Rufus Wainwright
News & Press
2008
Read Rufus' article in Die Zeit Magazine! (Part 1)
By Rufus Wainwright
This is the third time I've written this article. To begin this (hopefully!) final session I have just put on Das Rheingold, the first opera of Wagner’s Ring Cycle and by the way things seem to be going I'mjudging Valhalla should start crumbling at around 3am. To explain toyou the beginnings of this, MY epic cycle, once upon a time a kind and generous newspaper called Die Zeit sent me to Bayreuth to see Stefan Herheim’s controversial production of Parsifal in order to writesomething about it. And now, comfortably sitting in my bright livingroom in New York City a week later with a deadline tomorrow I'm facedwith a dilemma: two approaches have been unsuccessfully tried, bothdiametrically opposed in terms of culture and era. One is a straight uptry at an old fashion review (my mom likes this one) and the second ismore of a personalized blog (my hip and gorgeous boyfriend likes this one). The first attempt goes, and yes I'm trying to fill up space here,like this:
"The town of Bayreuth is famous for two theatres.Most people know about the Festspielhaus, a huge 19th century opera house built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria to present Wagner’s massive works, which over the years has been both the glory and bane of Germany's cultural existence. The other theater, located in the center of town, is much smaller and from a much more refined period, "a better time" as Evelyn Waugh once said, the 18th century. Let's begin with the big one. I held a pretty sacred view of the place when two years ago I first went there to see Christoph Schlingensief incredible production of Parsifal, but this year on returning to see the newproduction by Stefan Herheim I had developed a more critical stance towards the Festival. Due mainly to a book about Winifred Wagner byBrigitte Hamann (suggested reading by a prominent member of the Wagner family, kudos to them!) I had learned about the festival's extreme Nazipast and on driving up the "Green Hill" after visiting Villa Wahnfried,Wagner's old home which is now a museum, I was a little miffed that inthat "museum" there had not been one single picture of Adolph Hitler.The reason I bring all this up, aside from the fact that it shouldalways be pointed out in such a hallowed place, is that if I had seenany other production of any other Wagner opera, or ANY opera for that matter, there could not have been a more important and moving stageshow than the one I saw that evening by the great director Stefan Herheim."
I think this is pretty good! And perhaps if I was agreat newspaper critic, of which there are hardly any, I could havedriven it home. But as the piece continued it became inflated andpretentious and by the end was something only a mother could love, andI'm not talking about my mother (she actually re-wrote the end, which Iwill definitely be trying to put in somewhere to make things easier onmyself). Anyway, at this point you may be asking yourself "what thehell is he going on about?" Especially since I've totally given awaythe fact that I have a tight deadline to stuff with a lot of words, butlet me assure you, there is a method to this madness, and in my humbleopinion there is no other subject in the world more deserving of thescattered, unorthodox and free style examination that you are goingto get than that of the extreme art and personality of the greatRichard Wagner.
CLANG!!!!! In my sound system it seems Wotanhas just struck the rock with his spear, the Rainbow Bridge hasappeared and Das Rheingold is coming to a close. For good measure (andto fill space), here's the beginning of the next version I wrote afterreading my first try and hating it. Let us cross the Rainbow Bridge byway of "blog" into Valhalla:
"This is the second time I'vewritten this article. The first was an attempt to encapsulate my tripto Bayreuth in a succinct and critical fashion with explanations ofwhat I believed to be deep thoughts on the physical place, its dubioushistory and the thick rope that binds them. Speaking of ropes, and notonly in terms of hanging myself, I think I thought I was a Norn (a Wagnerian mother time creature who lives in the earth in Gotterdammerung) sifting through the various threads of German historyfrom the 19th century to today, revealing to my poor readers strikingsimilarities that can only be viewed through the passage of years,blind and moaning, cursing the fact that nothing ever changes. Well, onre-reading what I'd done, I was quite disappointed, well actually, Jornmy German boyfriend (thanks guys!!!) in true Berlin fashion wasn'treally that impressed. Basically I sounded like an American teenagerwriting about his trip to Europe back to mom in the Mid West whereeveryone is still really excited about NASCAR and having won World WarII. Don't get me wrong, it's still important to mention the fact thatin Villa Whanfried, Wagner’s old home which is now a museum dedicatedto the festival, there is not one single picture of Adolf Hitler, whoactually back in the day lived next door and tended to pop over quite abit. Still, speaking of pop, for a pop musician, even a rathersophisticated pop musician like myself, tackling the Third Reich'sconnection to Bayreuth is way out of my league and for this secondattempt I will focus more on my impressions, but don't worry, I tend toget very impressed."
I'm not sure if anything you've read sofar has anything to do with anything. At least it disseminates someinformation. But for classical form, let us turn to the Master himselffor inspiration, specifically Das Rheingold, and like the opera DasRheingold let’s consider everything you've read so far merely aprologue, and that at least I've created some kind of atmosphere. Or asJudy Garland once said: "I don't know if anyone's interested, BUT I AM!"
(read Part 2 to continue)
(Appears in the magazine Die Zeit, August 21, 2008)
This is the third time I've written this article. To begin this (hopefully!) final session I have just put on Das Rheingold, the first opera of Wagner’s Ring Cycle and by the way things seem to be going I'mjudging Valhalla should start crumbling at around 3am. To explain toyou the beginnings of this, MY epic cycle, once upon a time a kind and generous newspaper called Die Zeit sent me to Bayreuth to see Stefan Herheim’s controversial production of Parsifal in order to writesomething about it. And now, comfortably sitting in my bright livingroom in New York City a week later with a deadline tomorrow I'm facedwith a dilemma: two approaches have been unsuccessfully tried, bothdiametrically opposed in terms of culture and era. One is a straight uptry at an old fashion review (my mom likes this one) and the second ismore of a personalized blog (my hip and gorgeous boyfriend likes this one). The first attempt goes, and yes I'm trying to fill up space here,like this:
"The town of Bayreuth is famous for two theatres.Most people know about the Festspielhaus, a huge 19th century opera house built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria to present Wagner’s massive works, which over the years has been both the glory and bane of Germany's cultural existence. The other theater, located in the center of town, is much smaller and from a much more refined period, "a better time" as Evelyn Waugh once said, the 18th century. Let's begin with the big one. I held a pretty sacred view of the place when two years ago I first went there to see Christoph Schlingensief incredible production of Parsifal, but this year on returning to see the newproduction by Stefan Herheim I had developed a more critical stance towards the Festival. Due mainly to a book about Winifred Wagner byBrigitte Hamann (suggested reading by a prominent member of the Wagner family, kudos to them!) I had learned about the festival's extreme Nazipast and on driving up the "Green Hill" after visiting Villa Wahnfried,Wagner's old home which is now a museum, I was a little miffed that inthat "museum" there had not been one single picture of Adolph Hitler.The reason I bring all this up, aside from the fact that it shouldalways be pointed out in such a hallowed place, is that if I had seenany other production of any other Wagner opera, or ANY opera for that matter, there could not have been a more important and moving stageshow than the one I saw that evening by the great director Stefan Herheim."
I think this is pretty good! And perhaps if I was agreat newspaper critic, of which there are hardly any, I could havedriven it home. But as the piece continued it became inflated andpretentious and by the end was something only a mother could love, andI'm not talking about my mother (she actually re-wrote the end, which Iwill definitely be trying to put in somewhere to make things easier onmyself). Anyway, at this point you may be asking yourself "what thehell is he going on about?" Especially since I've totally given awaythe fact that I have a tight deadline to stuff with a lot of words, butlet me assure you, there is a method to this madness, and in my humbleopinion there is no other subject in the world more deserving of thescattered, unorthodox and free style examination that you are goingto get than that of the extreme art and personality of the greatRichard Wagner.
