Someone who had recently moved to Asheville last year told me they kept hearing that winter was not the time to meet lesbians in Asheville… that women in the city routinely disappear and become homebodies to snuggle under warm blankets with their girlfriends, only to emerge again in the spring when they have finally bored of each other and can wear their clingy white muscle shirts under the sun to attract a new one.  I guess this is a pitfall of living in such a bipolar climate.  However, I don’t buy cold weather as an excuse to avoid having fun.  And neither do I buy the excuse of finances, even in these treacherous economic times, for the events I am about to present to you, because there are plenty of affordable options out there that would cost you the price of a beer or two.  Take notes and don’t be a hermit this season, ladies.

The Kinsey Sicks

“America’s Favorite Dragapella Beauty Shop Quartet,” aka The Kinsey Sicks, will be performing at North Carolina State University in Raleigh on Thursday, November 13.  Beginning as four friends attending a Bette Midler concert in San Francisco dressed as The Andrews Sisters back in 1993 (is that not the queerest thing you’ve ever heard?), the quartet have now been entertaining audiences worldwide for fifteen years.  They have produced and starred in their own off-Broadway musical, recorded six full-length albums (including Boyz 2 Girlz, Sicks in the City, and I Wanna Be a Republican), been the subject of two feature films, and been profiled on many mainstream media outlets.  Their coming to NCSU is certainly an exciting prospect in and of itself, but the most exciting part of it all?  The show is FREE for students with a valid school ID and only $5 for everyone else!  Tickets are already on sale through www.ncsu.edu/ticketcentral.  The show starts at 8pm in Stewart Theatre.  This is a show more than worth making a trek to Raleigh if you are not originally from the area!

Local favorite Laura Blackley will be making another appearance at Rodi in Gastonia on Friday, November 14.  Remember, there is never any cover for music at Rodi, the food is delicious and the atmosphere more than inviting.  Music is from 9pm-11pm.

Also on Friday, November 14, Asheville’s Barrel House Mamas (another local favorite), will be in Charlotte at the Evening Muse.  They will follow this performance with a show back in Asheville on Saturday, November 15 at the Grey Eagle.  Going to hear the Barrel House Mamas is better described as “having a musical experience” rather than “seeing a show.”  They describe their sound as “hints of Appalachian old time, classic folk, the blues, a touch of country, and a bit of swing.”  Performing together since they were students at Warren Wilson College in 2003, the Mamas have become on of the most well-known names on the Asheville music scene.  I plan to catch them here as often as possible before they grow too big for our little town and are selling out the Civic Center in between shows in New York and San Francisco.

Is there anything hotter than the recent revival of Roller Derby?  Or the girls themselves?  I will freely admit to such a superficial initial interest in the sport, but once you get yourself to a match, you may unearth competitive instincts you had no idea existed… I did.  Mainstream sports tend to bore me, but the energy surrounding the roller ring is unmatched, and seems to tap into a particular audience that may not feel as welcome at, say, a local football game.  Seasons are coming to a close in some cities, but the Charlotte Roller Girls have a bout at Cricket Arena on Saturday, November 15.  Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door.  Remember that the Carolinas also have teams in Asheville, Wilmington, Raleigh, Greenville, and Myrtle Beach, and be sure to support these teams throughout the year!

I am not going to insult any queer woman’s intelligence by attempting to write an introduction to the Indigo Girls, but what you may not know is that Amy Ray (the darker-haired half of the duo, for all the baby dykes out there) will be playing at both Cat’s Cradle in Carborro on Wednesday, November 19 and at The Orange Peel in Asheville on Friday, November 21.  Both Amy Ray and Emily Saliers have become well-respected solo artists in their own right, but Amy Ray in particular has been garnering a following of her solo career since her debut album in 2001.  She is currently touring in support of her latest effort, Didn’t It Feel Kinder, and her band includes Kaia Wilson and Melissa York (both of Durham’s now-defunct The Butchies).  Opening acts are new Logo favorite Jennifer O’Connor and, in Asheville only, the band Arizona.  Buy your tickets now, as they will go quickly in both cities!

Asheville’s infamous Natalie Smalls, drag troupe in tow, will return to Asheville’s Club Hairspray on Friday the 28th of November.  Hairspray has done a great job over the past year bringing drag kings back to the bar scene in Asheville, but sometimes girls wanna see queens too, and Natalie Productions puts on a show well worth venturing out into the chilly late-November air.  Snuggle up to a girl “friend” and a cosmo and find a creative place to stash those extra dollar bills.

Now I present you with the perfect event to attend in November with your children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews in tow.  Theatre UNCA, along with North Carolina Stage Company, will be producing Free To Be… You and Me.  This is a stage adaptation of the famous record and songbook from the early 70’s that became a television special featuring Marlo Thomas in ’74.  The show uses poetry, songs, and sketches to teach appreciation of one’s individual identity and respect for others.  One major theme is that girls, as well as boys, can achieve anything they put their mind to.  Performances are Wednesdays, November 12 and 19 at 10am; Thursdays through Saturdays, November 13 through 15 and 20 through 22 at 7pm; and matinees Saturdays and Sundays, November 15, 16, 22, and 23 at 2pm.  Tickets are $10 and available through www.unca.edu/drama.

The TROIKA Music Festival will be held in Durham, NC, Thursday, November 6th through Saturday, November 8th.  There will be 16 different events featuring the music of over 60 artists, and full festival passes are a mere $20.  The TROIKA Music Festival began as the Durham Music Festival in 2002, when DADA (Durham Association for Downtown Art, Inc.) organized a one-day event featuring local musicians.  The festival has grown to include independent artists from the whole Triangle area and beyond, including showcases by several well-respected independent record labels.  Bands perform in various cafés, clubs and performance halls around the city, making this festival a sort of cultural tour of Durham amidst the chance to hear some awesome live music from a unique variety of musicians.  Performers this year include The Rosebuds, Bellafea, Schooner, Future Islands, Midtown Dickens, Kimya Dawson, Red Collar, Screaming Females, and The Old Ceremony, just to name a few.  There will also be a screening of Girls Rock!, a documentary about the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls based in Seattle.  Visit www.troikamusicfestival.org for more information and to order tickets.

That should be enough to keep you from becoming a hermit just yet!  Have a great month and I’ll see you on the other side of barstools.