by Eric A. Crabtree
AUSTIN, TEXAS
TGRA Rodeo this Weekend
The 16th Annual Texas Gay Rodeo will be held this weekend from Nov. 11-14 with most events hosted at the Travis County Exposition Center located at 7311 Decker Lane or Rainbow Cattle Company (RCC). Austin is the Host City for this annual event sponsored by the Texas Gay Rodeo Association (TGRA) in affiliation with the International Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA). Grand Marshal for the TGRA Rodeo will be State Representative Glen Maxey. Schedule of Events for Rodeo Weekend start at 7pm on Thurs., Nov 11 at Rainbow Cattle Company with a TGRA Royalty Competition. A $5 voluntary door donation is requested. Registration is on Fri., Nov 12 at the Host Hotel - Holiday Inn-Austin South in the Friendship/Mercury Ballroom from 6pm - 9pm. From 8pm - midnight it's the TGRA "Y'all Come Party" with free admission/cash bar in the Apollo Ballroom. On Sat., Nov. 13 at the Travis County Exposition Center is the New Contestant meeting at 9am and the TGRA Rodeo begins at 10am. After the day's Rodeo, a dance contest will be held at RCC with compulsories at 1pm. The Dance Finals/Freestyle competition begins at 6pm. A $5 voluntary door donation is requested. On Sun., Nov. 14 the Rodeo concludes at 10 am and Awards Ceremony at 8pm at the Apollo Ballroom at the Host Hotel - Holiday Inn-Austin South. More info on the Rodeo may be obtained by calling the Rodeo Hotline at 210.946.7787 or from www.tgra.org.
AIDS WALK '99 Huge Success
The 12th Annual Aids Walk Austin held recently in Austin was very successful raising over $228,000 for AIDS Services of Austin (ASA). Over 8,000 Walkers participated with some 54 corporate sponsors including Ambush. "This was the biggest and best Walk in 12 years and we would like to thank the community for volunteering and donating their time and money because there is still no cure yet," stated Walk Coordinator, Sean Michael Hazuda. The Walk benefits AIDS Services of Austin (ASA) and 14 other HIV & other AIDS service providers in Central Texas. Additional info. On ASA and or the Walk can be obtained by calling 512.406.6115 or WALK Web site at www.aidswalkaustin.org.
Thanksgiving Month - Austin
Can you believe it is almost Thanksgiving? In this season of being thankful for what we have, let's not forget the needy out there in our community who crave our assistance. 1920's will be closed Turkey Day but will open up for the weekend on Fri. Up at `Bout Time, it's party time as usual, but they will be closed until 4pm on Turkey Day. `Bout Time and Charlie's Austin cordially invite all to Daddy Wayne's 16th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner at Charlie's Austin on Thurs., Nov. 25. Doors open at noon and a complimentary turkey dinner with all the fixings starts at 1pm. Both bars ask that patrons bring their favorite desserts to share with all. On Sun, Nov 28, look for Charlie's Austin Super Sun. Show at 11:30pm. The Boyz Cellar features Thanksgiving weekend on Sat., Nov. 27, with Flesh on Flesh with DJ Jon Brown from Minneapolis spinning till 4am and Filthy Rich till the Sunrise Gatherings -'Thee After Hours'. Also new at the Boyz Cellar is Filthy Fridaze with great drink specials from 9-11pm. Chain Drive has a possible Porn Star appearing on Sat., Nov. 20. Check the bar for details. Dick's features Anything Goes on Mon., Nov. 22 starting at 8:30pm. Life is a cabaret at Dick's and they provide the stage for all the fun with emcee Heather Thomas, male dancers, live singers, divas, production numbers and special guest appearances by the Austin Babtist Women. Dick's also invites all to come out on noon, Turkey Day, for food, football and fun. Congrats to the Forum on their 3rd anniversary the weekend of Nov. 17-21 for Forum2000 - Into the Silver Millennium Party. Starting on Wed., Nov. 17, they host a special VIP preview party with wine and hors d'ouevres and great drink specials all night long. Thurs. offers their Third Anniversary Show with Kelly Kline at 11:30pm and cash prizes for the top entertainers. Fri. features Fire Island Classics, Vol. # 2 CD Release Party starting with their fantastic happy hour buffet at 6pm, and free CDs and balloon drop prizes with the hottest all-male revue. Sat. is "Lets Make a Difference" Fundraiser from 7-10pm with all proceeds from the $10 Cover benefiting AIDS Services of Austin (ASA). Sun. rounds off their anniversary weekend with the 3rd Annual White and Gold Party.
