Tag Archives: mtf

Yesterday I received an email from Ingrid Elizabeth of the ever-so-lovely acoustic duo Coyote Grace. She wanted to remind all of us that November is Trans Awareness Month, and that she and Joe Stevens (the other half of the duo) will be performing on the Transgender Day of Remembrance at University of Nebraska – Omaha. They’ll appear with Namoli Brennet.

I consider myself particularly spoiled because Coyote Grace recently moved to my neck of the woods. They’re smart, charming, socially relevant, and best of all, dance-able. As they’re becoming more well known, they still favor us with small local shows.

With a biography that begins “Girl meets Girl. Girl becomes Boy. Girl and Boy become a band. Meet Coyote Grace.” You know you can expect something different. Their sound is a swingy blend of Americana roots music with jazz-baby overtones. Ingrid Elizabeth plays the upright bass (that’s a lovely sentence to say out loud, btw) and Joe Stevens plays the guitar. They both sing and write songs. You can sample their music here.

I recently had the opportunity to spend an hour or so locked up in a radio recording booth with these two, and I came away impressed with their warmth, humor, brains, musical ability, and – yes – grace. They’re hard-working musicians who are quickly establishing a place for themselves, having opened for the Indigo Girls, and toured with Melissa Ferrick

But they also impressed me as incredibly brave young souls; two people who have no inclination to shy away from questions about their early lesbian relationship and Joe’s transition from female to male. Indeed, they address it in song, and are as eager to share and educate as they are to entertain.

Here’s a video of Coyote Grace opening for Melissa Ferrick late last month in Milwaukee, singing one of their signature songs, “A Guy Named Joe,” about Joe’s transition.

Could there be a better pair to share the honor of GPG Centerfold during Trans Awareness Month?

(And with a special shoutout to the SF Bay Area: Coyote Grace will appear this Sunday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. at the ever-so-queer-friendly and decidedly down-scale Black Cat in Penngrove. I hope to see you there!)

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