Entertainment

Meshelle ‘The Indie-Mom of Comedy’ is No Joke

Published

10 years ago

March 4, 2015

Oakland Post

Meshelle “The Indie-Mom of Comedy” (Courtesy Photo)

by Jannette J. Witmyer
Special to the NNPA from the Afro-American Newspaper

Anyone trying to keep up with Meshelle “The Indie-Mom of Comedy” had better lace up his or her track shoes, take a deep breath, and be prepared for a near-exhausting and rigorous run. To say that she leads a full and busy life would be an understatement.

When the award-winning, off-Broadway actress and standup comedienne is not performing in New York, Chicago,Los Angeles and points in between, she’s back home in Baltimore handling her business as a wife, mom to three, author, social justice advocate and nonprofit administrator. And, juggling all of those hats just scratches the surface of all that goes on in this Indie-Mom’s life.

Right about now, if you are amongst the uninformed (as was I), you’re probably wondering, “What is an Indie-Mom?”

In the simplest terms, an Indie-Mom is a woman who does not lose her identity to motherhood.

In Meshelle’s case, “Staying completely innovative and staying independent and still having a very individual sense of self, while being the best mom you can be, and, in my case, wife. That’s what the Indie-mom is all about.”

“An Indie-Mom is independent, innovative, with individuality, fearless and poised to live her dream,” she explains.

MechelleIndieMom Which brings us to her one-woman show, “Diary of a MILF (Mom I’d Love to Follow).” In October 2014, the full theater production, which she wrote and in which performs all five characters, won the Outstanding Solo Performer Award at the 15th Annual Midtown International Theatre Festival, the second largest off-Broadway theater festival in New York. Directed by Rain Pryor, it is headed to LA, February 27 and 28, for an invitation-only special engagement, entertaining producers and industry executives from the areas of development and talent.

“MILF,” she explains, “is a derogatory term that was popularized by the movie “American Pie” that came out in the 90s. One of the characters used the term referring to moms with whom he’d like to have sex. It was supposed to be a term of endearment, a reference to moms or older women still having sex appeal and attraction.”

“I thought it would be fun to play on the MILF understanding and create a show around what it’s like to juggle my life as a standup, a wife for over 15 years, mother of three, social justice advocate, running a nonprofit, all of this in tandem, while my highest intention when I left my doctorate was to pursue my standup.”

Oh, right… I forgot to mention that she is a former doctoral candidate at Temple University.

The show not only covers a day in her life, juggling all of those hats, and what it takes to get to a performance, on any given day, but it is set during the Christmas holidays, with characters ranging from a preschool-aged Jewish boy to an elitist, country club-type mom, layering several additional sets of dynamics on the day’s journey.

“It’s a hoot to get through a full day as me, wearing all of those hats, and to see how, ultimately, I end up on stage, at the end of the day,” she says, laughing.

While Meshelle sees the humor in all of the juggling, she also understands how stressful it can be, which is one of the reasons she created Moms Nite Off “A Night of Comedy and Cocktails,” with another native Baltimorean, touring comic Larry Lancaster. Held at the Baltimore Creative Alliance’s Marquee Lounge, the event provides a space for Indie-Moms and others who may be stressed to unwind and enjoy a cocktail or two and some adult fun, standup comedy.

As an artist who usually works out of town, she says, “It’s a way to maintain a footprint in Baltimore, to keep the community aware of how things are shifting for me, not only on TV, but in the theater world with my one-woman show. A way to keep Baltimore in the loop, while still giving them some great entertainment…”

To further establish her footprint as an artist in Baltimore and to raise funds for her nonprofit organization, Goaldiggers The Sankofa Project, the 2010-2012 Open Society Institute Community Fellow has unearthed yet another hat, one that she’s worn all of her life, singer. On April 25, she will toss that hat up among the others and reintroduce that side of herself, at Creative Alliance, in a cabaret she created, “Funny, Fierce and Fabulous.”

“There was always a little girl in me who was in every musical production… Dorothy in the Wiz, Purlie, Dreamgirls… From elementary school to college, I’ve always been a gay man, drag queen, stuffed inside a heterosexual little girl’s body. I love everything about musical theater,” she says of her love for the genre.

Meshelle “The Indie-Mom of Comedy” may be the comedienne’s brand, but being an Indie-Mom touches every part of her life.

“I wouldn’t be an Indie-mom if it weren’t for my three children. They take precedence. It’s God, me, and my family… And, my art is the gift… This is who I am. I have to get on stage, and I have to perform. And, they show up on stage with me because those characters are from the authentic life if being a mom.”

The next Moms Nite Off “A Night of Comedy and Cocktails” is March 3 at the Baltimore Creative Alliance’s Marquee Lounge.

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IN MEMORIAM: Legendary Funk Pioneer Sly Stone Dies at 82

Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

Published

2 days ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Sly and the Family Stone play the Opera House in Bournemouth. Mojo review. Photo by Simon Fernandez.

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire

Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.

His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.

Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.

In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.

The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.

Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.

As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.

Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.

His influence endured across generations. Critics and historians repeatedly credit him with perfecting funk and creating a “progressive soul,” shaping a path for racial integration both onstage and in the broader culture.

“Rest in beats Sly Stone,” legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D posted on social media with an illustrative drawing of the artist. “We should thank Questlove of the Roots for keeping his fire blazing in this century.”

Emmy-winning entertainment publicist Danny Deraney also paid homage. “Rest easy Sly Stone,” Deraney posted. “You changed music (and me) forever. The time he won over Ed Sullivan’s audience in 1968. Simply magical. Freelance music publicist and Sirius XM host Eric Alper also offered a tribute.

“The funk pioneer who made the world dance, think, and get higher,” Alper wrote of Sly Stone. “His music changed everything—and it still does.”

Sly Stone is survived by three children.