CLANG!!!!! In my sound system it seems Wotanhas just struck the rock with his spear, the Rainbow Bridge hasappeared and Das Rheingold is coming to a close. For good measure (andto fill space), here's the beginning of the next version I wrote afterreading my first try and hating it. Let us cross the Rainbow Bridge byway of "blog" into Valhalla:
"This is the second time I'vewritten this article. The first was an attempt to encapsulate my tripto Bayreuth in a succinct and critical fashion with explanations ofwhat I believed to be deep thoughts on the physical place, its dubioushistory and the thick rope that binds them. Speaking of ropes, and notonly in terms of hanging myself, I think I thought I was a Norn (a Wagnerian mother time creature who lives in the earth in Gotterdammerung) sifting through the various threads of German historyfrom the 19th century to today, revealing to my poor readers strikingsimilarities that can only be viewed through the passage of years,blind and moaning, cursing the fact that nothing ever changes. Well, onre-reading what I'd done, I was quite disappointed, well actually, Jornmy German boyfriend (thanks guys!!!) in true Berlin fashion wasn'treally that impressed. Basically I sounded like an American teenagerwriting about his trip to Europe back to mom in the Mid West whereeveryone is still really excited about NASCAR and having won World WarII. Don't get me wrong, it's still important to mention the fact thatin Villa Whanfried, Wagner’s old home which is now a museum dedicatedto the festival, there is not one single picture of Adolf Hitler, whoactually back in the day lived next door and tended to pop over quite abit. Still, speaking of pop, for a pop musician, even a rathersophisticated pop musician like myself, tackling the Third Reich'sconnection to Bayreuth is way out of my league and for this secondattempt I will focus more on my impressions, but don't worry, I tend toget very impressed."
I'm not sure if anything you've read sofar has anything to do with anything. At least it disseminates someinformation. But for classical form, let us turn to the Master himselffor inspiration, specifically Das Rheingold, and like the opera DasRheingold let’s consider everything you've read so far merely aprologue, and that at least I've created some kind of atmosphere. Or asJudy Garland once said: "I don't know if anyone's interested, BUT I AM!"
(read Part 2 to continue)
| Posted on 8/22/2008 |
Read Rufus' article in Die Zeit Magazine! (Part 2)
The
amazing opening string line of Die Walkure is blasting through my
speakers and like that opera's mandate, it's time to get down to
business. I first really got into Wagner after going to rehab, and the
opera I most became fixated on was Tannhauser. I strongly related to
the tale of the errant knight who had tasted the forbidden pleasures of
Venusberg and like him was trying desperately to live a good clean
life, despite, like him, an ego the size of Everest. I actually
envisioned my drug cravings in the form of nymphs and fauns dancing
around naked in an Arcadian paradise just under the sidewalk. That's
what is so fascinating about Wagner, unlike Puccini, Strauss, Mozart
and Verdi (who I must note is still my favorite, I will always be a
child of papa Verdi) Wagner’s characters are always mythological
archetypes who represent not so much people or Gods, but different
philosophies in motion. And on going to Bayreuth this time to see
Parsifal there were several philosophies I had in motion. One was my
love of the work, the other was my amazement/ disgust after reading the
Hermann book on Winifred Wagner, and thirdly was the fact that my
mother has cancer. This was my second trip to the festspielhaus, my
first had been to see the incredibly moving and abstract Parsifal by
Christoph Schlingensief and at that time my mother was in the hospital
undergoing exploratory surgery which later revealed a malignant lesion
on her liver. It was the hardest time of my life, especially since I
was working in Europe and she was in Canada, I felt horribly guilty
about not being with her and until those first miraculous strains of
the Parsifal overture began, nothing on earth could compare with the
depth of my sorrow. By the end of the opera I was completely riveted,
and would at this point like to thank Christoph for aiding me through
this difficult period with his beautiful work. At that time the story
of Parsifal, the other errant knight, or actually more specifically the
story of Kundry, the Mary Magdalene figure who is doomed to live for
500 years for laughing at Jesus on the cross and aches for death, was a
perfect legend to focus on when faced with serious illness: the message
I got was that in the end, death is but a beautiful release. Well, my
mother didn’t die and judging by her present state she's sticking
around for a while. (I have to note that at this point in the Ring
Cycle Brunhilde has appeared on the wings of the majestic valkyrie
theme, of course! Basically, Brunhilde is my mom). So, with this
experience under my belt, this time going to Bayreuth I was outwardly
prepared to write a gloomy article about finally bringing my mother
there as the end of a kind of quest where together we watched the opera
and broke down simultaneously as the final strains musically revealed
the cosmos. This didn't happen for three reasons. One was that Die Zeit
only gave me one ticket and I couldn't sit with her (kindly Stefan
Herheim the director gave us a couple of comps, so she sat with my
boyfriend in much better seats). The other was that Herheim’s
production had nothing to do with death but more with the recent
history of Germany and thirdly was that the dark horse whose ghost
still haunts the town of Bayreuth; Winifred Wagner was lurking in my
thoughts.
On sitting down this time to see Parsifal with high intensions of writing about the purifying power of Wagner’s music when faced with death, Winifred's voice was in the back of my head saying about the murder of four Israeli athletes during the Munich Olympics, and I quote: "we've often tried to imagine how Adolf would have dealt with the killers.... as it is, they did only half the job all eight of them should have been shot." I really had to change my line of approach.
The stereo beckons: the mischievous Brunhilde is being chastised by her father Wotan and will soon be put to sleep and made a mere mortal and in this story, my cycle, revue, blog, WHATEVER, a conversation about Stefan Herheim’s amazing production of Parsifal is warranted. And by the way, I'm never going to say anything bad about people's work in my reviews because I know how bad it feels to read it.
The production essentially solved my dilemma. As mentioned above SOMEWHERE, we had visited Villa Wahnfried earlier that day and instead of medieval Spain where the opera is supposed to take place, the whole piece was set on the grounds of the Wagner family estate, and was packed with references both to the family and Germany as a whole. The whole experience was frightfully eerie. All of the issues I had been struggling with after reading the Winifred Wagner biography were being grappled with on stage. For example, the third act was the bombed out mansion and the destroyed areas of the set were the very same spots our tour guide had shown us many moments before by pointing out the different stone work after reconstruction. The large circular fountain I had admired earlier suddenly became first a Knight's round table and then amusingly an Ester Williams (yes! I've always wanted to mention her in something) swimming pool for Kundry's sexy ladies in waiting. The prompter's box could have possibly been Wagner's tomb but that I think would have been a bit too literal (the Master prompting the singers what to do from the grave!). But for me most importantly, due to my aforementioned state of mind, huge Nazi flags descended during the famous spear catching moment and momentarily, just long enough to really sear the retina, stayed there and then suddenly tumbled to the ground while an audible gasp was heard and felt by the entire audience.
(please read Part 3 to continue)
On sitting down this time to see Parsifal with high intensions of writing about the purifying power of Wagner’s music when faced with death, Winifred's voice was in the back of my head saying about the murder of four Israeli athletes during the Munich Olympics, and I quote: "we've often tried to imagine how Adolf would have dealt with the killers.... as it is, they did only half the job all eight of them should have been shot." I really had to change my line of approach.
The stereo beckons: the mischievous Brunhilde is being chastised by her father Wotan and will soon be put to sleep and made a mere mortal and in this story, my cycle, revue, blog, WHATEVER, a conversation about Stefan Herheim’s amazing production of Parsifal is warranted. And by the way, I'm never going to say anything bad about people's work in my reviews because I know how bad it feels to read it.
The production essentially solved my dilemma. As mentioned above SOMEWHERE, we had visited Villa Wahnfried earlier that day and instead of medieval Spain where the opera is supposed to take place, the whole piece was set on the grounds of the Wagner family estate, and was packed with references both to the family and Germany as a whole. The whole experience was frightfully eerie. All of the issues I had been struggling with after reading the Winifred Wagner biography were being grappled with on stage. For example, the third act was the bombed out mansion and the destroyed areas of the set were the very same spots our tour guide had shown us many moments before by pointing out the different stone work after reconstruction. The large circular fountain I had admired earlier suddenly became first a Knight's round table and then amusingly an Ester Williams (yes! I've always wanted to mention her in something) swimming pool for Kundry's sexy ladies in waiting. The prompter's box could have possibly been Wagner's tomb but that I think would have been a bit too literal (the Master prompting the singers what to do from the grave!). But for me most importantly, due to my aforementioned state of mind, huge Nazi flags descended during the famous spear catching moment and momentarily, just long enough to really sear the retina, stayed there and then suddenly tumbled to the ground while an audible gasp was heard and felt by the entire audience.
(please read Part 3 to continue)
| Posted on 8/22/2008 |
Read Rufus' article in Die Zeit Magazine! (Part 3)
No uptight Bavarian dare boo after that ending of Act Two, and in terms
of looking for some kind of purification ritual to face facts, it
really hit the spot. All the nasty thorns in such a beautiful artistic
bed of roses that is Bayreuth were not quite being removed but were
definitely being pointed out. Of course it was no answer to my queries,
but definitely a large blaring question mark and as everyone knows, you
can't have the former without the later. And here's the kicker: by the
end, not only was I sitting with my mom and boyfriend due to the
miraculous appearance of an empty seat right in front of them, but the
three of us witnessed in my opinion one of the great theatrical
experiences of all time. The stage, which was no longer Wahnfried but a
replica of the German Parliament dramatically became a huge rotating
mirror in the shape of the earth (and practically the size of it!), and
to the exquisite last strains of the opera movingly revealed to us, yes
US! The audience basked in light from a single white dove at the top of
the theater. I know it sounds really corny, but hell, it really worked.
