Sun. January 23, 2005
By Eric Roldan
Jinx Titanic is a guy, it's also his band, and from the looks of things, that's just the beginning. Not willing to give out his real name while on the record, I spoke with Jinx over the phone on a cold Sunday night in Chicago. The man has so many ideas, plans and projects in store, he seems to symbolize the notion that the best things come to those who wait. And what I mean by that is to say that in our current gay world, youth is prioritized beyond recognition, and being well out of his twenties, Jinx Titanic inspires me.
In addition to monthly concerts at the Cell Block, Jinx has a television show in the works. Tentatively titled "The Jinx Titanic Variety Half Hour," it's a mystery what the show will feature. What we do know is that Jinx will be at the creative helm, he's met with several Viacom channels, and he's seen how afraid the T.V. industry is of gay people. He was told that Queer Eye for the Straight Guy is considered "straight programming," as the guy gets the girl in the end. He was told that since he doesn't fit the stereotype of a typical celluloid gay, they didn't really know how to market this type show.
In his own words, he's not a "happy faggot,"
he strongly believes that artists and entertainers should adhere to some kind of "right thought, right action" policy, and is consistently commenting on culture and conservatism through his music and expression. He's looking to expose the world to other types of gay people: the kind with body hair, the kind that have smart things to say, and the kind with big asses. So far, the going is tough, but it's going--their music has been licensed to MTV and HBO.
Jinx Titanic, the band, has undergone some recent line up changes. The man describes the changes as necessary and beneficial. "Ass Mechanic" will be Jinx's third album as a queer punk, and he describes the recording as influenced by 60's pop. While the first two efforts tried to capture their live feel, this one will be more of a studio record. All in all, it's his own thang. Jinx allows the band to embellish and work off of his ideas, but as a trained pianist, he comes to the rehearsals with the songs already worked out. "I remain King Jinx Titanic," he says, and well, we are all better for it.
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