"It definitely doesn't hurt being an out performer," says Jade Jericho, "when you enjoy playing for a queer audience."

Jericho will be singing for gay-positive folks of all stripes this weekend, as she's among the featured performers at the 20th anniversary Capital City Pride Festival in Olympia. She's a five-foot-tall spitfire who calls her punky approach to dance pop "new-wave sugar-rock." Close enough. Whatever you want to call it, it's danged infectious - especially "Knuckledragger," which brags, "I can f*** your girlfriend better than you." (Now, that's just hurtful!)

"I don't think I've ever been in," she continues. "I think it definitely opens doors for me."

Capital City Pride began under the aegis of Rainbow Center Olympia. Back then, the festival drew a few hundred people. Now as many as 10,000 celebrants converge on a two-day extravaganza that marks the climax of a very busy year for the organization. After a champagne kickoff party at the Urban Onion on Friday, June 10, the live entertainment begins at 11:10 a.m. Saturday with a performance of the People's Choir. Capital Playhouse's resident guitar picker and set designer extraordinaire Bruce Haasl takes the stage shortly thereafter. After a welcome from Mayor Doug Mah, Jericho plans to rock your face off at noon. While that may seem an odd slot for such numbers as "Bad Lesbian," Jericho isn't worried.

"I think (we live in) a really interesting time," she muses. "There's a heightened sense of things out there. The sides are both pushing harder, and I think it's one of those times in history when something changes. At least that's what I hope for."

Look for the groovy Latin dance pop of Xavier Toscano and the X-Men at 1:15 p.m., followed by Broadway bombshell Shoshana Bean at 2 p.m. Bean was born in Olympia and made her stage debut in tap recitals and stage work from Capital Kids. "I was six or seven," she remembers. She parlayed that training into every Gleek's dream job: namely, succeeding Idina Menzel as the gravity-defying Witch of the West, Elphaba, in Wicked. Her appearance Saturday will focus on jazz and blues standards. "I always try to include a lot of covers that people know and love in my set," she promises. "I've been inspired by a lot of people."

I asked Bean how she got involved with the LGBT pride movement. "I was raised in Olympia! Come on," she laughs. "Between my family and the way I was raised, it's never been treated as something different. It's like being colorblind; we were ‘sex blind.' ... Is it something you get used to? Those are my friends." As for her Capital Pride performance, she says, "My uncles are musicians, and they're gonna be my band. I've played events with them a couple of times over the years, but ... we've only ever done a couple songs together. So to do an entire set together is a first, and I'm sure it'll be a fantastic time. That's the highlight for me."

Saturday afternoon concludes with a series of drag performances. Then the Pride Parade hits the streets at noon Sunday, followed by Kim Archer's four-piece soul and blues combo. The festival wraps with an appearance by Saul Tannenbaum and his Friends of Dorothy cabaret. Tannenbaum, the alter ego of local theater hottie Josh Anderson, is beloved for his vaudeville variety shows including Claus for Celebration, Springtime in Paris and Girls Ahoy! It's a killer lineup at one of Oly's most exuberant events, where pride is more than just a slogan - it's winning minds and hearts for civil equality.

Capital City Pride Festival

June 10-12, most events free
Sylvester Park, Capitol and Legion, Olympia
Website