...The one thing I am looking forward to at Pride is the performance by the Kinsey Sicks on Sunday. I've seen these ladies a few times and I am constantly in awe of their skills. They are talented vocalists, funnier than hell and they can work any room - be it a cruise ship lounge, a university theater or a Pride Festival stage - like nobody's business. It's always interesting to see a Kinsey Sicks audience, too, because it's a bit like Noah's Ark - gays, straights, dykes, singles, couples, and everyone from the young to the old. That diversity speaks volumes about the group's wide-ranging appeal. But the thing that I really adore about the Kinsey Sicks is their ability to make political and social commentary so entertaining. Their lyrics and subject matter can be soooo subversively funny, with topics from Whitney Houston's drug issues, to parasitic infections, obsessive-compulsive disorder and Cher. On the surface the Kinsey Sicks perform a slick comedic show, but when you finally catch your breath from laughing, you realize there are some really serious issues tucked into their parodies. One of my favorite Kinsey gems is their version of "Christmas Time in the City" entitled "Crystal Time," which talks about methamphetamine use (here is some not so subliminal product placement, kittens. Go to their website kinseysicks.com and buy any of their CDs). OK, meth addiction is not exactly what you would call funny, but their parody absolutely nails it. You are laughing so hard you donŐt realize until later that you have just absorbed a three minute Public Service Announcement. It's brilliant, and how many drag groups can say they do a number about urban gentrification, or conditional corporate sponsorships? There is some serious thinking behind these "effortless" ditties, which is not surprising given these girls' education and professional careers. One is a Harvard-trained lawyer, one a University of Chicago-trained lawyer, and their political credentials rule!

I would love to sit down and coffee klatsch with these girls, because you just know since their inception in the early nineties and after years of touring, they have seen a lot of really, REALLY interesting crap go down! Being of that certain age (they're still probably younger than I am), they have seen first hand the seismic shifts in public attitudes towards gays and lesbians, the impacts of the AIDS epidemic, gay civil unions and marriages, the meth crisis and so on. So while their albums, concerts and DVDs are truly entertaining, I bet the real stories surrounding the Kinseys would blow our minds. Enjoy their show, petals!