OK, at this point in the Ring Cycle I'm somewhere near the end of Siegfried and I don't know what the hell is going on. I'm going to start Gotterdammerung and hopefully I won't have lost my eyesight by writing this article. You guys, The Ring is like (insert electric shock here) 16 hours long. And wait a second.... oh my God! Here come the fucking Norns!
Around the first time I first mentioned the fucking Norns I also mentioned a delicate little 18th century theater we saw that day before the opera. The Markgrafliches Theater, located in the center of town, is the last remaining painted baroque wooden theater left in Germany. It is hauntingly beautiful. That day our guide had given an adequate and enthusiastic tour of Wagner’s home, but once inside this little gem you could immediately tell where her passions and expertise lay. Her eyes immediately lit up as she began to explain its meaning: It was built by the aristocracy to give the court a type of Arcadia, a paradise on earth far from the everyday world were no windows or clocks existed bothering one with a sense of time and the privileged could just lounge about not thinking a bit of the outside world and its harsh realities. Though the inside is wooden the outside is stone, as if to represent a shell like protection of one's fantasies and both the stage and the audience face the King and Queen, thus making THEM the focal point and thanking them for creating such a glorious and elite form of escapism. This concept of what a theater once represented really struck me after seeing Herheim’s production of Parsifal. My mother, Jorn and I were staying in the fantastic Pflaums Posthotel Pegnitz Hotel where every room was a freaky testament to west Germany's finest hour, the '80s. Be it weird angular sculptures clashing with airbrushed posters of naked women with bad hair, or day glow shag carpet mixed with absurd countryside wooden rocking chairs, this place makes the New York Chelsea Hotel look minimalist. The night before the opera we had the most delicious 4 course meal there (ironically called the Gotterdammerung dinner, not gonna finish the Ring Cycle folks, thank God!) For the whopping cost of about 500 Euros, yikes!!! I get paid in American dollars. And the next day was spent in a villa, then at the opera and finally driving home in a rented black Mercedes Benz. How things have changed. Before the theater was a place to escape from the real world and bury your worries in make believe and luxury, now we try to bury ourselves in make believe and luxury and go to the theater to understand the real world. I don't know if this is a good or bad thing, but at least in our time, unlike that of Winifred Wagner’s, one of those elements is trying to tell the truth.
All right, here's what my mother wrote:
Meanwhile, over on the other side of town, built in brick, that building material which through man's cleverness lies somewhere between stone and wood, i.e., between the schloss and the chaumiere, between the prince and the peasant...Wagnerian opera was in full swing and, judging by the production I saw of Parsifal that night and the burgers who were present, the aristocracy is indeed over and the "common man" is very much with us, to be interpreted and reinterpreted however one sees fit: long live Wagner's Bayreuth.
RUFI'S ORIGINAL CHOCOLATE COVERED PARSIFAL...
I think the last phrase is a reference to Easter.
OK, at this point in the Ring Cycle I'm somewhere near the end of Siegfried and I don't know what the hell is going on. I'm going to start Gotterdammerung and hopefully I won't have lost my eyesight by writing this article. You guys, The Ring is like (insert electric shock here) 16 hours long. And wait a second.... oh my God! Here come the fucking Norns!
Around the first time I first mentioned the fucking Norns I also mentioned a delicate little 18th century theater we saw that day before the opera. The Markgrafliches Theater, located in the center of town, is the last remaining painted baroque wooden theater left in Germany. It is hauntingly beautiful. That day our guide had given an adequate and enthusiastic tour of Wagner’s home, but once inside this little gem you could immediately tell where her passions and expertise lay. Her eyes immediately lit up as she began to explain its meaning: It was built by the aristocracy to give the court a type of Arcadia, a paradise on earth far from the everyday world were no windows or clocks existed bothering one with a sense of time and the privileged could just lounge about not thinking a bit of the outside world and its harsh realities. Though the inside is wooden the outside is stone, as if to represent a shell like protection of one's fantasies and both the stage and the audience face the King and Queen, thus making THEM the focal point and thanking them for creating such a glorious and elite form of escapism. This concept of what a theater once represented really struck me after seeing Herheim’s production of Parsifal. My mother, Jorn and I were staying in the fantastic Pflaums Posthotel Pegnitz Hotel where every room was a freaky testament to west Germany's finest hour, the '80s. Be it weird angular sculptures clashing with airbrushed posters of naked women with bad hair, or day glow shag carpet mixed with absurd countryside wooden rocking chairs, this place makes the New York Chelsea Hotel look minimalist. The night before the opera we had the most delicious 4 course meal there (ironically called the Gotterdammerung dinner, not gonna finish the Ring Cycle folks, thank God!) For the whopping cost of about 500 Euros, yikes!!! I get paid in American dollars. And the next day was spent in a villa, then at the opera and finally driving home in a rented black Mercedes Benz. How things have changed. Before the theater was a place to escape from the real world and bury your worries in make believe and luxury, now we try to bury ourselves in make believe and luxury and go to the theater to understand the real world. I don't know if this is a good or bad thing, but at least in our time, unlike that of Winifred Wagner’s, one of those elements is trying to tell the truth.
All right, here's what my mother wrote:
Meanwhile, over on the other side of town, built in brick, that building material which through man's cleverness lies somewhere between stone and wood, i.e., between the schloss and the chaumiere, between the prince and the peasant...Wagnerian opera was in full swing and, judging by the production I saw of Parsifal that night and the burgers who were present, the aristocracy is indeed over and the "common man" is very much with us, to be interpreted and reinterpreted however one sees fit: long live Wagner's Bayreuth.
RUFI'S ORIGINAL CHOCOLATE COVERED PARSIFAL...
I think the last phrase is a reference to Easter.
| Posted on 8/21/2008 |
BLOOM October Perfomance In The UK Featuring Original Scores By Rufus!
On Tuesday, October 7th, and Wednesday, October 8th, the Stephen Petronio Company--known for a body of work that melds movement and form with the diverse worlds of popular culture, rock music and fashion--will perform the modern dance piece BLOOM as part of the annual London festival of Dance Umbrella . BLOOM is a piece about transformation and awakening that is performed to a commissioned Rufus Wainwright score and complemented by the uplifting voices of a local children's choir performing live.
BLOOM will be performed at 7:45PM both nights in the Southbank Centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX.
Tickets for these performances range from £12-£25 and are available through the Dance Umbrella or Southbank Centre's websites.
BLOOM will be performed at 7:45PM both nights in the Southbank Centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX.
Tickets for these performances range from £12-£25 and are available through the Dance Umbrella or Southbank Centre's websites.
| Posted on 8/15/2008 |
See Rufus in Hammond, Indiana this October!
Be one of the first to purchase tickets for Rufus' solo performance at The Venue at the Horseshoe Casino on October 17th! Presale tickets are on sale from 10AM CST until 10PM CST on Thursday, August 14th.
Click HERE to purchase your presale tickets. Use the password "venue".
Hurry and buy your tickets before they go on sale to the public on Friday, August 15th, at 10AM CST!
Click HERE to purchase your presale tickets. Use the password "venue".
Hurry and buy your tickets before they go on sale to the public on Friday, August 15th, at 10AM CST!
| Posted on 8/13/2008 |
See Rufus in Royal Oak, Michigan in October!
The early bird gets the ticket, as they say! See Rufus perform solo at Royal Oak Music Theatre on October 18th. Presale tickets go on sale Wednesday, August 6th, at 12PM (noon) EST until Friday August 8th at 12PM (noon) EST.
Click HERE to purchase your presale tickets. Use the password "romtlive".
Hurry and buy your tickets before they go on sale to the public on Friday, August 8th, at 5PM EST!
Click HERE to purchase your presale tickets. Use the password "romtlive".
Hurry and buy your tickets before they go on sale to the public on Friday, August 8th, at 5PM EST!
| Posted on 8/5/2008 |
See Rufus' Performance, Live From The Verbier Festival
Rufus' performance at the world renowned classical festival in Verbier on July 30th is now available for viewing online as a live rebroadcast.
The part containing Rufus' performance starts in the third portion of the set. Other performers include: Gabor Takacs-Nagy (conductor), Barbara Bonney (soprano), Angelika Kirchschlager (mezzo-soprano), Simon Lepper (piano), and the UBS Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra.
