Join TRACTION this Sunday, November 21 at 5pm PST for VIBES!, a virtual live music showcase featuring trans+ and nonbinary artists!
Skip to Artists’ Bios & Tip Jars
Click here to watch the video of live music performances!
To wrap up Trans Awareness Week, join us Sunday, November 21st at 5pm PST for our final VIBES! showcase of 2021. The amazing Lara Americo hosts all trans/enby artists, livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube! FEATURING: Apollo Flowerchild Steph Durwin Heather Hills Mourning People Band
This event is made possible through the generosity of Group Health Foundation and other funders. TRACTION is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Seattle, Washington. TRACTION cultivates connection and visibility for transgender and gender-nonbinary people through community service in support of marginalized communities.
Produced by TRACTION – trans community action. Learn more about our work at tractionpnw.org.
♫ Support trans+ artists ♫ Donations appreciated ♫
Featured Guests
Lara Americo (she/they), Emcee
Your host for tonight’s event is TRACTION board member Lara Americo. Lara is an artist and musician whose focus is on the potential present of indigenous people if it wasn’t for colonization. She is also a journalist with bi-lines in the New York Times, NBC, and more. She lives in New York City near the site where pride began.
Tip jar: Venmo: @Lara-Americo
Apollo Flowerchild (they/them)
To quote countryqueer.com:
“Apollo Flowerchild is an indie/folk artist out of New York. Their soft voice, thoughtful lyrics, and soothing yet stimulating instrumental backings make a perfect soundtrack to a quiet morning drinking coffee or a late night of writing.”
https://www.facebook.com/Apolloflowerchildmusic
Tip jar:
Steph Durwin (he/him)
Steph Durwin is a NYC-based songwriter, recording engineer and producer, and is regional manager for the @transtrenderz label representing Black trans artists. He’s also a third of tonight’s featured band, Mourning People.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2jN8j…
Insta: @stephdurwin
FB: facebook.com/stephdurwin
Web: stephdurwinrecording.com
Bookings: st******************@gm***.com
Tip jar:
Heather Hills (she/her)
Heather Hills is a trans female rapper from the Jersey shore. She began rapping at 14 and soon switched from musical theatre to being a full-time artist. She has since released an EP called “TGirls” in 2018 and has been mentioned in Out in NJ, THEM, LadyGunn, Billboard, PAPER Magazine and BUST. She is currently working on an EP set to be released next Spring/Summer.
“A small-town girl with big-city dreams, Hills seeks to make music for fellow outcasts. She knows what it’s like to adapt by changing her outside appearance to fit in, while never sacrificing her character or compromising who she truly is.” —Windy City Times
Follow Heather Hills:
theheatherhills.com
Insta: @HEATHERxHILLS
Twitter: @HEATHERxHILLS
Tip jar:
Mourning People
Mo(u)rning People is a super group consisting of the combined talents of Apollo Flowerchild, Steph Durwin, and Lara Americo. Their sound combines folk, shoe-gaze, and country to create a playful melodic foundation for a blend of voices and harmonies. The group works in NYC and is recording their debut EP.
Social media:
Tip jar:
Michael Woodward (he/him) – Producer/Director
Michael Woodward (he/him) is a writer, rock star, inclusion consultant, and aging queer trans guy. He has published myriad books, articles, and blogs, including the essay “Manning Up” in the anthology of the same name (Transgress Press, 2014). A recovering Hoosier, Michael lived many years in Tucson, Arizona, where he co-founded the notorious trans and allies cover band, Too Much Information, and worked as a change agent, rabble rouser, and early leader in the gender justice movement. Michael is the co-founder and current Board Vice President and Treasurer of TRACTION, producer of tonight’s event. Prior to transitioning, he was very active with the National Women’s Music Festival, one of the oldest on-going live music events celebrating women in the arts. He envisions a post-pandemic world that includes in-person Vibes! trans music events that pay homage to his roots in feminist work.
Social media:
https://www.facebook.com/corwin.michael.woodward
Instagram: @morphingmichael
Twitter: @SeattleTransGuy
YouTube: BlackMagic: A Tribute to Carlos Santana