There is a tour de force coming straight out of Bed-Stuy, usually seen with some giant french fries dangling from her ears.
Her name is Miss Eaves. You may have read about her in the New York Times, Jezebel, or Glamour…or perhaps one of your friends sent you a link to her 2017 viral video Thunder Thighs, a balls-out anthem to body positivity that captivated over two million people.
Miss Eaves is a vivid onstage treasure. There is nothing precious about her performances. In a society hell-bent on silence and censorship in the name of propriety, Miss Eaves lets it all hang out in a stream of unfettered truths.
Her shows are a potent mix of John Waters, Amy Sedaris, and Missy Elliott. She is shocking, blunt, and funny as hell. She also isn’t shy on stage, playfully confronting her audience, calling out bad behavior and celebrating the good stuff of being human.
Despite her comical joie de vivre delivery, Miss Eaves still wields the power to shock…and she has a lot to discuss. Ghosters, manchildren, masturbation and the absurdity of self-hatred are all fair game for this modern-day Puck. From Fuccboi Salute, an anthem for the Tinder Generation, to Thunder Thighs, a bop about being comfortable in your skin, her raps resonate with anyone striking out with romance and true connection.
Miss Eaves recently dropped a new EP, called sad, written during the throes of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Since the album release, Miss Eaves spent this summer globetrotting all over Europe, Canada, and the US. Her April show at the Bowery Electric in NYC was a mix of uproarious laughter and, with the merry announcement of Bush For The Push, a song about pubic hair grooming…the shifty discomfort of your grade 4 sex-ed class.
“Don’t tell me I’m too hairy to eat
‘Cause I’m all natural: Bon Appetit!
In addition to her eight-year career as a feminist rapper, Miss Eaves’ alter-ego, Shanthony Exum, is an accomplished multimedia artist. She is also proudly DIY, self-funding her projects and occasionally collaborating with other talented artists and designers. She is particularly supportive of small businesses, particularly those that are queer-owned.
Miss Eaves recently released a video for Left Swipe Left, describing the depressing nature of Tinder dating. It will undoubtedly have you chanting along during your next attempt at online love….but “it’s ok, tho’.”
Eaves recently took her creative design sense to the streets with a clever guerrilla marketing campaign. Xeroxed street flyers of Eaves trapped in a cardboard Tinder world with the frantic heading “DATE ME! PLEAAAASE!” appeared in Manhattan and Brooklyn, complete with pull-off tabs linking to the video. Eaves hung them herself, documenting the results on her Facebook feed.
sad is now available on all streaming platforms. Get that plate of cheese and chocolate out and play this jam loud. You’re gonna be fine and she’ll tell you why.
Saturday, September 14th I had the pleasure of attending another Future Female Sounds performance at the Ludlow House, a members club affiliated with the Soho House. The exclusive performances are invite-only, and curated by musician Michelle Rose, celebrate up-in-coming female voices from New York City. The quarterly shows started a year ago after the popularity of an all-women performance celebrating international women’s day in 2018.
The stage, which is set amongst a cozy lounge reminiscent of a casual living room with its chic wallpaper and eclectic art-covered walls and comfortable velour furniture creates a welcoming, yet intimate space. What I love about each show is that you never know what to expect. Past shows featured significantly diverse genres that seamlessly fit beautifully and others like tonight, had artists whose styles were all reminiscent of moody music from the 90s.
Each show generally features three to four performers whose sets include both original songs and covers, usually by artists that inspired them. Saturday night’s lineup included Jaki Doyka, Tanners, a music video premiere of Leannebased on the song featured in the TV show Broad City, and Chelle.
The premiere was a fun experience, especially for fans of the popular TV show Broad City. The song, voiced by Michelle Rose and created by the music director of Broad City, was made specifically to be used in the show as a radio song that appeared in season four in a karaoke scene, and also kept finding it’s way throughout the rest of the season. The song itself was never completed, which makes the music video that much more enjoyable to watch.
Michelle who curates the most fun evenings always impresses me. So, I wanted to learn more about how the series got its start and what we should look forward to.
AG: What inspired this series? How did it all come about? When did you realize that this should be a regular thing?
MR: In the wake of #metoo and #timesup, many female-focused meet-up groups and organizations began to organize. In the spring of 2018, Soho House commissioned my sister Sarah Frances and me to curate a concert for International Women’s day at Ludlow House. I wrote a short message asking artists to come together to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women on International Women’s day, which marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.
