Aug. 7, 2002
	Bright Future: Chicago Musician Dylan Rice
All publications Front Page Nightspots Blacklines En La Vida Out! Resource Guide Current WCT Issue	When we spoke in early June of 2002, singer/songwriter Dylan Rice was riding high. Chuck Panozzo, of Styx, had mentioned Rice favorably in an article that he wrote which ran in The Advocate in May. Rice was also gearing up for a performance he was doing as part of MOBFest (Music Over Business Festival) at the Abbey Pub, later in June. In addition to that, he had just been named as one of Chicago's "30 Under 30," by Windy City Times. The single, gay heartthrob, with a voice as warm as summer sun and stage moves that have people comparing him to Chris Isaak, is about to reach one of his largest audiences when he takes the stage at Northalsted Market Days Aug. 10. Gregg Shapiro: You are originally from Salt Lake City, Utah. Were you writing and playing music there? Dylan Rice: I was very active in my church choir growing up. In high school I did musicals, a lot of fun stuff like that. I was the dentist in Little Shop of Horrors. I was Bud Frump in How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on The Way to The Forum. It was really fun, a great program. I did a lot of creative writing for the literary journal. I was writing songs, but I was very private about it. GS: What brought you to Chicago? DR: I went to Northwestern University, right out of high school. I met my friend Matt (Neuroth), who I collaborate a lot with. He helped me come out of my music shell. That's when I started becoming really serious about sharing my work with people. I was really shy about it (laughs) … my own work. There's something intensely personal about it. It was easier to sing other people's work. GS: Were you majoring in Creative Writing? DR: Yeah. They have this program where if you are an English major, you can do this elite creative writing program. It's like a concentration. I studied poetry and did a senior project manuscript. GS: Have you published any poetry? DR: I had something published recently. It was from a contest that I won in college (laughs). They finally published it. It was through the Academy of American Poets. No one can get it in a bookstore, but it's one of those that libraries will have. After college I focused on songwriting. Certainly, I use things that I learned in the poetry program &emdash;meter and rhyme and how to have a beginning middle and end to a song. I also took playwriting courses in college. A lot of my songs are like monologues, where I take on the persona of the character. Playwriting (classes) helped with that, too. GS: You perform live on a regular basis in a variety of venues. Do you feel like you are getting a different kind of reception when you play before a straight audience versus a gay audience? DR: No, I don't actually. I haven't noticed that. I have noticed that gay audiences tend to be quite loyal and faithful in terms of coming out to coffeehouse gigs. I think that all different kinds of people have enjoyed stuff that I've done. GS: Are you finding there are a lot of opportunities as a queer performer here? DR: Yeah. I don't know how many people who book me at those straight clubs know that, but it's never really been an issue. Look at Ellen Rosner, she can play anywhere in town. She's a very no-nonsense, out there lesbian (performer). In some of my songs, I may use the male pronoun in a love song, but it hasn't really been an issue. I have, however, been getting a lot of gigs for queer programs. I'm going to be playing Northalsted Market Days. Windy City Times has been very supportive of me. I just found out that I am one of the "30 Under 30," which is really nice. Scott Free has been very supportive and so has Fausto (Fernos). ... My main priority is to play a lot of gigs and finish my record. Then I can be like, "Are you interested? [to the record labels]" I hear so many scary stories about bands getting screwed over (by record labels) and I'm not interested in that. GS: When you performed as part of the Windy City Radio Music Series at Nevin's Live in April, you did a cover of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game." Do you mind the comparison that some have made, calling you a "gay Chris Isaak"? DR: I think it's kind of silly. People have told me that my voice sounds somewhat similar to Chris Isaak's voice, and that's a huge compliment because I think he's very talented. I kind of just want to be Dylan Rice. I made the joke on Windy City Radio that maybe he's the straight Dylan Rice, but I was just being a smart-ass. I think people are trying to label me and make me accessible to people. If they want to be introduced to my music that way, that's fine. I have a lot of people that I draw from, and my experiences, and he's one of them. It's funny and charming. It could be worse. I could be the gay Gene Simmons. That would suck. GS: Do you have plans to play outside of the Chicago area? DR: When my record is done, I do want to make some mini-touring plans. It will all depend on the kind of reception I get. I'd like to feel like I've gotten a good enough reception before embarking on such a tour and making sure I have enough money. GS: Chuck Panozzo, of Styx, mentioned you in a piece that appeared in the May 14th issue of The Advocate. How did you come to meet Chuck? DR: I met him as a journalist. I used to do some rock journalism in college. A friend of mine was working for Poz Magazine, a magazine for people effected by AIDS and HIV. She needed someone to do a pop culture piece. Chuck had just come out as both positive and gay, and they wanted me to write a piece (about him). Because we were both living in Chicago, it made sense. I interviewed him&emdash;we did both phone and face-to-face interviews. I mentioned to him that I was also a musician. He suggested we swap demos some time, and we did. He's such a sweetheart. Ever since then he's been so warm and a good listener. He came to some of my shows. It's funny how I probably never would have met him unless I'd interviewed him. He's an amazing person in his courage and his wisdom. He's done everything you can do as a musician. It blows my mind the kind of career that he's had. GS: What was Chuck's level of involvement on your three-song demo? DR: He was an advisor on it. I had a lot of drama and questions surrounding it, and he was there for me. GS: There is a song, "March of the Misunderstood," with the chorus, "Calling all outcasts." Do you feel like an outcast? DR: No. That song was written as something of a parody. I had seen this late-night (television) commercial for an attorney's organization that was geared towards deadbeat dads. "Are you being hassled with child-support payments?" I was like, "Oh, my God." I was thinking that the deadbeat dads of the world are the real bottom feeders ... and nobody feels bad for them. ... So, what if they all got together and marched together because they are misunderstood. It is partly tongue-in-cheek, and I also wanted to bring some humanity to it. GS: How many more songs have you written for the full-length disc? DR: Either 11 or 12. GS: Are there any covers? DR: It was going to be all original material, but I've encountered some folk music lately, which is old enough that there wouldn't be royalty or permission … GS: The songs are in the public domain? DR: Yes. ... (However), I'm 80 percent certain the album is going to be all originals.	Dylan Rice
Back to Archived Front Page / Lambda Welcome Index / Nightspots / Blacklines / En La Vida / Out! Resource Guide / Current WCT Issue Copyright © 2002 Lambda Publications Inc. All rights reserved. Lambda produces Windy City Radio, and publishes Windy City Times, The Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community, Nightspots, Out Resource Guide, Blacklines and En La Vida. 1115 W. Belmont 2D, Chicago, IL 60657; PH (773) 871-7610; FAX (773) 871-7609. Web at www.windycitytimes.com E-mail feedback to outlines@suba.com!