En Vouge, Village People to headline OKC Pride, 2015
by Taylor Brunwald
Special to The Gayly
OKC Pride enthusiastically presents the 2015 entertainment co-headliners for its annual Block Party: En Vogue and the Village People.
En Vogue assembled in the late ‘80s and became one of the predominant R&B girl groups of the early ‘90s. While the current line-up consists of Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron, and Rhona Bennett, the Grammy-nominated group has sold over eight million albums worldwide. Their first three albums—Born to Sing, Funky Divas, and EV3—reached the top ten on the US R&B charts. The chart-topping hits “Don’t Let Go (Love),” “Hold On,” and “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It),” as well as their collaboration with Salt-N-Pepa “Whatta Man,” solidified En Vogue’s iconic status. With sophistication and sass, En Vogue will certainly give OKC Pride something we can feel.
Best known as the “Kings of Disco,” the Village People brought campy fun to every audience in the disco era. The band is perhaps best known for their on-stage costumes depicting outrageous masculine stereotypes: a cop (Ray Simpson), a biker (Eric Anzalone), a Native American (Felipe Rose), a soldier (Alex Briley), a construction worker (Bill Whitefield), and a cowboy (Jim Newman). Although their outfits and suggestive lyrics were obviously intended for gay audiences, not all of the band members are gay. They found mainstream success with instantly recognizable hits like “Macho Man” and “In the Navy.” Their anthemic signature hit “YMCA,” and its accompanying choreography, continues to fill dancefloors today. You can’t stop the music and you won’t want to miss the Village People at OKC Pride.
Supporting these legendary groups on stage is Erika Jayne, a six-time Billboard Dance chart-topper. Originally from Atlanta, GA, Jayne has toured dance clubs and Pride celebrations across the USA as well as across Asia. She started her own music label, Pretty Mess Records, to see success on the charts. Jayne has worked with global dance producers and is currently working on an as-yet untitled, “darker” album. With her extensive club background and crowd-pleasing repertoire, Erika Jayne is the perfect singer to get the OKC Pride party started.
Keeping the celebration going throughout the weekend are the EDM duo (We Are) Nexus and DJ Dragn’fly. Considering they have only been a group for two years, the Chicago natives Nexus have been contenders on the Dance charts with a cover of Sonique’s classic “It Feels So Good,” as well as their own “Better Off Without You” and “They’ll Never Stop Me.” DJ Dragn’fly, hailing from Oakland, CA, is internationally known for crowd-pleasing musical experiences, including trance, house, and electro. The Strip will be moving with these two acts supporting our festivities.
The OKC Pride Block Party will take place at 6pm on Friday, June 19 at “The Strip” on 39th Street. For more information, please visit okcpride.org.
The Gayly – June 17, 2015 @ 11am.