The collaborative night became effortless to book as powerful women from nearly every genre of music possible signed on board to be a part of it. Each artist performed 1-2 songs–an original, and a cove–accompanied by a few words describing how the female artist they chose affected their musical journey. The night evolved into the most high-energy experience I’ve ever had at Ludlow House. With over 15 female artists incorporated into the collaborative night, the room was at capacity and the pride and enthusiasm were unparalleled.
Refinery 29 set up a Livestream of interviews in the cinema room for their Facebook Livestream “The Mention”. And after this media platform was confirmed, Soho House decided to film all of the performances. There were camera crews, electric energy, a full house, and a star-studded crowd for close to five hours of live music & poetic interludes.
After the success of the event, I sat down with Yasmin Daguilh, the previous event programming manager for Ludlow House. We decided to create a quarterly series based on the demand and reception from the concert. From there the series Future Female Sounds was born.
AG: Why all women? What is the goal? What do you hope audiences take from this experience?
MR: I’ve been a part of the New York music scene for over a decade, and have experienced the cutthroat female competition in a male-dominated industry first hand. The goal was and is still to create a safe space for female artists to perform, collaborate, network, and experience an intimate night of new emerging female artists.
There’s a unique power to a female lineup. In this style of curation, I noticed women feel more confident to explain the backstory of a song, exchange contact information, and set up collaborative writing sessions when they’re not the minority gender in the room. I took a lot of inspiration from participating in Rachael Pazden’s all-female collaborative series “The Hum.” The goal of Future Female Sounds is to build community amongst female musicians in a beautiful safe space in New York City.
AG: What should people expect when they come to a show?
MR: They should expect a cross-genre showcase of female musicians, a safe space to network and form friendships, and a silent, engaged, and attentive audience.
AG: What is your curatorial process? How do you find the artists? What do you look for? Do you choose artists in a similar genre/style?
MR: I usually find my artists from experiencing them live, or finding their Instagram and DMing them. I aim for the showcase to be inclusive, diverse, and include multiple genres.
AG: If someone wanted to be considered, how can they reach you?
MR: DM me on Instagram @heymichellerose
AG: When’s the next show?
MR: It’s the 2nd Saturday of the month every three months! So the next one will be December 14th.
AG: How do you get tickets?
MR: A private Eventbrite link that I circulate amongst the community.
AG: How can one find and follow up with the artists?
MR: All the artists plug their social media handles after their performances and engage with the audience. I’d like to create a unique space for the roster to live and I’m working on developing that. It will probably be an Instagram handle in the next coming months.
If you’re interested in attending or being in Future Female Sounds, as well as know more about and or follow the artists who recently performed, follow them and Michelle Rose on Instagram.
Jacki Dokya’s soulful voice, accompanied only by a keyboard, beautifully renders a raw performance that’s hypnotizing.
Tanners, known for her psychedelic pop music, gave audiences a stripped-down acoustic performance that was both passionate and haunting.
Michelle Rose is half of the pop duo Frances Rose, along with her sister Sarah Frances. She has also just premiered her new solo project, Chelle. Chelle, similar to Frances Rose, which is heavily inspired by 90s pop rock. It draws her audience in with powerful deep vocal chords that showcase her talent as a storyteller and performer.
National Women’s History Month is starting on the first day of March and Ann Taylor is launching a new campaign to celebrate the brand. The company has committed over 60 years to make a woman feel powerful in her wardrobe every day. The campaign will feature a video journey from 1940, when women could still be arrested for wearing pants in public, in 2018 where women can wear them whenever wherever. Not only the video will show the evolution of women wearing pants but a symbol of equality for women.
At Downtown, pants are a way to be able to feel comfortable, confident and powerful an outfit. Whether it’s a fancy pantsuit to the ripped jeans that weren’t originally ripped. Let’s take us on a journey to memory lane on the different kinds the pants to dedicate Women’s History Month.
1940s
Times Inc
The pants suit was the way and breaking down the stereotype of having women only wear skirt and dresses to work. Working women who wanted to be taken seriously and be suitable at work was the fashion statement in the 40s. Dresses were still fashionable, but women were breaking the stereotype.
1950s
Vogue
The jeans came into play and started the trend of having women be relaxed but still have stylish outfits. Plus, the patterned pants and flair pants were a powerful statement.
1960s
Sears
Color, color, and color. Bright fun color is what the 60s brought to women across the country, and the pants were all the talk. Fun colorful pants pink, yellow and red were a new way for women to express themselves. Plus, corduroy colorful was a trend that continues today!
1970s
Feeneys
Bell bottom pants were the pants to wear and bigger the bell bottom the power move for women! The 70s continued to have vibrant colors and funky pattern.
