May 28, 2008
Drag Queen Hell
backstage with two of the dancers on our first night |
My trip to Dallas dancing for Miss Gay USA was so-so fun, then not so fun. There were 4 girls and 2 guys dancing for the drag queen, Miss Tennessee. The first night we had to do an Indian Bollywood style number, and wouldn't you know it we were the only ones out of the 44 acts that got a standing ovation. They were screaming and yelling for us before the dance ended, and we got perfect scores from the judges.
Our queen made it to the top 12 finalists the next day and that night we were going to do this mix of an Asian fan dance and hiphop. We rehearsed for hours and hours, because the contestant kept changing the dance. We were all frustrated, because we knew there were some iffy sections in the movement that we couldn't fix because of her. The stress levels were getting super high. Later that night we watched the other talent give spectacular and showier numbers... one contestant did a backflip, landed on her face and tore up her knee. When we finally performed, we did the best we could, but you could tell the audience wasn't feeling it. The dance was just okay. When we got backstage the queen's husband said some very rude and inappropriate things to us about our performance, but we were too tired and demoralized to say anything. Plus he was paying us, so let him bitch. By the time we all got back to Chicago on Saturday, I needed a serious break from wigs, thousand-pound makeup and choreography.
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May 23, 2008
Dancing Gripes
MISS GAY
My body is completely and 100% worn out. I've been rehearsing non-stop for 2 upcoming shows, one of which is this coming week in Dallas. A group of us have been hired by one of the contestants for Miss Gay USA to dance for her, so we've been cramming in rehearsals here and there for the past several weeks. I am leaving my house at 4am for a 6am flight, and I know the minute we land we go straight in for more rehearsals.
RADIO SHOW
Rees and I had some problems taping this week's radio show due to computer difficulties, so God bless Leonard Part Sixx for taking the time to come over and fix everything up for us...thank you! If I see wire chords or plugs or anything electrical, I immediately go into learning disorder mode, my brain refusing to accept any data. Guys love fixing things and putting shit together...I love to break things and then have an excuse to buy something better. Check out the new show:
LEARN HOW TO DANCE
Although this is an old complaint, it's been brought up to me yet once again. This was a problem the Note on Wednesdays had, and now it's infiltrated Evil Olive on Wednesdays, Boom Boom Room and I hear my beloved Tuesdays at 720: Those circle dancers. Now let me say that for 10 years I used to watch and study the real dancers at the Shelter in New York, because those guys were AMAZING. They were House dancers, not bboys doing monkey moves to the music in their own head. I am a dancer, I've studied bgirling and House dancing, but it took me many years before I had the nerve to dance in circles, because I believe in giving respect to those who have put in their time with real skill and talent. Sorry to say, most of the people in these silly Chicago circles are young, pretentious kids who are trying to showboat their rhythmless moves. (And you know I used to be a hardcore circle bitch, but I stopped needing an ego handjob.)
Everyone says they're a nuisance. (Dear Raw food Chris wants to ban them, and he's the angel of the House community!) They hog the whole floor and are completely disrespectful to others who would like to dance. How the fuck are you going to do flares at The Note? I appreciate good dancing, but most of these kids are not good dancers, decked out in their multiple wristband/bandanna/bboy/bgirl attire. And then inevitably by 2am there will be that drunk guy or girl who will embarrass everyone by making a fool of themselves when they jump in. Seriously if you're going to have a circle, make sure you can dance to HOUSE music, because newsflash you are in a HOUSE club. Be respectful of other dancers with whom you share the floor with. And lastly, as they do in New York but they sure don't do here...give the DJ his props. DJs and dancers are meant to have a symbiotic relationship. Lose the attitude, you're really not that fly honey.
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May 15, 2008
May Release Party
Madd Soul getting down @ the 5 Mag Release Party |
The release party at Cuatro this past Friday was off the hook!!!!! You've seriously got to check these guys out, the live music on top of the DJ just pumps up the energy of the room a hundredfold. The party meant a lot to me because many of my old school friends showed up....lots of dancers, a fellow actress that used to put condoms on bananas with me when we taught kids safer sex at schools, and assorted Househeads that don't come out that often. Many of my friends said this was the best party I've had in a long time, so yey for that!
On the flipside, I get a little bitter at some of my so-called friends who don't make any effort to attend. I bust my ass to show support for everyone, even those events where there are only 3 people, and that's including the bartender. I buy tons of drinks so the bar will be happy...also so I will forget that I am at a 3-person party (bartender included.) Really folks, make that effort, we have to help each other out. It's not always about YOUR party.
With Rees and Miguel Migs outside Zentra |
After Cuatro we go to Zentra to hear Miguel Migs and Lisa Shaw. I had this long-ass ponytail which my hairdresser stabbed into me, so though it looked cute I was in a lot of pain. It's hard enough trying to keep all the thoughts straight in my head, imagine a horse tail speared into your cranium.
Sunday night I record the 5 Magazine Radio Show (after a long hiatus), so click here if you'd like to hear it. I sound like a drag queen in the show because all my usual shouting made my voice hoarse.
