Plasma Canvas is the self-professed “LOUDEST, GAYEST BAND IN THE WORLD.” And I can tell you personally that their new album DUSK is fantastic. I welcome their lead singer Adrienne Ash to the show to discuss it, what was in store for Plasma Canvas before the pandemic hit (it’s crushing), how existing as a lead singer in a punk band in a world where Laura Jane Grace blazed so many trails is a double-edged sword, and we spend the back 20 minutes of this show talking about trans rights.

Without spoiling the episode, one thing that stuck out to me was Adrienne’s assertion that being a trans woman in America means “you’re always a topic conversation, but never a participant. People talk about you, but never to you, and if they do talk to you, they talk down to you.” Given the cultural dialogue surrounding transgender issues that are frequently, at best, misguided, and at worst, done completely in bad faith, it seems listening to someone’s lived experience and hearing their needs and wants should take on added importance. Of course, this is 2023 America, so I understand how things actually work here.

I took away a lot from this episode, but I’ll underline a couple of things here: 1) Plasma Canvas is an unbelievably great band and their record DUSK thoroughly rips. 2) Resilience sustained over a lifetime has to exhausting. Please afford all members of your community the rights, privileges, respect and dignity we would hope be afforded to ourselves. 3) We could all stand to listen a little more.

Check out Plasma Canvas on Bandcamp, and then give them a follow on both Facebook and Instagram.

You can also email Adrienne at adriennerayash000 (at) gmail (dot) com or plasmacanvas (at) gmail (dot) com.

This episode is available on iTunes, streaming on Spotify, on podcatchers everywhere or at the Jon of All Trades homepage.

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