February 2005
Stream the showDownload the show

The Fabulous Dyketones
Welcome to Dyke High, and get set to enjoy a good time rock & roll band. Whether they donned leather or poodle skirts, they brought a whole campy incarnation of 50s butch and femme, and along the way became a lesbian institution, now in their 29th year.

Eric Lane Barnes
Songwriter, composer, producer, director...one of the prime movers in the GLBT chorus world...with enough talent left over to have several musicals under his belt; he's his own cottage industry of musical and theatre projects.

Fabulous Dyketones, CD & Cassette

Playlist:   (airdate February 28, 2005)
The Fabulous Dyketones Theme Song (1988)
Char Priolo, Founder of the Dyketones, Interview
Fabulous Dyketones - Be My Baby (1988)
Fabulous Dyketones - Da Doo Ron Ron (1988)
Fabulous Dyketones - My Girlfriend's Back (1988)
Fabulous Dyketones - To Know Her Is To Love Her (1988)
Fabulous Dyketones - She's So Fine (1988)
Fabulous Dyketones - Goodnight Sweetheart (1988)
Eric Lane Barnes Interview
Captain Smartypants - This Boy (2004)
Captain Smartypants - Suddenly Seymour (2004)
Captain Smartypants - Vitamin Q (2004)
Captain Smartypants - Available (2001)
The Stops - But You Are, Blanche (2003)
The Stops - The Fundamental (2003)
Windy City Slickers - Your Man (1999)
Windy City Slickers - Drama Queen (1999)

Eric Lane Barnes

www.EricLaneBarnes.Com

Read the script for the show...

See LOTS More on the Band     

    Char Priolo      

Founder & Head Dyketone, Char Priolo....aka Chukki Linguini

Dyketones, 2003

Above, latest incarnation:  Lisa Rogers, Melissa Sigler, Robin Borthwick, Maureen McLean
or, their stage names,
Celia Fate, Bayou Licious, Anita Flashit, and Candace Plain

Lisa & Maureen are also The Therapy Sisters

and below, a number of pics through the years

from Plexus, April 1985

Below, from "Plexus" (Oakland), May 1985

from Plexus, May 1985

Dyketones, photo by Irene Young       

Dyketones, photo by Irene Young

Char Priolo has told me that there have been 79 Dyketones over the years; here are several who have solo musical accomplishments

The Therapy Sisters
Melissa Sigler
Sheri Lynne
Lisa Koch
Amy Roberts
Sherry Hackney Cade
Brianna Caton
Brenda Lyons
Wendy Lanxner
Lorrie Wesoly

The CD "The Fabulous Dyketones ---- Live at P-Town" is only available at Ladyslipper Music

Maureen McLean, Char Priolo, Brenda Lyons, Lorrie Wesoly and Lisa Rogers.

 

Left, recent Dyketones lineup: Maureen McLean, Char Priolo, Brenda Lyons, Lorrie Wesoly and Lisa Rogers. And right, in olden days.

See Their Video

circa 1977

Eric Lane Barnes

Assistant Artistic Director of the Seattle Men's Chorus;
(and in that capacity) Director and writer for Captain Smartpants;
Writer of the musicals "Fairy Tales," "The Stops," "Fruit Cocktail" and many more;
Written commisioned works for various gay choruses around the world

Undercover, by Captain Smartypants

Below, that's Eric front and center

Captain Smartypants

Eric Lane Barnes & Drew Emery

Above, Eric with new collaborator, Drew Emery

From the Captain Smartypants press release:

Captain Smartypants has gained a reputation in Seattle for telling it like it is, telling it like it isn't, and telling it like it probably never will be. Part improv-comedy troupe, part a capella showcase, part musical theater extravaganza, these eight boys sing and dance like the illegitimate lovechild of' N Sync and Monty Python's Flying Circus. Captain Smartypants, piloted by SMC Assistant Artistic Director Eric Lane Barnes, will take you through the landscape of vocal music, turning songs and styles end over end.

 

And that's just the latest project for Eric Lane Barnes

Captain Smartypants

Captain Smartypants

"Fruit of the Month Club" is a collection of songs sung by two ensembles of the Seattle Men's Chorus, Captain Smartypants and Zipper. The song I featured, "Available," came from this 2001 release. And "Fairy Tales" was Eric's musical from 1995, which have enjoyed numerous productions in cities worldwide.

Fruit of the Month Club  Fairy Tales

The Stops
Another of Eric's very fun musicals is "The Stops," about three church ladies (played by men, of course) who idolize Christian songwriter Dale Meadows, whose character becomes gayer and gayer as the story unfolds.

In Houston Joe Watts and his Theatre New West hosted a production, staring (left to right in the photos) Robert Leeds, Michael Harren and Chris Pool. Harren did double duty as musical director, and this trio not only were comical, but damn good singers. With the director's permission I was able to share two songs, never released, from the show: "The Fundamental" and one never recorded on any Eric Lane Barnes associated CD, "But You Are Blanche."

 

 

Finally, for the finale I dug a little deeper into Eric's career. Prior to moving to Seattle he was director of the Windy City Slickers (and also of Aria, the Windy City Women's Ensemble)...both part of the Windy City Gay Chorus organization of Chicago.

Two of Eric's compositions graced their 1999 album, "Sunday," the song "Your Man" and the perfect show ender for this tribute to his work, "Drama Queen."

 

Windy City Slickers