She’s selling out clubs around the world and has become celebrities’ “it” girl when it comes to putting the needle on the hottest records and keeping the beat going at their private parties. Samantha Ronson is one female DJ who can seriously throw it down.

Mariah Hanson, founder and producer of Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend, has confirmed that The Dinah 2016 (March 30 – April 3) will feature one of the most respected and best-known DJs in the lesbian community as Samantha Ronson guest-deejays the event.

“Samantha Ronson is one of the premiere celebrity DJ’s, but she’s also the real deal. Our crowd is going to be blown away at her talent, energy and presence. I’ve wanted to book her for years so for me, it’s an extra bonus that I am finally able to headline her at The Dinah,” comments Hanson.

Making a music career as a professional DJ was never farfetched for the London native.

Samantha Ronson comes from a significant artistic lineage. Her stepdad is Mick Jones, the legendary guitarist of the iconic rock band Foreigner; her brother, Mark Ronson, is a Grammy Award-winning producer famously credited with making Amy Winehouse a household name; and her sister is a famous fashion designer.

With plenty of talent to go around in her family, the Venice-based artist holds her own DJing the biggest parties and clubs all around the world. Her electrifying live set will leave you wanting more as she pushes her sound, along with the crowd to the limit.

Ask the likes of Stevie Wonder, Ellen DeGeneres, Nicole Richie, Natalie Portman, Jay-Z, and Lionel Richie, to name a few, who solicited Ronson’s extraordinary DJ chops.

What an accomplishment for someone who fell into DJing by chance. With her finger on the pulse of today’s hottest tracts, she’s quickly risen through the ranks in this heavily male-dominated industry, and carries now a professional dossier that certifiably rivals some of her better-known male DJ counterparts.

Ronson has spun live for MTV’s New Year’s Eve show from the network’s studios in Times Square, as well as at the Super Bowl, Pan American Games, Sundance, Cannes Film Festival, the VMA’s and AMA’s (among others) and has helped push the music scene forward, perpetuating the growing movement of women behind the decks.

Next to DJing, Ronson also enjoys a passion for singing. In 2003, she became the first rock act to be signed to rapper Jay-Z’s label, Roc-A-Fella Records. She released a handful of songs with Roc-A-Fella — one of which was featured in the cult-classic film “Mean Girls.”

Whether it is DJing or dabbling in other creative fields, Ronson hardly ever stops. Today she continues to work her magic on the dancefloor and to bring something different to the turntables.

Don’t miss her live Dinah DJ set, she’ll bring a whole new ballgame to the table.

The post Celebrity DJ Samantha Ronson set to spin at Dinah first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Palm Springs, California — Pop music’s queen of romance, Christina Perri is slated to headline Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend’s 25th Anniversary (April 1-5, 2015).

Perri, the singer/songwriter behind “Jar of Hearts” and “A Thousand Years,” is the latest major recording artist to proudly add Palm Springs’ iconic Dinah Shore Weekend to her touring resume.

She will deliver an exclusive live concert just before the “White Party”at the Palm Springs Convention Center on Friday, April 3, 2015.

“Christina Perri’s love song, ‘A Thousand Years,’ is one of the great ballads of this decade and a song that our community has embraced. She also happens to be incredible in concert so our guests are in for a full-blown treat. Her fan base is broad and she is one of our more established artists so we are expecting record attendance. Her concert is followed up with The White Party, our signature Friday night event, so it’s going to be an action packed night,” says Mariah Hanson, founder and producer of Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend.

The 28 year-old Philadelphia native’s career has been on a meteoric path since her defiant breakup anthem called “Jar of Hearts” was used on Fox’s TV show: “So You Think You Can Dance.” The breakout single was success on a stratospheric scale, instantly catapulting Christina Perri into the public eye and earning her the coveted iTunes’ “Breakthrough Pop Artist of 2011” title.

More than 100,000 fans downloaded the pop ballad allowing Perri, then manager at a Beverly Hills cafe, to not only crack the Billboard Top 40 two weeks after debuting the song on the show, but also snatch a deal with Atlantic Records.

Perri followed with the four-time platinum single “A Thousand Years,” written and recorded for the film, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn,” which famously zoomed into orbit selling over 4 million copies in the United Sates. Perri then released her first album, produced by Grammy-winning producer Joe Chiccarelli (The White Stripes, My Morning Jacket), which entered the Billboard 200 among the top five upon its initial release.

