AUSTIN, TEXAS
Thanksgiving Holiday Plans Set
for Gay/Lesbian Austin
Can you believe Thanksgiving is almost here and it's all down hill with the holidays till Valentine's Day, which by the way happens to be my birthday. In this season of being thankful for what we have, let's not forget the needy out there in our community that crave our assistance. Also, thanks to all for making 1998 which is rapidly ending a great year. The Austin Tavern Guild Clubs will be hosting upcoming holiday events. Up at `Bout Time, it's party time as usual, but they will be closed until 4pm on Turkey Day. Charlie's Austin will feature the free annual Daddy Wayne's Thanksgiving Dinner with all the fixings. They open up at noon and serve at 1pm. Inside Rainbow Cattle Company the United Court of Austin has two upcoming shows on the 15th and again with a food drive on the 22nd, both shows at 9pm. For Thanksgiving they open up at noon with Thanksgiving Dinner and all the fixin's served from 3-9pm for a requested donation of $5 benefiting Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) building fund. Lastly on RCC, if you have noticed there are great murals outside RCC's building produced by Drag Diva Topaz featuring a window view of inside the club and another mural with a cowboy on the lone prairie. As for the famous Oilcan Harry's look for the upcoming all night dance party on Fri. Nov. 20 benefiting Out Youth Austin with $5 donations requested at the door starting at 8pm. On Wed. the 25th before Turkey day, Oilcan's hosts the Return to the 404 Club with DJs Miss H and Licious spinning the hits. Across the way at The Forum, they will host their 2nd Anniversary Blowout Party Nov. 20-22 with lots of great surprises in store. Welcome new management team Mark and Steve who have created a new and improved Forum atmosphere these days. Bartender Noah - Come back, we miss you already.
Inside Midtowne Spa, they just had their great successful Foam Party and have plans to host one again. On Sat. the 28th look for another Flashlight Party held at 10pm. Rhythm House is closed on Turkey day, but opens back up on Friday with the talents of live bands of Jimmy George and on Saturday the band Temperamental perform. Kevin Christopher plays during Sun. brunch from 11-3pm. 1920's will also be closed Turkey Day, but will re-open on Friday and Saturday for some great martinis. At Splash Video Bar, look for Manager Eddie's 29th & Holding Birthday Bash on Sat., Nov. 14 complete with Eddie Shot Specials from 9pm - close. Their holiday bash this season will be the Boots and Boxers Party on Sat., Nov. 21, from 9pm till close with free clothes check at the door. Dick's features their Daddy Shower Contest coming up at 10pm on the 15th and 29th of this month. On Thanksgiving Day, it's Dinner at Dicks with a Free Thanksgiving Dinner at 12 Noon till? The Edge has now changed their weekly line-up with Mondays featuring Drag Soup with MC Kristen Lucci at 10:30pm and the wet underwear contest at Midnight. On Tuesdays and Sundays, they feature karoake. Chain Drive Tues. night dinner will be an untraditional dinner for $1.50 from 6-9pm. On Turkey Day they open their doors at 6pm with great drink specials. Don't forget that coming up Nov. 23 at Jean-Pierre's Restaurant at 7pm it's the ASA Red Ribbon Dinner for a $100 donation. Until next time, take care and be thankful for what we have. There are many that have a lot less.
Halloween Weekend - AUSTIN
[The following feature on Halloween Austin was experienced by cub reporter Vincent Dudonis with his new boyfriend/girlfriend Miss Scarlett Leigh. Added insights given by Eric A. Crabtree]
Holidays seem to bring out the party people. It was reported that some 150 thousand partied on the Famous 6th Street and some 150 were arrested for drunk driving. In and around Guytown, no reports or incidents were found, so I guess we Queens know how to party. This Halloween Holiday was no exception. From Oilcans Harry's Studio 54 Party to the Return to OZ at Charlie's Austin, to the Forum's Nuclear Fallout and RCC's Cash Balloon Drop, each bar's theme was thought out with great care. The costumes this year weren't too shabby either. The first bar I traveled to was Chain Drive, which was not bad for a dark leather filled bar. The men that usually wore leather still did but had little (or big) enhancements done to themselves. Next was Dicks. The name in itself should give one an idea of what to expect. Travis, one of the bartenders there, wore an exceptional outfit. We heard it was rumored he had so much fun that he spilled a drink in the credit card machine. There are pictures girl! It seems the winner for the evening in the costume contest was some man dressed up from the rock group KISS.
Although I never made it up to 'Bout Time, we hear they had a fabulous Haunted House that raised over $800 for Project Transitions and the Austin Breast Cancer Research Center. Way to go Chaz and helpers who all volunteered their time for those worthy charities. The next bar we traveled to was Charlie's Austin and the return to Oz Party. I never thought it would be possible to see so many Dorothys and friends of Dorothy and yes, some dogs, I mean some Totos too, but boy I was wrong. Bartender Arny was all that dressed up as the Major of the Munchkins. The decorations were lovely and the drinks wonderful. According to Miss Nacha Type who dressed up as the Wicked Witch of the West, go figure that one, they had the best night ever and it was like New Year's Eve. After finally finding a parking space in boy town we proceeded to Rainbow Cattle Company. The staff was as friendly as ever. The new door guy Chris was one with his Tonya outfit (thanks to Moose). It was told that the winner from their costume contest was a guy dressed up with babies sucking from his tits, with runner up as a Freak-Out Barbie Doll. According to Bill Bailey who looks fabulous these days with his new hair color and contacts, there were some 75-100 people competing in the contest in costumes. Their Balloon drop was the tea at Midnight with over $700 in cash dispersed into the wild packed crowd. The fifth bar I rolled into was Splash Video Bar. With all their video screens and good music, this made for a relaxing atmosphere to have a cocktail. We saw all sorts of underwear from the bar staff hanging out on the clotheslines for their white trash party. Rumors have it that customer Robbie was so messy that he froze Manager Eddie Keys in the Witches Brew. Meanwhile Owner Randy Cunniff was spectacular dressed up as baseball hero Mark McQuire. So bad he was that many were mistaking him for the real McCoy and asking for autographs.
