by Brad Benedict
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
In the Winners Circle
Well, another Southern Decadence is over, and I saw none of the scenes associated with this holiday. I have worked with the Lords of Leather to promote one of the finest contests of its kind in the country, the Mr. Louisiana Leather competition, and this takes up most of my Decadence holiday.
|
|
This was the year that beat all the others. First and most important, Mark Colley walked away with the title. Once he stepped onto the stage, he commanded your attention, and he has now moved into a select circle of former winners. When you have Todd Cole, Danny Alford and Chuck Lance in this category, you know you have to be good. I'd like to think that Mark is the best of all the rest, but I wouldn't want that to get out to those other three guys. It's our little secret.
Seriously, this is a fine group of men. Hibiscus Bookstore has sponsored the last three winners, and the book baron would have sponsored Chuck too, but Jamie Temple got there first. That's all right. The book baron didn't have a contestant that year, and Chuck was another winner who took the audience on a joyride to victory. He was the most deserving that year, and I guess I'll have to apologize to Timm Holt, who came in as first runner-up, but that was a great contest and Chuck was such a deserving winner. It was held down in the St. Bernard Civic Center. Chuck carried the Louisiana title with pride and finished near the top in the IML contest.
Todd and Danny won their titles at Harrah's Casino ballroom, and they went on to represent Louisiana with pride and dignity too. In fact, as with Chuck, these two guys may have given up their titles, but they will never give up their support of the ideals of all leather men and leather women around the world. This is a unique group, and whether gay or straight, this support is foremost for all those who claim this lifestyle.
Now I come to the night when Harrah's Casino Ballroom was filled to capacity to see the unique and magnificent Mark Colley master the event and coast along for the title. The vibes are there for him to take his title and set Chicago records. He has all the qualifications, the spirit, the self-esteem, and the desire to promote the leather community, the Lords of Leather, and the state of Louisiana with a sincerity that should bring him to the goal he seeks. He's set the right standards of excellence in life, and he definitely has a chance to achieve the dream and bring it into reality. This is Mark's big year, and he will meet the challenge like his predecessors did with all the respect and honor that the leather title carries with it.
Congratulations to Mark Colley on a job well done. And the book baron is pleased to add him to the Hibiscus list of winners and sends his personal thanks and congratulations too. I ran into the bookman this week, and he's absolutely beaming with pride. Mark's picture is already on his desk to greet everyone when they come to the store.
After the Ball is Over
Actually, this should be after Decadence is over. It usu ally takes a while for revelers to get back down to earth. Each year, this event just seems to grow more and more. In fact, sometimes it would appear that many are passing up Mardi Gras for Southern Decadence. Both are great holidays, but Decadence is the big gay one, and participants are coming from all over the world to see what's going on.
Decadence in Baton Rouge is like everything else - a little on the weak side. The capital city is noted for having a huge gay population, but it's of the hidden variety. When you want to have fun, you actually leave Red Stick and head for New Orleans, Houston, or Pensacola and in some cases to Lafayette. Actually, the city couldn't handle a huge gay event. After all, this is politician central, and no one is allowed to make waves around the hallowed inner city complex. That's why it's vacated at night except for the revelry at Mac's TZ or George's Place. Of course, out by LSU, you have Icon, and the Fish Bowl offers a good place on the outskirts of the city on Exchange Place. Baton Rouge isn't even close to being like New Orleans, or even Lafayette for that matter.
The ball is over in old Red Stick before it ever starts.
Tackling the Exit Problem
It takes a lot of push to keep the gay places filled here. Icon has an excellent promotional department and supplies great local talent and even brings in great shows from New Orleans. This is good for any larger city, and advertising plays a major role in this. Of course, Ambush is always there to help.
Richard is a one-man promotional machine at George's. His tireless effort always keeps his customers coming back for more. Whether it is a night of strippers or a good karaoke session, the place with the personal touch always seems to manage a full house.
Kyle and James have done wonders at Mac's TZ too. They have started stage shows, have some excellent bartenders, and continue to anchor this corner of Main Street.
