On December 10, renaissance woman Sandra Bernhard will perform at the Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley. With her "Easy Listening Tour," Bernhard invites her audience to join her on a trip back in time with her younger self as she takes you on a journey with her musical influences, influences which read like a who's who of 1960s popular music. The Supremes, Peter Paul and Mary, The Rolling Stones, and her first concert, Simon and Garfunkel.
As the 1960s gave way to the '70s, Tina Turner, Joni Mitchell, Dusty Springfield, Aretha Franklin, and musicians inspired Bernhard in her youth.
Bernhard has had a long and varied career. She has done it all; stand-up, singing, movies, television, and she has excelled at everything. Often playing in sold-out houses whenever she performs live, Bernhard has become a living legend.
In a telephone interview with the Bay Area Reporter, Bernhard chatted about her new show and other topics.
David-Elijah Nahmod: Your new show sounds very much like a musical autobiography of your childhood.
Sandra Bernhard: It really isn't, to be honest with you. I do these kinds of funny descriptions when I do Joe's Pub in New York that are sort of just whimsical and sort of like a little bit of a road map of things.
There's always stuff about my life. It is autobiographical to a certain extent, but musically it really isn't that. It's very eclectic and the pieces are addressing a million different topics all woven in with different music. It's not all that I talk about, it's a jumping off point.
What are some of the topics that you'll be broaching?
I usually don't talk about that. I like to keep it sort of fresh and a surprise. People who are familiar with my work know that I will jump in and address all kinds of unexpected things. I'd rather leave it that way because everything weaves together and if you start describing one thing you kind of leave people in the lurch. And right now, politically, things are not what we thought. I'm sure there will be a little bit of addressing that without beating people over the head with it.
How are you doing, considering how the election went?
It kind of confirms my suspicions of a huge swath of the American public, which is they're racist, misogynist, and don't want what's best for them. They'll shoot themselves in the foot. When somebody comes along and says they're going to try and do things for their benefit, they'd rather go with someone who was already here, basically subterfuging them, but they want to do it again. I don't understand it. I just can't at this point, I don't know what else to say.
I'm right with you. So what are some of the songs you'll be doing in this show?
Oh no, honey, no no. If I don't talk about my material, then I really don't talk about my songs. You come, you sit down, and be ready for the rollercoaster ride that are Sandy Bernhard shows. That's the best description. Because if you give stuff away people are like, no no. I like when people come and they're totally surprised.
Are you still doing Sandyland on Sirius XM Radio?
Yes, once a week on Thursdays at 11am. It's a great outlet for whatever I'm thinking or feeling and it's a great incubator for a lot of new material. If I start going on a tangent I can transcribe it and put it in one of my live shows.
Also, we take phone calls, which is really cool, because during this whole political season I've had wonderful, interesting conversations with people that led me to believe that we were ready for a big change and evolution. Everyone's really disappointed with the outcome.
You've always been very supportive of the LGBT community. Can you say something about that?
Yeah, that's a given. Not much to say about that other than here we are. As someone who's a woman, someone who's gay, someone who cares about my Black brothers and sisters, these are all people who I'm there for and support and will continue to support.
Is there anything you can say about your upcoming show?
Well, I don't want to break it down specifically. I think people who come to my shows know that they're going to have a complete evening of entertainment. It's not a little stand-up show. I have my band with me, the music is top-notch, the stories are fun and take you on a journey.
That's what my shows do. It's like a journey with me. So come along for the ride and see a whole new side of me, and culture, and a reflection of who you are when you're sitting in my audience. Those are the salient points that I want people to know directly from me. But when it comes to talking about the material, then it's just redundant. I can't tell you about a piece without performing a piece.
Sandra Bernhard's 'Easy Listening Tour,' December 10, 8pm, Sweetwater Music Hall, 19 Corte Madera Ave. Mill Valley. $86. Also Dec. 13 & 14 at Oscar's Palm Springs.
www.sweetwatermusichall.org
www.sandrabernhard.com
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