Pride Day at Faneuil Hall
Saturday, June 1, 2013

Hosted By Raquel Blake
10 am to 5 pm. rain or shine

Official Boston Pride merchandise available at this event.

Live Music and Performances by

Hostess Raquel Blake

Raquel Blake is one of Boston’s Top Drag Entertainers, for the past 13 years Raquel has been a staple in the GLBTQ community. For the past 10 years Raquel has worked closely with Boston Pride, from hosting YOUTH PRIDE for many years as well as the RALLY after the Parade in City Hall Plaza, Host of the ROYAL PAGEANT, and now for the 2nd year Host of PRIDE DAY AT FANEUIL HALL!!! Raquel Blake was also crowned the 1st “Queen of Boston Pride” alongside the 1st “King of Boston Pride” Rocky Graziano. Raquel recently was crowned MISS DRAG BRUNCH 2013 (a fundraising event for The Boston Living Center). Raquel has just returned from Dallas, Texas where she was representing Massachusetts to become MISS GAY USofA . Raquel can be found weekly at Machine Nightclub where she hosts ALL STAR MONDAYS from 10pm-2am, one of the hostesses at Jacques Cabaret on Saturdays, as well as other cameo appearances all around the city. Just check out her Facebook (facebook.com/raquelblake) to find out where the Raquel Blake sightings are happening.

The Mike Nolan Band – Boston’s Premiere Musicians and Performance Artists

The Mike Nolan Band has been called “Extreme Folk.”

Mike Nolan is a singer/songwriter who combines, bluntly at times, honest story telling with a blues and country and rhythm driven band.

All Boston born and raised natives, The Mike Nolan Band proudly and lovingly calls the clubs of Somerville, Norwood, Newburyport, and Boston their home. But Mike has performed from London and Cambridge England, to Edinburgh Scotland, to Nashville and San Antonio, to Hays Kansas and Missoula Montana, and from Lubijana Slovenia and Livno Bosnia to Brooklyn NY.

With a drummer from a jazz and funk background, a piano player obsessed with Dylan, a slide guitarist with his roots in southern blues, and a bassist who backed some of the great country artists of the 70′s, the Mike Nolan Band is a singer/songwriter act that barely seems it.

Steppers Heaven

As seen in Downtown Crossing, and State st. on the orange line. Performing around New England in various venues, and in the T.

Out in Your Neighborhood is Boston’s only theater company dedicated to performance by, for and about the LGBTQ community. Presenting work in places where we live, work and play, The Theater Offensive is currently focusing programming in Roxbury, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain and South End of Boston. The Theater Offensive brings high quality national productions into neighborhoods, creates original work with residents, and commissions cutting edge new works by local and emerging artists.

99% Stone is a new musical commissioned by The Theater Offensive and written by local playwright Letta Neely, with music by Melissa Li. 99% Stone takes to the stage with the liberating energy of a workers’ rebellion and the urgency of a pepper spray blast. The 1969 Stonewall Uprising was the original Queer Occupy Action. In 99% Stone, the story of how a few young Flame Queens got fed up, fought back, and sparked an international movement that burst to life and how a barroom full of today’s 99% in a dive bar in Dorchester are on the verge of doing the same.

The Urban Ballet

The mission of Boston Urban Ballet is to provide exceptional dance instruction and performance opportunities to a diverse group of young dancers and educate the community about the importance of the arts.

South End ShowStopperz Dance Team

Founded by Johanna Acevedo and Syreeta Ruiz, the South End ShowStopperz Dance Team is an all girls dance program based out of the South End in Boston; ages 12+. We dance a variety of music including Latin, Hip Hop and Afro Caribbean; and have performed in many events and parades throughout Boston and Massachusetts.

The purpose of this program is not only to showcase a love for dance and music, but to empower and encourage girls; so they can grow to be outstanding women in our society.

Rolla

Rolla has recently returned to her home in northern New England from Atlanta, and she has been busy. Rolla has performed at a wide range of venues and events, and has been featured in magazines and newspapers as well as the NOH8 campaign photo shoot.

Rolla was named first runner-up in Boston’s Pride Idol and came close to appearing on X Factor. She has appeared at Rolla’s Pride Day at Faneuil Hall; Lowell, MA Pride Event at the Olympia Restaurant; and the First Annual North Shore Pride.

Rolla wants you to know she is not a YouTube star, instead she prefers to promote and perform in the streets. “You’re not going to get anywhere half steppin’. You have to give it your full blown attention if you want it!”

What makes Rolla stand out from the rest? She states, “I’m free to be me…I’m not trying to nor do I sound like the typical [singer]…point blank! My slogan is ‘Smile with me.”

Lauren Bateman

Boston recording artist Lauren Bateman is not only a prolific songwriter and musician, she is also an entrepreneur who left her lab coat and goggles behind for a life in music. Retiring from her day job at 27, Lauren debuted at Club Felt in Boston with only her acoustic guitar and a small PA. Now backed by a full band including Drew Apioli on lead electric guitar, Felix Zapata on bass, and DTK on drums, Lauren’s live sound has evolved into a full pop/rock experience. In the spring of 2010 Lauren released her debut full length album, “I’ve Been Waiting”, at Oliver’s Nightclub in Boston.

Lauren’s lyrics take her listeners on an emotional rollercoaster ride through personal and relatable songs about love, heartache, anger, redemption, and loss. Her song Guardian Angel, written for her aunt who passed away of pancreatic cancer, was selected for the reality TV series Biker Chicz in which Lauren stars as one of eight main characters. Her title track, I’ve Been Waiting, was selected for the Many Roads from Home compilation CD released in the fall of 2010. In addition, many of Lauren’s songs have been featured on WMFO 91.5FM Tufts radio, Live 365 internet radio, LG73 Radio, as well as the 5 Speed Cassette podcast. Lauren was also a featured artist on Alternative Addiction.

Currently Lauren is writing new material for her next musical endeavor and planning a spring tour.

Matthew Jackson

Matt Jackson has been involved in music since around the 8th grade when he picked up a guitar and started writing music. He wrote his first complete song “Freeze the Rain” in his freshman year of high school. In 2009 he released “In Good Company,” a feel-good song that showed his growth as an artist.

Matt’s latest album, “Prove You Wrong,” is an upbeat take on the modern day love story, and it has been classified as “folky-pop.” By contrast, the tracks “Somewhere” and “Insomniac” have almost a contemporary pop feel and are unique because they are without any percussion.

Although Matt has had continued success, he believes he has more to learn before considering himself at the same level as today’s mainstream artists. He says what sets him apart though is that he brings something to the table that they don’t, and that is his passion. His creative spirit and this passion is what will foster his growth into an established artist.

Mr. B-Styles

Moises Baez, also known as Mr.B-Styles, began his salsa training at the age of 11 through an inner city youth center program in Lowell, Ma. At the age of 17 he moved to the Bronx where he continued his training and fell in love with the unique New York style salsa known as On2.In early 2011 the Out Salsa Boston Organization was founded by Moises and created by Gay Inner Boston Salsa Dancers to promote awareness of the culture through music and dance within the Boston Gay and Latin communities. Out Salsa Boston currently offers same-sex salsa classes and is striving to expand their events and participation in the community.Throughout his career Moises has traveled and performed in Salsa congresses worldwide. Moises also has a background in other dance genres, such as Hip Hop, Ballroom, and Latin Jazz.