fan.



The above is a video I had made with some pictures I had taken at some previous shows, with another favorite song, King of Something Right, playing. You can find out more about Tom by clicking here, and more about Delaware Pride here. In fact, if you go to Tom's site, you can score some free downloads.

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The Pied Piper I Ain't & Other News

Corve, left, and Larry, right.

But somehow or another, I still manage to have people follow me. Or at least the blog. Since my last update, two more people have joined my soundtrack, and I continue to be grateful. There is Corve, a gorgeous 22-year-old who loves to read, write and listen to music, and is an aspiring model. You can check out his blog here. And there is also Larry_Ohio, who runs the blog Patently Queer. The blog has moved and has a great new layout, and you can check it out here. Welcome to the blog, and thanks for following it.



Speaking of the blog, this will be post #201, somewhat of a milestone. I wasn't sure I would be making it past the first week, so go figure! And by the time this posts, the blog will have made it past 9,200 hits, so thanks to all the visitors who have found my little corner of the 'net, and special thanks for those who have taken the time to post their thoughts. It is greatly appreciated.



In other news, Eric & The Adams have announced they will have a CD coming out by the end of the year, and are raising funds to make sure it happens. It is more than a donation, it is an investment paying returns. With each donation of $20 or more, you will get an autographed copy of the CD and be entered for a chance to win an iPod Touch! To offer your support, click here. You can also click on the 'Merch' tab at the top, and buy CDs [I have them all and can vouch for their greatness] or some fun t-shirts.



Speaking of Eric, he just completed his month of 'Free Cover Mondays' with 6 great cover songs. This batch included Use Somebody/Pokerface [Kings of Leon/Lady Gaga], Hometown Glory [Adele], I Believe [Blessid Union of Souls], Fast Car [Tracy Chapman], Bad Things [theme from True Blood by Jace Everett] and Somewhere Over The Rainbow [Judy Garland]. He managed to put his own particular twist on each song and I do love his style. The above video is a cover of Matt Nathanson's Come On Get Higher. I am still swooning every time I hear his cover of the Hoagy Carmichael classic Nearness of You. All you have to do is join the mailing list. And I bet if you ask him nicely, he might even share the link to the files. He's nice like that.



Speaking of new releases, Casey Stratton has a new one out called Memories & Photographs. I bought it and downloaded, so I hope to tell you how much I love it shortly. It's already on my iPod, primed to be played tomorrow!



And Tom Goss will be playing at Delaware Pride on September 19th. I am really looking forward to hearing him sing live, and will be hope to see blogger Mark In DE, who writes the Tales of a Sissy blog. To find out more about the Delaware Pride festival, click here.

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Early Stages of Love - A Memory

Tom Goss is doing a contest of sorts, asking for submissions on the topic of love. I didn't think I would get to it [stupidly busy week], but as I listened to his CD Back To Love, there came this need to type this out, so I figured I would not only submit it to Tom, but put it out on the blog. Not sure why I was moved to take this particular trip down memory lane, but here it is.



I went to the party thrown by my lesbian friend, expecting some laughs. Then I saw him, his curly, dark hair cascading past his shoulders. His dark features grabbed my attention. Lizz wanted us to meet, so she brought me over to introduce me to Michael. His smile warmed me, still a bit brisk after the walk from the Chinatown subway stop. We chatted and laughed, nervously at first, but soon that faded. We ended the conversation with an agreement to meet again. We went to the movies, to see 'Maurice,' at a Midtown cinema, and went for a bite to eat after. Soon it was time to leave, following a very nice kiss - the first in over a year, since it ended with Bill.



We went out again, this time to the Lower East Side restaurant, near where he lived. After dinner, we went back to his place, and he played me some music he recorded. It was good. At least, I think it was, but he was most certainly winning me over. He broke out the guitar and played songs he had written for me. It felt so intensely personal, so intimate, it was over for me. I was falling in love. His voice, certainly not the strongest nor purest to try music, had an honesty, an edge to it. We talked between songs, exploring one another. We also started the physical exploration, first brushing against the other, then caressing, and soon holding. I couldn't help but touch that beautiful face, brushing the back of my hand and knuckles along his cheek. Soon our fingers intertwined, and we leaned back against the exposed brick, holding one another, talking. This felt more intimate, honest, and raw than almost anything I had felt in six years with Bill. We kissed, and our hands explored new territories. It was late - or early, considering your perspective - and I needed to find my way home to Brooklyn. I remember nothing from the trip home, save for the sheer joy and elation at having made a real connection with another living soul. 22 years later, I still remember the feeling. I don't remember much about the last week of that relationship, but I remember Michael, and those very precious early moments.