On Weds. Nov. 24, join the Forum for their pre-Thanksgiving family get-together with specials to soothe your last Gay nerve and yes, male-dancers. On Turkey Day, Kelly Kline puts on a special holiday show including the most talented entertainers in the U.S. performing for cash prizes. Gaby and Mo's will be closed Thanksgiving Day. Look for Miss Xanna Don't performing there on Dec 3rd at 9pm. Speaking of Xanna, her band has been invited to do this incredible women's show for Austin's legendary Lou Ann Barton on Wed. Nov 17, at 9pm at Antones. Lou Ann Barton, Miss Xanna Don't, and Lisa Richards, all are appearing live to benefit The Sims Foundation. The Sims Foundation provides affordable psychological and psychiatric referrals for struggling musicians, including HIV and Hepatitis C counseling. More info on the Sims Foundation may be obtained through their Web site at www.sims-foundation.org. Midtowne Spa will host on Nov. 20 their Garage Party at 10pm and then Falcon Video Star Travis Wade performs from 12-1am. On Sat. it's their Flashlight Party starting at 10pm. Oilcan Harry's present Male Dancers and opens at 4pm Turkey Day with a Thanksgiving buffet at 5pm. Rainbow Cattle Company welcomes all Rodeo Fans to Austin for the 16th annual Texas Gay Rodeo Association (TGRA) Rodeo - Nov. 11-14. RCC hosts steak night on Nov. 11 and features the TGRA Royalty Show at 7pm. On Sat,. Nov. 13, RCC hosts the TGRA Two-Step & Waltz Competition at 1pm and then TGRA Dance Finals at 6pm. A $5 donation is requested at the door. RCC wishes all Happy Thanksgiving and asks patrons to check the bar for details on happenings Thanksgiving Day. Coming up on Sun., Nov. 28, at 9pm, it's the Dwight Arnold's Hard Candy Christmas Show benefiting Pediatric AIDS League. At Splash Video Bar, look for manager Eddie's 29th & Holding birthday bash on Sun., Nov. 14 complete with Eddie shot specials from 9pm - close. Splash also presents Video Game Show Night premiering Wed., Nov 24, featuring Family Feud professionally done by an L.A. Company. Games will change weekly with challenging interaction from the crowd. Coming soon at Splash will be Video Malebox Night. In the city, check out the Austin Music Hall on Sat., Nov 27 with GROOVE featuring the legendary DJ Danny Tenaglia from NYC rocking the hall from 1-6am. Local support from DJs Rob Vaughan (Dallas) and DJ Coy West (Austin) will provide additional spins starting at 9pm. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door and are available at Alien Records located at 1114 West 5th St. in Austin. More info may be obtained by calling 512.404.9046.
Red & Green '99 Slated
RED and GREEN '99 premiers for its third year engagement on Sat., Dec. 11 at Mercury Hall in Austin located at 615 Cardinal Lane. RED and GREEN '99 benefits two local charities in Austin - the HIV Wellness Center and Out Youth Austin. All proceeds from the event go towards the charities. Tickets are $60 with hosts at $95. An open bar is featured from 8-11pm and dancing till 3am with Circuit DJ Michael Tank from Houston. Tickets and more info. may be obtained from Splash Productions at www.partyaustin.com or by calling 888.558.1791 or in Austin at 512.478.1791. Last's year RED and GREEN II Party raised over $5,000 for area Austin charities.
Halloween Weekend - N.O.
Again, It had been 8 months since I left the city of Austin for N'awlins Mardi Gras back in Feb. I was long overdue for another trip. I mean after 14 circuit parties, First Splash, Meltdown, Pride, July 4th, Last Splash, Perfect Day, Texas Coming Out Day, and the AIDS Walk, I was really ready to see sights other than my own backyard. As a matter of fact, I was not alone in this thinking because some 100 plus other Austin queens also made their way to the lavish fun - New Orleans style Halloween XVI Weekend known as Celestial Odyssey. The 4-day circuit festivities raised over a million + dollars for Project Lazarus, a resident facility for men and women living with AIDS. Upon arrival Fri., I went to visit Ambush and then to check on Sonny Cleveland. I did not find Sonny until later that night but did run into friend Eddie Fos, owner of Wolfendales. It was then off to the Lavender Line, at St. Ann and Bourbon St. to check out the hot men and see some fellow Austinites gathered there. Night fell and time for Heavenly Bodies Dance at the Robin St. Wharf where DJ Don Bishop was spinning in an adjacent warehouse right on the Mississippi River. Here one could dance, drink, meet and greet, all of which I did to the extreme. The party ended and then it was back to the Lavender Line to go dancing at both Oz and the Parade till 6am.
Sat. quickly turned into night and it was time for the big event, Moon Dance, held at the New Orleans Convention Center. This was the costume extravaganza and I dressed up as an Alien Circuit "X Is Out There" man complete with a glow harness, green lasers, silver pants and shoes all covered with blue glow and was topped off with my silver galactic ray glasses. I can only estimate, but I figure that over 10,000 HOT-Bodied men and some women danced the night away in costumes a-plenty. The Austin crew went as the Twisted Twister Crew complete with tight whites with the rainbow colors in circle patterns and Twisted T-shirts and twister boards. Others I saw from everywhere were Mary Poppins and her Chimney Sweeps, the Pride Poodles, the Coal-Miners, the Bees complete with a Queen Bee, the Turkish Dancers and best of show in my opinion was the Chinese Dragon with over 60 bodies hailing from California. Somewhere after midnight, it became Halloween Sun. and I went to get a drink at the open bar. There he was, dressed in leather shorts in his chimney sweep outfit, my new beaux Allen from San Antonio. I am not sure what happened, but next thing I know he put a spell on me and we were joined at the hip the entire rest of the weekend. The party ended around 4am and back to the Lavender Line for dancing until 7am, which we did with reverence. Others I hear took the 2am to 10am shift off dancing.
Sunday came way too early, and time to attend the Sun. Galactic Gospel Gathering. The food was good and we all held church with gospel singers while sipping screwdrivers and vodka tonics. After brunch, we gathered back on the Lavender Line to start the night all over again and saw singer Mary Griffin perform at Oz. Allen and I partied until 11pm when some drunk asshole cold-cocked me in my left eye with my sunglasses on my eyes. I did not provoke the incident. Needless to say, he was whisked away and Oz immediately rendered First Aid. Not really wanting to let this incident get me, I explained to Allen I still wanted to party and we did until 2:30am the next morning. Allen babied and took care of me the rest of the night and I am very grateful to him. Mon. came and Allen and I had to leave. I saw Ambush Editors Rip and Marsha and we had lunch at Mona Lisa's and then off bar hopping until my cab ride to the airport. Many thanks to New Orleans, Oz, 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 Rip and Marsha for all you did for me. Halloween was sure a treat! Especially Allen.