Now riding a wave of success since “Jar of Hearts,” Perri is on an international tour in support of her commercially successful sophomore album “Head or Heart,” a collection of cathartic songs and powerhouse vocals released in the spring of 2014, led by the album’s buoyant first single “Human.”

Christina Perri recorded with Butch Walker, John Hill and Martin Johnson, toured with Demi Lovato on her Demi World Tour, performed at the Los Angeles’ iconic Hollywood Bowl with Jason Mraz and will now perform for a sold out crowd at The Dinah — the largest lesbian event in the world — in celebration of the event’s epic 25th anniversary.

The Dinah 2015’s headliners are Christina Perri and Meghan Trainor. Other live performances confirmed to date include pop music’s new “it” girls Bebe Rexha and Ivy Levan. Stay tuned for more talent announcements. Learn more at TheDinah.com.

The post Christina Perri headlines at Dinah Shore Weekend first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Palm Springs, CA — Pop music’s new “it” girls, Bebe Rexha and Ivy Levan have been added to the 2015 Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend blockbuster entertainment line up.

Celebrating its 25th Anniversary, The Dinah is once again showcasing the hitmakers of tomorrow. Earlier this month, pop sensation Meghan Trainor was announced as one of the headliners for the upcoming event, which runs April 1-5 in Palm Springs and coincides with the Coachella Valley’s annual LPGA event.

The event also includes pool parties, a comedy show, a film festival and a slew of other activities. Ivy Levan will take center stage at the Dinah’s White Party on Friday, April 3, while Bebe Rexha will be performing at “Black Party” on Saturday, April 4, both held at the Palm Springs Convention Center in Palm Springs.

As a MUST-DO venue that has proven to be the catalyst for propelling new young artists to superstar status, The Dinah was a logical choice for Bebe Rexha and Ivy Levan who are poised to reach household name status and conquer a global audience in the New Year.

One of the fastest rising artists to keep your eyes on in 2015, Bebe Rexha has been racing up the charts with her 2014 debut single, “I Can’t Stop Drinking About You.” The song is currently at US Top 40 radio, with over 125,000 singles sold to date and counting, and approaching 10 million streams on Spotify.

The pop sensation is now working on her debut album to be released in the Summer of 2015, and readying to release her second single “I’m Gonna Show You Crazy” in January 2015.

“Bebe Rexha is a girl on fire and we are so excited she is going to burn it up at The Dinah. She’s slated to have a big year in 2015 and we’ll have the opportunity to see her before she takes off, “ says Mariah Hanson, founder & producer of The Dinah. “Not just a huge talent, she’s also a blazing beauty so us Dinah girls get a double whammy this year. I’m looking forward to her CD early next year and can’t wait to watch it ignite and take off.”

The Brooklyn native made a name for herself most famously penning the Eminem and Rihanna No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit “The Monster” and performing vocals on Cash Cash’s 2014 US-certified massive club smash “Take Me Home”, which she also co-wrote. She fronted Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz’s side project “Black Cards” before embarking on a solo career.

Billboard Magazine named the gifted young singer-songwriter “an Artist That Will Help Define 2014″ — a title she shares with another buzz-heavy breakthrough artist: Sam Smith. Make no mistake, 2015 will be the year Bebe Rexha will be storming the charts and selling out arenas.

The same is true of singer-songwriter and Cherrytree Records recording artist Ivy Levan. Raised in Bentonville, Arkansas, Ivy displayed an affinity for singing and performing from a very young age. Ivy’s mother filled the house with an enormous variety of music: R&B, Soul, Dance, Big Band and Rock ‘n’ Roll and as she grew up, she began to widely expand her musical palette ranging from Whitney Houston to Depeche Mode, Etta James to The Misfits.

While there were no musical boundaries at home, Ivy was most drawn towards music by extraordinary vocalists, hard-driving rock bands and heavy, urban beats which culminate in her own distinct version of swagger with a unique sound built around powerful, sultry vocals full of grit and venom.

“Ivy Levan. Wow, what a force. She is so mesmerizing and sultry! I love her music and her raw intensity. She brings serious girl power to The Dinah and that’s what we’re all about. I have no doubt she is going to be a force to be reckoned with in 2015 and we get a sneak peak in April. I personally can’t wait,” said Mariah Hanson.

Levan’s debut EP titled “Introducing the Dame,” sparked buzz from Access Hollywood, Billboard, Allure, CBS News, Glamour, Perez Hilton, Huffington Post and more.