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New Video - Tom Goss & Jeremiah Clark

Tom Goss left, and Jeremiah Clark on the right.

Tom Goss released this video of him playing with singer/songwriter Jeremiah Clark singing Back To Arkansas, a truly beautiful song from Tom's Back To Love CD. Of course, I am a huge fan of Tom, so I might be prejudice, but I love this.



You can find out more on Tom Goss by clicking here, and about Jeremiah Clark by clicking here. Tom is running a great creative arts contest and the winner will get a house concert. Check it out on his site and you never know, you might get a chance to hear Tom in your living room!


Jeremiah Clark left, and Tom Goss on the right.

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Great News - Tom Goss DLs & More

We all know I love me some Tom Goss, and I just got word that he is dubbing today 'Free Music Fun Day!' So take advantage of his good mood, and click here! There you can download six different songs. If you like what you hear, or know someone who would, pass it along!


JAM on the left, and David on the right.

Also in the news department, two more followers have joined us here. JAM is from Washington state and has a couple of blogs, including G-A-Y.US which can be seen here. David is from Brighton in the UK, and has a blog called David's Daily Dramas, something many of us can identify with. You can check out David's blog here. Welcome JAM & Dave, thanks for your support!

Also, shortly the site will be coming up on 5,000 hits, and words can't describe how much I appreciate you all who time the time to stop by to read and listen to some music. Also, the support from some of the artists who have sent kind words of support. It is greatly appreciated. So much so, I thought for this post I would share Dolly Parton singing Shine, the Collective Soul song I really love. Dolly covered it on her bluegrass album, Little Sparrow. I love Dolly and was going to save this for a Dolly post, but figured it worked here. So thank you everyone, and here is Dolly!

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New Music - Jake Walden

Jake Walden is an artist I discovered thru Tom Goss, first playing on the Rock The Folk Out tour, and then opening for Tom on tour and on the last show I attended in DC. Jake is very handsome, and quite intense while performing.



His CD is called Alive And Screaming. The song We Are, along with the video that follows, are the high points for me. If you like this video, order the CD. You won't be disappointed. You can find out more at Jake's MySpace site.

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Live Music - Tom Goss & Jake Walden - Artists Inn Residence

Saturday night, my niece, her visiting friend and I drove to Washington DC to catch the show. I have been been excited about the show for weeks because: 1. it's been a while since I have gone to some live music, 2. I love me some Tom Goss, and 3. It felt good to get out.

Artists Inn Residence is a beautiful piece of architecture which has been beautifully preserved. In the 'lobby' when you walked in the door, we checked in and then saw a spread of some food and beverages set up for the concert-goers. As we moved around toward the food, up comes Tom, who greeted us and gave big hugs. He seemed very relaxed, and was making some jokes. I didn't see Jake, and supposed he was preparing to go on.




Tom started out with a brief overview that the show was being taped for a possible DVD release this winter, and introduced Jake. Jake came out to a round of applause and started joking about the fact that the piano was set up so he would have his back to the audience [making for few picture opportunities for me], weighing the pros and cons, less nerves vs unusual situation. Once he started playing, it was all good. Jake played songs from his CD, Alive & Screaming. The highlights included the title song, The Storm, and the moving For Someone.



There was a bit of a break, and then it was time for Tom to perform. He is based out of DC, so the crowd was made up of fans and they were quite receptive. He started out by showing us the set list, pointing out the large gaps between songs intended to plan what to say to avoid rambling. He didn't have time, so there would be rambling, which was cheered by the crowd accustomed to the charming between-song banter. Tom played songs from his 3 CDs and an EP. Early in the set he played Rise, the first song of his I truly just fell in love with when I first heard it in Philly a couple of years ago. The video reached the top spot on LOGO for a couple of weeks running.



Tom went on to play several other favorites, including King of Something Right, Legacy of You, Down The Mountainside, before ending with Back To Love, his latest single and title cut from the new CD.




Both Jake and Tom were in fine form - the best I have heard them. It was a great show. As I have said before, I have an unending need to support indie musicians to make sure they can continue entertaining me. So after the show, I purchased Jake's CD and he was kind enough to sign it. I have all of Tom's merchandise - the CDs and t-shirts, so Heather, Mandy's friend and new Tom Goss fan, purchased Back To Love and I purchased Rise and gave it to her, and she had them signed by Tom. Tom and Jake were gracious enough to chat for a while, and then get a few pictures taken before it was time to hit the road and drive back to Delaware an over 90 minute trip.




So, if you enjoy their music, consider buying their music at iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, or your favorite music outlet. Supporting indie musicians is so very important. Also, try to catch them live when they tour near you.

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