by Eric A. Crabtree
AUSTIN, TEXAS
Texas Coming Out Day Fest
Set for Sat., Oct. 9
Although scheduled two days earlier, The Lesbian Gay Rights Lobbyist of Texas (LGRL) will be hosting Texas Coming Out Day in conjunction with National Coming Out Day scheduled for Mon., Oct. 11. This free event will be held on Sat, Oct. 9 at Woolridge Park on 10th and Guadalupe Streets from noon till 6pm, with great music featuring live bands, food, beer and fun events. Some 30 community LGBT friendly businesses and organizations are scheduled to appear with 1000 in attendance. Shake your groove thang later that night at the Woman's Dance Party at 8pm on Sat., Oct 9. This party will be held at Gaby and Mo's located at 1809 Manor Rd. More information may be obtained by calling LGRL headquarters at 512.474.5475 or writing to them at PO Box 2340, Austin, TX 78768. To volunteer or to receive more info, contact Calkin Fund at 512.474.5475 or visit the Web site at www.lgrl.org/newpage/.
7th Annual Dining
for Life &
12th Annual Aids Walk
Coming up Oct. 4 & 24, Aids Services of Austin (ASA) will host two big events to benefit the organization and 14 other HIV/AIDS service organizations in the Central Texas area. Kick off the 1999 AIDS Walk Austin by participating in the 7th annual Dining For Life. The event will take place on Mon., Oct. 4 around the city. Dining for Life is a dining event to benefit HIV/AIDS agencies. The event allows patrons of local restaurants to eat, drink and be merry and the restaurants will, in turn, donate a portion of the money spent on one's meal to ASA. With over 100 restaurants participating in the event, one is sure to find his favorite eating establishment. Patrons who wish to dine out on Mon., Oct 4 need only bring in their ticket segment coupon and the proceeds will be donated. Coupons to print out for Dining for Life can be found by visiting the Web site. ASA provides hospice care, conduct prevention education, offers counseling for people with HIV, and other valuable services. For more info., call Heath Riddles at Aids Services of Austin at 512.406.6175.
The 12th Annual Aids Walk Austin will be held Sun., Oct. 24 at Waterloo Park. The Walk is a five-kilometer fundraising event starting and ending in Waterloo Park, 12th and Red River. The Walk benefits AIDS Services of Austin (ASA) and 14 other HIV & other AIDS service providers in Central Texas. The Walk sign-in begins at 12 noon & the Walk at 2pm. Closing ceremonies are immediately following. This year's Austin's Walk celebrity spokeswoman is Ginger Mackenzie. Ginger features her song, "The Garden Of You And I," and can be heard from the Walk Web site along with a message urging all to volunteer and assist this year's Aids Walk. Individuals or teams wishing to participate can receive a Walk packet mailed to them by calling 512.452.WALK (9255) or E-mail at asawalk@hotmail.com or by visiting the Walk Web site at www.aidswalkaustin.org. Last year, walkers raised an average of $125, but any amount is appreciated. All raising over $125 will receive an AIDS Walk Commemorative T-shirt and prizes go up from there. For additional info. call Shawn Ahazuda -1999 ASA Walk Coordinator from ASA direct at 512.406.6115 or at the WALK Web site.
United Court Hosts Show -
Donates Funds
Investiture for the 6th Reign of the United Court of Austin (UCA) is when reigning monarchs, Millennium Golden Ram and Diamond Excalibur, Emperor VI, David Pearson, and the Millennium Enchanted Crystal Butterfly Empress VI, Dee Dee Davis, confer titles upon their Line of Succession. Investiture was held on Sat., Sept 5 at Rainbow Cattle Company (RCC). To date, announcements to the Court have been Crown Prince Royale VI, Bobby Birchmire, and Crown Princess Royale VI, Bebe Hughes. Fundraiser donations collected UCA's Court V Reign were dispersed at Investiture. The four different charities who all received equal funding of $2,447 each were Project Transitions, Pediatric Aids League, the HIV Wellness Center and ALLGO/Informa Sida. Over and above Investiture, Sat. night brought a benefit show entitled "A Celebration of Dedication, Love and Unity." The show benefited the HIV Wellness and raised over $676. The theme for this year's UCA is "Reign of Dedication, Love and Unity." Look for the next court function, Chocolates for Charity, Thurs, Sept. 23 at RCC. Sept 26 at 6pm there will be a cookout at Splash Video Bar with all donations going to charity. Look for more UCA functions come Oct. Additional info on the UCA may be obtained by calling 512.442.6415.
Last Splash & Perfect Day '99
Fantastic Fun
Labor Day Weekend was phenomenally fun with the Austin Tavern Guild hosting their 16th annual [Last Splash] at Hippie Hollow at Lake Travis. Mix in Ben Parsley's & Splash Productions (7) Circuit Perfect Day Parties and Austin was one hot dancing fun eventful weekend with an estimated 5,000 in attendance from across the nation. Starting the holiday weekend off, I papered the city with one of the official welcoming GLBT rags for Labor Day - Ambush - at every GLBT business. The night was capped with attendance at the Perfect Day first party at Oilcan Harry's. The Tease featured Dennis from DanceOne Video Party shooting hot men dancing for his upcoming next video. Hot dancers engulfed the Oilcans. There it was announced that Ambush was in the house when I began to laser the disco balls and crowd with my new green laser circuit toy that I had purchased from Circuittoys.com. I closed down Oilcan's handing out over 500 Ambushes to the exiting crowds readying them for the weekend activities.
