So, The Ditty Bops are, without a doubt, my favorite contemporary lesbian ragtime boogie band. The band is frontlined by Amanda Barrett and Abby Dewald, women as talented as they are feisty. And, in October of 2008, they tied the knot. That’s right—after ten years of bicycle riding, environmental and social activism, and breathtaking harmonies (not to mention being named Go magazine’s most captivating couple of the year in 2008), Amanda and Abby got married!
(And just in time, too… just a few short weeks later the evil monster of homophobia reared its ugly head in the guise of Proposition 8, reversing the In re Marriage Cases that allowed same-sex marriages in California. So here I pause for a slight aside… what are you doing to prevent the longevity and spread of similar injustices where you live?)
And their marriage isn’t even all that Amanda and Abby have to celebrate: Their new album Summer Rains has been nominated for a Grammy award for best packaging: it’s made from recycled materials and has pop-ups! What’s not to like? Also, it’s their first album on an indie label, after leaving Warner Brothers following their sophomore album Moon Over the Freeway. So, there are several reasons to dig a little in your pocket and get the CD itself; not only will you be supporting a kick-ass independent musical group, but you’ll be getting nifty creative artwork that bootlegs just don’t have.
So what’s going to come next? Another coast-to-coast tour on bicycle like back in 2006 when they rode their bikes from L. A. to New York on a 4,700-mile, 40-show tour? Not likely—although they say they want to do another bike tour at some point, they are looking into shorter tours and more bike-friendly locations for said tour (which is good news if you live in Europe or Japan, the two places they named as most likely for musical cycling extravaganza). In fact, Amanda named Europe as one of the places she is most eager to take the “Summer Rains” tour to.
Or maybe another Farm Tour like they did last summer, in which they raised thousands of dollars for small farms? There’s no word confirming this, but it is unlikely that their days of activism are over. So perhaps we can expect something in conjunction with You and I Save the World, the non-profit organization that they started (http://www.youandisavetheworld.org/), a very possible future possibility for the band: Amanda has said in an interview that “we're working on a new musical show about how our trash effects our environment.” What form would this show take? Well, it’s too soon to tell… but it is safe to say that their many fans are eagerly awaiting the Ditty Bops’ next foot-tapping, boogie-licious, world-improving move.
(And just in time, too… just a few short weeks later the evil monster of homophobia reared its ugly head in the guise of Proposition 8, reversing the In re Marriage Cases that allowed same-sex marriages in California. So here I pause for a slight aside… what are you doing to prevent the longevity and spread of similar injustices where you live?)
And their marriage isn’t even all that Amanda and Abby have to celebrate: Their new album Summer Rains has been nominated for a Grammy award for best packaging: it’s made from recycled materials and has pop-ups! What’s not to like? Also, it’s their first album on an indie label, after leaving Warner Brothers following their sophomore album Moon Over the Freeway. So, there are several reasons to dig a little in your pocket and get the CD itself; not only will you be supporting a kick-ass independent musical group, but you’ll be getting nifty creative artwork that bootlegs just don’t have.
So what’s going to come next? Another coast-to-coast tour on bicycle like back in 2006 when they rode their bikes from L. A. to New York on a 4,700-mile, 40-show tour? Not likely—although they say they want to do another bike tour at some point, they are looking into shorter tours and more bike-friendly locations for said tour (which is good news if you live in Europe or Japan, the two places they named as most likely for musical cycling extravaganza). In fact, Amanda named Europe as one of the places she is most eager to take the “Summer Rains” tour to.
Or maybe another Farm Tour like they did last summer, in which they raised thousands of dollars for small farms? There’s no word confirming this, but it is unlikely that their days of activism are over. So perhaps we can expect something in conjunction with You and I Save the World, the non-profit organization that they started (http://www.youandisavetheworld.org/), a very possible future possibility for the band: Amanda has said in an interview that “we're working on a new musical show about how our trash effects our environment.” What form would this show take? Well, it’s too soon to tell… but it is safe to say that their many fans are eagerly awaiting the Ditty Bops’ next foot-tapping, boogie-licious, world-improving move.
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