BIG FREEDIA at The Garrison (1197 Dundas West), Wednesday (June 1), 9 pm. $10 advance/$15 door. SS. See listing.
If 2010 was the year Big Freedia blew up, 2011 is the year the queen diva of bounce music branches out. An extensive profile in the New York Times and rave reviews for her cathartic, ass-centric club shows have helped the hardworking New Orleans MC grow a fan base across North America.
“Clubs usually have all of these guidelines and restrictions,” she says. “They don’t want people on the stage because somebody might get hurt and all that. I have to connect to my fans and to my people. All of those guidelines go out the door when I get on the stage.”
As Freedia embarks on a North American jaunt to support a new EP and her first vinyl single, Azz Everywhere, she’s also pitching reality shows to networks and recruiting collaborators for her debut full-length (including indie duo Matt & Kim), which will broaden her sound beyond rapid-fire bounce beats into house, techno and pop. Expect something “really controversial,” she says.
Meanwhile, the growing attention has forced Freedia to readjust her routine in New Orleans. She performs five nights a week instead of six – the clubs feel the pinch when she’s on the road – and devotes less time to her interior decorating business.
“I have a lot of different stuff coming at me that can probably make me get mainstream faster,” she says. “I’m just trying to take it one day at a time and not get my hands tied up into too much.”
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