Jane, Again
Noted Billings band reunites for Pride weekend show
BOB ZELLAR/Gazette Staff
Pope Jane members Holly Shawver, Kristen Coyner and Danielle Egnew, from left, practice for an appearance at the Montana Pride Celebration.
It has been eight years in the making, but the members of the all-girl rock
group Pope Jane are in the same town, and they intend to rock out.
"The
outpouring from the Billings community was humbling," vocalist Danielle Egnew
said of the public reaction to the reunion.
The rockers, who enjoyed
local celebrity in the 1990s, will headline a show at the Montana Pride
Celebration.
Pope Jane's performance at the Loft on Saturday night will
be the first appearance by the band's original members since 2001.
The show, like Pride weekend, will be for the gay and straight
communities of Billings.
"It's an everyone show," Egnew
said.
Bassist Holly Shawver has been raising four children in Billings
with her husband during the band's hiatus. For her, the concert offers a trip
down memory lane.
"I'm excited for the reunion. It's fun to relive my
youth a little bit," Shawver said.
For drummer Kristen Coyner, a chance
to shake off the rust coincided with an event she cares about.
"The pride
event was pretty cool, because to have a pride festival there at all is
remarkable," Coyner said.
Pope Jane is just one highlight for the
weekend, Pride coordinator Robin McClure said.
Pride weekend is an annual
celebration to recognize lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Montanans and
Two Spirit communities.
McClure explained that it is a time for people to
express themselves proudly and let the community know that LGBT people are "no
different" than anyone else.
"It's turned into an arena for people to
meet people and have fun," she said.
It's also a special weekend for
those who feel alone and fear discrimination.
"They can be out for one
day a year. We like to be able to offer that escape," McClure said.
The
Pride Ceremony kicks off Friday with a drag show performed at the Loft by the
Imperial Supreme Court of the State of Montana.
Ryan Carney, co-executive
director for the ISCSM, said the show promises entertainment, and the proceeds
will go to charities around the state.
"We're really looking forward to
it," he said. "It'll be all sorts of fun."
The lineup includes 15
performers and will be emceed by Miss Jade. The show begins at 8:30 p.m., has a
$10 cover charge and is open only to people 21 and older.
An
alcohol-free, no-charge bowling night for those under 21 will run concurrently
at Sunset Bowl.
Saturday will begin with a parade at 10 a.m. on North
26th Street. McClure said the parade is a traditional part of a gay pride
weekend and a way for a community to support its members.
"It's a way for
people to show they are proud," she said.
McClure also said the visible
support from nongays and religious groups at the 2007 parade was
encouraging.
"The support of the spiritual community last year was
astounding," she said.
After the parade, the festivities move to North
Park, where there will be a variety of vendors and food options from noon to 6
p.m. The Festival in the Park will offer tattoo artists, massage therapists,
bingo, gay games, a beer garden and musical entertainment from Judy Fjell, Kym
Berry Music and the Missoula Gay Men's chorus.
"There's so much for
people to do," McClure said.
McClure said the gay games are traditional
festival games with a twist. The three-legged race will take place on an
obstacle course, and contestants in the egg race will have to complete a puzzle
while running with their egg.
North Park will host the kickball
tournament as well. Vanessa Browning, a local teacher and a member of the
Batters Not Included team, said the party in the park is all about
community.
"It's a very inclusive, very accepting weekend," Browning
said. "It's nice to connect with people we don't see very often."
The
concert at the Loft begins with singer Josh Zuckerman at 7:30 p.m., followed by
comic Jenny Sherwin at 8:30 p.m. As the headliners, Pope Jane will go on at 9
p.m. with a promised two-hour show. Coordinators will fence off the Loft parking
lot to accommodate the large number of attendants.
Since it is a
21-and-older show, younger participants and their families can play on the
giant, inflatable Twister board or play games with members of Students Helping
Others Understand Teen AIDS.
Sunday wraps up the weekend with an
interdenominational faith service in North Park at 9 a.m., followed by a
farewell breakfast at 10 a.m.
McClure said the organizers are expecting a
larger crowd than last year and have stepped up security measures in light of
the recent white-supremacist graffiti. She encouraged all members of the
community to attend and interact.
"It's not just for gay people, and we'd
prefer not to have it that way," McClure said.
All the proceeds from the
weekend will go to charity through the Montana Pride
Network.