Jane Wiedlin.com Pay no mind to what they say …
Bowling for Boobies
Dear Loved Ones,
You probably know I have been part of the charitable fundraising event Bowling for Boobies for many years now.
This event was started by my dear, late friend Edith Speed who herself battled breast cancer. Bowling for Boobies raises money to help women who are currently battling breast cancer, to pay their bills. Even with insurance, the cost of getting ill in this country is devastating, and this tiny group is a lifesaver to many women each year.
I am so proud to be part of a nonprofit organization that uses virtually all the money we raise to help actual women with breast cancer! It would mean a lot to me if you donated. You can do so HERE.
I am hoping you will help our event this year!
Lots of love,
Jane
Update from Jane
Well dear followers, I believe it’s time for me to catch you up on my goings-on.
The Go-Go’s tour was really excellent for me. It was shocking/thrilling seeing how much people seemed to enjoy our shows. Doing the official Meet & Greets was a new thing, very intense. Almost like being your own warm-up act, but fun and heartwarming too. Some people cried when they met us, which is just so…crazy flattering! Being “ahemmm” slightly older than I was on past tours, my body really felt the wear and tear of it all, but playing for Go-Go’s fans is SUCH A RUSH, I’d get 80 minutes of a super-high, followed by the crash of reality: aches and pains and exhaustion. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I’m also so proud of my Gogo sisters; everybody kicked butt!
During the middle of our tour – we stopped in LA to received a star Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is such an incredible honor to be included in the Walk of Fame. Our star is located on the very corner where the Go-Go’s were born. At the time, the basement of the building was a punk-rock club called The Masque. We rehearsed and performed our very first concert in the basement of the theater where our star is located. If you’d like to visit our star all the info you need to know about the location is available HERE.
So, we finished our final show in KV’s hometown of Austin, and the following morning, while waiting to get on the plane home, I found out my nephew Danny had just committed suicide. It was a shocking visceral moment. Feeling like a zombie, I made the journey to SFO, then immediately booked myself to Portland, Oregon via Seattle. Danny had been living in McMinnville, a small town about 90 minutes south of Portland.
Danny was my sister Meg’s son. Meg and I are very close; we live together, and because she is five years older than me, she had a profound influence upon me growing up. Danny was 25, a drummer, a likable guy, and struggled most of his life with depression, something that plagues a lot of people in my family, including me. My sister is heartbroken, and I can’t help but keep wishing that he could have hung onto life a bit longer, as my struggles with the disease have been helped a lot these past 16 years by medication and education. Maybe things would have gotten better for him in the future. I am so sad about this and wouldn’t wish it on any family.
Meg, her daughter Gena (who lives very close to us in San Francisco) and I leaned on each other a lot those days in Oregon. It was creepy going to the funeral parlor, and weird organizing the “wake” we threw. Like, wait, we’re having a party over this?? When we came back to California we had a Wiedlin family gathering with all my brothers, sister, nieces, nephews and spouses. That was nice. It sucks that it seems to take a drastic event to get everyone together, but I still enjoyed the day. One of the things we did to honor Danny was set up a donation site in his name to MusiCares, an non-profit organization that helps struggling musicians in times of need. If this is something you’d like to be part of, you can donate HERE.
Back at home in San Francisco I crawled into my bed for several days, emerging only to play guitar and sing (as a guest performer) on a young artist named Dan Sartain‘s upcoming record. It was exciting to feel like a studio musician!
The next morning it was back to the airport for me, to travel to Chicago; I had a wedding to perform! Rosemary & Jan, two wonderful people in love, and suddenly able to be “civilly united” in the state of Illinois, asked me to be their officiant. This was such a loving lovely event to be part of; it makes me crazy that there are people who would deny others the right to be legally joined! Love is LOVE! If you’re interested in having me perform your wedding there is more info HERE. The ick part of my trip is that the dang hotel used that room freshening chemical that has gotten me so sick in the past. So I felt like death when I flew home, and ended up in bed AGAIN for days. 
This week the Simpsons comic book story I wrote (with art by my friend Tom Hodges) was released. What a blast that was to create! Look for “THE SIMPSONS TREEHOUSE OF HORROR #17” at comic book stores, if you are so inclined! More info HERE.
