A band well-known for being queer as well as for their music, The Cliks (like many other musicians, actors and other out public figures in their respective crafts) have tried to distinguish themselves as musicians that happen to be gay — not musicians that make gay music.

Tonight on IFC Canada, the band is featured as part of a new documentary series, "The Rawside of ..." The eight-part series, which focuses on a different band each week, kicked off last Tuesday with pop-rock band Born Ruffians. Tonight, the cameras follow The Cliks around, and the description of the episode is as follows:

Follow a band on the rise as an outsider looking in as the Cliks, led by singer and guitarist Lucas Silveira, a transgendered male and principal songwriter, struggles to make the transition into writing their music as a collective group. The band continues to keep up their demanding touring schedule, hoping to open people’s eyes to their music and the fact that they’re not just a “lesbian band.”

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TV programming often seems like a mishmash of rehash. But once in a great while, the gazillion-and-one channels really do manage to span a vast expanse of ideologies and interests. Tonight, for example, you can eat your dinner while ruminating about homophobia and other hallmarks of the religious right, and then you can stay up late to rock out with a queer band that's hitting the big time.

At 9 p.m. ET on CNN, the third and final part of the God's Warriors documentary series seeks to "explain" Christian fundamentalism in America. I doubt even Christiane Amanpour can do that. AfterElton.com has an article about the show if you want to learn more, and Amanpour herself (who has been on my personal hot list for years) answers some insightful questions on CNN.com.

Later, at 12:35 a.m. ET on CBS, the Toronto-based band the Cliks performs on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson.

If you haven't heard "Oh Yeah" yet, you're missing an infectious tune indeed: … continue reading

Toronto-based queer band The Cliks is coming to a town near you this summer (catch them on their own tour or as part of the True Colors tour). When we talked with them earlier this month, lead singer Lucas Silveira had more inside scoop that wouldn't fit in the story, so here are some outtakes from that interview. Lucas tells us the truth behind his folksy background, how much the band loves their fans, and why the Cliks is called the Cliks.

AfterEllen.com: Did you really used to be a folkie?
Lucas Silveira: [in a sing-song voice] I used to be a folkie.

AE: I find that so hard to believe, because you're such a rocker now.
LS: It's true. It's so true. I had two solo albums under my previous name [Lilia]. I don't want to say they're super folkie. The first one is more than the second one. But the performances I used to do were a lot of really mellow music that I used to write. I was never as folk as some people would like to think, but it was pretty folksy, bluesy kinds of stuff. And in most of my performances I never picked up an electric guitar. I was always on acoustic. … continue reading