Click HERE to watch!
The part containing Rufus' performance starts in the third portion of the set. Other performers include: Gabor Takacs-Nagy (conductor), Barbara Bonney (soprano), Angelika Kirchschlager (mezzo-soprano), Simon Lepper (piano), and the UBS Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra.
Click HERE to watch!
| Posted on 7/29/2008 |
Join Rufus and the Human Rights Campaign in Denver during the Democratic National Convention this August!
Join us for an evening to celebrate gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality with "Rock To Win" on August 26, 2008 at the Fillmore Auditorium. The line-up will feature a special performance by Rufus along with performances by Melissa Etheridge and Cyndi Lauper. Other special guests will be announced in the days to come.
This is sure to be one of the hottest tickets in town! Click HERE to get your tickets today!
This is sure to be one of the hottest tickets in town! Click HERE to get your tickets today!
| Posted on 7/21/2008 |
Help Nominate "Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart" For Best Male Video On MTV!
This year, MTV is asking viewers to select the nominees for the Best Male Category category for the 2008 Music Video Awards. We are proud to announce that Rufus' video for "Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart" is a part of this special list!
Support Rufus by clicking HERE to cast your vote before the deadline this Wednesday, July 23rd. Official nominees will be announced on Friday, July 25th.
Support Rufus by clicking HERE to cast your vote before the deadline this Wednesday, July 23rd. Official nominees will be announced on Friday, July 25th.
| Posted on 7/21/2008 |
Rufus comes to Miami Beach in November!
Be one of the first to purchase tickets to Rufus' live solo performance at The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater on November 8th. Presale tickets will be available from 10AM EST on Wednesday, July 23rd, until 10PM EST Thursday, July 24th.
Click HERE to purchase your presale tickets. Use the password "panther." To properly process your presale, please choose the Ticket Rush box when purchasing your tickets.
Hurry and buy your tickets before they go on sale to the public on Friday, July 25th at 10AM EST!
Click HERE to purchase your presale tickets. Use the password "panther." To properly process your presale, please choose the Ticket Rush box when purchasing your tickets.
Hurry and buy your tickets before they go on sale to the public on Friday, July 25th at 10AM EST!
| Posted on 7/18/2008 |
See Rufus live in Minneapolis this October!
Be one of the first to purchase tickets to Rufus' live solo performance at the State Theatre in Minneapolis on October 16th. Presale tickets will be available starting at 10AM CST on Thursday, July 17th and ending at 10PM the same day. Here is the link to purchase these presale tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/promo/h0t8cq. Use the password "ZING."
Get your tickets before they go on sale to the public on Friday, July 18th at 11AM CST!
Get your tickets before they go on sale to the public on Friday, July 18th at 11AM CST!
| Posted on 7/14/2008 |
Recap: Blackoutsabbath 2008 (Part I)
Dear All:
At the moment I'm sitting in a cute little riverside cafe with the magnificent city of Porto, Portugal lazying behind me in the summer sun, a perfect time and setting in which to reflect. It's been a week since Blackoutsabbath (almost to the second, it's about 11:45 right now on a Saturday) and many thoughts have filtered in and out of my busy head and later I will tell you which ones stuck. But first, let me tell you how my time went. In Berlin, the night before
the event, Jorn and I went over to discuss logistics at our friends' beautiful apartment where the next evening we were to celebrate the Sabbath. They live in a very famous building, one of the old Communist towers on Karl Marx Allee, where all the posh GDR folk used to live. The whole area looks very Pet Shop Boys Soviet chic. It soon became apparent that the two big issues were this: getting my guitar over to their place so that I didn't have to carry it across town, and ice - a warning to all you chilled out, tumbler drinking Eskimo wannabes. Europe doesn't do ice in a bag - way too uncool (ha! Ha!). So after setting up a game plan which included dropping off the guitar that night, Jorn and I finding ice the next day, and during the Sabbath, my going down and up five flights of stairs on the hour to meet people at the door so that they wouldn't use the buzzer (phew!!!!). We went to our favorite restaurant (Borchards) and ate a couple of pounds of white asparagus, which Europe DOES have unlike the U.S where we have fiddle heads which Europe (I think) does not have. The next morning, Sabbath day, I woke up pretty early because I had a rehearsal at 10:00 AM with a string quartet for my Berlin show. Yes! Right up until noon I was of course working my ass off, which is good, but after what happened to poor Tim Russert, I think it's just as important to take time off:
THANK GOD FOR BLACKOUTSABBATH!!!!
Anyway, at the stroke of noon (bad choice of words), I dismissed the string players, finished up the last bit of caviar in the fridge, unplugged and turned off everything and waited for Jorn to return with some kind of creamy sweet shrimp thing for lunch. He arrived with the shrimp (which was absolutely delicious), and we made plans to go to several museums that day in order to buy cool fridge magnets for the party. But first we decided it would be nice to take a little half an hour nap before going out....we slept for three and a half hours! When we did finally wake up, we decided to at least go to one museum - the newly renovated Bode Museum on the Museum Island. What an incredible place. I especially liked the ancient (as in 2000 years old) Babylonian pinball machine and the ugly baby Jesus....go there (at least virtually) and try to find out what I'm talking about - THE FUN NEVER STOPS!!!!! Then, as the evening progressed, we started to make our way over to the monolithic area of Karl Marx Alle. On the way, we bought some cheesy Berlin beer mug magnets (just to dumb it down a bit) for the folks and then suddenly the one and only blemish occurred in the whole day (something else dark occurs later on but I'm not referring to it now so that it remains a surprise): WE COULD NOT FOR THE LIFE OF US FIND ANY ICE!!!!!!
All I can say is God bless Korea.....the corner stores of Europe are pretty mincy affairs. Sometimes it's like, "where the Hell is Marco Polo when you need him???" Or I guess in this case it would be some Viking dude. Anyway, after begging fish mongers and even thinking of raiding McDonalds with large cups, Jorn and I separated at which point I went to the party to greet guests and my dear German Wundermensch of a boyfriend went on a hunt for ice cubes. He really is the best! Fortunately, all this was rectified, ironically, BY A GAS STATION!!!
At the moment I'm sitting in a cute little riverside cafe with the magnificent city of Porto, Portugal lazying behind me in the summer sun, a perfect time and setting in which to reflect. It's been a week since Blackoutsabbath (almost to the second, it's about 11:45 right now on a Saturday) and many thoughts have filtered in and out of my busy head and later I will tell you which ones stuck. But first, let me tell you how my time went. In Berlin, the night before
the event, Jorn and I went over to discuss logistics at our friends' beautiful apartment where the next evening we were to celebrate the Sabbath. They live in a very famous building, one of the old Communist towers on Karl Marx Allee, where all the posh GDR folk used to live. The whole area looks very Pet Shop Boys Soviet chic. It soon became apparent that the two big issues were this: getting my guitar over to their place so that I didn't have to carry it across town, and ice - a warning to all you chilled out, tumbler drinking Eskimo wannabes. Europe doesn't do ice in a bag - way too uncool (ha! Ha!). So after setting up a game plan which included dropping off the guitar that night, Jorn and I finding ice the next day, and during the Sabbath, my going down and up five flights of stairs on the hour to meet people at the door so that they wouldn't use the buzzer (phew!!!!). We went to our favorite restaurant (Borchards) and ate a couple of pounds of white asparagus, which Europe DOES have unlike the U.S where we have fiddle heads which Europe (I think) does not have. The next morning, Sabbath day, I woke up pretty early because I had a rehearsal at 10:00 AM with a string quartet for my Berlin show. Yes! Right up until noon I was of course working my ass off, which is good, but after what happened to poor Tim Russert, I think it's just as important to take time off:
THANK GOD FOR BLACKOUTSABBATH!!!!
Anyway, at the stroke of noon (bad choice of words), I dismissed the string players, finished up the last bit of caviar in the fridge, unplugged and turned off everything and waited for Jorn to return with some kind of creamy sweet shrimp thing for lunch. He arrived with the shrimp (which was absolutely delicious), and we made plans to go to several museums that day in order to buy cool fridge magnets for the party. But first we decided it would be nice to take a little half an hour nap before going out....we slept for three and a half hours! When we did finally wake up, we decided to at least go to one museum - the newly renovated Bode Museum on the Museum Island. What an incredible place. I especially liked the ancient (as in 2000 years old) Babylonian pinball machine and the ugly baby Jesus....go there (at least virtually) and try to find out what I'm talking about - THE FUN NEVER STOPS!!!!! Then, as the evening progressed, we started to make our way over to the monolithic area of Karl Marx Alle. On the way, we bought some cheesy Berlin beer mug magnets (just to dumb it down a bit) for the folks and then suddenly the one and only blemish occurred in the whole day (something else dark occurs later on but I'm not referring to it now so that it remains a surprise): WE COULD NOT FOR THE LIFE OF US FIND ANY ICE!!!!!!
