Holly Near

Too bad you weren't there last night, Dave, you could write the review. I was at the HARP concert at the Greek in Berkeley. As you can imagine, it was topical, sweet and musically wonderful.

Last night's show was SINGER IN THE STORM an intimate evening with HOLLY NEAR Songs and stories about her life and work Farm to Hollywood to Broadway to Activism to Cancer to Still Here!

The show started on time after a delay of almost 30 minutes for the sound check while we were standing in the bookstore. She had told the sound guy that this would be the hardest show he'd ever dealt with. He did fine. The audience was mostly women, as you might think, maybe 15-20% wearing masks, no social distancing. It's so rare that I go out, I'm uncomfortable around people who are close to me and unmasked. There is lots of Covid here. That aside, it was a lovely evening.

The event was publicized as A Talk with Song. The songs coming out of the words; she talked through the years of living and performing, her travels, the work of inspiring people to peace and justice through song and just showing up. There was no musical accompaniment so it was speaking or a capella, and most of the audience knew the words (I didn't) and sang with her, or call and response. Her voice isn't quite as powerfully strong and pure, but it works just fine. This small tour is just her. It may be her last. She wants to travel, explore places she's sung about, "relax".

Holly is 74, has had cancer twice, first breast cancer in 2014 and then anal cancer (discovered through colonoscopy) which required brutal radiation and chemo a couple of years ago. She then had a small stroke. She's still powerful, though feeling a little fragile, her voice is strong and carried the room and the night with heart and depth and flight. I'm really glad I was there.

Dave, could could you recommend an album to Bss? I regret that I haven't listened to her albums in many years and don't remember which I would recommend.

Mike Myers is doing the music bookings at Tsunami and he's got the touch. I agree with you, they do a great job there. I love the store and the people there.

I asked the friend I went with to recommend an album. She said "Imagine My Surprise". I listened to the title song and didn't finish it - wasn't my music.

Holly put together a website last year called Because of a Song,  of Women’s Music, a phrase coined by lesbian feminist singer/guitarist Meg Christian in the early seventies. The site is dense with playlists.

"Every social change movement has a music. This flowering of Women’s Music did not come simply as a search for lesbian romance and beautiful harmony, although that would have been reason enough. It exploded out of a deep-rooted need to combat homophobia and sexism and to build safe community. The performers reflected back to the audience women as real people—an honest, authentic expression of woman identification—how women saw themselves as feminists and lesbian feminists—something they had not been able to do in the mainstream music industry at that time."

I've loved seeing her live, not so much into her recorded work. I'm also not searching for Women's Music, lesbian romance isn't my thing. That isn't her focus. She doesn't identify as lesbian, she did, and then fell in love with a man years ago. I have no idea who's important to her in that way now. Also, while in college she was "discovered" as an actress and singer, appeared on TV, Broadway, etc.

I love her way of being, of standing up, of coming forward. It really was a very warm satisfying evening.

It used to be spelled that way, Dave, but I haven't seen it lately. I'm totally out of the loop.