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Gender-bending music is just the beginning for this local duo.

Friday Jun 18, 2010.     By Centerstage Chicago Staff

Music Feed

Follow Friday is an interview series in which each Chicago artist we talk to recommends a fellow local act.

This week's guest: Actor Slash Model
Recommended by: Love Raid

Actor Slash Model is the collaborative effort of activist-slash-educator Simon Strikeback and artist-slash-filmmaker Madsen Minax. When the duo isn't making gender-bending music together, they're on the movie scene, having released the recent rockumentary Riot Acts: Flaunting Gender Deviance in Music Performance. Strikeback tells us a little more about the duo.

Describe your sound in 140 characters or less.
We call ourselves a homo indiegrass duet. Our sound is influenced by a wide range of sounds, from far-reaching indie to very traditional bluegrass.

Where and when was your first show - and what was it like?
Our first show was in fall 2006 at the Prop Theater on Elston. We played the opening of a porno that Madsen had done some music for and I had a little spot in. We knew a lot of folks in the film and at the performance, so it was a nice introduction to playing out - everyone clapped and probably would have no matter what we sounded like.

Name three of your favorite Chicago spots (bars, restaurants, venues, parks - whatever).
Red Line Tap in Rogers Park. Jackhammer in Rogers Park. Women & Children First bookstore in Andersonville

What Chicago artist/band should we interview next and why?
The Homoticons - its Madsen's new band and they are really making headway through the Chicago indie scene.