What's Hot? - Ambush Mag

what's hot?
Volume 23/Issue 3/2005

by Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain
Visit their site: ripandmarsha.com

Official Gay Mardi Gras Guide Has It All

Ambush Mag is proud to serve as your Official Gay Mardi Gras Guide. As you go through this giant 72 page issue, you’ll find 48 pages in ads, boasting the best club, business, krewe and organization events from Texas through Florida, plus over 200 photos of the hottest action. You can also visit www.GayMardiGras.COM, the Original & Only Official Gay Mardi Gras Website, chock full of additional information.

As you flip through these pages you will find loads of information from events to shopping, dining to hair care, and even, services to shows, but some of the biggest events follow.

Fri., Feb. 4 brings us, from 9pm-12midnight, 6th annual le Vendredi De Nuit Mardi Gras Avant [The Friday Night Before Mardi Gras Extravaganza], benefiting Belle Reve & United Services For AIDS, at The Carrollton in New Orleans.

Sat., Feb. 5, it’s to Baton Rouge for the 12noon annual Spanish Town Parade at 5th & Spanish Town Road, then return to New Orleans for the 8pm Krewe of Armeinius Bal Masque XXXVII at the Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center (formerly St. Bernard Cultural Center) in Chalmette; and the Night of the Black Mask: The South’s Oldest Leather Block Party, 10pm-2am, at the Phoenix/Eagle in New Orleans.

On Sun., Feb. 6, the Lords of Leather Bal Masque XXII hits the stage at the Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center (formerly St. Bernard Cultural Center), 8pm in Chalmette/New Orleans.

On Lundi Gras, Feb. 7, 8:30pm, it's the annual Hookers Ball with celebrity emcees Guadalupe and Ambush's Phyllis Denmark, benefiting Buzzy's Boys & Girls at Body & Soul.

And finally, it’s the big day, Mardi Gras, Feb. 8, kicking off with the 12noon 41st Annual Bourbon Street Awards sponsored by Oz and Bud Light, at the corner of St. Ann at 800 Bourbon, emceed by Bianca Del Rio & Blanche Debris, presenting Best Drag, Best Leather, Best Group and Best of Show Awards, plus $1,000 cash for Overall Best Costume in New Orleans. It’s followed by the 2pm 18th annual Official Gay Mardi Gras Bead Toss: Jungles, Jewels & Jocks led by KCQ [King Cake Queen] XII of Gay Mardi Gras, Savanna DeLorean, The Amazon Queen, at World famous Ambush Headquarters Balcony, 828 Bourbon St. in New Orleans.

Gay Mardi Gras Traditions/Balls Date Back to 1949

The traditions of Gay Mardi Gras Balls came into being in the 1950s. The first Gay Mardi Gras krewe was the Krewe of Yuga or "KY." This krewe was formed to satirize the straight, aristocratic Mardi Gras traditions in 1958. In 1962, the Krewe of Yuga threw its first Ball at a badly chosen sight, a private children’s school. No sooner had the tableau begun with queen and maids expectantly waiting the adoration of the spectators when police cars roared up and the ball was raided. Doors were locked and people were unceremoniously hauled to jail.

Taking a deep breath, the Gay community soon reorganized and new Gay Mardi Gras krewes began to flourish. Peaking in the early 1980s, there were dozens of Gay krewes that were the highlight of the Carnival season. Local matrons would beg for tickets from their hairdresser. They were quite the event.

The Gay balls required formal attire and the tableaus were a sight to behold. Many a cocktailed queen was seen to fall over from the weight of a bigger than life costume. It was all wonderful, some of the most cherished Carnival memories.

Why past tense? AIDS took many of the best and most talented people from New Orleans. It would be easy to blame a weak economy and apathy for the decline of the Gay krewes. It’s not that. It was AIDS that hurt this fine tradition, redirecting funds from carnival clubs to fight the disease.

However, several krewes did survive across the Gulf South, plus new ones have organized in recent years.

