Boston Pride is delighted to welcome
as our stage headliners for 2013!
Our emcees for the day
Jim Clerkin (Kiss 108)
Fast Freddy (Mix 104)
Liza Lott & Abby Cummings
DJ AGA
Nightclub DJ and musician, DJ AGA (Greg Agahigian) has been spinning his signature upbeat and energetic sound in and around the New England area for nearly 25 years.
In the world of Dance Music, there are followers and there are leaders and there is DJ AGA, “ I don’t just play music, I play to the crowd in front of me, always teasing people with cuts of classics and new tracks. I’m all about keeping things fresh and bringing back some of the old with a new twist as well as constantly on the lookout for the hottest and newest music” Aga blends progressive and vocal house along with Tribal and Top 40 dance mixes to energetic crowds from Maine to Provincetown.
Over the past 8 years, AGA has been front and center in Boston and Maine’s Gay nightlife with residencies at Boston’s Club Café and with Chris Harris Presents/Gay Mafia Boston’s Guilt. Currently, Aga is on his 2nd year as Resident DJ and now Marketing and Promotions Lead at Mainestreet Ogunquit (Maine’s premier Gay nightclub). For booking information, please visit www.dj-aga.com
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- DJ AGA
HOUSTON BERNARD
Despite their stylistic differences, Americano and electro share the same rebel/outlaw spirit. After all, when you look and listen to Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Skrillex, and LFMAO, there’s not much difference in posture or attitude.
No one knows this better than Houston Bernard–a recording artist determined to fuse these genres for once and for all.
Born in Oklahoma, Houston is a direct descendant of famous gunfighter George “Bittercreek” Newcomb, a member of the infamous Wild Bunch and a most-wanted man in the 1890s.
More recently, Houston’s father and uncle (for whom he’s named) played in country bands with stars like Tanya Tucker and Sleepy Labeef. The constant touring had the two men, known around those parts as The Rebel Brothers, regularly crossing paths and swapping stories with the likes of Elvis Presley, Merle Haggard, Kiss, and Willie Nelson in the 1970s.
After years of shopping-mall and state-fair performances, Houston moved to New York when he was 20 and began developing his look… his sound… his aesthetic. Diving deep into the city’s underground, he championed human rights, free speech, and insouciant sexuality over grinding electro/hip-hop/rock beats.
Houston’s solo (and self-booked) world tour kept him busy from 2003 through 2007. His videos were broadcast all over the world, by MTV, LOGO, and other stations. He was featured in magazines and documentaries with artists like the Beastie Boys, Terry Richardson, Nancy Sinatra, Scissor Sisters, Cyndi Lauper, Lady Gaga, and Peaches.
Now, Houston is drawing musical inspiration from his family’s rockabilly roots–without sacrificing any of the electronic danciness that made him so well-loved in the first place. In his latest works, electric guitars buzz over pulsing dance beats. Synthesizers and drum samples blend with three-part vocal harmonies.
Luscious production on tracks like “Cleopatra Jones”, “Shakey People”, and “Blue Skyline” reveal a new maturity–and a new direction for both dance and country. Leave it to Houston Bernard, a rebel with outlaw ancestry, to break these boundaries. And have a great time doing it.
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- HOUSTON BERNARD
GENKI SPARK
Launched the summer of 2010 with a workshop hosted by the Asian American women’s organization, ASPIRE and a performance with the Boston Asian American Film Festival, The Genki Spark aims to promote and support the voice and visibility of Asian women while advocating respect for all.
Working with families, schools, activist organizations, and social and nonprofit groups, The Genki Spark appeals to a broad audience. Through taiko demonstrations; recreational workshops; and presentations on Asian American culture, leadership, and team building, The Genki Spark strives to build community, foster self-confidence, and promote a world where every culture is respected.
