Freak of all trades
Megan Butcher
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Lovebreed & his props
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Lynnee Breedlove's tranny comedy act
Lynnee Breedlove is a freak of all trades: musician, novelist, comedian, actor, director and general shit disturber. His CV is longer than my arm, and he self-deprecatingly calls himself a dilettante. His many fans would beg to differ. He got his start in the early '90s as the founder and frontperson of the dyke punk band Tribe 8, and was known equally for his politics and antics, which often involved sharp kitchen implements and fake dicks. As their lyricist, he was also no stranger to writing, so it was an easy jump into the spoken word scene - one show and he was hooked. "People could hear me," he said. "It wasn't like this wall of punk and no one could tell what the fuck I was saying. I did a bunch of shows with stuff from my book [Godspeed, St. Martin's], but I really enjoyed the off-the-cuff, audience interaction stuff more. I ended up at a comedy club one night and cracked up all these veteran comedy guys. I figured if I could tell jokes about being a tranny and make these straight guys laugh..."
One Freak Show: Less Rock, More Hilarity came out of this moment. Described on his website as a work in progress about trans body issues, feminism, community and family, it's part stand-up, part rap, part performance art. "I use lots of props: cigarettes, wineglasses, turkey basters, stripper shoes." Every time he gets in front of a crowd, the show changes.
Maybe because the audience is different each time. "I've been a member of nearly every letter of that unpronounceable
acronym, what is it now, GLBTTIQQ? Everybody sits there all serious about this sexuality stuff I'm talking about, and then part way through they realize, 'Oh shit, it's funny,' and walk out feeling a little more love for each other." Not to say that everyone feels the love. Breedlove's nebulous spot on the gender/sexuality spectrum doesn't make everyone happy. He's described himself as a no ho, no lo, no op (no hormones, no lower surgery, no operations) tranny. Which doesn't make him all that popular in bathrooms.
As awkward as things can get for him, his vantage point also provides him with ample material, like fun bits about boy boobs ("breasticles, like testicles, but higher"). And it gives him the perspective to develop a simple mission. "We need to laugh at ourselves and each other, not knock each other down. We've got to save that for the people who have the power."
Lynnee Breedlove's One Freak Show
Wednesday, October 25
at 8:30 p.m., $10
Venus Envy (320 Lisgar)