Historical Gay Mardi Gras Events:

1949, Fat Monday Luncheon debuts at Brennan’s Restaurant/New Orleans

1958, Krewe of Yuga/New Orleans, 1st gay Carnival club debuts

1962, Krewe of Petronius/New Orleans debuts

1962, Yuga/New Orleans ball raided

1963, Bourbon Street Awards/New Orleans debuts presented by Arthur Jacobs, Bourbon at Dumaine Streets

1966, Krewe of Amon-Ra/New Orleans debuts

1969, Krewe of Armeinius/New Orleans debuts

1969, Amon-Ra/New Orleans presents 1st Miss America Pageant

1970, Mystick Krewe of Apollo/New Orleans debuts at Monteleone, 1st gay ball presented in a hotel

1971, Krewe of Olympus/New Orleans debuts, 1st gay ball presented at St. Bernard Civic Auditorium

1972, Mystick Krewe of Apollo/New Orleans, 1st gay ball to debuts at Municipal Auditorium,

1976, Mystick Krewe of Apollo de Lafayette debuts

1977, Mystick Krewe of Apollo/Birmingham debuts

1977, Mystic Krewe of Celestial Knights/New Orleans debuts

1977, Academy of the Golden Goddess, Inc. (AGGI)/New Orleans debuts presenting annual awards show celebrating gay Carnival clubs

1978, Mystick Krewe of Apollo/Shreveport debuts

1979, police strike cancels parades/New Orleans; Charlene’s & the Golden Lantern group takes to the street as the Krewe of Cancellation

1980, Police cancel Krewe of Cancellation parade/New Orleans, no parade permit

1981, Mystick Krewe of Apollo/Baton Rouge debuts

1981, Krewe of Ishtar/New Orleans, 1st all-lesbian club debuts

1982-3, Edd Smith hosts Bourbon & St. Ann St. Awards/New Orleans, no Bourbon Street Awards held

1983, the Krewe of Polyphemus/New Orleans debuts

1984, Lords of Leather/New Orleans, 1st leather Carnival club debuts

1984, 11 gay Carnival krewes present balls, a record/New Orleans

1984, no Edd Smith or Bourbon Street Awards/New Orleans

1986, Bourbon Street Awards/New Orleans returns & moves to St. Ann & Burgundy

1987, Krewe of Queenateenas/New Orleans debuts presenting 1st Official Gay Mardi Gras Bead Toss, 828 Bourbon St.

1991, AGGIs/New Orleans end

1992, Petronius, Amon-Ra, Armeinius & Lords of Leather present only gay balls/New Orleans

1993, Krewe of Barkus/New Orleans parade hits the streets of the French Quarter

1994, Krewe of Queenateenas/New Orleans crown 1st King Cake Queen of Gay Mardi Gras

1999, 1st new gay Carnival Club since 1984, Krewe of Mwindo/New Orleans debuts

1999, Fat Monday Luncheon/New Orleans, celebrates 50th anniversary

2000, le Vendredi de Nuit Mardi Gras Avant/New Orleans debuts benefiting AIDS service organizations

2001, People of Substance’s Krewe of Anubis/New Orleans debuts

2001, Petronius/New Orleans celebrates 40th anniversary

2002, Bourbon Street Awards/New Orleans returns to Bourbon & St. Ann Streets presented by Oz & Bud Light

2003, Krewe of Satyricon/New Orleans debuts

2004, 40th Bourbon St. Awards presented

2005, Amon Ra/New Orleans celebrates 40th anniversary

GayMardiGras.COM has much more detailed information available.

Friday Night Before Mardi Gras Charity Ball Feb. 4

New Orleans - The annual Friday Night Before Mardi Gras extravaganza will be held at the Carrollton on Feb. 4 from 9pm to midnight.

With patrons dressed in drag, costume or black tie, Friday Night Before Mardi Gras extravaganza is the ball where guests are the tableau. Tickets are $50 per person for the ball, which will feature an open bar, luscious buffet, festive music and celebrity guests. All proceeds benefit persons living with HIV and AIDS through donations to Belle Reve New Orleans and United Services for AIDS.