The Forum was next on the list. Their theme was a Nuclear Fallout. The decorations were quite fascinating with the men not bad to look at either, both in and out of costume. The seventh bar we ventured to was the Edge. It's always pleasant to go into this bar. The very friendly and good-looking bartenders and barbacks keep one drooling for another drink. Last and surely not least was Oilcan Harry's Studio 54 Party. They spent a lot of time on their decorations and it showed. From the VIP Lounge at the front bar all the way to the screen shows on the patio to all the decorations, they really brought back the spirit of the famous Studio 54. It was rumored that even the ghost of Steve Rubell made a guest appearance. If this was not enough, patrons fought and offered everything from sex, drugs and money just to get a hold of the very limited Studio 54 passes which allowed all access and quick in and outs. Momma (Dale Jordan) was reported to be the head bouncer that night, high atop a cherry picker, selecting the privileged ones to go through the VIP entrance. Oilcans had their 3rd best night ever since opening years ago. I wish to personally thank every bar staff and everyone else who made this experience a wonderfully pleasant one. Gay Austin can sure pull one off, can't it? Until next time, have a good one.
Halloween Weekend - New Orleans
It had been 8 months since I left the city of Austin for N'awlins Mardi Gras and I was long overdue for another trip to N'awlins. I mean after 9 circuit parties, First Splash, Meltdown, Pride, July 4th, Last Splash and RIP'D, I was really ready to see some other sights than my own backyard. As a matter of fact, I was not alone in this thinking because some 150 plus other Austin queens also made their way to the lavish horror - New Orleans Style Halloween XV Venue Weekend known as Le Bal Grostesque. The 4-day circuit festivities benefited over a million and half-dollars for Project Lazarus, which is a resident facility for men and women living with AIDS. My arrival on that Fri. before Halloween was, to say the least, like a homecoming. One of my first ventures was to visit the St Louis Cathedral and light a candle and pray for a safe weekend. Needless to say, my prayers were answered. Night fell and the Hippodrome located at the NOLA Fair Grounds RaceCourse was the theme for this night. Here one could dance, drink, meet and greet all of which I did to the extreme on all three levels. The highlight of this party and the weekend was my glow-in-the-dark Hoberman Sphere that was the tea of the city. That expandable ball created such the stir that over 500 (I lost count afterwards) plus queens asked me where I had bought it, what it was and they all played and danced with this circuit toy everywhere I went. Finally I gave in and sold it to bartender Yvette on Sun. night at the Bourbon Pub and Parade. Have fun with it girl as thousands of others have done.
Halloween Day quickly turned into night by the time I woke up on Saturday and it was time for the big event, Le Bal Grotesque held on the Esplanade Wharf on the mighty Mississippi River. I can only estimate, but I figure that over 60,000 HOT-Bodied men danced the night away in costumes a plenty. The performance at Midnight by the Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu Dancers was fabulous. Before this performance many a group vogued on stage displaying their costumes. The Texas boys from Houston, Dallas and yes, from my own backyard really made me proud as they displayed their costumes wrapped up in only Texas Flags around their waist. The Austin crew that went as the Texas Longhorn Baseball Team complete with the tight whites was even better. Others I saw from everywhere were these great blind Playboy Bunnies, the K-Hole Patrol from Atlanta and oh yes, J.J. and Rod from Lexington, Texas dressed as Roman Warriors. As for myself, I was John Glenn, Jr. at his younger age complete with my Airforce uniform and the Hoberman Sphere, blinking star lights and lots of glow-sticks. The party ended around 4am and then it was off club hopping with dancing until 10am which I did with reverence. I had such a great time, partying N'awlins style with all my new and old friends including many alphabet ones.
Sunday came way too early, especially when one gets to bed around 11am and has to wake up and go to Sunday Gospel Brunch. This was the last of the 4-day event, which I did around 3pm. The food was great and spicy and we all held church with Poloneiasn dancers and gospel singers while sipping Bloody Marys and Momosas. After the brunch, we gathered back on the Lavender Line at the corner of St. Ann and Bourbon Streets to start the night all over again. I partied until 2:30am the next morning when it finally all hit me and I had to actually go to sleep due to these demanding festivities. Monday came and it rained. I think that was God's way of cleansing the streets and the souls of all the decadent ones throughout the weekend. Special thanks go out for this weekend to all the Austin volunteers that came in and helped decorate and establish the parties that everyone enjoyed. Many thanks to Project Lazarus and all the Halloween sponsors including Ambush. Also, thanks to Vincent Dudonis for holding down the fort in Austin and taking all those Halloween pictures you see from Austin. Lastly, Thanks Sonny for all you did for me. Happy Halloween was it? You bet it was and it sure was a treat!
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