Shannon Amitin, aka Just Shannon, has a long history of increasing trans visibility in the San Francisco area. But this time, they may have outdone themselves.
In 2019, he founded T4T Events, which became San Francisco’s first nightlife series to spotlight trans performers, DJs, and artists from the Bay Area. This weekend, Shannon is bringing an epic concert, T4TLive!, featuring trans artists, to the American Music Hall on Sept 7th from 3-8pm.
“These events provide a much-needed platform for trans talent and voices in a city known for its queer history, including the Compton’s Cafeteria Riots,” Shannon told GayCities. “As a board member of organizations like the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District and Our Trans Home, I’ve also worked to elevate trans and gender-nonconforming voices in cultural and economic arenas. Whether it’s through nightlife, housing, or community spaces, my goal has always been to help create environments where trans people can not only survive but thrive.”
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The first-of-its-kind epic 5-hour live music event features a line-up of all trans performers when it takes over the historic Great American Music Hall.
DJ Nico, a “Bay Area bad boi,” DJ, and event producer, will open the show. Nico is an open-format DJ. They currently produce a 90’s party called “A Family Affair” with their partner drag queen Mz. Love’O.
Next is soul seductress Ms Tory Teasley. “Her between-song banter is not to be missed!” Shannon notes.
Bay Area-based Star Amerasu’s sets feature raw talent, hauntingly beautiful vocal technique, a sense of wit, and unmatched doll behavior. Also appearing, Shawna Virago, the fairy godmother of trans country artists, writes and performs a potent mix of folk, alt-country, and punk that grew out of the crucible of eighties LA. Saint Hills will bring catchy bilingual beats and rhythms that transcend borders and language barriers.
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But Shannon saves the best description for COMMANDO, saying they “sorta sound like a Pandora station if the seed was ‘Bikini Kill pegging Rage Against the Machine in the Marvel Comics Universe.’
“Or, like, if RuPaul made the girls do new verses to Chop Suey! in the Rusical challenge on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Or if that noxious cultural moment that birthed rap-rock and all of its attendant misogyny, homophobia, and racism in the late ’90s had been used for good instead of evil.”
Bionka Simone, a seasoned entertainer throughout the Bay Area, will host the event.
“When Simone walks into a room she owns it,” Shannon says, noting that she is “a dynamic performer with a larger-than-life personality.”
But T4T Live! is more than just a music festival; it’s a statement of visibility, pride, and solidarity!
Last month, T4T Worldwide teamed up with Hard French to present Dancing with a Star, an album release party for Star Amerasu.
“The event was packed with queer and trans love, and something special happened,” Shannon said. “It was one of the first times we saw a noticeable presence of cisgender allies showing up in support. In a time when trans folks are losing access to gender-affirming care and facing ongoing violence, the support from our allies truly meant the world to us.”
Buy your tickets for this event quickly before they are sold out. General admission is $19 and the VIP package will run you $100.
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