MAY 3 - Saturday - 8pm (Spoken Word/Music/Discussion) "The Good Asian Drivers Tour" Featuring Melissa Li and Kit Yan CANADIAN PREMIERE 8pm - 10pm Free admission - Free Parking - Limited seating Presented by explorASIAN Richmond and Vancouver are the only two Canadian stops on their tour. Don't miss this show! Richmond Cultural Centre 7700 Minoru Gate, Richmond Phone: 604-247-8300 http://www.richmond.ca/culture/centre/about.htm "If you’re gay, bisexual, transgendered, Asian, queer, an artist, a poet, a performer, or if you’re just a supporting ally, then come out and enjoy our show!"Melissa Li is a singer-songwriter who has been performing in the Boston area in the United States for over 8 years. She and her tour partner, nationally recognized transgendered slam poet Kit Yan, are going on a cross-country road tour this spring and summer, lovingly dubbed "The Good Asian Drivers Tour". Together, this radical duo will traverse the United States and cut across four different time zones, at least 30 states and over 20 major cities, including two cities in Canada. They deliver honest and personal stories through their music and poetry about being queer Asian-Americans, while proving to the nation that they are indeed good, if not excellent, drivers. They’re so cute you might just want to adopt them. The social impact will be tremendous, especially in areas of the United States where the voices of these under-represented groups are not often heard. In addition, the tour strives to inspire youth and provoke dialogue on gay rights, transgendered issues, feminism, and the marginalization of minorities. Kit Yan wants people to realize that being queer is more than OK; in fact, it’s hot. He uses humor and realism to accomplish this mission and leaves the audience begging for more. Originally from Waipahu, Hawaii, Kit is a transgendered boi posing as a model queer minority to change the world through poetry. He has been slamming in the Boston slam scene since he was 18 and has won numerous slams all over Massachusetts. Kit was featured with nationally recognized poets like Jason Carney, Iyeoka Okoawo, Reggie Gibson and Michael Brown. Before the age of 21, he landed a spot in the Lizard Lounge national slam team, competed in the Individual World Poetry Slam, and won the world’s largest slam. Kit fires up the audience by screaming in their faces about his personal experiences on identity, gender, politics, and cultural struggles, all the while retaining the status of being an all around nice guy. Kit has slammed and performed at colleges and schools including Harvard, Wellesley College, Babson College, UMaine, Colby, Tufts University, Olin College, and Northeastern University. Kit released his first CD, but is now working on revamping it to include his newly testosteroned voice. “And amongst all the professionals twice (his) age in the show, ‘queer college kid’ Kit Yan is a slam force to be reckoned with, a name and presence which has been spreading like wildfire ...” -Bay Windows Melissa Li is a fierce Asian-American lesbian singer-songwriter, who has performed in the Boston area for over 8 years. Her music is a mixture of folk rock and pop, with a hint of soul and a whole lot of queer, and heavily influenced by Ani DiFranco, Jonatha Brooke, Kris Delmhorst, Deb Talan, Melissa Ferrick, and a slew of other pop/rock/folk divas. Through deeply personal acoustic songs, often punctuated with a vocal style reminiscent of hip hop, Melissa rants about love, loss, and social injustices. Melissa started performing in high school talent shows, developing songwriting skills and teaching herself the guitar at the age of 15. She performed wherever she could, starting from small coffeehouses, community groups and even in underground train stations. Since then, she’s carved a name for herself as one of the most talented and popular Asian-American performers in Boston. She has performed at the Brattle Theater, Somerville Theater, and Boston Pride main stage to an audience of hundreds. She has also performed in most colleges and universities across New England. Most recently, she won the honorable Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation award for her first musical Surviving the Nian, produced by The Theater Offensive in the Spring of 2007. Surviving the Nian is the story of a young woman who returns home to Hong Kong for Chinese New Year with her African-American lover. The unfolding of the family drama that ensues directly confronts stereotypes facing queers and Asians in mainstream society today. “...Witness the debut of a young, sure talent. Li is not one to settle for the status quo; she’ll be going places.” -Boston Globe Richmond and Vancouver are the only two Canadian stops on their tour. Don't miss this show! Q&A after the show. http://www.goodasiandrivers.com/ Show contains some strong language and explicit sexual references The show is recommended for mature young adults ages 16+ Parental Guidance suggested for younger audience members. Photo ID may be requested.