All I can say is God bless Korea.....the corner stores of Europe are pretty mincy affairs. Sometimes it's like, "where the Hell is Marco Polo when you need him???" Or I guess in this case it would be some Viking dude. Anyway, after begging fish mongers and even thinking of raiding McDonalds with large cups, Jorn and I separated at which point I went to the party to greet guests and my dear German Wundermensch of a boyfriend went on a hunt for ice cubes. He really is the best! Fortunately, all this was rectified, ironically, BY A GAS STATION!!!
| Posted on 7/7/2008 |
Recap: Blackoutsabbath 2008 (Part II)
So let's push ahead a couple of hours now to the festivities and the secret dark surprise which I won't tell you about so you're shocked later because you know nothing of it. Most of the guests arrived, night fell, candles were lit and DRINKS WERE CHILLED!! Due to the loss of the electric sound system, I, inbetween the "on the hour" trips to retrieve people downstairs sang a few songs from my upcoming Shakespeare project with Bob Wilson - Rufus and Will together again but this time by candle light! It was utterly enchanting if I do say so myself! So upon leaving to go pick up some latecomers downstairs, I was confident that I had left behind an atmosphere strewn with languid contentment. But when I returned a few moments later with my friends David the cellist and his lovely violinist fiancee Rachel (both bearing their instruments), that languid atmosphere had dramatically morphed into a panic stricken frenzy! My sense of smell immediately gave it away. It smelled of burning plastic! (Aren't you happy I warned you?) I thought maybe it was a plastic bag or a cup or something that had caught fire, but no! Wonder of wonders: IT WAS THE TOILET!!!! A candle which had been placed on the ever stylish yet plastic Euro toilet had practically burned the whole waste apparatus down to the ground. It looked like something the Nazis would have done to a Marcel Duchamp art piece in the 30's, or better yet, it looked like an actual art piece of today! Everyone was quite shocked, but considering that one could argue that in fact the fire hadn't spread DUE to the toilet and thus it is possible to say that we were all actually saved BY the toilet, the party went on.......thanks to the toilet.
The air was somewhat refreshed by David and Rachel who played a beautiful Ravel duo that once again reminded me of how little I know about music, and then with about twenty minutes to go, I rallied the troops together singing "California" on my guitar (which was saved by a toilet) and we all got down to the business of writing lists. Now let me tell you: the crowd I hang out with in Berlin is pretty blase - think a kinder, gentler Otto Dix painting: eye glasses sans heroin needles. One of the guests had just finished a book about her elderly grandparents fulfilling a suicide pact. Another had just directed Tristan und Isolde. Needless to say, I felt a bit dorky strumming on the guitar and asking everyone to change their lightbulbs, especially since Germany compared to the US is miles ahead in terms of energy conservation. Still, I was tolerated and at midnight we all put our completed lists on the fridge at the same time in a symbolic gesture and noticing that most of them were in fact lists (a select few were drawings), I was satisfied at a job well done. I could ramble on about the rest of the night and in fact continue this story to the present day, but that would give away the fact that it's a week later and I'm now on a boulevard in Portugal. I TOLD YOU I HATE WRITING EMAILS!!!!
So here are some points I want to throw out there before I throw in the towel (not on the Earth of course!...both ON and ON....figure it out). But before I do, thanks to all those who participated. It
really means a lot to me. POINT TIME:.
*I THINK THE BLACKOUTSABBATH PARTIES SHOULD BE RATHER SMALL,
INTIMATE AFFAIRS. TOO MANY PEOPLE MAKES IT HARD TO FOCUS.
*NEXT YEAR WHEN I DO IT AGAIN I WANT TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE PERSON
THERE WHO KNOWS A LOT ABOUT CONSERVATION, HAS PREPARED SOME INFO AND
CAN KINDA MODERATE THE DISCUSSION. YOU KNOW: YOUR CRAZY HIPPIE
FRIEND!!!!
*THE ACTUAL LIST ONE WRITES ON THE NIGHT IS ACTUALLY A SKETCH TO
GET YOU STARTED. ANOTHER LIST SHOULD LATER BE THOUGHT OUT AND WRITTEN
AND THE FOLLOWING YEAR BROUGHT TO THE NEXT BLACKOUTSABBATH NIGHT.
That's all for now. Let me know about your Blackoutsabbath. Please post your stories on the website. Take care and good luck!!!!!
Love
Rufus. X
| Posted on 7/7/2008 |
Rufus To Headline The Watermill Concert 2008
On Saturday, August 30th, Rufus Wainwright will headline The Watermill Concert 2008: Last Song of Summer, which Summer will bring together three artists exceptionally capable of channeling emotion in their music, offering audiences an opportunity to experience them in the singular environs of The Watermill Center, Robert Wilson’s secluded Southampton laboratory for the creative process. Rufus, with his special guest Jessye Norman, will headline the concert, with songwriter and singer Daniel Knox opening the event. This concert is a fundraising benefit for The Watermill Center’s Artist Residency Program.
The Watermill Center is located at 39 Watermill Towd Road in Watermill, New York. The evening will begin with cocktails at 4:00 P.M. Daniel Knox will perform at 4:30 P.M., followed by Rufus Wainwright with Jessye Norman at 5:30 P.M.
Tickets for this benefit range from $125 to $500, the latter price including access to a backstage meet-and-great with the artists after the show. For tickets, please call the Byrd Hoffman Watermill Foundation at 212.253.7484 ext 10.
The Watermill Concert 2008: Last Song of Summer is sponsored by L’Oreal and Sotheby’s, with additional support from Brooks Brothers. Drinks will be provided by Peroni, VOSS Water and GUS. The event’s co-chairs include Lisa Anastos, Martin Dawson, Amanda Hearst, Tobias Meyer, Shamim M. Momin, Dalia Oberlander and Viktor & Rolf.
The Watermill Center is located at 39 Watermill Towd Road in Watermill, New York. The evening will begin with cocktails at 4:00 P.M. Daniel Knox will perform at 4:30 P.M., followed by Rufus Wainwright with Jessye Norman at 5:30 P.M.
Tickets for this benefit range from $125 to $500, the latter price including access to a backstage meet-and-great with the artists after the show. For tickets, please call the Byrd Hoffman Watermill Foundation at 212.253.7484 ext 10.
The Watermill Concert 2008: Last Song of Summer is sponsored by L’Oreal and Sotheby’s, with additional support from Brooks Brothers. Drinks will be provided by Peroni, VOSS Water and GUS. The event’s co-chairs include Lisa Anastos, Martin Dawson, Amanda Hearst, Tobias Meyer, Shamim M. Momin, Dalia Oberlander and Viktor & Rolf.
| Posted on 7/1/2008 |
See Rufus Receive His GLAAD Media Award On Bravo TV!
Tune in to Bravo TV at 7pm EST/PST on Friday, June 27th, to see Rufus and fellow celebrities that were honored at the 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles last April.
Rufus received the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, which is presented to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for the LGBT community.
For more information click HERE.
Rufus received the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, which is presented to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for the LGBT community.
For more information click HERE.
| Posted on 6/23/2008 |
Reminder from Jorn
This message from Jorn Weisbrodt has been translated from German:
Heyho fellow Germans,
A new thing is coming from the US again and you will be able to
experience it first hand. It is not the new Sex and the City which is
already so out of date when you watch it and the only new thing about
it is that there are no ads in between but the whole film is a
constant ad, it is not the new Iphone although I am sure there is one
and not the new Ipod that has a bigger music capacity than a person's
average lifetime but it is blackoutsabbath. Yes, you heard right, it
is something that sounds dark and gloomy (something that American were
leaving up to the Europeans in the past) and it comes from the US. It
does sound a little bit like recession and yes, that is also something
new that we have to share. But the great thing is that the new thing
comes with two well known things or better people; Rufus who will be
in Berlin for a while working on something as over as Shakespeare's
Sonnets and me. Blackoutsabbath is on the 21st of June and the only
thing that you have to do to be part of it is: nothing. That sounds
easy so far. You have to make sure though that nothing comes out of
anything that you do or that you need nothing to do what you are
doing. What does this mean? Turn of your power! Create your own
blackout. And yes, it is a Saturday and the 21st of June happens to be
summer solstice, the longest day during the year and in New York there
is the Upper West Side and before I moved to New York my friend
Adriana tried to explain to me all Jewish holidays and now I wish I
would be working for a Jewish company because one gets 13 (yes,
thirteen) holidays more in that culture, so now I am sure you also
understand why it is called Blackoutsabbath. So you must not do
anything that day and must not rely on energy. How is that possible?
