THE HOMEOWNER

Thursday, October 09, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Mercury

The Homeowner: Rufus' emotional rescue

By Mike Prevatt

During a South By Southwest conference panel not too long ago, a few journalists and former music industry people discussed the sad state of affairs for gay musicians and the pop scene. Like actors, musicians are always being, shall we say, advised to keep their private lives in the closet and stick to maintaining a consumer-friendly heterosexual image. This way, unsuspecting homophobes still might buy the record or add the song to radio or sign the artist to play the venue. Some musicians become bigger than their music, their love lives and extracurricular whims too game for the paparazzi, and that's partially why heavyweights such as Melissa Etheridge and George Michael came out. But despite that whole idea that rock 'n' roll is celebrated for its penchant for flamboyance, androgyny and social rebellion, a less successful artist is usually not afforded that luxury of honesty.

Unless, of course, you're already out by the time the A&R executive reaches for the pen and contract. That's why Rufus Wainwright is one of the few openly gay icons for discerning music fans such as myself. Out when he was a teenager, the singer/songwriter wasn't about to walk right back in the closet. Not that he could if he tried--the now 30-year-old's creative approach marries styles such as chamber, opera and Broadway musical to dramatize a form of folk pop all his own. And while his personality hardly entraps him in the oft-stereotyped gay roles like the gym bunny or sarcastic fashionista, he's a minor diva in his own right, as fabulous as a guy with a fascination for 19th century music can be.

Just like his music, Wainwright is a guy who goes to extremes. It took him three years to make his first, self-titled album, released to widespread critical acclaim in 1998. He recorded its follow up, 2001's Poses, in the infamous Chelsea Hotel, one of New York City's more colorful and sleazy locales. For the recently released Want One--the first of two albums Wainwright is to release within the next nine months, a la Radiohead's Kid A and Amnesiac--the son of folkies Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle musically documented what seems like the realization of Poses, descending into what he called in the New York Times a "gay hell." He took copious amounts of drugs--namely, crystal meth (a.k.a. Tina), the current narcotic scourge of most gay ghettos--hungrily sought out anonymous sex and sunk into a debilitating depression.

This wasn't a case of doing it for the art--Wainwright clearly had lost himself, and after cleaning up in a rehab center in Minnesota, he got to work on the Want One project. He quickly found his muse; after six months, he had about 30 songs--hence two albums rather than one. The first is said to be the more accessible version, a possible litmus test to measure his pop appeal. If anything, Want One is the most emotionally raw and introspective work of the artist's career. It's also one of the best albums of the year.

Wainwright has made no bones about his 2001 exploits, in both song and interview. He told the New York Times that he wanted to come forth with his fall and comeback because it might help someone else struggling with drugs like crystal and engaging in reckless sexual activity. That remains to be seen. As unfair as it is to assume such a thing, something tells me most gay men can barely identify the singer beyond his placement on the proverbial gay-celeb list, or a mental Advocate clipping the poppers haven't vaporized just yet.

Usually, it's gay men I meet who keep up with the arts and are well-read that boast a Rufus album or two in their music collection. And it's not just because pop and diva house typically make up the soundtrack of most gay environments, be they gyms, bars, clubs, clothing stores and social functions. Wainwright is one of the most sophisticated and accomplished musicians in pop music--equally skilled and inspired, distinctive in his vocal delivery and ambitious in his orchestral vision. Sometimes, you have to hear his work a few times to fully absorb it. That said, he's also a gifted songwriter. There are songs on Want One--like "Movies of Myself," "14th Street," "Beautiful Child"--that are so resonant, they'll compel you to make a mix for your best pal.

This guy deserves a much larger audience, and not because he's a rare and unique pop gay icon, or because he might save the life of some horny tweeker in the Castro District. He's simply amazing at what he does--an emotional rescue both for him and anyone else who might care.

The Homeowner appears biweekly. Send your comments and nude pics (especially if you look like Wes from "Boy Meets Boy") to oughtabeinporn@yahoo.com.