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May 14, 2008
UPDATE: Promoters' Ordinance Tabled for Now
From Jim Derogatis' blog:
Following a nearly unprecedented outpouring of concern from the Chicago music community and a meeting with activists and some of the top concert promoters and venue owners in Chicago, Ald. Eugene Schulter, chairman of the City Council License Committee, decided on Tuesday that he will not present the so-called "event promoter's ordinance" to the full council for a vote on Wednesday -- and that the committee will go back to work on fine-tuning the law.
What This Means: Alderman Schulter, who was to bring the vote before the City Council today, has "tabled" or withdrawn the bill. This does not mean that it's been killed, but merely delayed, and could be brought up again at a later date - maybe with as little notice as it was this time. Everyone who called or wrote their alderman - thank you!
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May 12, 2008
Important: Don't Let Music In This City Die!
Come to City Hall this Wednesday, May 14 at 10am and don't let music in this city die!
Email Alderman Schulter or call his office at (773) 348-8400.
From Jim Derogatis' blog and other sources:
UPDATE: Promoters Law passes committee...
After a more than four-hour session Wednesday, the City Council Committee on License and Consumer Protection passed the proposed promoters law written about at length in the preceding post. The ordinance now goes to the full City Council on May 14, and if approved there, the Chicago music scene will once again change for the worse at the hands of city officials.
Of course, the city already has myriad laws on the books dictating proper licensing and safety codes for concerts and clubs - not the least of which is the controversial "anti-rave ordinance" passed in the '90s, which came on top of police, fire, city building and health department oversight and the always acute watch of aldermen and neighborhood groups.
But suddenly, city officials - chief among them committee chair Ald. Eugene Schulter (ward47@cityofchicago.org) and acting director of the Department of Business Affairs and Licensing Mary Lou Eisenhauer - have an urgent need to create an entirely separate part of the city code tightening the reigns on promoters even more. And this need is so urgent that little effort was made to seek any input from the promoters or the people who work with them.
If approved by the committee and the City Council, the law would require anyone promoting any event drawing more than 100 people to obtain a license even if they are working with a well-established and already licensed promoter.
Licensees would also have to carry at least $300,000 in commercial liability insurance (even if the venue is insured), and they would have to be at least 21 years old (thereby ruling out enterprising college students, D.I.Y. punk fans and other budding young entrepreneurs from hosting a concert or a legal rave and if you think that's not a good idea, you should know that several of the top promoters in Chicago actually started their careers at age 18 or 19).
What all this means is that if, say, a local fanzine wanted to promote a monthly concert featuring the bands in its new issue at a well-established local club of 200 capacity, the editors would have to apply for a promoters' license and meet all of the requirements and expenses, even if the club already has a license and can boast of a clean record of trouble-free events. The same would hold true of many regular benefit gigs.
As it now stands, the law would only allow venues with "fixed seating" - that is to say, chairs that can't be removed - to host one-time events by unlicensed promoters like our magazine or benefit in the example above. This requirement rules out the exact sort of clubs that would most benefit from these events, including venues such as the Empty Bottle, Buddy Guy's Legends and Metro.
One music activist who asked not to be named said that "the net impact of this law is simple: It's going to make it harder for a lot of people to promote concerts in Chicago, and therefore there's going to be less music in Chicago.
See also the Chicago Music Commission and here.
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May 8, 2008
New York, Chicago
Danny Krivit @ his 718 party |
The Martinez Brothers playing @ the 718 party |
My New York weekend trip has been very pleasant and low-key... lots of Chinese massages and Filipino and Indian food eating. I didn't even go to my favorite Saturday night Shelter party. The only event I went to was Danny Krivit's monthly 718 Sessions party and that was more of a business thing. Danny will be on the cover of our June issue, and the Martinez Brothers (who were his guests that Sunday) will be gracing the August issue. It was a Sunday tea party (6pm-12am), and everyone looked like they had been up from the night before. TMB and Danny were amazing.
By the way all of you need to come out this Friday May 9th to the May issue release party at Cuatro (2030 S. Wabash). It will be DJ Lego and a 6-piece band playing House and Latin all night long... these guys are sickening! There's actually lots of shit going on this Friday... Miguel Migs and Lisa Shaw, Osunlade, a new House club is opening... I think it's awesome that our city is blessed with so many options for GOOD House music!
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May 3, 2008
Crash, Boom!
On my way to taking Luigi to his doggie agility class, I got into a car accident. A bad one. Both cars undriveable, smashed, towed away to who-knows-where. It's very traumatic reliving the incident, because you keep seeing it over and over again, hearing that awful sound of metal hitting metal. It was totally my fault, and I feel awful because the girl driving the other car was so nice about it. Her parents came and took her away, and I called Terry my 5 Mag cohort to come pretend to be my mom. After my defaced SUV was taken away and the fat-ass cop left, the 2 of us and dog walked too many blocks down Division Street in the freezing non-spring weather until finally finding a cab to take us home.
Three days and many insurance/business calls later, I am here in New York for a nice weekend getaway. After countless hours at O'Hare, we drop off our bags and pig out at a nearby Filipino restaurant with delicious food and loud rock (?) music. By 7:40pm we are crashed out in bed and don't wake up until the next day. Saturday afternoon update: the doorknob of the apartment door came off.
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