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Live Music Guide for Pride: June 2023

June 1, 2023 - By Emma & Alec

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Wave that flag, wave it wide and high. We're talking about LGBTQIA+ pride flags, of course! June is pride month, but we believe Pride is 365 and that keeps us celebrating with our favorite queer artists throughout the year! We're so proud to have built a platform that allows live music fans to connect socially, network to build community, and make lifelong connections.

We honor our values by partnering with artists who are part of the queer community and creating a safe space for queer and trans employees in our company. Our #1 rule on CashorTrade has always been: Be Kind! Kindness shows up in the forms of acceptance, compassion, empathy, and community. CashorTrade is honored to hold space in the live music community for folks from all walks of life, identities, backgrounds, orientations, and communities to have access to Face Value tickets.

We're highlighting artists from the LGBTQIA+ community to present this year's live music guide for Pride! Check out these spotlighted musicians and grab tickets to a show happening near you or make a donation to an organization that is important to them to show your support. Happy Pride!


Bertha: Grateful Drag

Grateful Dead Tribute Band Bertha Plays in Drag: Photos from Nashville Rolling Stone
With love bigger than a Cadillac, BERTHA is back and more beautiful than ever - proving to us once again that their love will not fade away, by announcing a new benefit show in Tennessee this October. Coined as the world's first Grateful Drag band, this all-star collective of femme, queer, and allied East Nashville talent first joined forces on-stage in April, to fight hate and soothe souls "in TN and beyond" in alliance with Inclusion Tennessee: an organization that advocates for, and provides resources to help enrich the multi-faceted LGBTQIA+ community in Tennessee. Hosted by Nashville's favorite country queen, Marlene Twitty-Fargo, and featuring a revolving lineup of special mystery guests, BERTHA is a project that continues to excite, unify, and inspire everyone in the Volunteer State and beyond with the healing music of the Grateful Dead... but the bus is far from stopping.

On Saturday, October 21st, BERTHA will grace the stage once again at Analog at Hutton Hotel, in partnership with Inclusion TN and Queerdeadheads to raise money, celebrate love and dazzle deadheads far and wide, featuring a flock of special guests you won't want to miss!

You can purchase tickets for the Grateful Gala here and make sure to follow Grateful Drag's Instagram page for details and further announcements.

If you can't make it to the show or want to support the heartwarming and brave efforts of Inclusion Tennessee, you can visit their website to donate and let them know that help's on the way.


Big Freedia

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Whether you're heading out on Re:SET tour, planning to hit Pride events, or music festivals nationwide this summer you can count on seeing Big Freedia throw it down. Big Freedia, aka Queen Diva, is known as the legend of Bounce, a genre of New Orleans hip-hop that will surely keep you shaking it. She's teamed up with icons like Lizzo, Tank and the Bangas, Beyonce, and most recently Ciara, dropping the hottest tracks and collaborating on award-winning albums.

Big Freedia is a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community who uses her platform to advocate for racial equality, gender equality, and queer rights. Do not miss out on the energy Big Freedia is serving across the US this summer. Her new album, Central City, drops on June 23rd and the Central City tour is hitting stops nationwide. What a way to celebrate pride!

Top Tracks: $100 Bill, Karaoke, Platinum, Big



Big Thief

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Consistently bending the gender spectrum is Big Thief. If you haven't already binged their entire catalog of alternative, indie-folk music, we suggest you start now. Big Thief is touring this summer and making stops at a wide range of venues from a small-town feel at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont, to the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre, where they will open for country-rock god, Lucinda Williams.

They released their fifth album, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You, last year and received praises from critics worldwide as well as a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album. Lead songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist Adrianne Lenker will leave your heart open and your head spinning with the complex and soft poetry that is Big Thief. Grab Big Thief tickets for a show coming near you!

Top Tracks: Shark Smile, Spud Infinity, Vampire Empire, Red Moon, Change


boygenius

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Queer indie rock icons Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers teamed up in 2018 to form a trio supergroup known as boygenius. They resurged in 2023 with an incredible new album titled the record, which landed the band on the cover of Rolling Stone and left their fans screaming, crying, and throwing up globally. The members of boygenius are all very outspoken about LGBTQ+ rights, bodily autonomy for all, and health care for marginalized communities, just to name a few hot topics for the boys. The band coined its name as a nod to male entitlement in the music and entertainment industry and how their ideas are referred to as "genius".

Bridgers, Baker, and Dacus are touring this summer as part of the Re:SET series and the tour throughout June, July, and August. If you're planning to hit a boygenius show this summer or need to sell your extra tickets join our Boygenius Tickets for Face Value Facebook Group.

Boygenius has released a limited edition pride tee and all proceeds will benefit the Tennessee Equality Project. You can also support the Tennessee Equality Project by making a donation directly to them here.

