October 2003
Parlee Magazine, NY
The Jed Diaries: DIVAS LIVE!
by Jed Ryan
...She's openly gay, fiercely feminist, and ready for the revolution with her weapon of choice: her voice. And what a weapon it is! She's Alix Olson: highly praised (three nominations at the 2003 Outmusic Awards), nationally recognized "spoken word folk poet". On Sunday, October 26th, Ms. Olson brought her unique art form to New York's famous Knitting Factory (74 Leonard St, WAY downtown. Check out www.KnittingFactory.com.). The first show that night was sold out, and the second show was similarly packed with her fans: mostly young, self-styled lesbians (oh, and three men, including-- again!-- me and Outmusic's Ed Mannix), many of whom traveled a great distance to see her live. Alix Olson will change any notions you may have about spoken word as entertainment... forever. Her passionate live shows are no less than astonishing. Alix' influence on spoken word poetry can be summed up by one fan, who didn't mince his words: "She invented it!" The same fan also pointed out how absolutely mesmerized the audience was by her performance. Accompanied by music, Ms. Olson reflects on the state of society, economics, and politics in the US and world. Her work is full of power, insight, and humor (She stated how "Women for Bush" holds a different meaning for her, and in one anecdote about life on the road, stated, "As a good feminist, I know how to change a tire!" ). She similarly offers soulful, self-reflective pieces which tell stories about her own life and loves. That night, Alix' special guest was Pamela Means, who accompanied Alix' vocals with her guitar. Pamela, who sported a "Boyfriend Shmoyfriend" T-shirt and a hairstyle she named the "Sapphro", is also a singer/songwriter in her own right. In one segment, "Womyn Before", Alix pays homage to her feminist heroines, including Angela Davis, Flo Kennedy, Bella Abzug, her grandmother, and her mother. Ms. Olson's famous, award-winning piece "America's On Sale" tells how the American dream is only pocket-deep, with the affluent pants-wearers having the advantage: "Attention, shoppers: America's on sale!... We've unstocked the welfare pantry, to re-stock the Wall Street gentry. It's elementary because values don't pay! Yes, American dreams are on permanent layaway, There was limited availability anyway!" Rachael Sage, another immensely talented performer, took to the piano and joined Alix for a thoughtful piece called "Stuffed Monkey". Their collaboration was planned just earlier that day-- and based, I later found out, on Rachael's understanding of the words of the piece and her friendship with Alix. For a finale, Alix did a segment called "Pirates", with the message of "You gotta steal back the truth." The combination of Alix's vocals, Pamela's guitar, and background vocals and piano by Rachael was absolutely intense. Although Alix Olson's slam poetry has heavy political content (She focuses largely on inequality of all kinds in America and the world), her work is not so much negative or angry, but rather provocative, energizing, inspirational, and motivational. She pushes for change and reinforces that ALL of us can make a difference for the better. Yet, her work has a playful side. For a finale, she performed a favorite from her first CD, called "Armpit Hair", a mirthful tribute to... well, you can guess. Remember the name: Alix Olson. She must be seen live for maximum impact... but she also has two CD's of material which include most of the pieces that she performed at The Knitting Factory that night. Her new CD is called "Independence Meal". Check out www.AlixOlson.com for more info. Alix Olson proves that entertainment must always be thought-provoking, is best when it's intelligent, and yes, Virginia, should leave you something that stays with you.