Amanda Rhoades, San Francisco Foghorn,via Flickr. Licensed CC.
The gays have had a pretty good run this year. From marriage equality and more gay and gay-friendly celebs than you can shake a stick at, it’s been a mighty fine ride here lately. Music hasn’t been immune. The boys of popular British boy band One Direction are as gay as you can get without actually being gay. And, in American Rap and Hip Hop, white boy rapper Macklemore is setting a new paradigm. Are the days of anti-gay rap on their way out? Absolutely, if Macklemore and collaborator Ryan Lewis have any say in the matter.
The duo’s “Same Love” has been rocking local radio for weeks now, playing several times “on the daily.” Macklemore’s LGBT-friendly leadership in the music scene is refreshing — certainly more empowering than Katy Perry’s once-popular and now oh-so-blase “I Kissed a Girl.”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are headed our way soon, too. On Nov. 19, they’ll perform at PNC Arena in Raleigh. Tickets are already on sale at livenation.com. : :
More fall concerts:
Sept. 17, Steely Dan, TWC Arena
Sept. 21, Chicago, Belk Theatre
Sept. 28, Fantasia Barrino, Bojangles Coliseum
Sept. 28, Ani DiFranco, Orange Peel, Asheville
Oct. 8, India.Arie, The Fillmore
Oct. 17, Emeli Sande, The Fillmore
Oct. 26, Michael Buble, TWC Arena
Oct. 30, Pearl Jam, TWC Arena
Nov. 2, Drake, TWC Arena
Nov. 12, Cindi Lauper, Belk Theatre
Nov. 15, The Eagles, TWC Arena
Nov. 20, Janelle Monae, The Fillmore