How can you get through these frightening 12 hours? By coming to the
party that Corinna, Georg, Rufus and myself are organizing at 7PM. You
have to ring the doorbell that says Diez. Hang on a minute...Ring a
doorbell? No, you can't!
We will come up with a device how we upstairs will notice that you
downstairs want to come up. And you will have to use the stairs
because remember no power, no elevators. Rufus already volunteered
that he will come down each time someone is ringing (let us just call
it that for the ease of the communication sake) because climbing
stairs makes your butt pop out. You cannot use your car or the subway
to get here because everything is not working anymore during a
blackout. You could drive over here before noon and hang around
wasting your time (which would be a good thing to do that day).
Also hitchhiking, subway, even sharing cars with lots of other people
does not work. You could use your horse or other animals that you can
ride on or just a bicycle. Bring a candle (as it does get dark and
again, there is no power for 12 hours) and ideas to talk about what
one can change or wants to change about ones life, consumption and
behavior. We will then write everything down and Rufus has really
relentless fans that give him anything from scarves to brooches to
toys (not THOSE toys) to fridge magnets that will make sure that our
thoughts and ideas will stay with us for a year until the same thing
happens again and we can have new ideas that come out of absolutely
nothing. I wish his fans would also give us more useful things like
new bowls (help, we really need some for cereal in the morning!), a
beautiful day blanket for the bed (and I mean BEAUTIFUL not like the
scarf that he got on April 1st after this one show). I even had to get
my own juicer because I waited for three years and no fan was ready to
give us one.
Why am I in this relationship? But let us stay on the topic.
It would be an honor if you would want to celebrate this evening with
us. It will also be one of the few changes for me to see you again and
vice versa even though after a certain hour we will not see that much
anymore.
Please let me know if you are attending and if you bring someone. You
can only bring one person and that should be the one you have the most
regular sex with (and no sex is not regular).
Lots of love,
Jorn
P.S. And who still did not get what this is about please go to www.blackoutsabbath.org
where this text will end up too probably eventually.
And because this was so much fun here is the same letter in Chinese
(just kidding, but they would actually need this)
Heyho fellow Germans,
A new thing is coming from the US again and you will be able to
experience it first hand. It is not the new Sex and the City which is
already so out of date when you watch it and the only new thing about
it is that there are no ads in between but the whole film is a
constant ad, it is not the new Iphone although I am sure there is one
and not the new Ipod that has a bigger music capacity than a person's
average lifetime but it is blackoutsabbath. Yes, you heard right, it
is something that sounds dark and gloomy (something that American were
leaving up to the Europeans in the past) and it comes from the US. It
does sound a little bit like recession and yes, that is also something
new that we have to share. But the great thing is that the new thing
comes with two well known things or better people; Rufus who will be
in Berlin for a while working on something as over as Shakespeare's
Sonnets and me. Blackoutsabbath is on the 21st of June and the only
thing that you have to do to be part of it is: nothing. That sounds
easy so far. You have to make sure though that nothing comes out of
anything that you do or that you need nothing to do what you are
doing. What does this mean? Turn of your power! Create your own
blackout. And yes, it is a Saturday and the 21st of June happens to be
summer solstice, the longest day during the year and in New York there
is the Upper West Side and before I moved to New York my friend
Adriana tried to explain to me all Jewish holidays and now I wish I
would be working for a Jewish company because one gets 13 (yes,
thirteen) holidays more in that culture, so now I am sure you also
understand why it is called Blackoutsabbath. So you must not do
anything that day and must not rely on energy. How is that possible?
How can you get through these frightening 12 hours? By coming to the
party that Corinna, Georg, Rufus and myself are organizing at 7PM. You
have to ring the doorbell that says Diez. Hang on a minute...Ring a
doorbell? No, you can't!
We will come up with a device how we upstairs will notice that you
downstairs want to come up. And you will have to use the stairs
because remember no power, no elevators. Rufus already volunteered
that he will come down each time someone is ringing (let us just call
it that for the ease of the communication sake) because climbing
stairs makes your butt pop out. You cannot use your car or the subway
to get here because everything is not working anymore during a
blackout. You could drive over here before noon and hang around
wasting your time (which would be a good thing to do that day).
Also hitchhiking, subway, even sharing cars with lots of other people
does not work. You could use your horse or other animals that you can
ride on or just a bicycle. Bring a candle (as it does get dark and
again, there is no power for 12 hours) and ideas to talk about what
one can change or wants to change about ones life, consumption and
behavior. We will then write everything down and Rufus has really
relentless fans that give him anything from scarves to brooches to
toys (not THOSE toys) to fridge magnets that will make sure that our
thoughts and ideas will stay with us for a year until the same thing
happens again and we can have new ideas that come out of absolutely
nothing. I wish his fans would also give us more useful things like
new bowls (help, we really need some for cereal in the morning!), a
beautiful day blanket for the bed (and I mean BEAUTIFUL not like the
scarf that he got on April 1st after this one show). I even had to get
my own juicer because I waited for three years and no fan was ready to
give us one.
Why am I in this relationship? But let us stay on the topic.
It would be an honor if you would want to celebrate this evening with
us. It will also be one of the few changes for me to see you again and
vice versa even though after a certain hour we will not see that much
anymore.
Please let me know if you are attending and if you bring someone. You
can only bring one person and that should be the one you have the most
regular sex with (and no sex is not regular).
Lots of love,
Jorn
P.S. And who still did not get what this is about please go to www.blackoutsabbath.org
where this text will end up too probably eventually.
And because this was so much fun here is the same letter in Chinese
(just kidding, but they would actually need this)
| Posted on 6/16/2008 |
Reminder From Kate
From Rufus' mother, Kate McGarrigle:
blackoutsabbath:TUNE OUT!!!!! TURN OFF!!!!! DROP IN!!!!! TUNE
OUT all Blackberrys, computers, cell phones etc..TURN OFF all lights
and electrical appliances, host a blackoutsabbath DROP IN: preferably
outdoors...just like the old celebration of the solstice - burning the
fire from sundown to sun up in order to keep the day from dying and
starting anew! In Quebec, we do the St. Jean which is an ancient
Celtic (Breton) celebration...don't use anything ELECTRICAL or
ELECTRONIC.....show your ELECTRONS some love: give them the DAY OFF!
For advice on how to prepare, go to our very own RABBI
SCHLOMO.....whose people have lots of experience (thousands of years)
doing sabbath - how to prepare, what to eat etc...however since this
has nothing to do with WORK, I suggest a hearty BBQ - fire is allowed,
coals are allowed - fun is allowed! NO ELECTRONIC SOURCES OF SOUNDS -
make your own music....beat a drum, strum a guitar, plink a piano,
blow a horn!
____________
mother's blackoutsabbath update:
what was
TUNE OUT TURN OFF DROP IN
is becoming
TUNE UP TURN OFF DROP IN
i have decided i'm observing the BLACKOUTSABBATH '08 in St. Sauveur where a small gathering of like-minded folks are invited to bring ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTS (hence the TUNE UP)... we'll BBQ, cook on camping stoves, whatever...however we are STILL TUNING OUT....WE ARE STILL GIVING OUR HARD-WORKING ELECTRONS THE NIGHT OFF!
remember - we're trading 60 cycles for sexy cycles....bicycles....
POWER SHUTS DOWN AT 12PM NOON....
NO CARS IN DRIVEWAY...
POSSIBILITY OF TENTING...
********To get ready*******
PREPARE TO UNLOAD FRIDGE!(this also means freezer)
you can do this anytime starting.......NOW!
or later BUT by the 21st, all food is out of fridge (unless you want serious disaster)
as the POWER GETS SWITCHED TO OFF AT 7PM
Here are some household hints:
You can make a REFRIGERATOR SOUP, or you might attempt a REFRIGERATOR SALAD with cooked veggies...or
START THE COUNTDOWN WITH A MELTDOWN...
AN ICECREAM MELTDOWN....empty those haagen-daaz (or however you spell it)
serve it as an APPETIZER - put ice cream to the FRONT of the menu instead of the BACK...
