British singer/guitarist Joan Armatrading has long been known as a very private person—except, perhaps, in her intensely personal songs. This privacy includes her sexuality, although she has long been rumored to be either lesbian or bisexual. By making special guest appearances on Cyndi Lauper’s recent True Colors tour, Joan seems to be letting the mask drop a bit. One more point for the gay artist rolls?

Either way, Armatrading is a fantastic guitarist with a supple voice that frequently drops into a deep rumble. She came onto the scene in the 1970s as the first real solo female rock artist to become a star. Early songs, like her signature “Love and Affection,” tend to be more folky, in the singer-songwriter tradition, but starting in 1980, Joan went electric in a big way. Her biggest chart hit, “Drop the Pilot” (later not-so-badly covered by Mandy Moore of all people) and sly, witty songs like “Me Myself I” and “(I Love It When You) Call Me Names” come from this later period in the early ’80s. Lesbian listeners may also know her work from its appearance on the soundtracks to Boys on the Side (“Willow”) and The L Word (the gorgeous, aching “The Weakness in Me”). Head to YouTube for more videos of Joan in performance—if you don’t know her work, she’s a gem.

All this is by way of letting New Gay readers know that Joan Armatrading will appear live at Falls Church’s State Theatre this Thursday, July 10th, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $50; unlike most State Theatre concerts, this is a seated-only concert.

I’m going to close on a personal note: none of my friends are Joan Armatrading fans (I need to work on changing this…) and the $50 ticket price for her concert may be a bit steep for anyone who doesn’t already know that she/he loves Joan’s music. If anyone out there among The New Gay’s loyal readers would like to hit this concert with me (who aren’t attending this Thursday’s TNG Party), get in touch at philipclark@hotmail.com. Thanks!

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