Written by:
Diane Anderson-Minshall
Photographer:
Bryna Gootkind
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this Issue of Curve:
Vol. 14#5
Perhaps no other lesbian musician garners the kind of slavish devotion that rocker Melissa Ferrick does. Her devotees, or “Ferrickheads, “call in sick when her CDs come out and follow her around the country tallying Ferrick concerts like that other Melissa once notched lovers. “I think it’s really cool,” says Ferrick. “Sometimes they fly in for several shows at a time. I especially like the homemade Ferrickhead T-shirts.”
Why all the fuss? Here are our top 10 reasons:
1. She’s a geek.
Ferrick must play PlayStation Golf for an hour before she can fall asleep. Just imagine her golfing outfit.
2. She’s rugged.
She has seven tattoos, loves the Patriots and the Super Bowl and isn’t afraid to eat meat.
3. She’s profound.
She has the phrase “Acceptance is the answer” tattooed on her arm. “Once somebody asked me, ‘What if that isn’t the answer?’” Ferrick told us. “And I said, ‘Well, I guess I would have to accept that, so therefore, acceptance is still the answer.’”
4. She has her own map.
Ferrickheads sign an online map to demonstrate that her fans cover the globe.
5. She’s sexy.
She writes her online journal from the bathtub. Mmm, bubbles.
6. She writes digital love notes to fans.
Example: “I felt you the other night. Thank you for giving back.”
7. Her songs make us feel, really feel.
Whether she’s singing of exes left behind at the bar or unrequited loves, Ferrick emotes. “I think it’s because I put words to feelings that people often struggle to describe,” she says. “It’s exciting to connect in that way. It means that we are all less alone. I think my live shows are so powerful because I totally lose myself on stage. The performance is uninhibited and raw.”
8. There’s a shot for us.
Asked if she’s ever had an affair with a groupie, she plays coy: “That depends on how you define groupie.”
9. She rocks.
She’s a phenomenal guitarist with amazing stage presence, and her new CD, The Other Side, is the first on which she played every instrument.
10. She tours constantly.
Last summer, Ferrick performed in Ithaca, New York; Ogunquit, Maine; and Atlanta in July and in Chicago in August. Lucky us.
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