By: Valerie Milano
West Hollywood, CA (The Hollywood Times) 6/1/2024 – One of California’s oldest and longest-running Pride celebrations got off to a raucous start Friday night with the first of three nights of OUTLOUD musical events.
The celebration kicked off with “Friday Night at OUTLOUD,” a boisterous concert event held at West Hollywood Park, headlined by Kesha and featuring Adam Lambert, Monet X Change, Laganja Estranja & Morphine Love Dion, Naia Dioz, Jessica Betts, Owenn, and Venessa Michaels.
Kesha made her long-awaited return to the stage Friday night in front of a sprawling crowd of fans thrilled to see the pop starlet back in top form at WeHo Pride. Friday’s set, which was the climax of Friday’s OUTLOUD concert, marked the singer’s first solo appearance of 2024.
Kesha’s musical career had been sidelined for years as she fought a protracted legal battle with her former producer Dr. Luke. In 2014, she accused him of drugging and raping her nearly a decade earlier. The legal tangle finally was settled out of court last summer.
Friday night, the singer hit the stage a half-hour late, and opened with an alternate version of her hit, “Tik Tok,” jumping right into the lyrics with a little added spice.
“Wake up in the morning like f*** P. Diddy!” she sang, accentuating her message by flipping off the crowd with both middle fingers. The crowd loved every minute of it.
Last November, Diddy was sued by his ex-girlfriend and longtime partner, Cassie, accusing him of sexual assault and human trafficking.
A day after Diddy and Cassie settled the suit, Kesha performed “Tik Tok” at the Hollywood Palladium and changed the opening lyrics to “Wake up in the morning feeling just like me.”
She took it a step farther at Coachella last month when the new “F*** P. Diddy” version was wildly cheered by the crowd there, following federal raids on Diddy’s homes in Miami and L.A., part of a federal investigation for a variety of serious crimes, including sex and narcotics trafficking.
Before Kesha’s performance on Friday, Lambert, best known for his rise to fame on American Idol and his extended stint as Freddie Mercury’s replacement in Queen, warmed up the crowd with a pitch-perfect, glam-soaked set of original songs including the hit “What Do You Want Me from Me?” Both Lambert and Kesha were backed up by a troop of spectacular dancers, catchy choreography and sensory stimulating lighting.
Inspirational rock and soul singer/songwriter Betts was introduced by her wife, actress Niecy Nash-Betts, the grand marshal of last year’s WeHo Pride Parade. Mayor John M. Erickson and other members of the West Hollywood City Council introduced the show with charm, warmth and plenty of energy, inciting the crowd’s brilliant celebration of the start of Pride month in L.A.
Meanwhile, in an unprecedented move, Los Angeles is celebrating Pride Month by flying the iconic rainbow flag over City Hall. The L.A. City Council approved a motion on Friday to allow for a flag, other than the American flag, to be raised on a government building.
Announced by Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass on Saturday, the Pride Flag will fly over City Hall for the entire month of June in celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community.
“I’m proud to have signed this historic motion to fly the pride flag over City Hall. Our message to the rest of the country and to the world is clear – now more than ever, we must stand together,” Bass said. “We know the harm that discrimination and hate bring and I’m proud that in Los Angeles, we accept our LGBTQIA+ community with open arms.”
WeHo Pride continues Saturday with the first of two days of the WeHo Pride Street Fair. The event is free both Saturday and Sunday and includes community group booths, exhibitors, sponsor activations, a stage with live performances, and other entertainment elements.
Perhaps the most anticipated event on Saturday’s schedule is the annual Dyke March event, which will feature a motorcycle-led rally that is set to begin immediately following the Women’s Freedom Festival along Santa Monica Boulevard.
Co-sponsored and produced by the L-Project, the Women’s Freedom Festival will feature emerging LGBTQ and BIPOC women, non-binary musicians, comedians, poets, and activists, including KingQueen, MariahCounts, Medusa, Theia, Gattison, Cheri Moon, Shiah Luna, Nekeith, DJ SterlingVictorian, DJ Boom Boom, Suri Chan, Jen Cheng, and Hosted by Jackie Steele.
Capping Saturday’s events is OUTLOUD at WeHo Pride, an award-winning, ticketed concert highlighting LGBTQ artistry. The star-studded, high-energy line-up that celebrates and advocates for queer voices in music, is headlined this year by Kylie Minogue, Janelle Monāe, along with Diplo +Friends.