The Friday Night Before Mardi Gras is the only gay Mardi Gras ball or event of this magnitude held on this night, soon to become a permanent fixture in the New Orleans Gay Mardi Gras alongside other better-known krewes, such as Petronius and Armeinius.

New Orleans’ own, Johnny Angel and the Swingin’ Demons will perform as the celebrity entertainment for the evening. (Professional on-site photographs are complimentary.)

The Carrollton is located at 4710 South Carrollton Ave. For tickets or additional information visit www.fridaynightbeforemardigras.org or call 504.483.3211.

Oz & Bud Light Present 41st Bourbon Street Awards

New Orleans - Oz will once again present the Bourbon Street Awards. Celebrating it’s 41st anniversary, the world-famous costume contest is a delight to all. The contest starts at noon Mardi Gras day, Feb. 8, at the corners of Bourbon and St. Ann Streets in the heart of the French Quarter. Get there early if you want to get up close to the stage! Contestants can sign up beginning at 10am to compete in the following categories: Best Drag, Best Leather, Best Group and Best of Show. First, Second and Third place prizes will be awarded in each category. PLUS a $1,000 CASH prize for overall best of show!

Earth’s mightiest hostesses, the incredible Bianca Del Rio and the uncanny Blanch DeBris will once again prove that OZ and the BOURBON STREET AWARDS is the only place to be on Mardi Gras day!

Oz Mardi Gras Lineup Weekend passes are available on-line at OzNewOrleans.com or may be purchased at the club. Don’t wait in long lines to get into Oz! Express Entrance for VIPs and pass-holders from Thursday to Tuesday! Passes will be available for purchase at Oz until they run out!

Wed., Feb. 2: Start the Carnival celebration with the longest running drag show on Bourbon Street featuring Bianca Del Rio, Lisa Beaumann, Teryl-Lynn Foxx, Ava Synclaire, Amber Nicole Welch, Coca with special guest King Cake Queen XII Savanna DeLorean. DJ Raymond Mattix is in the booth all night!

Thurs., Feb. 3: Start your day with the Men of Manwatch and DJ Tim Pflueger, followed by Blanche Debris and the nationally known Oz Calendar Boy Contest. Raymond Mattix is your prime-time DJ, with DJ Chris Finland taking over the tables after-hours.

Sixteen beautiful men from around the world, the Men of Manwatch, will be dancing on the bartops from Thursday to Tuesday.

Fri., Feb 4: Dancers and DJ Tim Pflueger once again open your eyes. Then DJ Raymond Mattix is back in the booth, followed by that national sensation and world-rocking DJ — Alyson Calagna and then Oz’s own Ellis Ranko will spin in the after-hours.

Sat., Feb 5: We’ve got you covered all day at Oz! DJ Tim Pflueger gets you in the mood, DJ Raymond Mattix keeps you there, and DJ Ellis Ranko pushes you to your limits.

Sun., Feb. 6: Ready to party at Oz before, during and after the parades? DJ Mary Pappas starts the day, followed by Raymond Mattix, then internationally known Roland Belmares leads you into a sunrise session with Chris Finland.

Mon., Feb. 7: It’s Lundi Gras, and Tim’s back to start your day, then along comes Mary Pappas who is followed by Atlanta’s Hottie Daddy DJ David Knapp. Maryon Rags is the master of vinyl into the wee hours of Fat Tuesday.

Tues., Feb 8: It’s not over ... just one more day! Tim Pflueger is the lead-off DJ for Mardi Gras Day; then Raymond Mattix and Mary Pappas will wind you into a frenzy during the evening with Maryon Rags welcoming Ash Wednesday to The City that Care Forgot!

Visit www.OzNewOrleans.com for the latest events and happenings at New Orleans’ World famous gay dance club.

Lambda Legal Defends City of New Orleans Same-Sex Domestic Partner Registry & Benefits Policy

New Orleans - In oral arguments Mon., Jan. 31, at the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, Lambda Legal began its fight of an attack by an antigay group seeking to end the City of New Orleans’ policy extending health insurance benefits to domestic partners of its gay and lesbian workers as well as the city’s domestic partner registry.