Ice cream and rum - YUM...Ice cream and wine - DIVINE.....
I shall add to this as we get closer....
yours in darkness and tranquility...
kate
blackoutsabbath:TUNE OUT!!!!! TURN OFF!!!!! DROP IN!!!!! TUNE
OUT all Blackberrys, computers, cell phones etc..TURN OFF all lights
and electrical appliances, host a blackoutsabbath DROP IN: preferably
outdoors...just like the old celebration of the solstice - burning the
fire from sundown to sun up in order to keep the day from dying and
starting anew! In Quebec, we do the St. Jean which is an ancient
Celtic (Breton) celebration...don't use anything ELECTRICAL or
ELECTRONIC.....show your ELECTRONS some love: give them the DAY OFF!
For advice on how to prepare, go to our very own RABBI
SCHLOMO.....whose people have lots of experience (thousands of years)
doing sabbath - how to prepare, what to eat etc...however since this
has nothing to do with WORK, I suggest a hearty BBQ - fire is allowed,
coals are allowed - fun is allowed! NO ELECTRONIC SOURCES OF SOUNDS -
make your own music....beat a drum, strum a guitar, plink a piano,
blow a horn!
____________
mother's blackoutsabbath update:
what was
TUNE OUT TURN OFF DROP IN
is becoming
TUNE UP TURN OFF DROP IN
i have decided i'm observing the BLACKOUTSABBATH '08 in St. Sauveur where a small gathering of like-minded folks are invited to bring ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTS (hence the TUNE UP)... we'll BBQ, cook on camping stoves, whatever...however we are STILL TUNING OUT....WE ARE STILL GIVING OUR HARD-WORKING ELECTRONS THE NIGHT OFF!
remember - we're trading 60 cycles for sexy cycles....bicycles....
POWER SHUTS DOWN AT 12PM NOON....
NO CARS IN DRIVEWAY...
POSSIBILITY OF TENTING...
********To get ready*******
PREPARE TO UNLOAD FRIDGE!(this also means freezer)
you can do this anytime starting.......NOW!
or later BUT by the 21st, all food is out of fridge (unless you want serious disaster)
as the POWER GETS SWITCHED TO OFF AT 7PM
Here are some household hints:
You can make a REFRIGERATOR SOUP, or you might attempt a REFRIGERATOR SALAD with cooked veggies...or
START THE COUNTDOWN WITH A MELTDOWN...
AN ICECREAM MELTDOWN....empty those haagen-daaz (or however you spell it)
serve it as an APPETIZER - put ice cream to the FRONT of the menu instead of the BACK...
Ice cream and rum - YUM...Ice cream and wine - DIVINE.....
I shall add to this as we get closer....
yours in darkness and tranquility...
kate
| Posted on 6/16/2008 |
Reminder From Rufus
Hey all!
This will be the last reminder before the first annual Blackoutsabbath
ritual takes place on Saturday, June 21st 2008 from noon to midnight
all over the World. I'm assuming you folks out there haven't been
bombarded with promo concerning the event: this is precisely my
intention! I didn't want to push this project too hard and make it
seem like some kind of media fad. Like the low grade fever that grips
our planet, we need a low grade answer (not necessarily dramatic, but
a CONSTANT reminder) to combat the marathon machinations we are about
to experience, not to mention what we are experiencing right now!
Don't get me wrong, the bigger the gesture the better. Still, any
shift must last and in essence become a solid part of our lives. The
other day I saw some guy on TV (wish I could remember his name)
talking about how it is the simple organisms that survive on this
planet, and that history is laced with examples of species dying out
because they failed to cut back when their habitat required them to.
On one hand it's frightening, but on the other it's possibly a
testament to the greatness of humanity if we act on the fact that we
as a species might actually have to de-evolve in a way in order to
survive. IT'S REVOLUTIONARY, and has never been done in the whole
history of the earth! Still, I would bargain to say that not only the
earth but in fact the entire Universe has never witnessed such a thing
as "human beings" and that even if they can get a bit screwy, our
brains are still our greatest asset. So good luck with your day off,
do what you can, but most of all, keep trying.
Love, Rufus
P.S. This message was pretty dry in terms of the comedy section, so
below I attached a couple of emails, one from my mom and one from Jorn
so you guys can chuckle a bit. (See the following two news posts.) Also, don't forget to visit the site blackoutsabbath.org to get the specifics. Adios!
This will be the last reminder before the first annual Blackoutsabbath
ritual takes place on Saturday, June 21st 2008 from noon to midnight
all over the World. I'm assuming you folks out there haven't been
bombarded with promo concerning the event: this is precisely my
intention! I didn't want to push this project too hard and make it
seem like some kind of media fad. Like the low grade fever that grips
our planet, we need a low grade answer (not necessarily dramatic, but
a CONSTANT reminder) to combat the marathon machinations we are about
to experience, not to mention what we are experiencing right now!
Don't get me wrong, the bigger the gesture the better. Still, any
shift must last and in essence become a solid part of our lives. The
other day I saw some guy on TV (wish I could remember his name)
talking about how it is the simple organisms that survive on this
planet, and that history is laced with examples of species dying out
because they failed to cut back when their habitat required them to.
On one hand it's frightening, but on the other it's possibly a
testament to the greatness of humanity if we act on the fact that we
as a species might actually have to de-evolve in a way in order to
survive. IT'S REVOLUTIONARY, and has never been done in the whole
history of the earth! Still, I would bargain to say that not only the
earth but in fact the entire Universe has never witnessed such a thing
as "human beings" and that even if they can get a bit screwy, our
brains are still our greatest asset. So good luck with your day off,
do what you can, but most of all, keep trying.
Love, Rufus
P.S. This message was pretty dry in terms of the comedy section, so
below I attached a couple of emails, one from my mom and one from Jorn
so you guys can chuckle a bit. (See the following two news posts.) Also, don't forget to visit the site blackoutsabbath.org to get the specifics. Adios!
| Posted on 6/16/2008 |
Get your tickets now for Rufus in Albany, NY!
Fan pre-sale tickets available now to see Rufus Wainwright perform a special solo show in Albany at The Egg on Saturday August, 16, 2008.
Call the box office at 518.473.1845 and get your early bird tickets now!
Password is ROSES.
Call the box office at 518.473.1845 and get your early bird tickets now!
Password is ROSES.
| Posted on 5/19/2008 |
Get your tickets early to see Rufus in Berlin!
Tickets go on-sale tomorrow at 10am CEST for Rufus' solo show in Berlin, Germany on July 3rd. He'll be performing solo at Admiralspalast Studio. Here's your chance to purchase great seats right as they go on-sale! Click HERE for the ticket purchase website.
| Posted on 5/14/2008 |
Rufus to appear on the Jo Soares show tonight!
Tune into Globo TV's Jo Soares Show late tonight at 12:20am (in the midnight hour) to see a live performance and interview from Rufus while in Brazil! Click HERE for more details.
| Posted on 5/12/2008 |
A night of Rufus on Sky Arts!
Tune in this Friday night, April 25, 2008 to Sky Arts, UK's leading TV channel dedicated to the arts, as they host an exciting night in honor of Rufus Wainwright!
Spend the evening getting acquainted with Rufus and enjoy two live performances - Wainwright's genius Judy Garland recreation and his intimate 2007 Switzerland gig.
Rufus Wainwright Sings Judy Garland Live 8:00 PM
Rufus Wainwright: All I Want 9:30 PM
Rufus Wainwright: Plays Avo Session 10:20 PM
For more information, click HERE.
Spend the evening getting acquainted with Rufus and enjoy two live performances - Wainwright's genius Judy Garland recreation and his intimate 2007 Switzerland gig.
Rufus Wainwright Sings Judy Garland Live 8:00 PM
Rufus Wainwright: All I Want 9:30 PM
Rufus Wainwright: Plays Avo Session 10:20 PM
For more information, click HERE.
| Posted on 4/21/2008 |
Rufus on Sunday Arts!
Rufus will be featured on ABC TV Australia's "Sunday Arts" program!
Tune in next Sunday April 20, 2008 at 5:30PM AEST to see Rufus' special performance.
For more information go here.
Tune in next Sunday April 20, 2008 at 5:30PM AEST to see Rufus' special performance.
For more information go here.
| Posted on 4/11/2008 |
Magnets for Blackoutsabbath
Thank you to everyone who donated magnets for the Blackoutsabbath awareness concert on March 19. They were distributed to the concert goers so they can post their list on their fridge. We no longer need magnet donations.
| Posted on 3/21/2008 |
Rufus live at the Kenwood House in London in July!