Billboard said, “(Ivy Levan is) an entrancing pop singer with uninhibited soul-infused stylings,” while Glamour deems Levan “the next big thing…toe tapping rhythms and sultry vocals,” and Huffington Post praises Ivy’s “vocal virtuosity.” Performances include the Carnegie Hall stage in support of the Rainforest Fund Benefit, “The Late Show with David Letterman” with Sting and many more.

Ivy has already hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Next Big Sound Chart, won two consecutive MTVU’s “The Freshman” and her music has over 2 million YouTube/VEVO views. Earlier this month, Ivy debuted the lyric video for “The Dame Says” — the track which she co-wrote is a taste of what’s to come in anticipation of the release of her brand new single “Biscuit” out January 13 on Cherrytree Records/Interscope. Levan will release her debut album this Spring 2015.

Don’t miss the chance to see pop music’s next big thing at The Dinah.

The post Dinah’s next big stars: Bebe Rexha and Ivy Levan first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Mariah Hanson

The Center — a Palm Springs, California, based organization serving the desert LGBT community — is honoring Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend founder and producer Mariah Hanson with the first ever “Legacy Award” for her invaluable contribution to the Coachella Valley LGBT community.

The 5th Annual Center Stage Gala presented by Eisenhower Medical Center will be held on Friday, November 7, 2014, at The Riviera Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, California.

Hanson’s visionary leadership as the founder of one of the Coachella Valley’s largest tourism boosters and undisputed biggest lesbian event of it kind in the world, the legendary Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend (aka “The Dinah”) makes her the perfect choice as the first recipient of this inaugural award.

Presented by The Center, the Legacy award is a brand new distinguished honor, which pays tribute to remarkable individuals exemplifying the highest level of achievement and professional excellence when it comes to leading and travailing for the advancement of the LGBT community.

“When considering those who have made a lasting impact on the desert’s LGBT community, Mariah Hanson’s name quickly rose to the top. Her vision for an all-women’s event has become the largest lesbian event of its kind in the world. This is Mariah’s legacy to our community and our reason for recognizing and celebrating her outstanding accomplishment,” says Mike Thompson, Executive Director at the LGBT Community Center of The Desert.

Hanson’s incredible accomplishment with The Dinah has for the past 25 years continuously created a viable platform for the advancement of the LGBT community.

Transforming lives and making a difference in and for the LGBT community, The Dinah offers an unparalleled one-of-a-kind experience for myriads of women who come from all over the world to enjoy the freedom to be who they truly are without fearing the judgment of others, and gain, as well, a tremendous amount of self worth.

Over the course of a quarter of a century, The Dinah has not only been changing lives, but also spearheading music careers. Building on its reputation as the ultimate entertainment hub Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend has positioned itself not only as an event the entertainment industry’s most elite go to but also as a trendsetting event that music industry insiders watch and jockey to book their artists’ performances.

The Dinah is one of the only all-girl parties featuring a phenomenal line-up of talent ever to perform at a lesbian event. Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Colbie Caillat, India Arie, The Pussycat Dolls, Kesha and more recently Iggy Azalea, are just a few examples of major recording artists that headlined the epic event while still “unknown” and then systematically went on to hit international superstardom.

More than just an event promoter extraordinaire, Hanson is first and foremost an avant-garde business entrepreneur and exemplary community leader, who in a little over two decades has created an unsurpassed cultural and social phenomenon and built an impressive empire turning a small one-night event with 1,500 participants into a five-day bash with some 15,000-plus participants, booking entire hotels and securing major corporate sponsors.

The 5th Annual Center Stage Gala will open with a Reception & Silent Auction at 5:30pm, followed by a sit-down Dinner and Entertainment at 7pm, hosted by the quick witted Kate Clinton and concert by the nationally recognized singing string quartet Well-Strung. The Center will also honor Judge Vaughn R. Walker (Ret) with the “Vanguard” Award.

Already expected to be one of the highlights of the Coachella Valley social season, the Center Stage soiree not only stands as a fun kick-off to Palm Springs Pride, but also as the perfect opportunity for The Dinah to stamp its mark in its highly anticipated upcoming April 2015 milestone 25th Anniversary.

For more information or to purchase a ticket, call 760-416-7790 or go to www.thecenterps.org.

The Dinah 2015 — celebrating 25 Years of epic pool parties and world-class entertainment — takes place April 1-5, 2015, in Palm Springs, California.

