The story of Queer Country music.
Join us for a fun musical journey through queer country music, including short documentaries, chat, country music and line dancing with cousin Lianne!
Stud Country (Dir Alexandra Kern and Lina Abascal)
Stud Country, the largest queer country western line dancing event in America, was created to preserve Los Angeles' little known 50+ year queer line dancing tradition. Despite its success and fiercely committed community, the event is set to lose its venue due to gentrification. When journalist Lina Abascal noticed some friends were attending iterations of Stud Country—biweekly dance events described as a “Queer Church of Line Dancing”—she began to investigate the scene, and discovered that LA has a decades-long history of gay line dancing spaces, many of which have since shut down. What began as a report on these gatherings soon became “Stud Country,” a short film created with her co-director Alexandra Kern.
These C*cksucking Tears (Dir Dan Taberski)
In 1973, the son of a tenant dairy farmer released the first and only gay-themed country music album. But with only 1000 copies made, the album soon disappeared and became a gay urban myth. Forty years later, Lavender Country was rediscovered and lauded by critics as 'resonant and wonderful...a rare act of bravery and honesty.' The uncompromising voice behind the first gay themed country music album - 40 years after its release. The documentary explores the roots of his courage, the politics of 'country,' and Patrick's relationship to a music industry where “you can come out as gay but you still can't get up and sing about it.”
Modern country music is generally perceived as a conservative genre, and deep-rooted cultural and industry biases have long excluded LGBTQIA+ (and BIPOC) artists and stories from the genre.
There is a growing number of country artists who, in recent years, have blazed a trail through country music and toward acceptance. Among them, Adeem the Artist, Mya Byrne, Brandi Carlile, Brandy Clark, Mary Gauthier, Lizzy No, Orville Peck, Trixie Mattel, Lily Rose, and Allison Russell plus our fave Paisley Fields and Karen and the Sorrows. Together, they're celebrating queerness alongside their love for the genre, and pushing it into diversity with patience, tenacity, and darn good country music.
The first queer country band was Lavender Country, formed in 1972, and their self-titled debut album, released in 1973, is recognised as the first openly gay country album, according to music publications. The band was led by Patrick Haggerty, a gay rights and anti-racism activist, you can learn more about them if you join us on this wild country ride!
Doors open 7pm
Talk 8pm
Bar till 11pm plus music and line dancing