"Our clients deserve the same health coverage their co-workers receive for their families, and the City of New Orleans did the right thing by offering it," said Brian Chase, Staff Attorney in Lambda Legal’s South Central Regional Office in Dallas, who is handling the case. "This benefit directly affects the health and well-being of city employees and their families."

In 1997, the City of New Orleans extended health insurance benefits to same-sex partners of city employees. In 1999 the City Council, by a majority vote, created a domestic partner registry that allows couples to make a public commitment to care for and support each other. The domestic partner benefits policy and the city’s domestic partner registry have come under attack by a radical antigay group, the Alliance Defense Fund, based in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The antigay group claims that the city’s benefits program violates antigay citizens’ rights, while Lambda Legal says that nobody’s rights are violated when elected officials provide health coverage to the families of gay and lesbian city employees. A lower court dismissed the antigay group’s lawsuit last year, and the group appealed the case to the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

At the city’s request, Lambda Legal joined the lawsuit representing city employee Peter Sabi and his partner, Philip Centanni. Sabi has worked in the city’s Vieux Carre Commission as a senior building inspector for nine years. Centanni is a self-employed writer.

Sabi and Centanni have been together for almost nine years. As a self-employed writer, Centanni was paying $500 a month for health insurance before the city extended benefits to its employees’ same-sex partners. Now the couple pays $50 a month for Centanni’s coverage.

Public employers in over 10 states, and nearly 140 counties and cities nationwide have extended health insurance benefits to the domestic partners of gay and lesbian employees. More than 60 cities and counties have domestic partner registries, some of which have benefits attached. In general, registries have important symbolic value for couples who sign up, and both public and private employers often find them helpful when extending benefits to employees nonmarital partners.

Lambda Legal has handled many similar lawsuits on behalf of cities whose domestic partnership benefits and registries are attacked by antigay groups. One example is the case of S.D. Myers v. City and County of San Francisco. Lambda Legal filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of the City of San Francisco. A federal appeals court ruled in favor of the city and its domestic partnership plan.

Rip and Marsha Naquin-Delain, publishers of Ambush Mag, were the first couple to register as Domestic Partners in New Orleans.

New Orleans Pride Elects New Board; Moves Celebration Back to June

The New Orleans Alliance of Pride, producers of New Orleans annual Pride celebration, elected a new board including co-chairs Jamie Temple and Tony Leggio, secretary Jack Saucier and treasurer Mina Hernandez. All former board members with the exception of Shayne McClain and Donnie Jay have resigned. New board members also include Todd Blauvelt and Will Coleman.

In general business the board voted to move Pride Fest back to June. It also voted to only hold a Pride Parade this year, while working on eliminating debt and restructuring of the festival portion.

Community involvement is greatly encouraged and the board will issue notices of meetings right after Mardi Gras.

Ella Fitzgerald to Headline Legends of Jazz Photo Exhibition by Photographer Steven Forster in April

New Orleans - New Orleans Awardwinning Photographer Steven Forster has announced that he will unveil the premiere exhibition of his legends series of jazz and musical giants including Ella Fitzgerald at the Robert Bruno Gallery in New Orleans for the month of April 2005. The First Lady of Song Ella Fitzgerald will be among many giants including The Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, The Genius Ray Charles, King of the Blues B.B. King, Miss Nancy Wilson, The Legendary "Q" Quincy Jones, Queen of Broadway Musicals Ethel Merman, New Orleans Legendary Pete Fountain, Dr. John, Mavis Staples, Dionne Warwick, Chaka Khan, KoKo Taylor, Buddy Guy and many more. April is jazz month in New Orleans, and the one-man exhibition is timed to welcome visitors to the 36th New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival April 22 - May 1, 2005.

The new exhibition was inspired by Forster’s life long infatuation with the voice of Ella Fitzgerald. "She inspired me artistically and musically and has always been a part of my life," Forster says.

