True Colors Tour

The True Colors Tour is an annual music tour created by American pop singer Cyndi Lauper. The tour benefits the Human Rights Campaign and other organizations that provide support to the LGBT community and to the straight friends and family who love them, including PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) and the Matthew Shepard Foundation, as well as local organizations in cities where the concerts were held.

Contents

Tours

2007

The True Colors Tour 2007 featured Lauper, Debbie Harry, Erasure, and The Dresden Dolls, with comedian Margaret Cho as MC and stopped at fifteen cities between June 8 and June 30, 2007. Other artists and special guests who appeared for specific tour locations included The Gossip, Rosie O'Donnell, The B-52's, The Cliks, Indigo Girls, Cazwell, Amanda Lepore, Diana Yanez and Rufus Wainwright. The HRC received $1 from each ticket sold throughout the tour.[1]

Logo TV, was one of the partnering sponsors for the tour. The channel aired a half-hour special on June 21, 2007 titled Shining Through: Behind the Scenes of True Colors. The special was hosted by Cho at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. During the special, Lauper explained the purpose of the True Colors Tour:

Friends, family, plus the community is a lot of people and together, we make a very loud sound; and I believe that people don't know the facts. They don't know that you can be fired from your job in 33 states if you're gay and lesbian and transgender and bisexual. They don't know that the hate crime bill does not extend to everyone...Education is so important. So that's what we are trying to do - in a fun, loving way.
—Cyndi Lauper[2]

In October 2007, the US Congress approved the Matthew Shepard Act, accomplishing one of the goals of the tour.

Album

A True Colors commemorative album was released on June 12, 2007 through Tommy Boy Records.[3] Physical copies were for sale at the concerts and the album was also available online from the iTunes Store.

  1. Cyndi Lauper – "True Colors (Morel's Pink Noise Mix)" (Tom Kelly, Billy Steinberg) – 8:10
  2. The Dresden Dolls – "Shores of California" (Amanda Palmer) – 3:35
  3. The Cliks – "Oh Yeah" (Lucas Silveira) – 4:34
  4. Indigo Girls – "Rock & Roll Heaven’s Gate" (Amy Ray) – 3:14
  5. Rufus Wainwright – "Gay Messiah" (Wainwright) – 3:14
  6. Debbie Harry – "What Is Love" (Harry, Barb Morrison, Charles Nieland)
  7. Erasure featuring Cyndi Lauper – "Early Bird (DJ Manolo's True Colors Mix)"
  8. Jeffree Star – "Plastic Surgery Slumber Party"
  9. Gossip – "(Take Back) The Revolution"
  10. Cazwell – "Watch My Mouth"

2008

The True Colors Tour 2008 featured musical performances by Lauper, the Indigo Girls, Andy Bell, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Girl in a Coma, The B-52's, Regina Spektor, Tegan and Sara, Colton Ford, Kat Deluna, The White Tie Affair, DJ Paul V, Joan Armatrading, Deborah Cox, The Cliks, The Puppini Sisters, Nona Hendryx, Sarah McLachlan and Lili Haydn. Comedians Margaret Cho, Carson Kresley, Wanda Sykes, Kate Clinton, Rosie O'Donnell also performed. The musical and comedic lineup varied per local venue.

2008 Set List

Concert of May 31st, 2008, Boston, Massachusetts, US

  1. "Change of Heart"
  2. "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough"
  3. "Rocking Chair" (with Rosie O'Donnell)
  4. "Set Your Heart"
  5. "When You Were Mine"
  6. "She Bop"
  7. "Into the Nightlife"
  8. "I Drove All Night"
  9. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
  10. "Same Ol' Story" (acapella)
  11. "Time After Time"
  12. "Money Changes Everything" (with Lucas Silver, The Cliks)
  13. "Everyday People"
  14. "True Colors"

Concert of June 3rd, 2008, at the Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York, US

  1. "Change of Heart"
  2. "Rocking Chair"
  3. "Into the Nightlife"
  4. "Set Your Heart"
  5. "When You Were Mine"
  6. "She Bop"
  7. "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
  8. "Time After Time"
  9. "I Drove All Night"
  10. "Midnight Radio"
  11. "Money Changes Everything"
  12. "True Colors"

A commemorative album was again released through the iTunes Store and was available for free download by concert attendees.[4]

2009

The Tour was canceled for 2009, but the True Colors Cabaret was performing some months in New York City.[5]

References

  1. ^ http://www.truecolorstour.com/index.php?module=archive&news_item_id=5
  2. ^ Shining Through: Behind the Scenes at True Colors. Producer Powell, C., Reichman, D. Air Date 10:00 PM ET/PT. Time length: 30 minutes.
  3. ^ TommyBoy Entertainment Album Page
  4. ^ http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewMix?id=282621574&s=143441&wm=1
  5. ^ http://www.truecolorstour.com/?module=news&news_item_id=33

External links