Ezra Furman: A Guide for the Perplexed

“I’m Glad That We Broke Up” music video is OUT A “trash pizza served on a cold hard plate of digital diarrhea” as Beth phrased it. God what a legend I’m lucky as heck to know a musical and aesthetic VISIONARY in @du.blonde who does everything DIY and invites me to collaborate just because we are FRIENDS. Do art have fun make your own culture TRANS POWA https://www.instagram.com/p/CL9_smXHd8d/?igshid=1j93o43steezd

Transangelic Exodus turns three years old today. What’s your favorite track? Buy it on ezrafurman dot bandcamp dot com - also available is TO THEM WE’LL ALWAYS BE FREAKS , which is all (or a lot of) the demos and rehearsals we recorded while making our way to the final version... Also has anyone heard Going Out For The Weekend, the bside of Love You So Bad? We didn’t release it digitally so I’ve never gotten any feedback on it. Also we’ve never played it live. Let me know your thoughts I’m so alone Photo by @jason_ryan_simmons - transangelic companion is @thefourthcfm - ❤️ https://www.instagram.com/p/CLEvWKnnWxH/?igshid=u3m8jkfykmkk

yo this is last minute but— @du.blonde and I are going on Instagram live today at 1pm EST (6pm UK) to talk about our new song “I’m Glad That We Broke Up” and whatever else you want us to discuss / we feel like discussing. That’s a little more than an hour from now. We will answer all your burning questions. So think up some to ask. Also he makes the best artwork for everything so of course he made this treasure. With zero notice. We only decided this morning that we should do this. Seee yaaaaaaaa https://www.instagram.com/p/CK4Kta5HNH8/?igshid=h8cy9jo8mj7o

NEW SONG W/DU BLONDE IS OUT TODAY. It’s called “I’m Glad That We Broke Up,” it is a perfect pop garage rock song that Beth wrote and I am fucking honored to sing on it. Beth is a truly amazing artist and person. He writes songs that make me burn with envy. I don’t understand what a song is or where they come from but Beth’s songs just come together in this perfect way. They traipse through your mind scattering diamonds everywhere. Which you keep and can hold and cherish later on. Pretty much everything he does blows me away, including the endless visual art he makes and which you can go buy from him for cheap. I’m telling you, we’re lucky to get this stuff that Du Blonde makes. Also I’m lucky to have him as a friend and collaborator and someone who actually knows me and gets me and hears me. A friendship like this is a rare and precious thing. Thanks Beth you fucking rule let’s make more music together https://www.instagram.com/p/CK1aMyPH_vm/?igshid=1kxscbz52econ

Easy way to register to vote, or check if you’re registered: text VOTER to 40649. You’ll get resources from @HeadCountOrg, an organization that registers music fans to vote and to which I’m throwing my support. It’s a very simple thing to ask people who follow you on social media to do! Or any friends or family! Telling people to do this will have a ripple effect. What a dark time in the USA! We are overwhelmed but I insist— we better act together to improve our world! And today I insist on joy. We can only get through dark times if we take the lampshades off of our souls and throw light everywhere. Seriously. Throw yourself forward, into whatever work needs to be done that you can do, with joy. The joy will fuel you through it. Gloom and despair lead to paralysis. I feel it very often. We gotta go with joy. That leads to having the energy to make a brutal world more beautiful. I know voting is so simple and basic and unsatisfying. It doesn’t put out fires. It doesn’t stop murders. But it’s something so many of us can do that actually DOES SOMETHING. And the choices we collectively make do in fact prevent harm and loss of life. The world changes fast and our country could look a lot better in a few years. If you participate!! Register to vote and tell everyone you can possibly tell to register to vote. Also tell them how good my music is if you get a chance??? And that I look good in my underwear??? Okay thank you???? https://www.instagram.com/p/CE9YbiPHaO7/?igshid=jo7m7la8gytp

Hi y’all. Go to https://noisefornow.org/shop to purchase masks - for every mask or bandana you buy, donations of masks and cash will be made for distribution to vulnerable indigenous communities. More details below And by the way it’s a great mask— adjustable, breathable etc. Much better than the one I had before. COVID-19 has exposed our country's chronic systemic injustices; rates of infection are rising in overburdened Indigenous communities who lack PPE, healthcare, running water and food. Meanwhile, the pandemic has been used to impose state-level restrictions on abortion access and forced temporary health center closures, making it even more difficult for many families to access care. This disproportionately impacts people with low incomes, people of color, and those living in remote and extremely rural communities. Here's what you can do: For every purchase of one @noisefornow X @seedingsovereignty mask or bandana, one mask will be donated to Seeding Sovereignty's Indigenous Impact Community Care Initiative for distribution to COVID-19 impacted Pueblos and reservations AND cash donations will be made to @seedingsovereignty's mutual aid work, and abortion funds serving Indigenous and undocumented people: @indigenouswomenrising and @mariposafund Masks and bandanas ethically and sustainably made by @suaysewshop Link to purchase: https://noisefornow.org/shop [Sent from Pawtucket land stolen by colonizers] And thanks to my girl @stefchura for the shirt— her music rules