The post Dinah founder receives Legacy Award first appeared on Lesbian.com.

From the Barbie parties she threw as a child (Ken was never invited) to the biannual women’s weekend on the Russian River, Carmen McKay is a long-time event producer. She and her partner Annie Albright own the event production company She She, which focuses on lesbians over 35.

McKay started the Women’s Weekend at Russian River nearly 30 years ago. It had attracted 6,000 women biannually to small, scenic community of Guerneville. Eventually, she turned the festival over to the community and it petered out.

This September, McKay breathes new life into Women’s Weekend, September 12-14. When McKay does something, she does it big. In 1987, at the age of 25, McKay was the co-organizer of the Gay and Lesbian March on Washington, which attracted over 750,000 people.

She also tours with her one-woman show “Elvis’ Secret Dyke Daughter.”

McKay shared her wit and delightful personality in an interview with Lesbian.com.

Please tell us about the forest fire that started your Women’s Weekend 2.0 Festival. When would you say your passion for producing events began?

When I was about 7, I used to hang blankets on the clothes line in our backyard to use as stage curtains and put my little brother in a dress (as my main attraction), get my girlfriends to rehearse a Supreme’s song and dance, then put on a big show for the neighborhood parents. So, I’ve always had an Andy Rooney-Judy Garland, “let’s put on a show” kinda thing going on.

It’s a funny story, back in 1986, I was setting up for a women’s festival in Yosemite and there was a huge forest fire surrounding our camp, 150 workers were trapped. I happen to have a Wonder Woman outfit with me (I never leave home without it) and a motorcycle, so, when the fire blew off the road and we had one chance to escape I led the women out on my motorcycle and took everyone to a resort in Guerneville, California — four hours away — and diverted the festival goers to Guerneville and had the festival there. It all took off from there.


I read that the festival was founded by you, Beth Jackson and Eric Pariser. You turned the festival over to the community in the 90s, what made you take it over again?

I’ve watched it over the years and was concerned when it eventually devolved into a smaller, less impactful event. It’s like watching your child go downhill or something. The timing was great as the previous local organizer was burned out and was not going to continue after last May. I really have a powerful, personal vision about bringing the festival back to it’s original glory. I don’t get those kinds of visions very often, but when I do, there’s no escaping them. I’m really driven by the possibility of recreating something that makes a difference for women.

What changes should the crowd expect to see this year?

OMG, what can they expect NOT to see? We are pulling out all the stops! We are reinventing it with a huge, professional marketing machine, headliner entertainment like Beverly McClellan of NBC’s “The Voice,” Suzanne Westenhoefer and Julie Goldman of Bravo and Logo TV, and Lorie Moore from Fox TV’s “The X-Factor.”

We are also bringing in popular local bands like Azucar Con Ache and The Average Dyke Band, and also flying in very popular jazz and blues bands from Southern California like The Steph Johnson Band and Tori Roze and the Hot Mess.

We are getting the word out through our promotional partners, such as Betty’s List, The Bay Times, Epochalips and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (which will receive 10 percent of our profits). Plus we have some of the Bay Area’s favorite DJs like DJ Rockaway of the Bay Area Play Dances.

There are so many fun activities, like our “Largest Single Lesbian Mixer in the World,” the crafts fair, flash mob dance, color drop, golf tournament and wine tasting. The theme of our festival is, wait for it, “Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty.” This is to inspire women to have permission to connect a little more, to swing out of their cliques and meet new people. We will be giving prizes from the stage all weekend for best stories about giving or receiving an act of kindness, etc.

From what I’ve read about this event, seems like it is catered to Baby Boomer lesbians, what is in it for the younger crowd?

We are targeting all women over 21. Women in their 20s and early 30s naturally gravitate to outings and events. They are all about partying and dancing and connecting and celebrating. Women over 35 have different values, generally. Women in their 40s, 50s and 60s want to celebrate and connect, but partying? Not so much. Given that nearly half of the population are Baby Boomers, it is a market that is not being directly served at many women’s events. Our diverse music and comedy and crafts fair will appeal to everyone during the day and the evening events are specifically geared for both age groups. From 7-10pm, we will offer music that appeals to the over 35 crowd, some old school, salsa, top 40 pop. From 10pm to 2am, we will offer hip hop, techno, house, etc. There is something for everyone.

Can single women over 40 expect to find their true love at this event?