1980s
Retro Waste
Acid washed jeans, and straight leg jeans took over the 80s with a bold statement in their outfits. The 80s brought the movement into power dressing in the workplace. Plus, wearing a bright color to show the movement feminism in the work field.
1990s
Winona Ryder: Getty Images
Ripped jeans were the popular trend in the 90s and bringing the gauge style to America. A casual chic look to women and reminding them to express themselves. Not only the alternative look but the glamour fashion was a flashing trend too. Women fashion animal print and pantsuits continued from the 80s to the 90s.
2000s
Freaky Friday
Camo pants, low-rise jeans, and Juicy Couture tracksuits were the rage in the 2000s. Fast fashion became a trend where people can buy trends from high-end fashion but get the items at a lower cost. Forever 21 and H&M were places where women get the latest fashion.
2010s
Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images
2010 brought the hipster into coffee shops and man buns. Women wore their and boyfriend jeans. These pants made for a relaxed but stylish look, women rocked during this decade.
2018
Francesca Monfrinatti
It’s still early to predict or even show the pants trend, but the fashion has evolved into women being able to wear beautiful and powerful pants. For 2018, track pants with heels are an active classy look for 2018. Racing fashion is an upcoming trend that Downtown has been noticing, and we think women develop a new way to push ladies out of their comfort zone with this trend.
Pants have not always acceptable to wear but now women are kicking butt and making pants the power move! Women’s History is those who wish to celebrate what they want to wear and break down the stereotype. Women can make their own power by “wearing the pants,” Ann Taylor’s Spring pant collection features new styles and showcases the brand’s extended sizes and hems.
Dick Gregory began his career as a comedian while serving in United States Army in the mid-1950s. His first big break came in 1961, when Hugh Hefner saw him perform and went on to hire him to work at the Chicago Playboy Club. An appearance on Tonight Starring Jack Paar followed not too long after, leading to countless other television bookings.
While “stand-up comedian” is how most people describe Dick Gregory, it is only one of the career paths he has excelled within. He was very active within the Civil Rights Movement, marching in Selma, and also being one of the notables involved with the National ERA March. He has written more than a dozen published books. He has appeared in movies and television shows as an actor, including Wonder Showzen. He has hosted radio programs. Dick has also thrived within the health food industry, founding Dick Gregory Health Enterprises, Inc. in 1984.
At 85 years young, Dick remains active as ever and will be playing at the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill alongside Richard Pryor’s main writer Paul Mooney on Feb. 10. Dick spoke to Downtown by phone about his history with New York, and some highlights of that chat are posted below. More on Dick — a very smart, talkative and entertaining man, to say the least — can be found at www.dickgregory.com.
When did you play New York City for the first time? What do you remember about it?
Dick Gregory: I was scared, not because of show business, but you know coming out of St. Louis and you hear about New York. I get there and I see all these fruit stores. “Hey man, where is the Mafia? Where is the gangsters?” I say, “Wait a minute, every time you walk down the street, every corner there is a fruit store.” That was the most wildest thing in New York. It is different now because you’ve got health food stores…But then every corner, there is three or four stores with people going in buying fruits and that was my biggest thing…I still can’t understand that today, every corner there is a newsstand…Wait a minute, newspapers? I never really heard anything where everybody in New York goes to buy a newspaper every morning. (laughs)
Do you remember the first club that you played at in New York?
DG: Oh yeah, The Blue Angel, probably one of the most romantic clubs in the world. I mean, that was the elite, that was like the Rolls Royce of clubs. So you go there, you see what I didn’t understand…What I found out in New York, those type of clubs people go out to spend money…They don’t eat nothing at no damn nightclub, you go to a restaurant and eat…The average bill at The Blue Angel was about, you know, maybe $2,000, because they came in there to drink. They didn’t come in to eat or get a sandwich…I hadn’t seen anything like it in my life.
You mentioned before about people eating fruit and eating healthy. New York City is very much known as one of the first places to advocate for eating healthy and eating organic. Where did your interest in that come from in the first place?
DG: Well, let me say this…I thought good nutrition is whatever you eat did not run out till you’ve had enough. Bad nutrition is when say you were still hungry. Now even back then, wasn’t nobody talking about organic, health food stores, not just in New York but nowhere…Let me tell you one of the myths about “organic.” People with little money say, “Oh I wish I could eat organic but it is too expensive.”
