by Jacob McPherson

Friday night, I ventured over to the Metro to experience the Peaches concert.  Amanda Blank opened, and I was a little underwhelmed with her performance, given all the hype around her.  However, she was still enjoyable and made an appropriate opener for Peaches.  Since this was my second time seeing Peaches, I knew what to expect from the performance.

I first saw Peaches at The Music Hall of Williamsburg. Drag personality Sherry Vine was in the VIP section; it is very hard to compete with that, but Peaches still delivered an incredible show.  What I enjoy most about her is that she truly is a performer.  She wears the most ridiculous outfits, walks across the crowd, and brings a third dimension to her music.

As expected, the majority of the crowd was queer.  With risqué songs like “Tent in Your Pants,” “I Feel Cream,” and of course, “Fuck the Pain Away,” it was pretty much like a Friday night at Berlin.  Although her latest album, I Feel Cream, put out by XL Recordings, has been out for a while, it is still a must for any party mix.

by Aharona Ament

Bob Mould and Richard Morel are back this weekend just in time for International Mr. Leather with BLOWOFF, a gay dance party extravaganza. Bob and Richard will be spinning at the Metro this Saturday, May 23. The event has achieved quite a following since its conception in 2002 and will also take place in Washington D.C., New York, Provincetown, San Francisco and Atlanta. I was able to ask Bob and Richard some questions about BLOWOFF by email last week. As I can imagine, the guys are super busy hosting a dance than spans from April until September. This is what we talked about.

Cul de sac Magazine: For people who have no idea what BLOWOFF is, how would you describe it?

BM: A music-centric gay dance party, drawing mainly, but not exclusively, men in their 30s and 40s.

CM: What are you looking forward to the most about bringing BLOWOFF to Chicago?

RM: Every town has a different vibe. When I’ve been to Chicago in the past, the energy there has been great. I think that energy mixed with BLOWOFF will be a blast.

CM: You are coming to Chicago just in Time for International Mr. Leather weekend. How does BLOWOFF compare to IML in terms of culture?

BM: We have performed at Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco, and DJed many events in DC to coincide with Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend. Although BLOWOFF draws from a wide audience, both the leather and bear communities enjoy our events.

CM: How has BLOWOFF impacted or inspired your solo projects?

BM: DJing has made me a very active listener. The music I hear when preparing sets keeps my ear tuned to what is both good and not-so-good in the field.

RM: I play remixes and dance songs that I am working on at BLOWOFF. I get a good sense from the crowd’s response as to whether or not the mix is tight and working. If it is, great. If not, I keep working on it.

CM: Richard, how is DJing live different from remixing and producing and with your solo work?

RM: DJing is very interactive. The crowd goes with you and what you are playing. Producing is more insular and less of a party. Sometimes.

CM: Bob, are your Hüsker Dü fans freaked-out that you are DJing electronic dance music now?

BM: Not really. There is more overlap that one might think, and definitely more than I thought.

CM: Do you collaborate on the music you spin?

RM: We released an artist album “BLOWOFF” in 2006 and plan to do more songs together this year.

CM: If you couldn’t tag-team DJ with each other, with whom would you each like to DJ alongside? Who are you curious to hear DJ?

BM: it would be fun to be in the Daft Punk pyramid. I would enjoy seeing Treasure Fingers spin.

RM: Chris Lake. Love his remixes and his new record.

Tickets for Blowoff can be purchased at Metro’s website here.