Lori Michaels

Lusty Lady OutinFront: Lori Michaels
Curve | May 1, 2007 | Kay, Sheryl |

It's hard to look at Lori Michaels, the self-billed Dyke Diva, and not think of T and A. But there's way more than meets the eye: She not only headlines the extraordinarily hot Me & the Girls dance and singing group, but is also the founder and president of Reach Out, Inc.

Michaels started the nonprofit when she was only in high school, having met with great success when she organized a one-time entertainment event geared toward bringing students and community closer. Now, almost 20 years later, the organization has grown into a far-reaching entertainment venue that ...

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http://www.lorimichaelsproductions.com/outinfront.pdf

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http://www.lorimichaelsproductions.com/go_0806.pdf

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Lori Michaels
by Kim Musler
July 9, 2008

Lori Michaels is a new “renaissance woman� among lesbian performers. Recently out at 33, Michaels keeps herself busy and her fans entertained by applying her musical talent, sexy persona and do-gooder philosophy to a wide variety of projects. Her self-titled production company works to create signature shows for different audiences—from families at street fairs to partiers at private venues. Michaels tours nationally with her hot new show, Me & the Girls club show, in addition to spreading the significant meaning of love and tolerance through performance with Reach Out, Inc, the non-profit organization she founded. She even has a reality TV series in the works.

GO caught up with Lori Michaels after her guest appearance with Transfusion M on the Vans Warped Tour. She chatted with us about how her musical blend of love songs, pop, disco, club, house, Latin and rock reaches a span of audiences, and why she calls her work a tremendous collaboration of “we.�

Tell us about your official “coming out� bash this spring. That must have been a milestone for you.

Yes! It’s been a big year for us. Our official ‘Coming Out Party’ for Lori Michaels Productions was held down in Atlantic City at House of Blues. My party was a significant moment for me and the people close to me for a few reasons—not only did I announce that I am a lesbian, but it was also a statement that I’m going out on my own [with] Lori Michaels Productions.

How does it feel being out?

I feel free, full of love, and full of excitement. I am so glad that I made the decision to say I am coming out. It was time to announce to the world, ‘Hey, I have a girlfriend! I am a lesbian!’

What makes your latest effort, the show Me & the Girls so popular?

It’s a different type of show and is gaining the most attention. I’m not just up there with my acoustic guitar— it’s a bit more sexy and provocative. We have dancers on stage, it’s a party atmosphere. It’s a ‘club show’—so if you’re under 21, you shouldn’t be there. Having the show at a club implies that [it] is a little bit sexy. But it’s not trashy.

Unlike many “club shows,� yours has a message. What are you trying to say to audiences?

It’s not just about my dancers showing up in fishnets and underwear. We want to project meaning in our shows and come forward and say one love, respect for all people, let’s not fight over gender.

Why do you refer to your music and accomplishments using the words ‘us’ and ‘we’?

My work is a labor of love accomplished by one big family. I feel grateful and lucky to have so much support with my shows and the non-profit. A lot of people are involved—staff and many volunteers who have an enormous commitment in different capacities—and we work together side by side. We want to have a hell of a good time and believe in what we are doing.

What is the mission of the non-profit you founded, Reach Out, Inc.?

Reach Out, Inc. is our real labor of love. We do performances for kids and teens, and our message for years has been about fighting against crime and prejudice. Now we can say that it’s more than just fighting prejudice—this show can teach more about tolerance, especially if someone is gay. With our non-profit work, we want to be at the forefront of making things better in society.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Yes, there’s a lot going on! For about a dozen years I’ve been involved with the WB11 Care for Kids Foundation street fair, recently hosting and producing it. We’ve performed at breast cancer–awareness benefits, and at many D.A.R.E. events. Hudson County recently reached out to me—they are trying to open up a community center. I attended a fundraiser and made a public commitment that we would like to help on a charitable level.

What treats do you have in store for your fans this summer?

Many! We are in pre-production for a reality show, keeping fingers crossed that it will get picked up. Me & the Girls Club Show has bookings, I have acoustic appearances, a Z100 benefit, a CD release at Crash Mansion, and I’m highlighting Jersey City Pride in August.

Editor’s Note: Michaels released her new CD, Real Close, at Crash Mansion on July 25. For information on where to purchase your copy, or to hear tracks, visit lorimichaelsproductions.com or myspace.com/lorimichaels.
© 2010 GO NYC MEDIA LLC. All rights reserved.
- GO! MAGAZINE

http://www.lorimichaelsproductions.com/she_mag.pdf - SHE Magazine

http://www.gomag.com/articleprint.php?id=537

GOMAG.COM
Lori Michaels: Living Out and Proud
by Melissa Levin
July 31, 2008

The lesbian music scene all too often conjures images of acoustic guitars and mellow stage shows, but every once in a while an enigmatic, stereotype-breaking artist like Lori Michaels comes along to level the playing field and change the rules of the game.

