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Story by Andrea Jenels
Photos by Angela Wangrud
Milwaukee's Summerfest grounds were a myriad of diversity and eccentricity during 2009's annual Pride Fest, a three-day celebration of the gay and lesbian community. Music, food, and festivities were abundant at every turn during the colorful and crowded festival.
The event opened Friday night by legendary queen of the unconventional, Cyndi Lauper. Since her first album She's So Unusual in 1983, Lauper has been an icon and inspiration to the gay & lesbian community. The pioneer of the 'girls just want to have fun' movement brought her quirky voice and eccentric style to Milwaukee's lakefront in celebration of diversity and equal rights.
From the blue-feathered headdress down to her five-inch glittered heels, the songstress wasted no time in strutting across the stage to a bevy of enthusiastic fans. She touched on a lot of her material from her classic Time After Time, to the disco-infused "Set Your Heart" and "When You Were Mine." Lauper was no holds barred when it came to interacting with fans. She indulged them by occasionally climbing down the stage stairs and dipping into the first few rows of the crowd. Her five-piece band, including backup singers wrapped in rainbow adornments, accentuated Miss Lauper's charismatic stage presence with dancing and high energy vocals. The petite singer with the odd voice has indeed proved to be a lasting voice among the pop world. So often it seems that pop music has been taken over by one-hit pop tarts that can't even hold a note without the help of a Vocoder. Wowing the crowd in true pop princess style, she proved that talent and individuality precedes the herd mentality of mindless sheep.
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