Queer Country West Coast is pleased to announce their first show in San Francisco, featuring the sweet porch music and three-part harmony of The P’s & Q’s, prolific and hilarious songwriter Dillbilly in a new collaboration with Misisipi Mike, and Americana singer-songwriter Eli Conley and his band on Friday, February 26, 2016 at 8 pm. The show will be held at El Rio Bar, 3158 Mission Street, San Francisco. It is 21+ and there is no cover.

Since 2011, Brooklyn’s only gay-owned country western bar Branded Saloon has been home to a unique show called Queer Country Monthly. The series, which was conceived by songwriter Karen Pittelman, features LGBTQ country artists like My Gay Banjo and the Paisley Fields, and always includes a performance by hosts Karen & the Sorrows. The shows have helped build a warm community of queer country artists in New York.

In 2015, Berkeley-based alt-country musician Eli Conley played at the series and had such a wonderful time with the kindred spirits he found there that he pitched Karen the idea of hosting a sister show in California. Queer Country West Coast debuted at La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley in June with performances by Eli’s trio Sugar in the Salt, San Francisco honky tonk band The Western Skyline, and country songwriter Shane Fairchild. The lesbian two-steppers and genderqueer old time fans in attendance all agreed that it was a resounding success.

Why queer country music? In their own words, “Because sometimes you love a culture that doesn’t love you back. We do it because we love the music and want to build a community to support queer country musicians. We do it because everybody needs a honky tonk angel to hold them tight. We do it because we believe in country music for all cowpeople.”

Please visit www.queercountry.net and www.eliconley.com for more information, including mp3s and videos.