Well, here is what is “expensive” is: I’ve got a 20-year old car. I’d use three times more gasoline in a new car…And so “organic” is, “I am used to eating ten potatoes and now I am eating organic, all I have to eat is two and I get more nutrition with the organic than I did with the 10.” So the one thing that the industry has done a good job of is convincing people, you eat less and you get more…
Also, remember I am 85 years old. So when I was younger, you know nobody understood nothing about nutrition…I do a joke way back in the day, I said, “I go home to St. Louis, my drugged-out cousin, he is sitting on the park bench, cocaine dust on his nose, powder all over his coat, and I wake him up and say, ‘Hey man, here is an apple.’ He says, ‘Is it organic?’”
(laughs) Right.
DG: Now here is what most folks don’t know. If I am sitting with you and I cut my wrist, I bleed, right?
Sure…
DG: Once you cut an apple and people go get fruit salad, once that fruit salad is cut in the morning, it bleeds just like you do. So by the time you eat it, it ain’t got no nutrition in it and that is why when you go to the better restaurants in the world. Or in New York City, they make the salad right there at the table…
I used to drink a fifth of scotch every day, so after I changed my lifestyle and I didn’t drink, I was called a health nut. I used to smoke a full pack of cigarettes and nobody called me a health nut…so you can have some friends and you go in a bar, and you just pick a wine and drink it like the cowboys used to do. Just drink it down, give me another one then you change your lifestyle. Then you can go in and get you a six-ounce bottle of calcium and you can drink it down and they say, “You ain’t supposed to drink that much.” I say, “Nobody told me that when I was drinking whiskey.” (laughs)
One day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the nation’s capital was flooded with a sea of pink hats worn by activists and protesters from around the country.
Sporting signs with slogans such as “Dump Trump” and “We want a leader,” participants of the organized Women’s March grassroots effort snaked down Washington’s streets in opposition of the new president’s ideologies and beliefs. Multiple attendees said they decided to attend to oppose President Donald Trump’s denigration of women, immigrants and minorities.
“This is the upside of the downside. This is an outpouring of energy and true democracy like I have never seen in my very long life,” Steinem said to the crowd. “It is wide in age. It is deep in diversity. And remember, the constitution does not begin with ‘I the president,” it begins with ‘we the people.’”
The official number of attendees has yet to be determined, but the city’s metro system tweeted that over one million people rode the Metrorail on the day of the protest; event organizers had originally sought a permit for 200,000, according to the National Park Service’s permit application list obtained by Politico. D.C. police confirmed Jan. 22 that they had made no arrests related to the march.
“We are marching. We are marching straight ahead toward the Washington Monument to the ellipse of the White House,” read a press statement released by the Women’s March organization during the event. Police kept the White House blocked off during the march with barricades and police cars.
Protester Lisa Wisman said she flew in by herself from Michigan after purchasing her plane tickets the week before.
“I just feel like the things that Donald Trump is doing deserve to be protested and he needs to be held accountable,” she said. “He’s made all these promises and lies and the people need to take back their ability to hold their elected officials accountable. And protesting is one of the ways that I’m doing that.”
Joe Giro said he came into the city from upstate New York with friends.
“I want my nine-month old niece to grow up in a world that’s not filled with hate, and at least…where women are accepted,” he said.
President Donald Trump did not comment during the event on Twitter, the social media outlet widely regarded as one of his favorite ways to communicate with the public. However, Hillary Clinton, Trump’s Democratic opponent during the presidential race, used Twitter to show her support for the march.
“Thanks for standing, speaking & marching for our values @womensmarch. Important as ever. I truly believe we’re always Stronger Together,” Clinton tweeted the morning of the event.
Nearby the march, the “Bikers for Trump” group had also reserved a space in the city to hold “an event of celebrations provided by the biker community,” said R.C. Pittman, president of Florida’s Bikers For Trump.
“We’ve opened this park up to anyone who wants to celebrate with us. The women are welcome, protesters are welcome; I haven’t run anybody off. We don’t have any fences up,” he said. In front of the Bikers for Trump stage, both protesters and Trump supporters were sitting and dancing to music.
Ahad Yonus, who donned a hat emblazoned with Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan, said he went by the Women’s March protest to “see both sides of the spectrum.”
“Protesting is one of the rights protected by the first amendment, but I feel like the people here might not necessarily know what they’re protesting,” he said. Yonus also denounced riots that had ensued the previous day, saying “protesting is ok, our democracy is working, but that doesn’t mean set a limo on fire, go break a McDonalds and knock all the windows out.”
Following the march, the Women’s March website stated that “millions” of people around the world had participated in total, which included the simultaneous “sister marches” held in locations such as New York, NY, Chicago and Atlanta.