Ella Fitzgerald © Steven Forster

Forster photographed Fitzgerald on stage in 1979 at the 10th New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and a few years later delivered a framed photograph to his idol during her stay at New Orleans’ Fairmont Hotel where she was performing at the Blue Room. He was greeted at her hotel suite door by a sleepy Fitzgerald, clad in a robe. Forster believed the negatives of his Fitzgerald shoot had been destroyed in a fire 25 years ago. In October, Forster was stunned to discover a set of some of the negatives in an envelope, although his favorite photograph, the one he’d presented to Fitzgerald, was not among them. His joy at discovering his tribute to his favorite jazz legend propelled him to action. Forster matched images of other musical greats he had photographed over the years, and his latest one-man show was born.

Forster’s photography work is included in the Historic New Orleans Collection, The New Orleans Museum of Art, The Contemporary Arts Center, the Mario Villa Gallery and the John Stinson Gallery. His work has been included in exhibitions of master photographers Ansel Adams, Walker Evans, Clarence John Laughlin, and Weegee (Usher Arthur "Weegee" Felig). His clients have included Random House Books for the cover jacket photograph of Pulitzer Prize winning author Rick Bragg (#1 New York Times Best Seller, I Am A Soldier, Too; The Jessica Lynch Story). Forster is presently working on the cover jacket photograph of Ernest Gaines for his upcoming book From Mozart to Ledbelly.

Ethel Merman © Steven Forster

Forster swept the Fashion Photography category for both published and non-published work at the annual Alpha Awards presented by the Fashion Group International (founded in 1930) of New Orleans in 2004. Forster shut out all other published and non-published fashion photographers from the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama and the Florida panhandle for work which included large scale digital photographs of jazz artists in New Orleans. Forster is now an eight-time Alpha Award winning photographer whose work is featured in his own award-winning newspaper page, the Big Easy Page in the Sunday editions of the Times-Picayune, Louisiana’s largest newspaper.

The exhibition is free and open to the public. The Robert Bruno Gallery is in the Warehouse Arts District of New Orleans, 900 S. Peters St. For more information visit www.stevenforster.com.

Saints and Sinners Literary Festival May 13-15 in New Orleans

New Orleans - You can join in a weekend of literary revelry in the heart of the French Quarter in New Orleans. Saints and Sinners is a literary festival for the GLBT community, their friends and anyone who is interested in reading and writing. It will take place May 13-15, 2005. The weekend will include workshops, panel discussions, and a reading series that will appeal to readers and writers alike. There will also be special events and book signings.

Presenters include such nationally known authors as Jim Grimsley, Sarah Schulman, Tim Miller, John Morgan Wilson, Patricia Nell Warren, Radclyffe, Val McDermid, M. Christian, Emanuel Xavier, Ellen Hart, and Patrick Califia. Some of New Orleans’ favorites will also be on hand, with Poppy Z. Brite, Kevin Allman, Kay Murphy, Martha Ward, Patricia Brady, Greg Herren, Brad Richard, and J.M. Redmann.

Other participants include Jameson Currier, Jay Quinn, Carolyn Gage, Ian Philips, Robert Taylor, Jim Gladstone, Trebor Healey, Charles Flowers, Toni Amato, Ron Suresha as well as many others.

A number of publishers and editors will be present, including Don Weise, Avalon Books; J.M. Redman and Kelly Smith, Bywater Books; G.K. Darby, Garret County Press; Robert L. Giron, Gival Press; David Rosen, Insightout Books; Thomas Keith, New Directions Press; Abram Himelstein, New Mouth from the Dirty South; Ammi Emergency, Soft Skull Press; Jay Quinn and Greg Herren, Southern Tier Editions of The Haworth Press; Greg Wharton and Ian Philips, Suspect Thoughts Press; and Patricia Nell Warren, Wildcat Press.

