Out entertainer Lane Moore is suddenly everywhere. The stand-up comedian created New York City's popular Tinder Live With Lane Moore comedy show and acts in the Web comedy series Gold Stars. She also appears occasionally as one of the witty talking heads on all those pop culture-filled VH1 and MTV specials we relish. A longtime writer who's penned humor pieces for The Onion and McSweeney's, Moore has lately been earning raves for a bringing a new sensibility about love, lust, and sexuality to Cosmopolitan as the magazine's first openly queer sex and relationships editor.
Moore somehow finds time to also perform in her band, It Was Romance, whose debut album, available next week on iTunes, won raves from Pitchfork. Tonight the act takes to the stage as part of New York City's zany annual Night of 1000 Stevies, a drag queen-drenched tribute to legendary Fleetwood Mac chanteuse Stevie Nicks.
Moore takes time out from her hectic schedule to chat via email with The Advocate about dating, Tinder vs. Grindr, the merits of Stevie Nicks, and more.
The Advocate:Â Tinder Live sounds like a lot of fun. Have there been any legit hookups for audience members during the show? Any magic moments for you?I wish I knew! I've heard lots of people bring Tinder dates to the show and say things like "So why did you swipe right on me?" and then probably gaze deeply into each other's eyes or something. Honestly, a lot of couples come to the show, which is cool. I'm pretty sure it's because they can watch it and be grateful they're no longer single, which I totally understand.
Many of our readers are on Grindr. Would a Grindr Live work? How would it be different?
I'm actually doing a special LGBT edition of the show for Pride week on June 25 and I thought about incorporating Grindr, but from what my friends tell me, it's just a lot of dick pics. There's no "Oh, I'm trying to pretend I'm a gentleman! Also, here, have you seen my penis? Good day!" like there is on Tinder. So I don't know if there would be much banter or conversation to work with.
You don't identify as straight or cis. Are there sexy things you feel funny giving Cosmo readers advice about?
I feel like I can relate to pretty much everyone because we all want to be loved and love other people, even if it's not cool to say any of that.
Do your own relationships run flawlessly?
I'm a hopeless romantic living in NYC in modern times, so yeah, there's no way that my romantic life is going to run smoothly all the time. I want movie moments and epic love stories, which are hard to come by everywhere, but I think it's especially hard now. I do OK, though. I'm holding out for something big, and fortunately I'm OK with waiting for it.
What is more nerve-racking - doing a stand-up set or going on a first date?
Honestly, I don't really get nervous for either. Not that I never get nervous, but I love doing stand-up so much, so any time I get to go onstage, I'm psyched about it. I've been doing it for so long that I just really love being up there. Yeah, it sucks when there are like four people at the show and one of them has bronchitis and keeps coughing on me -- this happened -- but even then I just try to have fun with it because music and comedy are all I've wanted to do since I was born.
Are there any ways comedy and sex are alike, to your mind?
I'm going to say no. Because with comedy, I'm in full control of whether or not it's great, and with sex, there are two parties. I can control my part, but I have no idea what they're bringing to the situation.
Tell us about your band, It Was Romance.
I started It Was Romance right after I moved to NYC by making a bunch of samples and drumbeats and then layering my vocals over it. I wanted to find band mates who could help realize the songs I was writing on a stage so I didn't have to play 40 instruments at once while singing and dancing. I could do that, yeah, but it's so much more fun to be able to play live with people you love who can do things you can't. My band mates, Alejandro, Angel, and Jeff, are all badass musicians who are really good at hearing the songs I've written and adding insanely great things to them. I'll bring in a song I've written, often with vocals, lyrics, some instrumentation and a drumbeat, and they'll know exactly what to do with it. It's eerie how well we get along and how similar our instincts are. I'm really grateful for them.
I sing and write all our songs and play the electric ukulele mainly. With distortion and reverb, it sounds like an electric guitar -- it's not precious in the way people think a ukulele would be. I play it so hard and fast I have to use a thumb pick because otherwise I tear up my fingers. I also play bass, keyboard, synthesizer, accordion, drums, and I do some sick xylophone solos. If you put it in front of me, I can play it.
Did you find that ukulele? I read something about you all using "found instruments."
I bought my electric ukuleles, but I have played on broken guitars I found in the trash or a toy piano I found in my grandma's attic. It's really creepy and gorgeous. My accordion is taped together and dying, but I love it.
Describe the sound.
I think our sound is like the Black Keys meets Fiona Apple meets '60s girl groups. That sounds right to me.
You're performing at tonight's Night of 1000 Stevies. Are you a Stevie Nicks fan?
Oh, I'm a huge Stevie Nicks fan. She's one of the musicians I listened to as a kid when I was training myself to hit crazy vocal notes. Ever since I can remember, I'd lock myself in my room and sing for hours and hours until I could hit every note of every song I loved. I didn't ever view it as training or practice -- it was just a fun thing I did. So yeah, I feel weirdly connected to her. Very much so. She's incredible.
What are you listening these days?
Lately, I've been listening to a song by the Do, called "Trustful Hands," on repeat. I've also been listening to a bunch of Waxahatchee, Sam Phillips, Selena, and Nicki Minaj, but that's almost always true. Lifelong Selena fan, for sure.
Follow Lane Moore on Twitter.
