Photo By Larry Marano
By Joanie Cox
Sophie B. Hawkins' art and lyrics have long been fueled by activism. The fearless and groundbreaking entertainer who came out as omnisexual in 1992 championed the LGBTQ+ community in her own unique way on May 26 at The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton, Fla. Hawkins and her band members Seth Glier and Katie Marie came out sporting wigs and mustaches to show solidarity with those in the U.S. who are directly being affected by anti-trans, anti-drag, and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
Hawkins had previously released a video on her Facebook page opening an Amazon box full of wigs and mustaches to delve into the world of drag, which is something the entertainer says she has never really done before. "We wanted to protest the anti-trans law. We wanted to protest the fact that you can't be yourself," Hawkins said in the video. "It's like depriving the audience of true joy and a real catharsis and the ability to have fun with ourselves as human beings." Hawkins revealed her drag name as "Dragin'" while Glier transformed into the pink-haired "Tink Elle" and Katie Marie sported a handlebar mustache as "Kevin."
Glier, who is Hawkins' music director, played high-energy keys throughout the show. He also opened the sold-out concert with a gripping solo set of his own originals and soulful vocals from his new album The Coronation. He moved from acoustic guitar to keys with ease. Katie Marie is a spell-binding stunner on drums. Hailing from England but now living in Austin, Texas when she's not touring, Katie Marie performs on drums and guitar at Hawkins' shows. She's also a producer, multi-instrumentalist and award-winning songwriter in her her own right playing funk-fueled bass riffs and delivering dynamic vocals. Together on stage, this trio plays offers a high velocity rush for the senses. It's a mixture of poetry and magic bound by expert musicianship and an obvious love for performing live music.
Sophie B. Hawkins Takes Fans On A Meaningful Melodic Journey
Hawkins enchanted the crowd at The Funky Biscuit performing a string of hits from earlier in her career such as "Right Beside You" and "Only Love (The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty)." She sang a tender rendition of "Before I Walk on Fire" on acoustic guitar and flawlessly shifted gears from guitar to keyboard and wowed the crowd with a few tribal drum solos during the show. Her live rendition of "As I Lay Me Down" was an immediate crowd pleaser as she threw in a comedic moment that she was "introducing a new song" singing "I love tacos...How many of you thought that's what I was saying?"
Sophie B. Hawkins deeply understands how much her older songs resonate with fans and she eloquently presents these songs in a fresh, rousing fashion. It's a surreal thing to see Hawkins in what is essentially a renaissance for the accomplished singer, songwriter and musician. She has achieved many accolades throughout her multi-decade career but her new album Free Myself is perhaps Hawkins' most brilliant work yet because she's passionately living her truth and encouraging others to follow in her glorious footsteps. Her latest lyrics are thought-provoking and heartfelt and melodically so satisfying. She performed a brilliant rendition of her ballad "You Are My Balloon," and played keyboards on her latest feel good anthem, "Love Yourself."
Hawkins vibes so well with her band members it creates this flawless flow of melodies, harmonies and energy that immediately transcends to the crowd. After the show, Hawkins greeted fans and signed vinyl albums and CDs and also posed for pictures in her "Dragin'" look. Hawkins' show is a conduit for joy, acceptance and love. Sophie B. makes us all free to be who we are. She leaves her fans with a message of self-love and hope and it's coming at a time when the world needs it more than ever before.
Check out some highlights from the show here:
Photos By Larry Marano