In couple days I fly to London for several big events, well big for me anyway! I’m going to be acting in director Steve Balderson’s latest project: “CULTURE SHOCK” which is filming there right now. Then I’m going to the London premiere of Steve’s last movie “THE CASSEROLE CLUB” which I am in. Then the following night is the premiere of “CAMP CASSEROLE”, the documentary made by Anthony Pedone about the making of The Casserole Club! This all takes place at London’s Raindance Film Festival.
THEN, on Oct. 1 and 2 I will be appearing at Entertainment Media show signing photos and meeting & greeting. I haven’t been to England in years and I’m pretty excited!
When I get home I gear up for my yearly charity event BOWLING FOR BOOBIES. This event is always a blast, and we always raise lots of money to help real women currently fighting breast cancer to pay their bills. It would mean a lot to me if you donated. The Busted Foundation is a tiny organization, and virtually all the money we raise goes to the women in need. You can donate under my name HERE.
I will close with the words of Winston Churchill: “Never never never never give up!
Love,
Jane
Bongo Comics interview
New interview with Jane and Bongo Comics about the upcoming Simposons Treehouse of Horror issue. The comic hits stores on Sept 21st or is available online HERE.
Read the interview HERE.
Hey London!! Mark your calendars!
Jane will be at the Entertainment Media Show Oct 1st-2nd!!
More information HERE.
Simpsons Treehouse of HORROR!
Prepare for a trilogy of Halloween treats in this year’s terrifying Treehouse of Horror!
First, punk rock pixie and Go-Gos founding member Jane Wiedlin (Lady Robotika) leads Marge down the path of the walking dead; then, Zander Cannon and Gene Ha (Top Ten) offer up a remake, Simpsons-style, of the classic horror flick Nosferatu; and finally, indie artist Jim Woodring (Jim) helps Bart uncover the truth behind the biggest mystery in the history of horror comics.
Comic hits stores on Sept 21st or is available online HERE.
Camp Casserole
Jane Wiedlin covering 13 men…a scene from Camp Casserole.
From the documentary, Camp Casserole about Steve Balderson’s new film, The Casserole Club.
From Jane …
Yesterday, August 29, 2011, my nephew Danny, son of my beloved sister Meg Wiedlin, and brother of my amazing niece Gena Inkeles, took his own life.
Daniel Robert Inkeles was born February 13, 1986 in the middle of a huge El Nino storm. Danny grew up in Topanga and Malibu California and spent the last 4 years in Oregon. Danny was a delightful child who loved hiking, surfing, tide pooling and dirt biking. Danny’s biggest passion in life was music. His first band, at age 5, was Dragon Fire, which involved fake instruments and ninja costumes. When Danny turned nine he started playing drums, and began his life as a musician, playing in many bands, including the critically acclaimed band The Hills. His last band was King Ghidorah, which truly highlighted his talents as a drummer. Watching him play music was a joy.
Life’s trials and tribulations became difficult for Danny, but he met some of his greatest friends as he struggled with sobriety and depression. He had many people who loved him and supported him in his efforts to live and love his life. Ultimately, Danny chose to end his life on August 29th, 2011. All who loved him will miss him.
If you have a loved one who is battling with depression and/or drug addiction, try to take the necessary steps to help them but know it’s not always possible to save them.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to MusiCares, a non-profit organization that provides critical assistance to music people in time of need. Please donate HERE.
New interview w/Jane
New interview w/Jane and the DallasVoice.com
Lady Go-Go by Rich Lopez
Nothing makes you feel older than an album from your youth celebrating a milestone anniversary. Nothing! Those defining tunes as you came of age may be timeless, but it’s a reminder that you aren’t.As the seminal ‘80s band the Go-Go’s celebrates three decades since Beauty and the Beat, time seems to have hardly touched guitarist Jane Wiedlin. With her little girl voice and sassy wit, Wiedlin has kept the same spunk she had when the iconic girl group burst onto the scene.
“In some ways it feels like three years ago and other ways, like 300 years ago,” she says.
Wiedlin wants to make one thing clear: The concert she and her bandmates will give this weekend is not part of a reunion tour — there’s nothing to reunite. Rather, the Go-Go’s just aren’t “a very active band” who have taken “a big chunk of time off.”
Whether or not she’s kidding, the tour has injected the band with a vigor that they’ll put on display Friday at the House of Blues. Dallas thought they might get a nostalgic taste of the band when they were set to perform last year. But Wiedlin unintentionally derailed that.
