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Lauper, B52s, O'Donnell Bring True Colors Tour To Clearwater

Tribune photo by MICHAEL SPOONEYBARGER

The B-52s take the stage in the True Colors 2008 Tour on Wednesday at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater.

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By WALT BELCHER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 19, 2008

CLEARWATER - "If you are hopeless, then you are helpless" proclaimed Cyndi Lauper to a cheering crowd that already had accepted her "Gay is OK" message of empowerment and were ready to party Wednesday night at the True Colors Tour.

In addition to swinging and swaying to Lauper hits such as "She Bop," "Time After Time" and "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," the nearly full house at Ruth Eckerd Hall rocked to The B-52s and their familiar 1989 "Love Shack" anthem.

Also on the bill was comic Rosie O'Donnell, who joined Lauper's band as a drummer on "Rocking Chair" from Lauper's latest album, "Bring Ya to the Brink." Lauper performed several songs off that album, but her oldies pleased the crowd the most.

O'Donnell also delivered a monologue that was both funny and poignant. She joked about her ill-fated stint on ABC's "The View," comparing the morning female chat group to a dysfunctional Catholic family that never talked about its own problems before "turning into a bad women's prison movie" with a lot of open bickering.

She also talked about her search to understand her mother, who died when O'Donnell was 11 (without giving O'Donnell consent to join a school band as a drummer).

The five-hour concert opened with the hard-driving rock band from Canada, The Cliks, fronted by transgender vocalist Lucas Silveira. They were interesting but their music was not memorable.

They were followed by soulful Canadian R&B singer Deborah Cox who roused the audience with her 2001 dance hit "Absolutely Not" and the ballad "Look to the Rainbow."

The B-52s, older and plumper since their heyday as an Athens, Ga., party band, still can wail and lead vocalists Fred Schneider, Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson looked like they were having fun.

Introducing the acts was Carson Kressley, the openly gay fashion expert from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," who had a string of one-liners. "I can't tell who is lesbian and who just has terrible taste in shoes," he joked, also noting that Courtney Campbell Causeway would be a great name for a drag queen.

Lauper created the pride-building human rights musical tour as a call to political action for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transsexuals and their straight supporters. Lauper and O'Donnell urged the audience to register to vote. The Human Rights Campaign and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays were handing out literature in the lobby.

Reporter Walt Belcher can be reached at (813 259-7654 or wbelcher@tampatrib.com.

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