“I can’t play guitar solos because I’m gay,” Sam Buck quips.
The unmistakable jingle of Tim McGraw’s “I Like It, I Love It” wafts through the room, a smile on his face. The audience laughs knowingly. The tall, bearded musician could definitely shred it if he wanted to, but on this night, fun trumps virtuosity.
Buck stands under the soft light of Tiffany-style fixtures, his guitar casually slung over his shoulder, his brown cowboy hat shadowing his black denim jacket. Behind him, silver tinsel glistens, providing the backdrop for Nashville glam on the intimate stage of Permanent Record Roadhouse, a cozy bar and record store in Glassell Park. He’s launching KFM Karaoke Country Review, a monthly celebration where honky-tonk culture meets the queer community and toasts, bangs, and rolls while singing along like old friends in a Garth Brooks ballad.
“What I love about this show is that it’s like Goldilocks; it’s never just right,” Buck said before announcing the night’s singers.
Rosie Ruel sings “El Toro Relajo” at Karaoke Country Revue.
This is more than just a showcase. It’s heaven. A place where country music, with all its contradictions and complexities, embraces its messiest, weirdest, most joyful self. Transgender, nonbinary, queer, gay, cis, and straight performers all take to the stage with the same goal. It’s about creating a space to celebrate country music for people who aren’t usually embraced by staunchly conservative circles.
Named after Buck’s podcast KFM Country Radio, KFM has attracted talent such as Julianna Barwick, Dougie Poole and Jay Matthews of the electronic duo Boy Hersher over its two years of operation. One of the evening’s guests, Amber Coffman, former co-frontperson of the Brooklyn-based indie band Dirty Projectors, wowed the crowd with her rendition of Dolly Parton’s 1978 classic “Hard Candy Christmas.” She officially covered it in 2020. .
Participants cheer on the performers at the Karaoke Country Revue held at Permanent Record Roadhouse.
LA-based singer Sedona performs a rockin’ version of Bonnie Raitt’s “Angel from Montgomery” while wearing a vintage T-shirt that says “Rodeo Girls.” And up-and-coming orchestral singer-songwriter Lauren Cramer belts out Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush.”
Microphones aren’t just for experienced performers. However, Buck ensures the show runs smoothly by hand-picking the lineup and requiring everyone to rehearse beforehand. It’s a karaoke-like setup where Buck cues up the backing track, but there’s no lyrics screen to rely on. “Bad karaoke can be a disaster if someone gets wasted or doesn’t know the songs,” Buck says. “[KFM performers]have to learn the song, and that requires a certain amount of attention.”
For example, comedian John Early belts out the Chicks’ “Wide Open Space” and dramatically jumps around in choreographed moves as Nicholas Braun from HBO’s “Succession” watches from the audience. .
Comedian John Early, who appeared on HBO Max’s “Search Party,” enthusiastically sings the Chicks’ “Wide Open Space.”
Other shows have featured comedians such as Kate Berlant and Casey Jane Ellison. Long-time KFM regulars like Chloe Coover and Maddie Finney, hosts of the popular perfume podcast Nose Candy, bring their own incredible talents to the table. Finney wears a trace of Celine’s sophisticated black-tie perfume, and Coover wears a full-length ballgown. She sings NewSong’s charming and sentimental Christian country ballad, “The Christmas Shoes.” Artist Erin Bagley takes a look at Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 country rocker “Silver Springs.” Buck’s partner, JT Friedman, leads a raucous rendition of Alan Jackson’s “Honky Tonk Christmas” while handing out candy from his stocking.
Up-and-coming pop star Rosie Ruel, who works as an energy worker and real estate agent, electrifies the audience with her exaggerated bullfighting song “El Toro Relajo” (The Roaring Bull), while also promoting KFM’s philosophy. Emphasize. Lines in this genre are meant to be touched with toes. Ruel later said that mariachi is actually just Mexican country music.
Sam Buck gives Maddie Finney a birthday present after Finney sings Squeeze’s “Temptation” at Karaoke Country Revue.
Mary Rachel Kostrova, owner of vintage glasses boutique Eyefi, delivers a sultry performance of Melissa Etheridge’s “I’m the Only One,” her voice dripping with raw emotion. Growing up in Georgia, Kostrova witnessed country music’s polarizing presence. It existed everywhere, but it was only embraced by those who weren’t afraid to claim it openly. Among her peers, she recalls a well-known chestnut who listens to all genres except rap and country. A wry smile appears on her face. “And now a lot of people are like, ‘I only listen to rap and country,'” she says.
“Country is in a very interesting place,” muses Buck, who will be playing a show with Mercedes Kilmer (Val’s daughter and singer-songwriter) at Zebulon on February 9th. Pop stars like Beyoncé and Post Malone have experimented with the genre, while the country’s Kacey Musgraves and Taylor Swift have moved closer to pop. Meanwhile, the industry is cautiously diversifying, but support is uneven. “There are no mainstream gay musicians,” Buck says. “I don’t know if that will continue to be the case.”
Buck’s journey into the genre is its own outlaw story. Born and raised in coastal Massachusetts — far from the famous cheers of the South — he grew up feeling like an outsider for being a fan of Miranda Lambert. “I’m a Yankee through and through,” he says. “But anyone who comes from a rural area knows that country doesn’t have to be from the Deep South. In terms of stolen country courage, I probably have more than most. You stole it.”
JT Friedman (right) speaks with Chloe Coover after Coover’s performance.
KFM started as a pandemic-era podcast. Buck spins a national record, tells meandering stories, and indulges in sharp gossip about the county’s elite. “I have to be careful,” he jokes. “If I mention[so-and-so’s]ex-cop husband and his bad bow tie pasta, I don’t want her to bring it back up, in case I end up doing a show with her,” he said. is right-wing influencer Brittany Aldi. While he’s not shy about skewering controversial figures like John (“She only believes in evil things,” he says), the podcast’s appeal lies in its irreverence and genuine respect for country music. It is in the combination of
For Buck, who also works as an artist (and recently exhibited paintings of architecturally significant Los Angeles homes at the historic Echo Park restaurant Tykes), the KFM Karaoke Country Review (next on Jan. 23) The appeal of the event held in Tokyo lies in its intimacy. And chaos. “It’s messy, it’s beautiful, but it’s small,” he says. “I feel like people are connected to each other here, and I think in a time when everything is getting bigger and louder, small things are good.”
And as the night wears on, with voices rising, drinks flowing and silver tinsel glinting under the lights, Buck muses on the strange universality of country music. “The more time passes, the more you realize that everywhere is rural, especially Los Angeles.”