“It was the day after my birthday and a few of us decided to take a midnight hike up to the top of this hill,” she explains. “We wanted to have this epic light saber battle. But as we walked home, I literally fell right off a cliff. I heard my knees explode; I was rolling through poison oak! I went and found the cliff and I had fallen about 15 feet.”
Such an anecdote reveals several things about Wiedlin: She’s an admitted Star Wars geek, and she’s the adventurous type. She has a limp now, but otherwise, she’s back in the game. The time off gave her some time for introspection — about touring in the early days, the fun the ladies had on the road and the experience of putting those shows together. Even with the ups-and-downs of the band, she thought everyone was having the best time possible — why not again?
“You know, I get sucked into the minutiae of being onstage, but it’s extraordinary,” she says with little gasps. “Our intention is to make this tour the most fun we’ve had in decades, which will make it fun for other people.”
Which seems like a given with such musical faves like “We Got the Beat,” “Vacation” and “Head Over Heels.” But is new music in sight for the band that never really broke up? Wiedlin and the gang aren’t ruling it out.
“It looks possible to record together, even though we don’t have to have a major label,” she says. “That used to be such a big deal to make music, but now with the web, it’s very DIY. Like getting back to those ‘70s punk rock days. Charlotte [Caffey] and Kathy [Valentine] just wrote a new song for the band.”
Wiedlin gives the impression that she can’t sit still, whether she’s a star in the comic book Lady Robotica, partaking in her admission that she’s a BDSM perv or acting in indie films, Wiedlin’s voice suggests she may never stop working — whatever the work may be.
“I’m working all the time. I just wrote and directed my first sci-fi movie, The Pyrex Glitch,” she says. “That’s on the film fest circuit. Hopefully people will find it as funny as I do. But we’re all really busy. Belinda [Carlisle] has her jewelry and textile company and Gina [Schock] is been writing songs for Miley Cyrus. Everybody is still so active even though we’re old.”
Wiedlin has discussed her bisexuality, although she prefers to stay away from labels. In an interview with AfterEllen.com, she told the site she’s had sex with both sexes, but that “bisexuality is such a loaded term.” But she loves her gays and as Prop 8 played out in California, she experienced both the joy of gaining equality and the disappointment of marriage privileges being taken away.
“For a few months in the summer of 2008, we got equal rights,” she says. “I wanted to be part of that celebration! But then Prop 8 happened and I’ve been fighting it ever since. I became an ordained minister to marry same-sex couples. I’ll go anywhere to do that so people can be together as they should be. Oh, and as a disclaimer, I’m completely non-religious.”
Her focus is now on the tour and even with her bum knees, she laughs off any obstacle that would keep her from enjoying giving a good show. And while the audience will hear Go-Go’s hits and perhaps even Carlisle’s, don’t be so sure on hearing Wiedlin’s one-hit wonder song “Rush Hour.” The pop confection made a top 10 splash back in 1988. In fact, she’s almost betting on it.
“You know, that song has been a thorn in my side,” she chuckles. “It is so hard to play live because it has like millions of synths in it. I’ve never been able to crack it to make it sound good, but I’d love to hear Belinda sing it.”
We’d go for that.
Jane on RuPauls Drag U
Set your Dvr, Pvr or VCR!
Jane’s episode of RuPaul’s Drag U will air on Aug 29th. 
Bettie Page Clothing
A big thank you to Bettie Page Clothing for providing Jane with such a beautiful dress for the star ceremony.
Photo by Dusti Cunningham
The Go-Go’s star is located in front of the Bettie Page store at the corner of Hollywood and N. Cherokee Ave.
The Bettie Page store also did a window display celebrating the Go-Go’s for the star ceremony! Thanks to Alice (left) and Geena (right) for all your help.
Jane’s Speech from The Star Ceremony
Thank you so much for this incredible honor.
In 1978, on this very corner, the Go-Go’s were born. We rehearsed and performed our very first concert in the basement of that theater. At the time, the basement was a punk-rock club called The Masque.Photo by dusti cunningham
This location was the epicenter of the Los Angeles punk-rock movement. We lived just one block away, in a beautiful old apartment building called The Canterbury. The Canterbury had been built in the 1920′s to house up&coming starlets and, as a young all-girl band, that really appealed to us! When we discovered it as punk rockers it was filled with prostitutes and people living on government SSI money. It was perfectly situated for us. We could walk to our rehearsals and shows.