Top Tracks: Salt in the Wound, Not Strong Enough, True Blue, Souvenir, Ketchum, ID


Brandi Carlile

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CashorTrade partner Brandi Carlile has made a huge name for herself throughout the past two decades. She's climbed the ranks releasing albums that span across folk rock, Americana, alt-country, and classic rock, and has taken home 9 Grammy Awards. Brandi rocks her values loudly and proudly as an out member of the queer community and by loading up the festivals she curates with femme and queer artists. From Girls Just Wanna Weekend to Brandi Carlile's Mothership Weekend, Brandi knows how to throw a party with the best company in tow.

Carlile has had the honor of performing with some of her idols like Sir Elton John, Tanya Tucker, Bonnie Raitt, and Joni Mitchell. Brandi's kicking off Pride month with a three-night run at The Gorge on June 9, 10, and 11th, where she will be playing a night with the lovely Joni Mitchell & The Joni Jam, and also a night with The Highwomen, an all-female quartet Carlile helped form in 2019. If you're looking to buy, sell, or trade tickets for any Brandi show this year, be sure to join our Brandi Carlile Face Value Ticket Exchange Facebook Group. You can also show your support for Brandi by getting involved and donating to causes that matter to her most. Read more about The Rocket Fund below.

Top Tracks: Broken Horses, You and Me On The Rock, Mama Werewolf, The Story


Janelle Monae
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Prepare for a summer of pleasure with Janelle Monae. Every creative outlet Janelle pours their heart into is pure gold; from staring in films like Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery to publishing books about queer dystopian future, and releasing the hottest tracks for the summer. Their new album, The Age of Pleasure, is releasing this Friday 6/9. Janelle, who identifies as non-binary and pansexual, wants you to embrace your pleasure by floating through life with your lipstick lovers and enjoying all the delicious things that come your way. The Age of Pleasure North American tour dates just dropped last week, and you can catch the pleasureful performance coast to coast from August 30 to October 18th.

Top Tracks: Float, Lipstick Lover, Make Me Feel, Turntables, Primetime


Orville Peck

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Howdy cow folks! Saddle up and ride off into the sunset on Orville Peck's North American Bronco Tour kicking off on June 20th at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Whether you will be donning your finest boots and chaps or your festive pride colors (or both) you're guaranteed to fit right in with this crowd. Living on the west coast and ready to celebrate Pride? You're in luck - Orville Peck is headlining queer/pride Seattle on June 24 and 25th this year! Orville is spreading the love to the Midwest and Canada this summer hitting festivals and theaters. Check out Orville Peck tickets on CashorTrade.

Top Tracks: Dead of Night, Daytona Sand, C'mon Baby Cry, Roses Are Falling


Sam Smith

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English Pop sensation Sam Smith is coming across the pond this summer to shower North Americans with their glory! You can celebrate all things unholy on the Gloria tour which starts July 25th in Miami, FL at the Kaseya Center and runs through September 8th in Houston, TX at the Toyota Center. Sam is dropping a new track with none other than Madonna on June 9th titled "Vulgar". If you dig music from Adele, Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga, and Elton John, then you will definitely be on board the Sam Smith train.

Top Tracks: Unholy, Dancing With a Stranger, Stay With Me, Too Good at Good Bye


Sylvan Esso

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Electro-dance duo Sylvan Esso has been busy this year! They just dropped a new EP, Live At Electric Lady, AND are about to jump on their No Rules Sandy 2023 Tour. The tour begins with two nights in Asheville at Rabbit Rabbit, in Nick Sanborn and Amelia Meath's home state of North Carolina, on June 14 and 15th. After that, they take the stage at Bonnaroo on June 16th.

CashorTrade is honored to have added Sylvan Esso to our partnership roster this year by teaming up to release Face Value tickets to Sylvan Esso's SOLD OUT Red Rocks show on September 10, 2023. Tickets for their shows are selling out so don't miss out! Set your Sylvan Esso alerts so can you grab tickets and dance the night away.

Sylvan Esso took the stage at Bonnaroo this year in full drag to spread awareness and highlight important organizations that support the LGBTQIA+ and specifically the trans community in Tennessee due to the current legislature and attacks on trans folks. Make a donation to Knox Pride Center, Out Memphis, and Inclusion Tennessee.

Top Tracks: Echo Party, Sunburn, H.S.K.T, Die Young, Play It Right


Yeah Yeah Yeahs

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It's impossible not to fall head over heels for Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The combined powers of vocalist Karen O, guitarist/keyboardist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase have been stealing hearts and rocking heads since the early 2000s. Last year the band put out a powerhouse new album titled Cool It Down and is currently on tour showcasing their new tracks and classic fan favorites. Yeah Yeah Yeah's are wrapping up their US portion of the tour in the PNW and California this week before heading to Australia, Japan, and Europe before they make a return to the States with four nights at Austin City Limits in October 2023.

Yeah Yeah Yeah's are supporters of the Human Rights Campaign's Equality Rocks program and use their platform to advocate for queer love and marriage equality.

Top Tracks: Heads Will Roll, Maps, Spitting Off the Edge of the World, Fleez, Gold Lion, Soft Shock