The weekend will start off on Fri., May 13 with a series of master classes on topics from The Role of the Editor with Don Weise of Avalon Books and Thomas Keith from New Directions Press to Mysterious Beginnings with Ellen Hart. Toni Amato and Kristi Helms will conduct a workshop on the topic of From Online to In Print. Cherry Cappel will talk about Creating An Effective Author Website, and there will also be workshops facilitated by John Morgan Wilson, Patrick Califia, Carolyn Gage, and Jim Grimsley.

The opening party of the weekend is a Friday night reception in that hot spot of Bourbon Street, Ambush Mag headquarters. A special part of the weekend will be a chance to attend an intimate dinner party with a featured author including Jim Grimsley, Ellen Hart, John Morgan Wilson, Letta Neely, and Emanuel Xavier. The dinners will take place in the elegant homes of some of New Orleans most renowned hosts.

Saturday kicks off with panel discussions and a reading series. There will be something for everyone with topics ranging from "marketing and promoting your book" to "using sex as language in romances and erotica." There will also be panel discussions on genre jumping & project hopping, family life beyond the big city, as well as discussions on topics that include internet publishing, small presses, and poetry.

The saints can take an early night on Saturday, but for the sinners there will be a theatrical performance by the internationally acclaimed performance artist Tim Miller, and Jim Gladstone along with D. Travers Scott will present the world premiere of a new performance piece drawn on verbatim excerpts from one of the best selling and most notoriously homophobic sex manuals of all time.

Sunday continues with the panel discussions and the reading series.

And the weekend ends with a closing reception upstairs at the Bourbon Pub with the newest members of the Saints and Sinners "Literary Saints" being recognized. Past inductees include: Dorothy Allison, Ann Bannon, Mark Doty, Katherine V. Forrest, Jewelle Gomez, Val McDermid, Felice Picano, David Rosen, and Patricia Nell Warren.

Additionally, the closing reception will also include recognition of the insightout books Violet Quill Award-winner. The 2004 finalists are Aaron Krach, Trebor Healey, Jim Tushinski, Philip Galanes, Aaron Hamburger, and Mary Wilbon. The festival hopes to accomplish two things.

One is to raise funds for NO/AIDS Task Force and its programs and services. But the festival will also serve as a community awareness forum, something to show another side of the GLBT community other than the one shown at party times like Mardi Gras or Southern Decadence. While there must be many facets to HIV prevention efforts, one way is to give the community social outlets other than ones that seem to place emphasis on drugs, alcohol and sex, as well as role models of talented and accomplished gay men, lesbians and straight people who are open minded and supportive for young people struggling with their sexual identity and needing affirmation for who they are and who they might become.

The festival will take place in the heart of New Orleans’ historic French Quarter, using Club 735 as Festival headquarters where there will be readings, panels, and a bookfair. Other venues will be within easy walking distance, and include the Bourbon Pub/Parade and Napoleon’s Itch within the Bourbon Orleans Hotel.

Literary Sponsors of the event include: Harrington Park Press, Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Arts Council of New Orleans, the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Gival Press, the Publishing Triangle, Wildcat Press, Suspect Thoughts Press, Intaglio Publishing, DREAMWalker Group, Bold Strokes Books, and insightout books.

Visit the Festival web site at www.sasfest.com for a complete schedule of events, list of participants, and registration forms. For additional information or to register by phone, contact Tina Simon at 504.821.2601 x 217 or funddevelop2@noaidstaskforce.org.

11 Parties, 10 DJs, 5 Days: 2005 Memorial Day Weekend in Pensacola May 26-30

Pensacola, FL - The word is given! It’s Official! Eleven Parties, Ten DJs, Five Days … Memorial Day Weekend in Pensacola Florida keeps getting bigger and better every year! The 2005 Memorial Day Circuit Party Weekend presented by Johnny Chisholm and Oz will be overloaded with world-class DJs, shining new venues and the most vibrant entertainment and talent just for you!

The weekend officially kicks off Thurs., May 26, at an all new, totally remodeled, redecorated and re-arranged Emerald City nightclub hosting Foreplay, the opening party of the weekend. One of the south’s newest spinning sensations DJ Jay-R is back to get you started dancing the moment the doors open!