Life was exciting then and filled with possibility. Hollywood was sort of tawdry in those days, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t love it and recognize the glamor under the grit. We loved the Walk of Fame even then, and in our wildest dreams, we couldn’t have predicted that our little band would someday have a STAR on the Walk and that Hollywood would be rejuvenated and once again become the Glamor Capitol of the World.
The arc of the Go-Go’s story could not be more fairy-tale. From our humble origins right here on this spot as a young punkrock band, to our giddy rise to stardom culminating in a sold-out show at the Hollywood Bowl, just a few blocks away, and now, 30 years later, to be honored with this Star, well let’s just say it’s a story that proves that truth really is stranger than fiction. We are so proud to be a HOLLYWOOD band and to be honored with this legendary tribute.
This star couldn’t have happened without the campaign spearheaded by our wonderful fans. We know many many of you worked very very hard to achieve this. We would especially like to thank Joseph Vidaurri, Jim Ginter, DeDe Kelez and Lee Smith for their dedication to this project.
In closing, I’d like to quote one of our own songs:
“THIS TOWN IS OUR TOWN, IT IS SO GLAMOROUS, BET YOU’D LIVE HERE IF YOU COULD AND BE ONE OF US.”
Thank you!
Go-Go’s Hollywood Star Ceremony post party @ Velvet Margarita
(323) 469-2000
Jane stopped by the Good Day Studios to perform live!!
Jane stopped by the Good Day Studios to perform live!!
Check it out!
Update from Jane!
Hello everyone!
This summer has been non-stop action so far. June was spent out with the other Go-Go’s, touring the US. Thanks to everyone who came out to see us; it is so fun to see so many familiar and new faces.
I hit the ground running when I returned to my home in San Francisco with several fun family events (Happy SIXTIETH Birthday to my big brother Bob) and then drove down to LA to get my loft in Little Tokyo (downtown LA) sorted out. Since I moved to SF I’ve been renting the LA loft out to a nice lady who works for President Obama. She was just transferred to Chicago, so I now need to find a new tenant. Check it out here, loftlivingla.com, and spread the word to anyone you know looking for a truly badass live/work loft in downtown LA!
When I got back from my landlady duties, I took off for Victoria Texas to work on 2 film projects with my buddy Anthony Pedone. I acted in a new indie comedy film he is producing, ROUNDBALL. In this video you can see what my character looks and sounds like for this movie.
We also worked on my debut directing/writing film project THE PYREX GLITCH. We are in the editing and special effects stage, and I am having so much fun! It’s not easy making movies without money, but this one, which will be a short film of about 25 minutes, is looking fantastic even though it is no-budg! It is a sci-fi comedy, and I REALLY hope people will get my humor. We shall see. I will be entering lots of film festivals with it, in the hopes to get some recognition, and some WORK out of it.
I got home from Texas and a couple days later was back down in LA, meeting with different cable networks about an idea I have for a TV series. This will be a lot of fun if we can get it made, so please keep your fingers crossed for me! I wish I could tell you the show idea, but it’s still Top Secret until we get it sold! It is a reality show (but not an icky mean one), and it does star me. More details when I am allowed to divulge them!
Now that I’m having a WHOLE DAY at home (to pay bills, and write this letter) I am off to Sacramento tomorrow to be part of the California State Fair. I’ll be in Expo Center #5 signing autographs, taking photos and hanging out. Friday July 29 and Saturday July 30 from noon to 6:00 PM. More info HERE.
On August 11, the Go-Go’s will be receiving our STAR on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I begged (and got my wish) that the star be placed on Hollywood Blvd at the corner of Cherokee Street, which is where the band started. (This is where the Masque was, an underground punk club that we rehearsed at and performed our very first show at.) I hope people will come out for the ceremony. Details for the Star Ceremony HERE. To see a list of the upcoming Go-Go’s concert dates go HERE.
A few months ago I shot an episode of Ru Paul’s Drag U, and the episode will be premiering on Aug. 29, which is the day I get home from the second leg of the Go-Go’s tour, which resumes next week. I can’t WAIT to see this TV show, I am hoping it will be VERY entertaining! More information about the show HERE.
Well, I think that is all the news I have for now! Man, I’m exhausted just reading this back. Life is BUSY…but GOOD. Thanks for all the love and support. I am so lucky to have you as friends/fans!
xoxo
Jane
Follow Jane!
Lady Robotika Shaky Globe for your iphone!
Download the free Shaky Planet App & do a search for "Lady Robotika"!