Fri. came and this was a workday for me because I had volunteered to help setup Perfect Day's Foreplay at Splash Video Bar. There I became Foreman of the event and working with Ben Parsley's and Splash Video Bar's crews, helped turn a dull parking lot into the biggest delicious parking lot circuit dance party that Austin has ever seen. The parking lot was closed off by tarp fencing, balloons, lighting, a sound system, dance floor and bar stations. Over 700 were in attendance at Foreplay that night making it one great dance party with DJ Don Bishop (Palm Springs) spinning the beat outside and DJ Matt inside playing the hot videos. After setting up the event and before the event started, I managed to go home, shower and change and hit Dick's to visit Kindell, DJ Lil' Debbie and the gang. I traveled back to Splash, but did manage to sneak back briefly to Oilcan Harry's to check out their Underwear Party where I saw Steve Higginbotham prance around in his yellow shorts. The place was packed but not like the event at Splash. Foreplay closed down right at 4am when we all chased out the dancing boys to tear down Foreplay and make it back into a parking lot. I left finally around 5:30am very tired.
Perfect Day Sat. came and it was just that, a beautiful perfect day. The skies that had been smoggy and cloudy and dusty all week long due to no rain and the skies finally cleared with white pillow clouds. Today was my day to play. My friend Jeffery B. woke me up right after 12 noon and it was off to Lake Travis - Hippie Hollow where Ben Parsley and Splash Productions Perfect Day Margarita's Lake Lounge was presented. We arrived to find the 3 barges full of over 450 hot dancing men partying to the beat of DJ Michael Tank (Houston). The rocks were also full of men and some bare-breasted women dancing as well as the hundreds of revelers on boats docked at the harbor. Jeffery and I only stayed about an hour or so to mix with the crowds. Jeffery was our represented back at the United Court of Austin's Investiture Show held at Rainbow Cattle Company later that day. We traveled back to Austin and I went home to rest, but could not. The two nights before and now this day's event left me pumping with excitement and joy. Vinny D. came over and we both traveled to Chain Drive to have a drink and visit but could not stay to see Adult Porn Star Chase Hunter perform later. Vinny had to work that night and I attended the Austin Music Hall featuring "Sex in the Park" with DJ Roland (Ro) Belmares (Austin). There I met up with circuit friends J.J. and Rob from Lexington and we all glowed and had an excellent time. Sex in the Park was incredibly fabulous with a fantastic laser show, park decorations and the rhythm pumping of DJ Ro. I, along with friends Tiger and Michael, fought for stage space and worked the stage in glow, flags and lasers out of control in a frenzy of dance. Somewhere around 12:30-1:00am, a dance number was choreographed with men in white shirts and ties and underwear. The crowd ate this dance number up. We all partied with each other in a roomful of over 1,500 men dancing and sweating to the alphabet beat of the music. By the time I looked at a watch, it was already 5am and most of my friends had left to attend the early Sun. event hosted by Ben Parsley and Splash Productions Bump & Grind with DJ Martone' Laurence (Miami). The event was at Twist Nightclub and I found Vinny, Jeffery, and then later J. J. and Rob and over 475 Austin and out-of-town Perfect Day'ers dancing into the rafters and partying like there was no tomorrow. It was already 8:15am when we finally left.
Last Splash '99 - Hippie Hollow at Lake Travis came while I slept the day away. James Marchbanks took the Ambush pictures on the ATG barge. It was rumored, according to the Travis County Park System, some 2500 Last Splashers attended, over 700 cars, and over 250 boats, barges and jet skies. This was the busiest and best Last Splash in some years. Night came and time for Perfect Day's "Afternoon Delight" on the Forum rooftop with DJ Jamie J (San Francisco). Because the weather was so hot, the Tea Dance moved downstairs. I met up with Vinny, J.J. and Rob and Jeffery again. I danced on top of the boxes so feverishly that I literally fell off, got back up and then danced some more all while lasering the disco ball and crowd. I stayed until the end and then visited Charlie's Austin for their Last Splash. I discovered that Vanity Fair had won Miss Charlie's Austin America '99-2000. Congrats. I next hit RCC and saw all the Country Western men and woman gather around for a whoop-ass good time. I never made it back to any other clubs, but did manage to make it to the end of Perfect Day Climax at La Zona Rosa with DJ David Knapp (New York) pumping the beat. I met up with everyone again with over 1,000 dancing & partying until I met Californian Kevin. We wanted to go play and so we left everyone at around 5am and traveled back to my condo. Labor Day Manic Mon. came and I took Kevin back to his hotel and I went back home to sleep. I did not go out again until later in the week to hear all the wild tales and fun of the weekend's events. Thanks, Austin, Austin Tavern Guild, Ben Parsley and all the out-of-towners who made it that much more special. It was a perfect Last Splash Summer day and a whole weekend to remember.