For those of you who have been here before, the exciting new changes begin Friday afternoon. Bounce, the ever-popular poolside T-Dance has a new home. This year, the Hilton Garden Inn (our official host hotel) is proud to welcome you to their facility for this event! Bounce 1 starts at 4pm, and ends at 8pm. The amazing Tracy Young will set the mood for the entire weekend while you enjoy the sunset and seeing your old friends from years past, while you meet some new ones.

Emerald City isn’t the only remix of the weekend, the Friday night beach party has also been remade! WAVE, the beach party, has been moved and renamed this year while repairs are being made to its traditional location. This year, HURRICANE hits the beach in front of the Hilton Garden Inn from 10pm to 3am. The perky Kimberly S. is your mixmistress of the evening and she’ll have you groovin’ to the music all night. WAVE will be back in 2006!

Sat., May 28 will be a busy, busy day for everyone in attendance. The natural raw talent of DJ Alyson Calagna will greet you poolside at the Hilton Garden Inn for Bounce 2 from 4pm to 8pm, then you’ll have just enough time to head back to your rooms to get ready for SWEAT or FORIDDEN I. Emerald City the shining new jewel of the coast invites you to SWEAT with DJ Roland Belmares. And for the ladies (the guys can go too!) DJ Mary Pappas leads the action at FORBIDDEN I, the Saturday girl party at this year’s new location Capt’n Fun on the Beach. You’re not done yet! Atlanta-based DJ David Knapp is champion of the turntables at SPELLBOUND I, the first after-hours party of the weekend. Head over to The Annex from 3am to 9am for this all-night dance party.

Now in its eleventh year, award winning ABRACADABRA will take over the Pensacola Civic Center for the true grand-daddy of all circuit parties. Manny Lehman will be blazing as he spins for you from 10pm to 4am in this massive venue. Ladies, we haven’t left you out, Mary Pappas is back for FORBIDDEN II from 9pm to 3am at Flounder’s on the Beach. The energy will still be sky-high and that’s when Barry Harris takes over to spin at SPELLBOUND II at the Annex, from 3am to 9am after Abracadabra.

We know … you want more … well, you’re gonna get it. Mon., May 30, award-winning DJ Dewight Barkley brings you all to CLIMAX at Emerald City for the annual drink-n-drown closing party. The doors open a 9pm, and look for some exciting entertainment to round out your party weekend.

Are you ready to party non-stop for five days? Here’s all you have to do: Go to www.memorialweekendpensacola.com or www.ozneworleans.com to order your weekend passes and you’ll also find all the information you’ll need about hotels, the DJs, a shopping and dining guide to Pensacola and the latest information about the weekend’s events. A weekend pass is only $200, and that provides admission to all the events. If you’d like to be a Weekend VIP, that pass is $300, and includes admission to all events PLUS a separate VIP room with complimentary beverages at Bounce 1 & 2, HURRICANE, SWEAT and ABRACADABRA. Weekend and Weekend VIP passes, as well as individual event tickets may be purchased at the Hilton Garden Inn beginning Fri., May 25. The ticket desk accepts cash and credit cards. You may also purchase tickets, with cash only, for any event at the door of that event.

If you’d like to make reservations at the official host hotel, The Hilton Garden Inn on the Beach, please call their reservation hotline: 1.877.782.9444 (be sure to mention Group Code FUN). Additional accommodations are available at Portofino Resort (850.916.5000).

Weekend sponsors for 2005 include: Miller Beer, Wet Lubes, Ambush Magazine, Altitude 12 and Gay.Com. Go to www.ozneworleans.com to sign up for the e-mail list and you will receive the latest information about Memorial Day Weekend 2005. If you have any questions, please e-mail ozclub@bellsouth.net or telephone 850.433.7499 Monday – Friday 9am-5pm. Airline booking information can be found at circuittravel.com.

Back to Ambush Mag
Brought to you by

Over 375,000 Unique Visitors Per Month
Independently verified by reports generated through Web Trends