Out singer Tom Goss is bringing his “Bear Friends Furever Tour” to NYC’s RockBar on Friday, June 27.
“I love RockBar so much,” says Tom from his home in Los Angeles. “Honestly, a venue like RockBar is my preferred space. I love spaces where people are in the mix of whatever it is they are experiencing. Nobody does this better than NYC. When people go to a show in NYC, they know what to do. They are responsive, energetic, and it creates such a whirlpool of symbiotic positivity. I would say that my shows in spaces like this tend to be a little looser, a little more joyful, a little more exuberant. I’m more likely to change my set, pull someone on stage or simply get lost in a story.”
Among the songs Tom will perform is “Bear Soup,” the fourth installment in his beloved bear song anthology. Following fan favorites like “Bears,” “Round in All the Right Places,” and “Nerdy Bear,” this high-energy, bass-thumping banger celebrates body positivity, joyful indulgence and the vibrant spirit of the bear subculture. He explains more below.
INTERVIEW >>>
Your “Bear Friends Furever Tour” is part concert, part celebration. What’s the emotional throughline you want fans to walk away with?
Tom Goss: Joy. My show isn’t all smiles and balloons, but ultimately, I want people to feel like they can be who they are, wherever they are.
With “Bear Soup” being the fourth chapter in your bear song anthology, how do you feel the narrative and sound of the series have evolved since “Bears”?
Honestly, every chapter in this anthology is a wild departure from every other chapter. That’s one of the joys of being an independent artist. I am able to be malleable, to make quick and sudden artistic changes.
You’ve long championed body positivity.
Part of my mission has been to shed light as to how I see beauty, in hopes that it helps others see their own glaringly obvious beauty. I am attracted to men of size. It is impossible for me to see men of size in the same way that the world tells us we should. It is like trying to convince me the sky is green.
What inspired you to make those themes the cornerstone of your musical identity?
I spent a lot of my life struggling to find my place in the world. I’ve questioned my ability to love and be loved. I’ve grown to understand that negative perception is an intentional creation. We hold shame because we are told to. We feel inferior because we are meant to. However, if a construct can exist that makes us feel less than, we can surely create a construct that makes us feel more than.
What’s the secret to writing songs that are both campy and culturally significant?
I think the answer is to be painfully uncool. (Laughing) Seriously, though, I’ve always used humor as a mechanism to get along, make friends, enjoy life—even when it was at its lowest. Humor is a powerful tool. If people are laughing, the weight of what you’re saying isn’t obvious until it’s too late. You can sneak in all sorts of subversive messaging without anyone realizing it.
Is there a subversive message in “Bear Soup”?
Not really. “Bear Soup” is about celebration. It’s about turning up the music and partying it up with marmalade cake, Jell-O, chocolate mousse and lemon tarts!
If the Bear Friends Furever Tour were turned into a musical, what would its big closing number be?
“This Is Me” feels like it would be a great closer. Can you imagine all the bears singing that and pulling off their tearaway pants to rousing applause? Everyone would see and celebrate everyone else’s light, then relish the power of their own. The theater would shake with the energy of people’s wide smiles and laughter. Please take me there!
Tom Goss performs his “Bear Friends Furever Tour” at RockBar on Friday, June 27 at 8 p.m. Visit TomGossMusic.com