Well, there will certainly be opportunities to meet quality, single women in their age group. We are bringing in lesbian dating and relationship experts from around the nation. Friday night, there will be a single’s mixer with Dr. Frankie Bashan of “The Little Black Book.” Saturday night, we have a single’s mixer with Mary Gorham Malia of “The Gay Girl Dating Coach.” We also have something special for couples on Friday night with the ladies from “Conscious Girlfriend.”

What drives you and motivates you to do the things you do for the lesbian community?

I dunno. It’s not exactly a choice. It kind of choose me. It’s what I have a passion for, and there’s nothing better than following your passion, right? It seems like things turn out for me when I am doing something that is authentic. This is authenticity on steroids for me. I guess producing lesbian events is my catnip. Plus, I am on a mission about fun. No one has enough fun, you never hear anyone say, “Oh, I need less fun in my life.” For many years, I had a management consulting business called “Serious Fun,” where I brought fun to corporate America, not an easy thing to do. I consider myself to be a “Funsultant.” I love creating events where people have the kind of fun they used to have when they were, like, 13. And it’s not about getting super drunk and passing out in your car. That’s not really fun.

What goes into planning where the event will take place?

All the events that we do for women are always done in a beautiful environment. With such busy lives, most of us don’t get enough time to hang out in nature, and you forget just how much being outdoors can de-stress and rejuvenate you. So, we looked at a lot of places on the Russian River and fell in love with the Monte Rio Amphitheater. It’s a gorgeous meadow surrounded by Redwoods and is backed up to a creek. And, it has a built-in stage! Really, it’s the perfect setting for the new Women’s Weekend 2.0 to be reborn.

Our evening dances are at the River Theater in Guerneville simply because it is the largest indoor venue in the area. We needed a venue that could hold hundreds of women throughout the night. Also, it has a knockout sound system and high-end laser light system that was purchased from the George Lucas Ranch Studio.

Give us a synopsis of day 1 and day 2 of the event. What will go on during the day and what will take place at night?

It will look like this:
Friday Night from 7pm to 2am, everyone will be at our private club (River Theater) for the awesome random dance party (for random acts of kindness). Women love to dance together. It’s not often women get to be in a private club with hundreds of other lesbians, pure lesbian protoplasm wall to wall.

On Saturday, there’s a golf tournament in the morning for those women that love to hit little balls with a big stick (I’m not a golfer). From 11am to noon, we have the largest single lesbian mixer in the world, where single women each have a piece of a sculpture that they will build together outdoors. Then the music and comedy happens outdoors from noon until 5:30pm or so.

Saturday night from 7pm to 1am is our senseless (for senseless acts of beauty) dance party at our private club with DJ Rockaway. Lorie Moore of the “X-Factor” will be debuting her new hip hop album, “Hot Diggity,” live at 10pm.

Sunday from 11am to 4pm is our good enough for jazz day at our outdoor amphitheater, wrapping up with comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer. We planned the day to start a little earlier and end a little earlier, so women will have time to drive home if they have to work on Monday. For local women, there will be a Lisa Sanders concert at the Main St. Station Restaurant in Guerneville, following the festival.

What do you have in store for lesbians after this event?

Our company, She She, which my partner Annie Albright and I own, produces events for women all year. We have a dance nightclub monthly in Los Angeles and San Diego. We do several annual retreats for women, also. We will be producing Women’s Weekend 2.0 again on the Russian River, May 15-18, 2015.

Where do you see this event 10 years from now?

That’s a wonderful question. The interesting thing about an event like this is when it is done well and is successful, it can really becomes a reflection of the best of lesbian culture.

It will depend on how women want it to develop. The foundation of the festival is that it provides a place for women to truly connect while having laugh-out-loud-pee-your-pants kind of fun, then it will continue to grow and develop from that premise.

As a producer, you have to constantly listen and watch for what women want, even when they may not know what that is, then you provide it. There is something so profoundly beautiful about group consciousness, when it is given an environment to grow beyond individual egos, some groovy things can happen. I can tell you that for May 2015, we will be bringing in even more art and culture to the event with a film festival and a theater production from the Los Angeles Women’s Theater Project.

Dana Brenklin is a Los Angeles based radio personality, award-winning poet and musician. Her radio show, “The Dana Brenklin Radio Show,” airs Thursdays at 9am pacific on kclaFM.com. Find out more at DanaBrenklin.com or listen To Dana’s shows on demand.

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