It's official: tickets are now on sale for Rufus' upcoming solo performance at the beautiful Kenwood House on July 5, 2008 in Hampstead, London. English Heritage 2008 Kenwood Picnic Concerts are delighted to have Rufus be one of their featured artists for the picnic concert. The concert series is supported by Jacques Cider with Fruit’
To purchase tickets to this special show, click HERE
To purchase tickets to this special show, click HERE
| Posted on 3/18/2008 |
Rufus Wainwright selected to play Hampton Court Palace Festival! Get pre-sale tickets!
The Hampton Court Palace Festival is in it's 16th year and this year they are having a very special guest. Our very own Rufus Wainwright!
Please check back Wednesday, March 12, 2008 at 9AM GMT for more details on the fan pre-sale for Rufus' special solo performances at the Hampton Court Palace Festival on June 3 and June 4, 2008.
Tickets will be available here.
Please check back Wednesday, March 12, 2008 at 9AM GMT for more details on the fan pre-sale for Rufus' special solo performances at the Hampton Court Palace Festival on June 3 and June 4, 2008.
Tickets will be available here.
| Posted on 3/11/2008 |
BLOOM is back!
This is your chance to see one of the many ways Rufus Wainwright contributes to the art world.
The celebrated contemporary dance company, Stephen Petronio, collaborated with Rufus on BLOOM. Rufus composed music that swoons and swells with young love. set to poetry by Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman. Petronio's dazzling, high-energy dancers celebrate the openness of youth.
BLOOM will be showing April 1 to 6, 2008 at The Joyce Theater - 175 8th Avenue. New York, NY 10011.
Rufus' original music for BLOOM will feature a children's chorus in a lyrical underscoring of Petronio's savvy, proactive and physical movement.
Rufus will not be performing at these shows, but don't miss a night of dance and his music.
Tickets and more information available here.
The celebrated contemporary dance company, Stephen Petronio, collaborated with Rufus on BLOOM. Rufus composed music that swoons and swells with young love. set to poetry by Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman. Petronio's dazzling, high-energy dancers celebrate the openness of youth.
BLOOM will be showing April 1 to 6, 2008 at The Joyce Theater - 175 8th Avenue. New York, NY 10011.
Rufus' original music for BLOOM will feature a children's chorus in a lyrical underscoring of Petronio's savvy, proactive and physical movement.
Rufus will not be performing at these shows, but don't miss a night of dance and his music.
Tickets and more information available here.
| Posted on 3/7/2008 |
Rufus Asks To Hear From You: Blackoutsabbath
Rufus Wainwright has announced an intimate performance in New York City to benefit Blackoutsabbath, a new energy conservation initiative that he will spearhead.
Angel Orensanz Foundation
172 Norfolk Street in NYC
MARCH 19th, 2008
Doors at 7PM/ Show at 8PM
Edit: THIS SHOW IS NOW SOLD OUT.
Rufus is asking his fans to send refrigerator magnets for distribution as part of his Blackoutsabbath initiative. You can send them to Rufus c/o MCT Management, 520 8th Avenue, Suite 2001, New York, N.Y. 10018.
If you're coming to a show, bring the magnets with you and personally give them to Rufus.
"We've moved on from brooches to refrigerator magnets," Rufus says.
He'd be happy to meet you and accept donations of all magnets.
Please visit www.Blackoutsabbath.org for more information.
Angel Orensanz Foundation
172 Norfolk Street in NYC
MARCH 19th, 2008
Doors at 7PM/ Show at 8PM
Edit: THIS SHOW IS NOW SOLD OUT.
Rufus is asking his fans to send refrigerator magnets for distribution as part of his Blackoutsabbath initiative. You can send them to Rufus c/o MCT Management, 520 8th Avenue, Suite 2001, New York, N.Y. 10018.
If you're coming to a show, bring the magnets with you and personally give them to Rufus.
"We've moved on from brooches to refrigerator magnets," Rufus says.
He'd be happy to meet you and accept donations of all magnets.
Please visit www.Blackoutsabbath.org for more information.
| Posted on 2/15/2008 |
Valentine's Day show at Radio City: Almost SOLD OUT!
Move quick ladies and gents, or you will miss out on the last stop of
the Release The Stars tour. Bring someone special and let Rufus and his amazing band romance you one last time!
Get your ticket before they are all gone here.
Get your ticket before they are all gone here.
| Posted on 2/7/2008 |
Rufus gets two nods from Canada's Juno Awards
News just in! Rufus Wainwright has been nominated for two awards this year: Songwriter of the Year and Adult Alternative Album of the Year.
You can see what the Junos are all about here.
You can see what the Junos are all about here.
| Posted on 2/6/2008 |
Tanktop designed by Rufus in H&M stores this week!
The tanktop that Rufus designed for H&M's "Fashion Against Aids" campaign will be available in H&M retail stores this Thursday, January 31st. There will only be a limited number of tanktops made, so make sure to get yours before they run out!
Please visit the H&M website for more information.
Please visit the H&M website for more information.
| Posted on 1/28/2008 |
Do you want to perform live on stage with RUFUS?
Going to a Town to see Rufus? Want to perform the spoken word part of 'Between My Legs' live on stage with Rufus? Rufus will select a special guest for all of his shows in Australia (January 27, 29, 30th...February 1, 2, 7, 9) except his solo dates. He will also be choosing a special guest for his shows in LA (February 12) and NYC (February 14).
Go to Rufus Wainwright Tour Auditions on You Tube and post your best rendition of the spoken word part (only!) from 'Between My Legs' and you could be selected to meet and perform with Rufus in your town. You must already have a ticket to the show. Entries must be posted no less than five days prior to the show. No band members or their families are eligible.
Please follow the link: (http://www.youtube.com/group/rufuswainwrighttour) to upload your video (60 seconds or less). Send your full name, email address, phone number, name of your YouTube video (think of a unique name!) and link to your video, and which show you will be attending to: releasethestars2@gmail.com. Good luck!
Go to Rufus Wainwright Tour Auditions on You Tube and post your best rendition of the spoken word part (only!) from 'Between My Legs' and you could be selected to meet and perform with Rufus in your town. You must already have a ticket to the show. Entries must be posted no less than five days prior to the show. No band members or their families are eligible.
Please follow the link: (http://www.youtube.com/group/rufuswainwrighttour) to upload your video (60 seconds or less). Send your full name, email address, phone number, name of your YouTube video (think of a unique name!) and link to your video, and which show you will be attending to: releasethestars2@gmail.com. Good luck!
| Posted on 1/22/2008 |
Rufus Nominated for Brit Award!
Rufus has been nominated for a BRIT Award for Best International Male Solo Artist!
The list of nominees will be posted later today on the BRITS Awards website:
http://www.brits.co.uk/
The list of nominees will be posted later today on the BRITS Awards website:
http://www.brits.co.uk/
| Posted on 1/14/2008 |
Rufus' show at the London Palladium airs again!
Channel 4 in London will be airing Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy!, Rufus' show at the London Palladium Saturday January 12, 2008 at 12:20am GMT.
| Posted on 1/11/2008 |
Rufus Solo Shows in Portland and Seattle
Rufus will be performing solo in Seattle at the Paramount Theatre on March 13, 2008 and in Portland at the Newmark Theatre. The public onsale is Saturday, January 12 at 10:00 AM PST. Presales run Thursday, January 10 at 10am PST - Friday, January 11 at 10pm PST and the password for both shows is "rufus". Please refer to corresponding links below.
Seattle: Buy Tickets
Portland: Buy TIckets
Seattle: Buy Tickets
Portland: Buy TIckets
| Posted on 1/9/2008 |
Rufus is coming to Los Angeles!
Happy New Year!
After his run of dates in Japan in Australia, Rufus and his band will be heading to Los Angeles, CA to perform at the Wiltern on February 12th. The general on-sale is this Saturday, January 12th. You can purchase tickets through the fan pre-sale which begins at 10am Pacific Time this Thursday, January 10th and ends at 10pm Pacific Time on Friday, January 11th.
Click HERE for the pre-sale link. Password is "roses".
After his run of dates in Japan in Australia, Rufus and his band will be heading to Los Angeles, CA to perform at the Wiltern on February 12th. The general on-sale is this Saturday, January 12th. You can purchase tickets through the fan pre-sale which begins at 10am Pacific Time this Thursday, January 10th and ends at 10pm Pacific Time on Friday, January 11th.
Click HERE for the pre-sale link. Password is "roses".
| Posted on 1/8/2008 |
2008
