August 27, 2007
Amazing Success
The show of BADDEST BITCH last Wednesday was an astounding success. The venue is gorgeous with its lights and sound system, tons of friends and new people came, and the energy was on 10 the whole night. David Sabat spun an amazing opening and closing set, and people really really loved the show. It was a wonderful thing to have so many folks respond to it, and everyone plans on coming back! Lego and Ricky Bradshaw, whose music I used in the show were there, Robert Williams, Ronda Flowers and Koko, as were everyone in the House community.
We are featured and highly recommended by The Reader, Time Out (2x),
Windy City Times and Red Eye. Hope to see you guys at the last show this Wednesday. :)
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August 22, 2007
BADDEST BITCH OPENS TONIGHT!!!!
Okay, so all of you who read my blog, please come out and support my company's show. I wrote this story after going through so much shit with the magazine, and was able to turn my pain into a really cool show. It's been featured in papers like The Reader, Time Out, Windy City Times and today's Red Eye so far. They love us, and so will you. I've just spend the last 13 hours in that theater running EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE... the dances, the lights, the sound, the costumes, dealing with the club people, dancing myself, and then carrying 3 suitcases of props and costumes and shit, plus other random necessary objects. I want to fall down but I have too much other stuff to do.
Come out and show your love. And if anyone wants to give me flowers (yes, that's a big HINT...because I know all my other girls with boyfriends/sensitive friends/family will be holding flora around except me)...I'll be lugging those damn suitcases!!
This is the time I REALLY wish I had a man... then he could give me congratulatory flowers AND carry my suitcases/shit to my car AND fuck me at the end of the night.
See you all at the show!!!
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August 17, 2007
DJ Battle and a Fellow Indian's Props
Sunday morning me and my dancers perform at the Halsted Street Market Days on this giant stage right on Halsted and Buckingham. Scorching hot sun, but we had a great time. Then spent the rest of the afternoon/night in rehearsals. Tuesday I had to be one of the judges for another DJ battle at KStarke Records. I *hate* being a judge because I don't believe in quantifying talent!! I must have told those guys a million times, and they even insisted on having each judge get up on the mic and say who they thought won. NO WAY JOSE!!! I am too nice like that, and I think everyone is special in their own way so there.
Shout out by the way to my dear myspace friend and fellow Indian Manish Miglani, who supports the arts scene and is a fabulous DJ to boot. He has a blog that is very informative and insightful...and if you scroll almost to the bottom of the page you will see what a kind tribute he has paid to myself and the mag :)
http://www.tha-werd.blogspot.com/
Thank you my brother!
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August 14, 2007
Happy Birthday 5 Magazine!!
backstage of Zentra... me fielding 10,000 phone calls from people right before going on... |
Fivestar Boogie performing a routine from Baddest Bitch |
Lego, Roy Davis Jr., and Spinna |
The anniversary party was a huge success, and it was so nice to see the House community come out and support. Lego was great as usual, and Spinna took it to a whole other level. He killed it! Special thanks to George of Bassline for being a terrific host and really pumping up the crowd. Did I enjoy my own party? Mmmm... sometimes. Who enjoys their own party? Not when I had to run from my rehearsals that evening straight to getting ready for the party, and late evening I am getting millions of texts, emails and calls from people with last minute guest list requests. Or how about 10 minutes before I'm about to go onstage, my phone is still blowing up with folks saying they can't get in because they're wearing Barney shorts, can they bring an extra 5 friends at midnight, or can I find them some "things"?
The dancing went well, I just couldn't see shit. Them lights were so dark that if I couldn't see myself, I'm pretty sure the audience couldn't see us that well. It meant a lot to me to see a lot of my friends come out and support what we do. Thank you!!! For those of you who didn't... well, whatever. That shit always gets me down because I bust my ass to support as many people as I can, because I know how much it means to them.
Complaints aside, thank you sooo much to everyone who came!!! 5 Magazine is a healthy 2 year old girl, and she will continue to get better and better!
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August 10, 2007
Stop the World I Need a Break!
being interviewed by Philippine tv host/VIA times publisher Veronica Leighton |
Have not slept past 3 hours in days. Rehearsals, promoting, running around the city buying costumes and props, writing.... Wednesday spent 8 hours teaching our replacement dancer his choreography, then promoted on the north and southside, Thursday is more rehearsals, mixing music, was interviewed for a Philippine tv show (may get an outstanding Filipino award!)... more promoting, Friday will be more rehearsals then getting ready for our 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY tonight. Our dance performance keeps changing because the people keep changing. No time to breathe.