This is a post mostly for my trans and gender non-conforming followers. Bit of a brain-dump. There is all this unprocessed raw emotion in me, and I think in most of us, because things have changed so drastically, so fast. There just hasn’t been time to fully feel the feelings. Today is the day after Trans Day of Visibility. Back to invisibility, I guess. To be honest, I have mixed feelings about this holiday. To whom are we supposed to be visible? Why are we supposed to be visible? Is it so that all the good liberals can pat themselves on the back for how much progress has been made? Is it so cis people can ritually forgive us for our freakish genders, and say “it’s okay that you’re like this?” Meanwhile, trans people get murdered and we have way too few advocates for our safety. We are so visible we get killed for it. I want my visibility to come with safety, with health care, with anti-discrimination laws in employment and housing. With a culture of protecting us, not just putting us on magazine covers when we choose to do fashion and music careers. A lot of this line of thought has been influenced by Alok Vaid-Menon, a brilliant trans poet and thinker. It’s also been influenced by my own experiences. I haven’t talked about this publicly but I’m living downstairs from a very transphobic landlord, and although it’s a stable situation and he mostly leaves me alone, it’s very uncomfortable and I need to move soon. Even though I wouldn't want to otherwise. It’s really hammering home how many queer people face difficult situations at this time of pandemic, stuck in homes or jobs that don’t feel safe or are emotionally oppressive, in ways both obvious and subtle. Anyway I just want to check in with my trans and GNC fans. A lot of you have told me that my visibility matters to you, and that’s the kind of visibility I do care about. Visibility to each other, and to ourselves. When we see each other, that’s when we become powerful. I don’t give a shit what cis people see. I just hope we remember to take care of each other and take care of ourselves. And I dream of a day when our visibility comes with safety and full equality. My blessings to you all -E https://www.instagram.com/p/B-cPPsnHHl0/?igshid=1t2jsarxo4cdp

TOMORROW IS SUPER TUESDAY - primary elections in 14 states. If you’ve seen us live in the USA recently, there’s a good chance you heard me begging all eligible voters to register to vote and VOTE. I’m obsessed with this because, as detailed in my songwriting lately, I am worried about America. I am worried about vulnerable people here and worldwide. We have ended up with bad leaders because too few of us have been paying attention and participating. So pay attention and participate!! Go to vote.org to check if you are registered to vote and/or register. It is SO FAST to get done. And then you will be registered. Then, tell everyone you know, literally everyone, to register to vote if they are eligible. Use social media and say it in person too, or text them, or call them. The elections tomorrow (“Super Tuesday”) are significant for people who are registered Democrats. We‘re choosing the nominee for president. They’re in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia. It is too late to register now for tomorrow’s election. But in other states it’s not too late at all, and you DEFINITELY have time to register for the general election which is Tuesday, November 3rd. You can vote early, you can vote absentee, or you can show up in person on the day to vote. Look at vote.org to figure out how you’re going to vote. There are Democratic primary elections every Tuesday in March, and then on various dates through early June. Here’s a list of when they are: MARCH 10 - Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Washington state MARCH 17 - Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Ohio MARCH 24 - Georgia MARCH 29 - Puerto Rico APRIL 4 - Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Wyoming APRIL 7 - Wisconsin APRIL 28 - Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island MAY 2 - Guam, Kansas MAY 5 - Indiana MAY 12 - Nebraska, West Virginia MAY 19 - Kentucky, Oregon JUNE 2 - Washington DC, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota JUNE 6 - Virgin Islands Lives are at stake. “it is time for the evening prayer / time to do justice for the poor” https://www.instagram.com/p/B9PLa05Hcxg/?igshid=kj2p9fktzy3w

This just in: since the “Intimacy” residency at ONCE Somerville has gone so well, we are adding one more Tuesday night show, the first Tuesday in February: 2/4/20. I know this is good news for some of y’all Boston area fans who didn’t get in the first four times. It’s good news for me too because I have LOVED playing these shows. I’m so happy to get to play one more. Tickets on sale now at the ONCE Somerville website https://www.instagram.com/p/B7ymPvxn_Hd/?igshid=pmvxd2ddhiql