Hibiscus Bookstore is in the middle of the same block and will enter it's fifteenth year this coming November. It has grown from a small front room of a warehouse/studio apartment to a huge building with various stock items of interest to gays and lesbians.
The Fish Bowl is impressive too. They have struggled since the old Hide-A-Way closed, but it would appear that they have come a long way and accomplished a big following. I expect to see more events from them in the near future, especially a big Halloween show. I'll tell you more about that later when I address this to the other entertainment venues in the city.
And don't overlook the fact that Dallas Bird has started an acting group here that did the recent "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom" on the Icon stage. It was a great first attempt, and I'm hoping that more comes of this. Dallas has what it takes to make it happen. Now he needs the support of everyone in the community.
And Richard of the Printing Variety
One of the nicer guys in old Red Stick is the owner of Richard's Printing. He gives excellent service at his place of business, and he's always willing to give a helping hand with community endeavors. He's the other Richard I speak of occasionally, and at one time, he was the doorman at the old Traditions.
I stopped by last week to see if he could do me a quick printing favor for the Lords of Leather, and, of course, he came through for me. I had a deadline to meet and would be leaving for Seattle shortly for a private showing of the Tibetan Relic Exhibit. I believe this is the only stop in the U.S. for this exhibit, and I didn't want to miss it. (I will share this special exhibit with you in the next edition of Ambush.)
Richard knew of my schedule and re-arranged his own to help me out. That's the sign of a very nice man and a fine business executive. Maybe he did this because I deliver Ambush to his door on each delivery date. I know he's always occupied with other duties, so this is just something I think is proper, and I do it because he's a good friend. Of course, when you come to think of it, only a few people get this personal delivery service. Right, Debbie? Leonard?
Bits and Pieces
It was nice to see Debbie, Claudette, Josie and all the Krewe of Royalty members at the leather contest at Harrah's. They always brighten up any gathering.
I was especially taken with a beautiful stud muffin from Nashville named Thomas. This young man was such a joy to be around, and we spent a lot of quality time on Timm's patio (above Cowpokes). The view of the downtown skyline is very nice from here. I love this enticing little area and find relaxation here to be quite nice.
I also got to meet John, Mark's other half. Now this is another of the Crescent City's top-notch studs. He's charming and delightful, and he has a great personality. I'm hoping to see more of him during the coming year. Should I tell you he has a great body too, and he just simmers with a quiet sexuality that gets your juices to flowing in a hurry? Hmmmmm.
I also ran into Trixxie today. This is one of the best youngsters to ever hit the streets of old Red Stick. I find her to be such a dynamic individual, and I always find my conversations with her to be so rewarding. Thanks for all the scoops you passed along. I'll take a look into all of them very soon. Perhaps, I'll catch up with you later at Icon for one of those great shows in the works. I have a lot of people to thank in the picture-taking department. When you have volunteered for Lords of Leather duty, you usually find yourself fully occupied. Sam and Sir Anthony Benton did a lot for me in the picture department. I'm really grateful for this kind of friendship and loyalty. Of course, you don't find better friends than these two. And when you have Little John helping out with various projects, it's a threesome that causes all projects to come together in fine fashion.
I've been undergoing a thorough physical with this wonderful doctor in New Orleans. Of course, this gives me a chance to drop in on Ambush, say hi to everyone and give Chris a big hug. He's definitely an asset to Ambush. In fact, things have changed so much at this office and all for the better if you ask me. It's apparent that everyone is happy, enjoys their work, and having Phyllis on board is a good thing too. Everyone is so nice and caring, and I love sneaking up on Chris and kissing him on the neck. Of course, it does cause a glitch or two on the computer screen.
It was also nice to have breakfast last Saturday at Christina's with Sam M. again. This is another of the capital city's finest and most gracious studs. He is a fine example of a very caring individual, and it's always nice to share these rare meetings with him.
Well, I have a suitcase to pack, another column to finish, and my afternoon siesta is overdue. With the travel bug nipping at my rear, I'm ready and willing to go. Well, actually, I'm always ready and willing. Thanks, W.D.
