True Colors (Page 1 of 1)

Happy anniversary, reader! One year ago I began this column with my account of the Gay Pride festival in Atlanta and the Cyndi Lauper True Colors Tour. As luck would have it, I spent last week in Atlanta again for the True Colors Tour: Part Deux. Last year, the concert kicked off the Pride festivities that lasted throughout the weekend. This year, the concert was moved to Monday and Pride will be relocated to the Atlanta Civic Center during the July 4th weekend.

Last year Margaret Cho hosted the festival and the concert line-up included the Dresden Dolls, Erasure, Debbie Harry and Cyndi Lauper. This year, Carson Kressley of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy hosted the event. His humor was a good mix with that of attendee and performer Rosie O’Donnell. The bands included Tegan and Sara, The Cliks, The B-52s and of course, Cyndi. The mood this year was totally different, but I am pretty sure that was a personal issue. I’ll explain:

Monday morning my phone rang early. My cousin Mae was on the other end: “Tony, are you awake?”

“Kinda.”

“I hate to tell you this by phone, but Nanny’s gone.”

“What?”

“She passed away this morning. I found her at six. She was in the floor. I’m sorry.”

For the second time in two years, I received this call. A very important member of my family was gone. Think, Tony, think! I wasn’t sure what to say. So here I am. Seven hours before I was to meet Rosie O’Donnell, my grandma died.

I wanted to jump in my car and head to my hometown of Manchester, Tenn., immediately. I needed to know what was happening with my grandma and how my younger brother was handling everything. I needed to know that my family was OK. But I also knew I could be more help during the funeral if I kept from getting overwhelmed and burned out too early. Plus, this concert was my anniversary gift from my partner Jim.

I battled guilt and bought myself some time to decide. I agreed to call Mae back later. I ultimately decided to visit my family and attend the funeral after going forth with my plans to attend Pride. In addition to enjoying the concert, Jim and I got to meet Rosie O’Donnell at Michael’s craft store in Alpharetta for a book signing of her new book of family crafts, Crafty U. In line we met a couple from Charleston, S.C., (which happens to be our home away from home). They were mega-fans of Rosie’s with five books and a poster for her to autograph. We talked for hours in line and even shared breath spray. In hindsight, I realize that’s a little gross…

Rosie was nice and signed our book and my shirt. On our way out of Michael’s, a reporter approached us. Without thinking, I agreed to be interviewed. The interview started out fine with questions about the long line we had just exited, if we were pleased with Rosie and if meeting her was worth the wait. Then the interview took a sharp turn south when the reporter asked if we were a couple: “Do you think that Rosie is good for the gay community? Are you mad at her about how she acted on The View? Do you think she gives the gay community a bad name?” I stopped the interview. “What news group are you with?” I asked. I suspected Fox News or some Christian radio station. He said he was with “a local rock station.” I think he was lying. He finally pissed me off by asking us if we thought that “Rosie was better than… Dreads… what’s her name? Whoopie, whatever…”

Later we made it to Atlanta’s Chastain Park for the concert. This is the gayest venue I’ve ever been in. There are tables for picnicking. People brought live flowers, lots of hydrangeas, candles, table cloths and food to die for. We had champagne. I saw other people with wine, Jack Daniels, margaritas, cosmos. TRES GAY!! Last year Margaret Cho teased one group, “LOOK AT YOU! You’re so gay you brought your own candelabra!” It was undeniable.

The weather was perfect as the sun set behind the trees and we settled in for the concert. We found the free wine tasting and retrieved iTunes cards with 15 free songs from the tour. Around 7 p.m., the party got started. My mood was bittersweet. I was happy to be with my family (we were joined by Jim’s sister and niece) and very excited about the concert, but I was still sad and in shock about my grandma. The Clicks and the B-52s brought the mood up with their songs “Oh Yeah,” “Rock Lobster,” and of course “Love Shack.”

But then (you knew that there was a but, right?) Rosie got up to do a little stand-up. She talked about Elizabeth Hasselback and The View and Donald Trump but toward the end, she talked about her mother. Her mom died when Rosie was 11. No one in her family talked about it. She made up stories to fill the void. She made up ideas about where her mom might have gone, what she might be doing now. Of course I spent much of this time reflecting on my grandma’s life and how much I already miss her. Rosie ended her spiel by saying, “I’m playing percussion with Cyndi in a bit. If you see a 75-year-old woman who kinda looks like me sneak in the back during my performance, send her back to my dressing room. I’ve been looking for her for a very long time.”

Carson broke the somber mood when he came onstage and asked, “If anyone sees an 18-year-old Abercrombie model with his shirt off, send him to my dressing room. I’ve been looking all over for him.” Ha ha, I guess.

Cyndi closed out the concert and near the end, she brought the mood back down with “Time After Time.” I got wispy again.

After my picture fades and darkness has turned to gray, Watching through windows, you’re wondering if I’m OK…

I thought about my grandma again. I decided that staying at the concert was well worth it. All the performers came onstage to join Cyndi and sing… drum roll please… “True Colors.” They invoked the audience sing-along as the night filled with one voice. To introduce the song, Cyndi said, “This used to be my song, but now it’s yours.” I looked over at Jim’s niece during the song and, being her tender-hearted self, she was crying. I held her hand and sang the chorus:

Don’t be afraid to let it show. Your true colors are beautiful…