ZHE
“ZHE (pronounced like the letter,”Z”) is a Boston-based Pop/Rock/Dance/Glam band formed in 2010. The band consists of Joe Bissell on vocals, Dan Alport on bass, Jon Greene on guitar, Josh Friedman on keys, and Tyler LeVander on drums. Playing their debut show at Boston’s Machine Night Club, they were well received by the public and have been performing consistently in the Boston area. ZHE is known for their energetic live performances on stage and engaging crowds of people until they are physically incapable of dancing anymore. ZHE is particularly popular among the LGBTQ community of Boston. The band as a whole, show their pride and celebration of diversity both on and off stage. Formed by students of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, ZHE take their music very seriously and bring all that they have to their live performances. They are best known for their “rocked-out” covers of Top 40 dance tunes, putting their own spin on them.”
RACHAEL SAGE
Rachael Sage’s tenth album, HAUNTED BY YOU, is a song cycle about passion. As the NYC-based artist explains, “I fell recklessly in and out of love multiple times while writing this record. I broke a couple hearts…and I also had my heart broken
pretty badly.” Nonetheless, the crystalline-voiced singer/songwriter says she has no regrets, revealing she was “due to feel as deeply again as when I first started making music.”
For Sage, who is also a poet, actor and visual artist as well as a longtime record label owner (she founded MPress Records in 1996), music has always been her primary form of self-expression. By the age of three she had taught herself to play the piano, and by her teens, she’d won the ASCAP Pop Songwriting Contest. Upon hearing Sage’s winning entry, legendary producer Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex) told her she was “extremely talented” and offered to produce her demo. While her parents pressed her to go to Stanford University instead, it was an encouraging moment that gave her the confidence to self-produce her first record, MORBID ROMANTIC. Read More
SHOCKOLADY
Shockolady is a different kind of artist, with a sound that combines Euro pop with electro-dance and a look that is striking and unique she has definitely created a stir within the club industry.
After receiving major success with her hit single, ‘Whats the F…Fashion?’ taken from the self titled album, reached No.1 in the UK Club Breakers Chart. This achievement led her onto support Jedward on their 2010 nation wide tour. Simultaneously, she received an endorsement from JVC (Germany) and became the face of their ‘BoomBlaster’ campaign aired on National TV and Radio. H
er second single ‘Like it Like That’ released in 2012, was produced by Area Star, and received even more success. The track reached No.20 in the Music Week Pop Chart and led her onto supporting Steps on their nation wide UK arena tour during April 2012.
Now with her new hit single ‘Hello’, produced by critically acclaimed Dj Timofey (Akon, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson) has already taken the UK club scene by storm and has become a featured video on MTV Germany and Viva. ‘Hello’ is taken from her forthcoming album and is set to be released on the 18th of March in England and on the 1st February in Europe 2013. Her album will be released later this year.
KWANZA JONES
Kwanza Jones is a self-described “Gladiator in a Thong.” She is also a four-time Billboard charting indie artist and Princeton University graduate. With hits on both the “Dance/Electronic Songs” and “Dance/Club Play” Billboard charts, she has firmly established herself as a rising Dance-Pop Queen. The Kwanza Jones album, SUPERCHARGED, has been described as a “feverish mix of high-energy dance music.” This adrenaline pumping collection works equally as well on the dance floor as it does in the gym. Kwanza says, “It’s music for superheroes and divas — or those who want to be.”
More than a singer and songwriter, Kwanza Jones is an outspoken advocate of equality and empowerment causes. Her song “#StopHate” has been called “a powerful anti-discrimination anthem.” It serves as a compelling call-to-action to promote human rights and acceptance for all. Her inspiring text, “The SUPERCHARGED Statement,” is not only a letter to her fans but also the ultimate guide to motivating yourself. Through her music and message, Kwanza Jones has one aim: to get you SUPERCHARGED. Given key national performances of her dynamic live show (including Jeffrey Sanker’s White Party, The Trevor Project’s Eyes Wide Open Gala, the Las Vegas based MGM Grand Hotel & Casino) and premier placements of her music and eye-catching music videos (including Live! with Kelly and Michael, MTV Latin America, MTV Canada, New Now Next on Logo TV, Yahoo Music), she is well on her way.
