PREVIEW: Mojo’s Cafe and Gallery to Host Femme Songwriters Showcase
1/25 @ Mojo’s Cafe and Gallery, Troy
Photo by Larry Fulton
“running a queer event is really a joy because you end up creating this safe space where people feel like they can be themselves. And that's just something we wanted to bring back to Troy.”
This Saturday night, four Capital Region songwriters will be performing original work that speaks to one question: “What does queer love mean to you?” Performed in a round, this showcase will be celebrating the work of queer femme and women songwriters with the likes of Girl Love, Lina Franzine, Amanda Case, and JJ’s Okay. To unpack some of the magic that we’ll be seeing, I spoke to Girl Love, aka Laura Beth Johnson, about what to expect.
With it being the second rendition of the event, Johnson noted the unique difference in organizing a queer event.
“The first time we did it, it was a really special space. Marketing a queer event is or just running a queer event is really a joy because you end up creating this safe space where people feel like they can be themselves. And that's just something we wanted to bring back to Troy.”
As with a typical songwriter showcase, each artist will have the opportunity to play their tunes and unveil the background to the audience. However, the physical space at Mojo’s makes the round all the more intimate.
“We have two folks on the stage and then two in the storefront on either side of the door or the windows. So that's kind of cool because it's physically in the round; we are surrounding the audience.”
With the theme of the night, the idea of being enveloped by music and community is sure to be all the more impactful. All four musicians will be bringing their own style to the table, Johnson notes, taking the time to praise each artist.
“JJ’s Okay uses a lot of melodic guitar playing and head voice, higher singing in a higher register, and that’s really special. Lina is a really great storyteller. And [Amanda Case], I was just really impressed by her artistry. I really love that she's bringing a sort of pop to the singer-songwriter space.”
As for Johnson herself, the Girl Love project is all about “writing folk music that affirms queer holiness. I do that, with sort of a singer songwriter style, I suppose. I play guitar and sing, but I sort of bring religious imagery and spiritual vocabulary to the topic of queerness.” This mission, Johnson explains, comes from melding her evangelical upbringing with her belief that “queer people belong everywhere including in religious spaces.”
Between the wonderful artists, the physical set up, and the emotional safe space, Saturday night is shaping up to be an irreplicable show. So, grab your friends—queer or ally—grab your tickets, and head to Mojo’s this Saturday when doors open at 6:30.
