Much of the history of queer nightlife remains unwritten. Historically, this heritage has been passed on through stories, memories, and the experience of being there. Seeking to document a small portion of the Twin Cities’ vast queer history, the second installment of the series Nightlife as Form, An Oral History of Minneapolis Queer Nightlife, gathers several generations of local queer nightlife practitioners to share their inspirations, challenges, and learnings. From the 1990s Homocore movement to trans and queer punk spaces, as well as today’s nightlife practitioners, this evening celebrates and makes visible some of these too-often unwritten histories.
Following the panel, join us for a drink in the Main Lobby to celebrate local queer nightlife artists.
Panelists include Shannon Blowtorch, Siren DeLuna (Sci-Fi), Venus de Mars, All the Pretty Horses, and Ed Varga (Homocore Minneapolis and Homo A Go Go).
Bios
Shannon Blowtorch is a Twin Cities–based DJ known for her eclectic music collections and her incredible ability to read a crowd to keep the party bumping. City Pages and the Star Tribune named her the Best Club DJ multiple times, and she made the Sun-Times top 100 DJs.
Sci-Fi (She/They) is a DJ and part-time rapper from St. Paul. She’s been the creative force behinds events like Adventures in Space-Time, FUNKTION with co-producer FNK, and the Jersey Shore–themed party, “UMM HELLO?!” After training under DJ Shannon Blowtorch, she has DJed at The Saloon, Lush, and even Paisley Park.
Ed Varga is a San Francisco–based composer, songwriter, sound designer, and owner of Tone Generator Studios. Born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, he lived in Minneapolis, Madison, New York, Olympia, and Los Angeles, landing in the Bay Area in 2009. He played drums in several punk and indie rock bands, worked as a sound engineer and, as a transgender man, has been an active voice in the queer community. He has produced music and arts events and festivals for over 25 years, founding both Homocore Minneapolis in 1995 and Homo A Go Go (Olympia and San Francisco) in 2002, and working on iconic events the Transfused, Yo Yo A Go Go and Ladyfest in Olympia, Washington. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, he studied music composition for film, TV, and video games. He also has a solo songwriter project under the name Eddie and the Heartbeats.
Accessibility
This event will have ASL interpretation.
For information about accessibility or to request additional accommodations for this program, call 612-375-7564 or email access@walkerart.org.
For more information about accessibility at the Walker, visit our Access page.
Before Your Visit
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