If you're reading this send me a mental hug. I really need one.
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August 7, 2007
Panty Eaters, Car Accidents, Bullshit Dancers and Other Miserabilia
rehearsals |
My adopted dog Benny has been on a panty eating rampage these past few weeks because Terry insists on letting him roam around my room where I have laundry laying around. By the time I get back from anywhere, Benny has systematically chowed down on the area of the underwear that covers my golden pagoda of love. And mind you I have a SERIOUS and BEAUTIFUL collection of underwear!!!!! Had. Sigh.
My car got hit while it was parked in Humboldt Park last week. I'm scheduled to have it repaired tomorrow. Then today while driving down a strip mall, a car (not bothering to look behind him as he backs up his car from his parking spot), slams into my car. Yey!!! 2 accidents in 1 week! And no even better! The guy has some bullshit insurance company that is probably run out of someone's garage and the secretary, adjuster, janitor and president are all the same person. Yeah! Geico (my insurance company and a really awesome one), warned me that even though it was clearly the guy's fault, they're going to have to fight tooth and nail for me to ever see my money for the car repairs. Wow. I feel completely helpless because in both instances I had done NOTHING. I have had so much car trauma this year from so many different people it's unbelievable. Am I that bad of a person?
Had to say adieu to 2 male dancers in my show. Based on my experience male dancers are the bane of my existence, because they are so so sooo unreliable. Not really the trained ones...more those who tend to be called "street" dancers. No sense of time, place, responsibility or commitment. Every show I always have to throw one or two away, and then spend the next 2 weeks before the show stressing to find a replacement and have him learn 3 months worth of material. In my next show it will be ALL GIRLS dammit, and I will even do a in-between-the-legs-inspection just to be sure. Or no, even better...I'll have Benny smell their panties.
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August 5, 2007
Zentra Anniversary and The House View
Cajmere @ Zentra |
This past Friday Zentra turned 8 years old. Happy Anniversary! They had a great (and extremely humid) party with Cajmere and Dajae doing their fabulous thing. Duke the camel (yes they have an actual camel there every year complete with caucasian men dressed as "sheiks") has apparently been retired to a camel retirement farm. Now Omar is the new buck taking over. It was so so hot that I had to stay downstairs most of the night, and thankfully the uber-strong long island the bartender made turned me almost deaf to the B96 hip-hop blaring away. (I'll take dulled senses any day to frizzed out hair, which I just had done thank you very much.)
me and the guys from WCRX 88.1 |
Saturday evening I am a guest at Tony Technics' House music show at WCRX 88.1FM. Veromunkz, Carlos Vasquez and the very loud, obnoxious, scandalous Mr. Wonderful (my new hero in cattiness... wow, I can learn from him!) were also there. It was like being in the House music version of The View, because picture being in a room full of screaming queens. Just kidding guys!!! No seriously, they are super hilarious, and everything in that show is said in good fun. And the music they play is always off the chain.
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August 1, 2007
Camera Blues
a very old picture of me doing HipHop Cinderella...when standing was still acceptable |
Tuesday me and my girl Boogie do yet another photo shoot for our publicist, trying to find the perfect "dynamic and interactive tight shot showing a relationship between the dancers with the eyeballs showing" picture that the newspapers would love. Two years ago when I put up my show "PARTY GIRL" the press loved a shot of me standing on my head with my thong sticking out, and it made it to all the major papers. Trying to recreate that elusive money shot, me and Boogie crawled around the studio in different variations of tough hip-hop, amoeba-like modern, and angry capoeristas.
Speaking of pictures... guys... I run a magazine. I am not... I repeat kindly and gently... I am NOT... your wedding photographer. Don't tell me to take your picture. Typical night:
Annoying person 1: Take my picture!
Annoying person 2: Hey Cz! (crooks their finger) Take our picture!
Excuse you but you're not paying me. Do you think I keep those forced pictures? I delete them once I take them because honey... if I WANTED to take your picture... I would have.
Tuesday Night Social Club at the Note as usual. In case anyone hasn't heard, they have a new Euro-style dress code now whereby hiphop is not allowed. No baggy clothes, no hats, even though the place is essentially a giant bathroom. But last night I did peep a bunch of white frat boys doing the herky jerk in flip flops. Not to mention that the asshole bartender I've been dealing with for almost a year and tip most graciously has yet to cut me a break. In fact I think he's duping me, so he's cut off. I like the security guys though, so I don't know where the inconsistencies are coming from.
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