What up Boston metro area. Tuesdays in January I’m playing solo at ONCE in Somerville Mass. As a new Somervillain I’m digging into being a local music weirdo and trying to create some consistency in your lives and mine by playing a regular weekly show. I’m calling it INTIMACY. Because I’ll be (mostly) alone onstage getting intimate with my song creations, and with you. Seeing what lies beneath the old songs and what the new unreleased unpolished ones might become. We all crave intimacy, and fear it too. Let’s explore it in the ONCE upstairs lounge. As you can see there will be wonderful guests opening the show, old friends and new. Look ‘em all up. I’m highly psyched and I hope you’ll come hang out https://www.instagram.com/p/B63bx7nnUve/?igshid=5ts59y8y5gvf

What up Boston metro area. Tuesdays in January I’m playing solo at ONCE in Somerville Mass. As a new Somervillain I’m digging in to being a local music weirdo and trying to create some consistency in your lives and mine by playing a regular weekly show. I’m calling it INTIMACY. Because I’ll be (mostly) alone onstage getting intimate with my song creations (the old ones and many new ones too), and with you. We all crave intimacy to some degree, and fear it too. Let’s explore it in the ONCE upstairs lounge. As you can see there will be wonderful guests opening each show, old friends and new. Look Em all up. I’m highly psyched and I hope you’ll come hang out and bring some pals (at ONCE Somerville) https://www.instagram.com/p/B63aYvdndUe/?igshid=3xuyiqth66nk

Delighted to announce that @sarahkatesilverman Sarah Silverman, noted comedy masterminde, is my opening guest tomorrow night at the Largo in LA. How this happened is basically that Sarah is fucking cool and she got into my music and then when I said hello to her on the internet she let me come be her guest at HER Largo show back in February. And now she’s doing me the honor of being on mine. Tomorrow night at 8pm sharp. Comedienne opens for singerenne. She is also however one of the finest songwriters of our generation as a search for “sarah Silverman diva” will reveal. I think she’s just telling jokes though. See you at the Largo Saturday night https://www.instagram.com/p/B6TI6pfn2b3/?igshid=mmmw8nkvi0xq

TL;DR - Come see me close out the decade performing solo at the Largo in Los Angeles this Saturday night. This is me performing at the Hideout in Chicago on January 15, 2010, my first show of the decade. I've made a lot of bang bang rocknroll since then, but my last show of the decade will be, like the first, a solo performance, just me and you and my songs. For me, it's a moment of reflection on my development as an artist. I hope I've gotten better at it, but my goal now is the same as it was then: to turn the raw stuff of my soul and its deepest concerns into great songs. And put them across to you in the most effective way I can. Sometimes that means getting up there alone and showing you the songs’ bare skeletons, no frills. I hope you’ll come see me at the Largo in LA this Saturday night, December 21st. It’s been a longtime dream of mine to play this particular legendary club. They have been so nice to me since I appeared on Sarah Silverman’s show there in February and I’m psyched to return to do my own show. Tickets are still available, come through and put a bow on this decade of song with me. https://www.instagram.com/p/B6OeimSnHdT/?igshid=1kfijk5ab8kgk

John Cameron Mitchell and me doing “The Origin of Love” live on WBUR. I am not a cool popular celebrity-friends person. Which is why it’s so weird that I get to be friends with John. He is the coolest sweetest person and a true legend of weirdo queer art. He went on Boston radio to talk about his deeply weird and weirdly deep new dramatic podcast, “Anthem: Homunculus.” And he invited me to sing this classic song with him, “The Origin of Love” from Hedwig & the Angry Inch (a masterpiece of a play/film which I ferociously recommend), which I also sang on the Sex Education soundtrack. We did it with no rehearsal. It was shaky and a total blast. You can watch the whole thing if you search “John Cameron Mitchell WBUR” on YouTube. All hail JCM. ❤️❤️❤️ https://www.instagram.com/p/B4Sbma1H9zz/?igshid=ln6rrfop5whi

Last night at the Turf Club in Minneapolis was incredible. Y’all really brought it. So did we. And @stefchura blew everybody’s mind. Playing the beloved Lincoln Hall in Chicago tomorrow ... I hate to be cocky about these things but it might sell out. We’ve got Stef Chura AND the unstoppable Speedy Ortiz. So get yer tickets before they’re gone and let’s burn brightly together in a dark time . . . . Photo by @christophergoyette https://www.instagram.com/p/B2E0Srjne5A/?igshid=11s0zvwoojt5w

I am hungover and tomorrow at 10am i am doing an Ask Me Anything on Reddit on the subreddit called indieheads. And you can ask me anything. And maybe I’ll answer https://www.instagram.com/p/B17eecsHsio/?igshid=d4dncwkspy0u