Singer, dancer, entertainer, choreographer, producer, songwriter, musician, fitness guru, humanitarian, entrepreneur…the number of hats the self-proclaimed “Dyke Diva” wears is dizzying. Her aptly titled debut album Living My Life Out Loud showcases the boundless talent that Michaels has to offer.

Growing up in suburban New Jersey, Michaels was always an avid student of music, dance and fitness—a background she’s used to build the kind of career that reflects all her musical gifts. “I always wanted to be an entertainer,” says Michaels. “I didn’t know what that meant until recently…to me, it’s so much more than just the song.”

Her candid, up-front approach to music translates into a fresh, new role as lesbian icon. In March 2006, Michaels relaunched her career with a Coming Out Party at House of Blues’ Club Worship in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She describes the event as less of a pronouncement that she was gay and more of a move toward life empowerment. “I was also able to introduce my company, Lori Michaels Productions, in a very public way while letting the world know who I was,” says Michaels. “A lot of people interpret a coming out party as, that’s when she said ‘I’m gay,’ but I’ve never denied that I liked girls or that I was in a relationship with a woman. When people asked, I told them.”

Announcing to the world on such a public stage that she is a lesbian has only helped to connect Michaels to the LGBT community in a more significant way. “We proactively put ourselves out there in that fashion, which has led to a more active role in the gay community. We really wanted to redefine professional gay entertainment.”

And redefine she has. Michaels describes her music as “rhythmic crossover,” encompassing a variety of genres including pop, dance, rock and R&B. As headliner of her sexy, self-choreographed stage show, Me and the Girls, Michaels has caught the attention of gay and straight fans alike.

Michaels’s album Living My Life Out Loud debuted this July. She hand-picked the eleven tracks to ensure that each note would be an honest reflection of who she is, as a person first and as a performer second. Despite the album’s high-energy dance tracks, Michaels always returns to her singer/songwriter/ pianist roots. “If I could sit down at a piano with candles and a more intimate setting, I would be so happy,” she says. “That stripped-down organic side is a much calmer place for me.”

That calm is something that Michaels not only finds through music, but also through altruism. In 1989, while still in high school, Michaels founded Reach Out, Inc., a nonprofit organization that educates and promotes awareness to students about drugs, alcohol, crime, violence, prejudice and life-threatening diseases such as AIDS and cancer. Michaels describes Reach Out, Inc. as a true “labor of love,” and has continued to use the power of song as a conduit to bring students and community closer together.

Michaels is currently on her official national Live Out Loud Pride Tour. She will perform at Jersey City Pride in New Jersey on August 23. For more information, check out her
websites lorimichaelsproductions.com and myspace.com/lorimichaels. - Go Magazine

http://www.theaquarian.com/2010/03/30/lori-michaels-living-my-life-out-loud/

Anyone who has seen one of Lori Michaels’ wild Atlantic City stage shows knows this self-proclaimed “Dyke Diva” thrives on funky pelvis-thrusting shock value. For her Living My Life Out Loud debut, she likes to hit you over the head with the fact she’s lesbian while asking that musical question, “where’s the bar?” The Fairview, New Jersey native might’ve graduated NYU with a pre-law degree, but she’s taken her obvious intelligence to formulate a modern public persona that’s as entertaining as it is calculated. Catchy and body-moving tracks like “Girl Thing” and “Meet Me At The Partay” could very easily become generational anthems. Why the hell not?

A singer/songwriter/arranger/keyboardist/choreographer, Michaels knows exactly what she wants and how to get it. This debut, as a result, is pretty damn impressive. Who would’ve thought a white Jersey girl could make an R’n’B album so funky and still sound authentic? Think Justin Timberlake on estrogen or Madonna with a strap-on. Properly mixed, with the production acutely keying on crisp trebly detail, Michaels can croon a sexy ballad one minute before becoming a ball-busting dominating vixen the next. Her voice is expressive; her material action-packed.

We’ve come a long way since being exposed as gay could ruin a singing career (google the tragic Johnny Ray). Michaels has proven it could actually be a savvy career move in this day and age, only, of course, if you have the music to back it up.

And she does.

In A Word: Smart

—by Mike Greenblatt, March 30, 2010 - The Aquarian Weekly/East Coast Rocker