Celebrating Queer Culture at Arts Commons: Hot Dyke Party and Taylor Mac in Conversation

Arts Commons Presents recently hosted an unforgettable weekend of celebration and creativity, in collaboration with One Yellow Rabbit’s High Performance Rodeo, with events designed to energize and inspire the Queer community.

Arts Commons recently hosted an exhilarating lineup, featuring two unique events. The high-energy punk music of the electrifying Hot Dyke Party, followed by a night with the dynamic Taylor Mac, brought a burst of creativity and excitement to Calgary.

Celebrating Queer Culture at Arts Commons

Hot Dyke Party

From January 16 – 18, 2025, at 7:30 PM at the Engineered Air Theatre, Hot Dyke Party delivered three nights of theatre-rock concert vibes. Hailing from the West Coast, the event was a vibrant celebration of dykes, butches, femmes, and queer of all identities. The band’s original music, brought to life by Arthi Chandra, Blue Chu, Cindy Kao, Hannah Meyers, Hayley Sullivan, and Thule van den, perfectly blended humour, celebration, and the uplifting spirit of LGBTQ+ culture. Visuals and atmospheric elements were created by talented artist Alexandra Caprara.

Following each performance, ticketholders enjoyed SCRATCH, Calgary’s favourite underground after-party, ensuring the celebration didn’t end on stage.

Taylor Mac in Conversation with Denise Clarke

On January 18, 2025, the Martha Cohen Theatre hosted Taylor Mac in Conversation with Denise Clarke. This event offered a behind-the-scenes look at the iconic artist’s groundbreaking work, “A 24-Decade History of Popular Music.” The HBO documentary, capturing this monumental concert experience, was screened for free after the conversation.

Performed over 24 straight hours in Brooklyn, New York, Taylor Mac’s concert included 246 songs that spanned 240 years of music history, from 1776 to 2016. The New York Times hailed it as “one of the great experiences of my life,” and The Guardian ranked it fifth on their list of top theatrical works since 2000. This eye-opening documentary, directed by Academy Award winners Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, offered a peek into the genius of Taylor Mac and this once-in-a-lifetime performance.

Taylor Mac is an esteemed artist with various accolades, including the International Ibsen Award, a MacArthur Fellowship, and being a Pulitzer Prize Finalist. His extensive body of work includes plays, revues, and collaborations with notable names such as Nathan Lane and Mandy Patinkin.

“Just a few weeks ago we went from holiday cheer to high-performance queer! The boundary-pushing Hot Dyke Party was so much fun and rocked the Rodeo all night long. Then we had the pleasure of hosting Taylor Mac, a shining example of an artist who defies definition… and it was incredible to be in the room when he shared his creative energy,” said Sarah Garton Stanley, VP of Programming at Arts Commons.

Arts Commons Presents has consistently championed diverse programming, presenting a range of concerts, speaker presentations, youth programs, and showcases for emerging artists. Their events, such as BD&P World Stage, Classic Albums Live, and National Geographic Live, mark their dedication to delivering unparalleled artistic experiences.

 

About Demian Vernieri 683 Articles
Demian is an Argentinian retired musician, avid gamer and editor for the Montréal Guardian, Toronto Guardian, Calgary Guardian and Vancouver Guardian websites.