Baby Dee

Transgender singer-songwriter Baby Dee has a rich, captivating, otherworldly voice. It soars majestically over mournful, sustained piano chords in Safe Inside the Day [Baby Dee's 2008 Drag City release] before retreating and returning, boldly and forcefully. Baby Dee's resume includes stints as a harpist, a street musician and a sideshow performer, but it seems as if she'd be most comfortable in a world of her own creation, singing vaudeville. Bringing to mind Antony Hegarty of Anthony and the Johnsons, her voice is a force of nature, marked by dramatic outbursts and an unmistakable air of tragedy. A quiet violin and other voices compete for attention in Safe Inside the Day, but Baby Dee commands all the attention here. Exuding vulnerability, she sings, "If I can remain where I will stay / I will live another day," enunciating with enthusiasm. When she repeats, "I will live another day," she sounds comfortingly — and a bit surprisingly — at peace. (Text by Kathryn Yu, NPR)

Drag City will release Baby Dee's Book of Songs for Anne Marie on February 8. The material was originally released as a limited edition sheet music in book format by Durtro in 2004. Cellist John Contreras (Current 93) wrote string arrangements for the songs, and he and fellow cellist Matthew Robinson will be joining Dee for this very special performance at The Cedar.

Tickets go on sale at noon Fri Oct 23 from the Cedar Ticketline (612-338-2674 ext 2), Cedar outlets, and online at Ticketweb.
$12 advance, $15 day of show